St. Louis Cardinals: Should Steve Carlton be in the Cardinal HOF?

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Baseball Hall of Famer, Steve Carlton, has been nominated for the Cardinal Hall of Fame for the 6th time. Should the Phillies legend be inducted?

On the surface, it seems like a ridiculous question. Should a 4-time Cy Young Award Winner, a 10-time All-Star, a pitching Triple Crown winner, 4-time N.L. Wins leader and National Baseball Hall of Famer former St. Louis Cardinal be admitted to the Cardinal Hall of Fame?

Of course, I'm talking about former Cardinal pitcher Steve Carlton. This legendary lefty is up for the Cardinal Hall of Fame for the 6th time. Nevertheless, Cardinal fans who have voted on the past Hall of Fame nominees, have yet to find Carlton worthy of being admitted to the Cardinal Hall of Fame.

Why?

First of all, his Cy Young Awards, 7 of 10 All-Star appearances, the pitching Triple Crown, and the 4-time N.L. wins leader, were while he was wearing a Philadelphia Phillies uniform. Second, Carlton hasn't worn a Cardinal uniform since 1971. That means nearly two generations of Cardinal fans weren't around when Carlton wore the Birds on the Bat.

In fact, even many Cardinal fans who remember him when he played in St. Louis, would still consider him a Phillies legend. However, if we just focus on his time with the Cardinals, there is a legitimate case to be made for Steve Carlton's admission to the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

The Case for Steve Carlton

The Miami, Florida native was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1963 and entered their minor league system in 1964. Carlton advanced quickly through the Cardinals system and made his major league debut in 1965. By 1967, he was a regular in the Cardinal rotation.

During the Cardinals' 1967 World Championship season, Carlton was 14-9, with a 2.98 ERA, and pitched 193 innings. During the World Series against the Boston Red Sox, he started Game 5 and threw 6 strong innings.

In 1968, during the Cardinals N.L. Pennant Championship run, Carlton was 13-11, with a 2.99 ERA, and pitched 232 innings. He also earned his first All-Star appearance.

But Carlton's best year in St. Louis was in 1971 when he was 20-9 with a 3.56 ERA and pitched in 273 innings. Additionally, he earned his third All-Star appearance.

During his seven-year tenure with the Cardinals, he was 77-62 with a 3.10 ERA. During his five years as a starter, Carlton was 74-59 with a 3.11 ERA. The 6-4 lefty also had a 7-year WAR of 20.9, a 1.279 WHIP, pitched 66 complete games, 16 shutouts, threw 1265 innings, and earned 3 All-Star appearances.

With Carlton's case out of the way, it's important to compare his to other Cardinals' Hall of Fame candidates and recent inductees.

Comparison to Cardinals Hall of Famer, John Tudor.

As impressive as Carlton's career appears to be in St. Louis, a fairer comparison can be made by looking at the career of a recent inductee to the Cardinals Hall of Fame- John Tudor. Tudor's and Carlton's careers match up fairly well.

Lefty John Tudor spent 5 seasons wearing the Birds on the Bat. During this tenure, Tudor was 62-26 and had a 2.52 ERA. He also had 22 complete games, pitched 881 innings, 12 shutouts, a 1.080 WHIP, and a 19.9 WAR.

Tudor's best season was in 1985. In fact, it was a Cy Young Award worthy season for the New York native. Tudor had a 21-8 record with a 1.93 ERA, a league leading 10 shutouts, and WHIP of 0.938. But Dwight Gooden's incredible 1985 season stood out above Tudor's, and he took home the Cy Young Award.

Comparatively, Carlton bests Tudor in complete games, innings pitched, shutouts, All-Star appearances, and wins. Tudor on the other hand bests Carlton in ERA and WHIP. Their comparative WARs are a near washout.

In comparing these two former Cardinals, if John Tudor is in the Cardinal Hall of Fame, shouldn't Steve Carlton be in with him?

Comparisons to Matt Morris and Joaquin Andujar

Steve Carlton is on this year's ballot with former pitchers, Matt Morris and Joaquin Andujar. How does Carlton compare? Let's take a look.

Matt Morris is a popular former pitcher who was drafted by the Cardinals and made his major league debut in 1997. Morris was 101-62 during his 8-year career in St. Louis.

Morris's best year was in 2001 when he led the N.L. in wins with 22 and made the first of his two All-Star appearances. He also finished third in Cy Young voting behind Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. Morris had a 3.16 ERA while he wore the Birds on a Bat. He also threw 18 complete games, had 8 shutouts, and pitched 1377 innings. Additionally, he had an 18.7 WAR and a WHIP of 1.268 during his Cardinal tenure.

Right-hander Joaquin Andujar spent 5 seasons in St. Louis between 1981 and 1985. He had a 68-53 record, with a 3.33 ERA. His notable achievements while in a Cardinal uniform, were back-to-back 20-win seasons in 1984 and 1985, a World Series Championship in 1982, two All-Star appearances, and a Gold Glove Award.

In 1984, he led the N.L. in wins (20), innings pitched (261), and shutouts (4). Over his five years in St. Louis, he pitched 1077 innings, had 37 complete games, and threw 13 shutouts. Andujar had a WAR of 12.9 and a WHIP of 1.188 while wearing the Birds on a Bat.

Depending on the stat, Carlton compares quite well with Morris and Andujar, especially in ERA, WAR, and WHIP. Where Carlton stands out vs Morris and Andujar, is complete games and shutouts.

A Final Word on Steve Carlton and the Cardinal Hall of Fame.

Before I go any further, and for full disclosure, I voted for Edgar Renteria to be admitted to the Cardinals Hall of Fame. I feel the former Cardinal shortstop is the most deserving, and honestly, should have already been voted in by the fans.

With that being said, I believe if you have John Tudor in the Hall of Fame, then Steve Carlton also belongs there. To add, for those who voted for or considering voting for Matt Morris or Joaquin Andujar, I would suggest you take a close look at Steve Carlton.

I know this is probably David Freese's year. I would be surprised if he is not voted in this year. But I think there are others more deserving to go in before Freese, that includes Steve Carlton.

In the end, it may take a vote of the Red Ribbon Panel to put Carlton in as a "Veteran Player". In other words, after Steve Carlton has been retired for more than 40 years, the Red Ribbon Panel can put him in the Hall of Fame.

So, to answer the question. Should Steve Carlton be in the Cardinals Hall of Fame?

Yes, is my answer.

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