Tommy John doesn’t deserve a plaque in Cooperstown. Let’s cut through the sentimentality and look at the cold, hard facts.

Tommy John’s career statistics are the very definition of mediocrity dressed up as longevity. Sure, he pitched for 26 seasons, but what did he really accomplish? A career record of 288-231 with a 3.34 ERA. That’s barely above average, folks. In all those years, he only managed to win 20 games three times. Three times! That’s not the mark of a dominant pitcher; that’s the mark of a guy who hung around long enough to accumulate some decent numbers.

Four All-Star appearances in 26 years? That’s not Hall of Fame material; that’s a participation trophy. If John was truly one of the greats, he’d have been selected more than once every six and a half years. The fact is, he was rarely considered among the best pitchers in the league during his playing days.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “But Slats, what about the surgery named after him?” Let me tell you something – we don’t put people in the Hall of Fame for being guinea pigs. Dr. Frank Jobe deserves the credit for that medical breakthrough, not Tommy John. John was just lucky enough to be the first patient. Are we going to start enshrining every player who had a unique injury or treatment? Give me a break!

When you stack Tommy John up against the true legends of the game, he comes up short every time. He never won a Cy Young Award. He was the runner-up twice, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, not in Cooperstown.

Tommy John’s career is a testament to persistence, not excellence. The Hall of Fame is for the best of the best, not for guys who stuck around long enough to compile decent numbers. If we start letting in players like John, we might as well rename it the Hall of Pretty Good.

The Classic Era Committee needs to take a hard look at the facts and resist the urge to get sentimental. Tommy John’s name might be famous because of a surgery, but his pitching career falls short of true Hall of Fame caliber. Let’s save those plaques for the players who truly dominated the game, not for those who were just above average for a long time.

Remember, Cooperstown is for the elite, the cream of the crop. Tommy John? He’s just skimmed milk masquerading as heavy cream. Keep him out and keep the standards high. That’s the way it should be, and that’s the way I see it.