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Phillies Wall of Fame candidate: Steve Bedrosian

PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 09: Former manager Charlie Manuel of the Philadelphia Phillies talks about being inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame during a ceremony before the start of a game against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on August 9, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 09: Former manager Charlie Manuel of the Philadelphia Phillies talks about being inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame during a ceremony before the start of a game against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on August 9, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – JUNE 25: A view of the field at sunset in the fifth inning during a game between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 25, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Yankees won 4-2. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

Why Bedrosian shouldn’t make the Wall of Fame

Bedrosian spent a relatively short time in a Phillies uniform and although winning the Cy Young Award, his 2.83 ERA is relatively high for a closer. So how did he win the award?  Looking back, his ERA was the highest of any reliever to win the award and only four National League winners since have had an ERA higher.

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Of course, hindsight is 20/20, so looking strictly at the competition Bedrosian faced that season, one could argue that he won by default. Rick Sutcliffe won 18 and finished second, but had an unremarkable 3.68 ERA. Rick Reuschel went 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA and finished third and Orel Hershiser finished fourth, going 16-16 with a 3.06 ERA.

All were solid seasons, but not that would wow the voters.  Nolan Ryan would have been the choice had he pitched for almost any other team by the Astros. He had a 2.76 ERA and 270 strikeouts, but finished just 8-16.

Bedrosian also had a relatively high ERA for a closer of over three in all but one season with the Phillies.   He also allowed 11.3 base runners per nine innings and was prone to the long ball, giving up 1.1 home runs per nine innings.

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Is third all-time in franchise history in saves and a Cy Young award in 1987 enough to place Bedrosian in the Wall of Fame? There are pros and cons to the argument, but it’s hard to deny one of the top relievers in team history, albeit for a short time, a spot in the Wall of Fame.

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