[VanillaGorilla]

In the Class of 2045 there are 3 RL HOFers which brings the running total to 17 of 41 entrants.

Even though 2044 had 16 entries and 2045 only 6, this may be the strongest group of players entered in a year since the first class.

------------------------------------------

Lefty Grove had the career expected from a player who is arguably the best to ever play his position.

When you are arguably the best player to ever play your position, it isn't a surprise when you go as the first overall pick in the draft. In 2023, the Pirates used their first overall pick to select Lefty Grove. Good move.

Grove pitched 20 years in the Majors. 19 of those seasons he was over .500. In 2041, his 18th season, he was 7-8 with a 5.19 OOTP ERA (npa ERA+ 83). This was his absolute worst season. Every other year his ERA+ was above 110. Often times by a lot.

Like his rookie season. Try an ERA+ of 270, for starters. 16-6, 1.60 will get the job done and get you a Cy Young Award. He won the CYA his next season. In fact, in each of his first 6 season with at least 100 IP, Grove was honored as best pitcher in the league.

In 2027 he won his third CYA, and first of four straight. He held opposing batters to a .211 OBP. This is a record that stands as Grove is inducted.

In his 6 CY seasons, he was a combined 120-28 with a high ERA from those season of 2.36. 4 of those 6 seasons his ERA was below 2.00. He struck out at least 338 men in each of those 6 seasons. There are guys that enter the HOF for whom I point out just about every accomplishment. It would take to next week to do that for Grove. He is in the discussion of best pitcher ever in this league.

Grove posted 270 career wins (4th, one slot behind Toad Ramsey) vs 118 losses. That means when he didn't win the Cy Young Award he was 150-90. His NONpeak seasons make for a HOF career, on their own. He struck out 4485 men (5th, 1 slot behind Sandy Koufax) in 3539 IP (9th) while walking 783. His career OOTP ERA is 2.87, for a mind numbing 165 npa ERA+

Grove was named to 8 All-Star teams, threw a no-hitter while completing 51 games (t-10th, Matt Kilroy) and posting 14 shutouts (12th).

Lefty Grove is tied with Matt Kilroy for 11th place on the CG list with 51. He ranks 12th on the career shutout list with 14.

His .6959 winning % ranks 4th.

Grove enters the Hall at the age of 44 as a First Ballot entry.

Black Ink: 73 (111)
Gray Ink: 208 (319)
HOFm: 284.5 (232)
HOFs: 67 (62)

Gorilla Composite: 5.8 (6.9)

----------------------------

Rube Waddell was selected with the 5th overall pick in the 2025 draft by the Pirates. Yes, the same Pirates that drafted Lefty Grove 2 years prior. Holy moly. I had the (dis)pleasure of managing the Rockies against these gus in the play-offs. Their third pitcher in that play-off rotation will probably get a call from the Hall in the not too distant future.

Perhaps these Pirates would have been more aptly named the Braves, since it wasn't until Waddell left the Pirates and joined the Mets did he win a WS (2034 & 2036). His post season pitching record was 12-5 with an amazing 217 K in 152 2/3 IP.

Waddell's best regular season may have been the one in between his WS wins, 2035. He was 20-5 with an OOTP ERA of 2.34 (npa ERA+ 187) and 410 strikeouts in 246 IP and only 68 walks. This K total was the third best of his career. Waddell won his second Cy Young Award in 2035. He won his third the following season.

He pitched 13 seasons before he had a season WHIP of 1.1. In 18 big league seasons, he had double digit wins 14 times. He lost fewer than 10 games 15 times. He struck out 300 batters 9 times, 3 times he struck out 400.

For his career he posted a 259-107 (and had 18 saves) with an OOTP ERA of 2.77 (npa ERA+ 161). He struck out 4907 (3rd, one slot ahead of Sandy Koufax) in 3337 2/3 IP (15th) while walking fewer than 1000. He is 5th on the All-Time win list, one spot behind teammate/classmate Lefty Grove. He is second on the All-Time ERA list, sandwiched between Alex Serrano and Ben Tincup.

His 6.547 H/9 is the best mark in league history (followed by Unknown Edwards and Toad Ramsey).

In 2030, Waddell had a WHIP of 0.75, which still stands as the single season best.

An 11 time All Star, Waddell enters in his first year of eligibility. At the age of 38 he becomes the youngest player to enter the HOF.

Waddell's most similar pitcher in this league? Lefty Grove.

Rube Waddell pitched 3 no-hitters in his career. He his 4th on the career shut out list with 20, one spot ahead of Tim Keefe. He is 20th on the career CG list with 47.

His .7077 winning % ties him for first place, All-Time (other player is still active).

Black Ink: 68 (46)
Gray Ink: 242 (158)
HOFM: 299.4 (138)
HOFs: 64 (47)

Gorilla Composite: 5.9 (3.6)

ADD: Grove and Waddell rank 3 and 4, respectively, on the career VORP and WAR lists.