Orel Hershiser was a staple of the competitive Los Angeles Dodgers teams throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.
During this time, he was one of the best pitchers in the entire MLB.
He was a crafty right-handed pitcher that commonly went deep into games without striking many hitters out.
Though his strikeout numbers were low, he still had great success.
Throughout his 18-year career, Hershiser was a three-time All-Star, set a consecutive scoreless innings pitched record and posted a relatively low career ERA.
Los Angeles #Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser sets a new record of 59 consecutive scoreless innings, breaking the mark of former Dodgers great Don Drysdale! (1988) #MLB #Baseball #History pic.twitter.com/S7TI1EQyup
— Baseball by BSmile (@BSmile) November 11, 2020
However, he was never elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association.
Now, he is one of the players getting consideration by the Era’s Committee for a spot in Cooperstown.
Does Hershiser have a Hall of Fame case?
We take a look at his resumé and see if he deserves a spot among the sport’s great.
A Dominant Dodger
Hershiser broke onto the MLB scene in 1984, becoming a starter during the season.
In 20 starts and 189.2 innings, he posted just a 2.66 ERA en route to a third-place finish in the Rookie of the Year Award race.
He followed a successful rookie season with an even better second year.
In 1985, he had an outstanding 19-3 record with a 2.03 ERA.
This gave Hershiser a third-place finish in the Cy Young Award voting, who finished behind an unbelievable season by New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden.
He would eventually get his Cy Young though, as it took just until 1988.
In that season, he won 23 games, tossing 15 complete games and posting a 2.26 ERA.
During this season, Hershiser tossed 59.1 consecutive scoreless innings which is truly an unbelievable mark.
This was good enough for him to take home a well-deserved Cy Young Award, solidifying his spot among the best pitchers of the time.
The Dodgers also won the World Series that season.
Orel Hershiser is on the mound as the Los Angeles #Dodgers win the 1988 World Series vs. the Oakland A's! (Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola in the broadcast booth!) #MLB #Baseball #History pic.twitter.com/A5smxEwtc6
— Baseball by BSmile (@BSmile) November 11, 2020
Hershiser then followed his Cy Young with another standout season in 1989, but this would prove to be the final peak of his career.
The Downfall For Hershiser
In the 1990 season, Hershiser underwent extensive shoulder surgery that shelved him for entire year.
In fact, this was the first ever full shoulder reconstruction surgery ever performed.
After this injury, he was never able to reach the same level of dominance.
From 1991-1995, Hershiser posted solid ERAs in the threes but never had quite the same workload as previous years.
However, he performed well in the 1995 playoffs in his first season with the Cleveland Indians, winning MVP of the ALCS.
After 1995, it was a steady downfall for Hershiser as he never had an ERA below 4.
This culminated into his 2000 season where he went back to the Dodgers, going 1-5 with a 13.14 ERA.
Unfortunately, this stretch of his career drastically pulls down his career statistics, hiding just how dominant Hershiser was.
Does Hershiser Have A HOF Case?
With his career statistics, Hershiser is a borderline Hall of Famer.
Going off of wins above replacement (WAR), he ranks just below some other candidates that are looking to be elected by the Era’s Committee.
This situates himself directly on the edge of becoming a member of Cooperstown.
There is certainly a spot there, but it depends on how willing the group is on welcoming him into the HOF.
It would be hard to exclude someone who was as dominant as Hershiser during the late 1980s, with such a standout scoreless innings record.
Today In 1988: Los Angeles #Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser wins the NL Cy Young Award after going 23-8, 2.26 ERA, 8 shutouts and a new Major League record of 59 consecutive scoreless innings! #MLB #Baseball #History pic.twitter.com/fngInymxHK
— Baseball by BSmile (@BSmile) November 10, 2020
On top of this, Hershiser was 8-3 with a 2.59 ERA in the postseason.
It is hard to disagree with the qualifications he brings to the tables for this argument.
If Hershiser never suffered his shoulder injury, who knows what his career could have looked like with the healthy arm he had in the 80s.
However, he still had a low ERA in a time where offense was elevated.
His 1988 season was also one of the best of his generation.
Because of this, he certainly deserves a spot in Cooperstown.
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My apology if I have missed something, but I doubt that I have. How can there be such a long article about his suitability for the HOF, and not mention either his career win-loss record or his number of strikeouts?
The must important thing about Hershiser is that he was there for his team at the moments that mattered the most
In football there is a standard (which I think is a bit absurd) that a QB must win a Super Bowl to get into the hall of fame. Having watched Orel in so many playoff games I was stunned to realize he isn’t in the Hall of Fame. To me that casts a lot of doubt on the credibility of the HoF. Who could ever forget his World Series dominance when he even came I in relief in the last game. Ridiculous.
There are certain feats that are extraordinary by a player that added to their overall record must take consideration 59 shut out innings is 6 1/2 games without a run is amazing over 2000 k’s let him in