For about six seasons, Bob Caruthers was considered one of the best pitchers in baseball. Sadly, as his career only lasted nine seasons his impact in the game may not have allowed him to cement himself as one of the great early pitchers.
How many people pointed at Bert Blyleven’s 287 career wins year after year and championed his Hall of Fame cause? We don’t know the exact number, but we are sure that it is a lot more who than those who created logs extolling the virtues of Tony Mullane’s 284 Major League victories.
It is strange to say that Willie Randolph played in a bit of a shadow as he was a long-time Yankee but that is somewhat true. He was in the shadow of other more flamboyant New York stars, and his strong defensive play never got him a Gold Glove as he played at the same time as Lou Whitaker or Frank White. Hell, even his current Coaching career seems to overshadow his accomplishments on the diamond. It shouldn’t though as Willie Randolph was a very good ballplayer.