Jack Morris Accuses Clay Buchholz of Loading the Ball
Blue Jays announcer and World Series MVP Jack Morris is accusing Clay Buchholz of throwing the spitball. Retired journeyman reliever and poor-man's CJ Nitkowski, Dirk Hayhurst echoed Morris' sentiments as well. For evidence Morris cites how Buchholz would touch his left forearm with his pitching hand before every pitch. Surely the only way Buchholz could defeat a then 10-17 club without one of its best players would be to cheat.
One would expect such specious evidence from an intellectual titan like Morris who once told a female reporter in the clubhouse:
Morris is on the precipice of the Hall of Fame. Going into his last year of BBWAA eligibility the only thing keeping him out may be a ballot that will feature a dozen or so more worthy candidates. If he were to be elected, Morris' 3.90 CAREER ERA would be the worst of any Hall of Fame starting pitcher. He never once had an ERA under 3.00. He did that while pitching in the relatively low scoring 1980s. None of the current Hall of Fame pitchers, even the guys who played in eras with more run scoring like the 1930s can match that sustained or "peak" level of mere above averageness.
Contrast that with the pitcher Morris is accusing of cheating, Clay Buchholz. In 2010 Buchholz had a 2.33 ERA, almost exactly an entire run better than Morris' BEST SEASONS. Buchholz's 2010 was better than any season the alleged Hall of Famer Moris ever had in his 18-year career and he did it in a higher run scoring enviornment. Buchholz's ERA+ that year was 187, while Morris' best ever mark was only 133. To be fair to Morris he did edge Buccholz's 2010 season in WAR once (1979) thanks to an extra 26 innings pitched.
Just like the flat-Earther's in the BBWAA who perpetuate his absurd Hall of Fame candidacy and invent evidence to do so, Jack Morris needs to shut the hell up.
UPDATE
On the NESN post game show Dennis Eckersley went off on Morris. Alex Speier points out this is not the first time the two haven't seen eye-to-eye.
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| The mythology of Morris stems largely from one night in 1991. |
I don't talk to women when I'm naked, unless they're on top of me or I'm on top of them.If Morris wants to throw around accusations and insinuations unburdened by actual evidence he should stick to perpetuating the mythology of his pathetically overrated career. He won a lot of games because he played in front of Alan Trammel, Lou Whitaker, Kirk Gibson, and Lance Parrish for most of his career, not because he "pitched to the score." The first two are eminently more deserving of Hall of Fame consideration than Morris. Morris also had a lot of Opening Day starts because he was fortunate enough to play on good teams who all had average to mediocre starting rotations.
Morris is on the precipice of the Hall of Fame. Going into his last year of BBWAA eligibility the only thing keeping him out may be a ballot that will feature a dozen or so more worthy candidates. If he were to be elected, Morris' 3.90 CAREER ERA would be the worst of any Hall of Fame starting pitcher. He never once had an ERA under 3.00. He did that while pitching in the relatively low scoring 1980s. None of the current Hall of Fame pitchers, even the guys who played in eras with more run scoring like the 1930s can match that sustained or "peak" level of mere above averageness.
Contrast that with the pitcher Morris is accusing of cheating, Clay Buchholz. In 2010 Buchholz had a 2.33 ERA, almost exactly an entire run better than Morris' BEST SEASONS. Buchholz's 2010 was better than any season the alleged Hall of Famer Moris ever had in his 18-year career and he did it in a higher run scoring enviornment. Buchholz's ERA+ that year was 187, while Morris' best ever mark was only 133. To be fair to Morris he did edge Buccholz's 2010 season in WAR once (1979) thanks to an extra 26 innings pitched.
Just like the flat-Earther's in the BBWAA who perpetuate his absurd Hall of Fame candidacy and invent evidence to do so, Jack Morris needs to shut the hell up.
UPDATE
On the NESN post game show Dennis Eckersley went off on Morris. Alex Speier points out this is not the first time the two haven't seen eye-to-eye.
