THE cap and/or the pinstriped uniform shirt David Cone wore the afternoon he was perfect are to be sent to Cooperstown. Hall of Fame executives will make a presentation to Cone at the Stadium Aug. 3.
Now, more than ever, it is possible to believe this will not be the last time this pitcher and this institution will be linked. Cone already had nudged himself to borderline consideration for immortality before his immortal act Sunday. A perfect game enhances his candidacy in a way it never could for a David Wells or Kenny Rogers because Cone has such superb credentials already.
“It is hard to put myself in that category,” Cone said. “Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford are Hall of Famers. The [perfect game] has to help. I still I have to do more.”
Joe Torre suggested that Cone could all but seal the deal by doing a Johnny Vander Meer with a second straight no- hitter. But since his opponent Friday will be Cleveland, about the antithesis of the Expos, Cone probably will not match that back-to-back history.
Instead, for Cone to reach the Hall, he will likely need to at least reach three of the following five achievements: a third 20-win season, a second Cy Young Award, being instrumental in a fourth World Series winner, reaching 200 career wins or attaining another historic accomplishment such as a second perfect game/no-hitter.
“I think it is flattering to be in the debate,” Cone said.
And he clearly is now part of the debate. Here is why:
1. MODERN COMPARISONS – There are two current starters that are Hall-of-Fame locks, Roger Clemens and Greg Maddux. If forced to name a third, the most common answer is Tom Glavine based heavily on his two Cy Youngs and four 20-win seasons.
But the career statistical similarity between Cone and Glavine is staggering. Glavine has started 384 games, Cone 377. Glavine has won three more games (181 to 178) than Cone, but Cone has a much better winning percentage (.647 to .616), ERA (3.14 to 3.35), strikeout total (2,340 to 1,594), complete game total (56 to 45) and shutout total (22 to 18).
Both Glavine and Cone have had mixed post-season results. Glavine is 9-10 with a 2.91 ERA in 23 career playoff starts to Cone’s 6-3 with a 4.22 ERA in 16 starts. Glavine has the highlight of pitching great in the World Series Game 6 clincher for the Braves against the Indians in 1995.
Cone won the Series turnaround Game 3 in 1996 against Atlanta. In fact, teams with Cone (the 1992 Blue Jays and ’96 Yankees) are 2-0 in the World Series against Glavine’s Braves.
Cone has two strikeout titles. Glavine led the league in shutouts in 1992.
2. HISTORIC COMPARISONS – Eight starting pitchers with fewer than 200 wins are in the Hall. Just one (Sandy Koufax, .655) has a higher career winning percentage than Cone’s .647.
3. MODERN CONSIDERATIONS – All modern players will have to be viewed through the reality of the game now, in which 300 wins are tougher because of five-man rotations and bullpen specialization while offensive numbers are staggering.
Consider that Clemens and Maddux are the only current 200-game winners (Orel Hershiser is one shy) and you see how difficult that plateau has become and why it should be viewed as a significant Hall credential.
Cone also stacks up positively when you compare how he has done within his time frame as compared to how Hall of Fame pitchers from the past did within theirs.
Just look at this season when Cone’s 2.65 ERA is 2.31 better than the 4.96 AL average and his league-leading .206 batting average against is .071 better than the AL average.
Since his rookie season, Cone has not allowed a batting average higher than .239, though he has been in the DH-exclusive AL since midway through the 1992 season.
And just look at his ERAs compared to the league average in his three full Yankee seasons: 1996, Cone 2.88, AL 5.00; 1997, Cone 2.82, AL 4.56; 1998, Cone 3.55, AL 4.65.
4. INTANGIBLES – Cone probably will be helped because the voters are sports writers, and few players have been as cooperative and insightful as Cone. He also has the benefit of playing in large-market New York. And, as Torre pointed out, those that have watched Cone’s career closely know about his “heart.”
Torre highlighted how Cone has come back from shoulder surgery in 1996 and 1997. Dave Winfield essentially made the Hall with a second career chapter after missing all 1989 following back surgery.
Cone is 45-18 since his first shoulder surgery, which is perhaps 45 more wins than many thought he would get. And the way he has pitched this season following a self-created shoulder maintenance regimen that includes acupuncture suggests he just may have at least the 22 wins necessary to get to 200.
Torre also talked about how Cone’s heart makes him the pitcher the manager wants pitching in special, high-focus events, such as on Yogi Berra Day.
At that event Sunday, Cone made it his day in New York and got a little closer to an upstate city in New York named Cooperstown.
