2/2: Fifth-place is about fair. Stieb's in an awfully good Eckersley/Finley/Stewart cohort, a full grade below Roger Clemens.

Bob Welch's smoke 'n' mirrors win over Clemens, the latest show of voters' love affair with wins and losses, is so outlandish even Oakland's paper argues against it.

3/3: The San Jose Mercury News draws a fresh perspective on the South Bay’s born-or-bred triumvirate of ‘80s all-star pitchers - Dave Stieb, Dave Righetti and Mark Langston - now enshrined together in the San Jose Sports Hall.

(The Hall inducted its 2025 class on November 6th.)

2/3: Anyone need a new screensaver or phone wallpaper?

Can you beat Dave Stieb and his San Jose Sports HOF 2023 class in front of the San Jose Sharks' shark mouth?

Not easily!

Ha!

Hey, the guy found an all-star calibre right arm almost by accident midway through college. Maybe the left’s got some magic dust, too!

Alternatively… the “straighter” answer might be in the source video, from spring training ‘84 - bsky.app/profile/dave...

2/2: The full six-minute version’s a terrific Stieb primer. The San Jose Sports Authority really knocked it outta the park.

Stieb apparently winced throughout the section on hit batters (🫣), but the audience loved it.

Gotta please the public, David!

🚨LINK:📽️

youtu.be/ChUe7zpp8j8?...

3/3: Stieb joins Lorrie Fair, Patrick Marleau and Chris Wondolowski in the 2023 class.

The fantastic event’s hosted at the San Jose Sharks’ SAP Center.

Stieb attends with longtime agent Bob LaMonte.

[Most photos courtesy Terrell Lloyd and the San Jose Sports Authority.]

2/3: Something about Dave Stieb at a lectern, bracketed by an all-capped "FAME," fits just so, doesn’t it?

The @cdnbaseballhof.bsky.social's known it since 2005.

The @baseballhall.org will need a little more encouragement.

So will the @torontobluejays95.bsky.social. #Retire37

🍸 They’re really leaning into the last syllable, aren’t they.

ABC's Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell and Reggie Jackson have been briefed on the preferred pronunciation and...

Someone's gotta ask Buck!

@wilnerness.bsky.social @torontomike.com @dannyspxp.bsky.social

(Our BlueSky readership's getting a longer cut of this video,btw. Love that three-minute limit!)

3/3: Stieb's 1982 5.1 WAA ("average Major Leaguer," as opposed to WAR's "replacement level") is the AL's second-highest from '80 to '85.

Vuckovich's 0.8 WAA - he's THAT close to the MLB baseline - ranks 246th.

@theathletic.com revisited the '82 CYA vote and its butterfly effect in 2019.

2/3: "A horrible miscarriage of trophy justice. [Pete Vuckovich] was probably the worst pitcher ever to win the Cy Young Award. Dave Stieb was by far the league’s best starting pitcher." - Bill James

Vuckovich's 1.502 WHIP is the HIGHEST among all 34 qualified AL pitchers.

Stieb misses winning the AL strikeout title by six two years later…with a mere 198, and that’s in 267IP.

That year was a bit of an anomaly, but yeah, much different game. Balls in play, four times through the order, all that.

2/2: One day after The Sporting News - the industry's "sporting bible" - names Dave Stieb its 1982 pitching champion, the BBWAA issues one of the most egregious results in its history, simply picking the guy with the most wins.

Counter-arguments come quickly.

3/3: Delgado's one of four first-timers balloted.

It's a list of middling quality. We think Bonds/Clemens are here to drive votes to less problematic candidates.

Bill James, @joeposnanski.com, @jayjaffe.bsky.social and @jonbois.bsky.social have previously endorsed Stieb's merits.

Onto 2028...

2/3: We predicted a six batter-two pitcher split.

But Valenzuela is a surprise, ranked just 25th in bWAR amongst eligible starting pitchers. His recent passing likely raised his profile.

The Dodgers also retired Fernando's number in 2023, a hometown validation Stieb's been denied in Toronto.