[VanillaGorilla]

Differing from the previous HOF threads, a Veterans Committee induction is no longer a player entering on the Veteran Standard. The Veteran Standard is still in place, and Veterans may enter on the basis of it, but it is not the only standard used by the Veterans Committee.

In the current model, once a player has been retired for 20 years, he is no longer on the (Vitual)BBWAA. The Veterans Committee is there to honor players that were either overlooked, or for some other reason, not voted in by the Virtual Writers.

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The first Veteran Committee selection is a virtual unkown. Heck, he is in fact an Unkown.

Unknown Edwards becomes the first "Unkown" to enter any of the OOTP HOF.

IRL, U Edwards is a Cup Of Coffee player, having played in one game. He started this game as a pitcher, pitched 2 innings, but had one hit (a double) in 5 AB.

Reemerging in this alternate parallel universe, he was given the opportunity to pitch and develop into a HOFer.

Edwards was the 309th player taken in the Inaugural Draft of 2004 (Athletics).

Edwards is, perhaps, the most legendary power pitcher in league history.

Playing through the 2020 season, he won 120 games while dropping 106 and carried a career OOTP ERA of 4.04 (npa ERA+ 121).

In only 1982 1/3 IP, Edwards was able to strikeout 3007 batters (24th). This rate of 13.65 K/9IP is the best in league history.

Edwards would be the basis of pitching characters in the cinema of this alternate parallel universe. Like "Wild Thing" Vaughn and "Nuke" LaLooch, Edwards, while having gas to fan batters like no other, he also was prone to, shall we say, bouts of wildness. He walked 1550 men (2nd)...that's a rate of 7.04 per 9 IP. To be fair, 19 of his career walks were IBB....

It is not obvious from his career W/L record, but Edwards pitched on winning teams. Anyone that is consistently playing for a winner is, himself, contributing to the success of his teams.

Edwards pitched in 6 post seasons, and 5 times won the pennant. His career post season record is 8-2. In post season action he struck out 108 men in 73 2/3 IP (13.19 K/9) while posting an OOTP ERA of 3.18. He did walk 68 men in the post season also (8.31 B/9).

Though he pitched in 5 WS, his team was never able to bring home a crown (perhaps the reason the VBBWAA passed him over).

Edwards had his best season in 2015 as a member of the Astros. He went 17-7 with an OOTP ERA of 2.21 (npa ERA+ 195) striking out 277 men in 175 1/3 IP. He was named to his only All Star team that year. This Astros team was 85 game winner that finished in 4th place in the division race.

Twice previously Edwards had struck out 300 men and in one of those seasons carried an OOTP ERA of 2.31 (npa ERA+ 185) and was not named to the ASG.

The batters in the HOF all agreed that he was the pitcher they really hated to face, at any time.

Edwards, at the age of 60, is the oldest player to join the HOF.

ADD: While doing the write-up for Dan Brouthers, I found that Edwards was on the 2019 World Champion Braves, but was injured for all of the post season. He played through late August before he was knocked out.

This would be a sixth team that Edwards played for that won a pennant.


Black Ink: 18
Gray Ink: 58
HOFm: 80.1
HOFs: 24

Gorilla Composite: 1.7