Overlooking the Dominican Dandy

Juan Marichal, for all his esteemed accomplishments, the great numbers he has set, may be underrated for a hall of famer, if there is such a thing.

Often overlooked during his career for certain awards, he took it all in stride and continued to dominate the NL West despite heavy competition from the great Sandy Koufax. Many don't consider him one of the greatest pitchers of all-time let alone one of the greatest post-world war II pitchers. His high leg kick was often surpassed by the feats of Bob Gibson, Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens during the 1950s and afterwards. Because he pitched during a very deadball era and pitched during the same years as the intimidating Gibson and the much praised Koufax, Marichal never won Cy Youngs and often lost out in postseason races to the Cardinals.

Upon closer inspection, his stats were as good as Gibson's and his demeanor on the mound, equally intimidating. When asked whether to face one or the other, the choice is impossible. Both were known not to take anything from anyone. Due to rough luck, he was always one to finish runner-up in any sort of race. He lost six times in close Cy Young races, thrice to the Dodger lefty, once to Dean Chance, once to the Cardinal great and once to the Met, Tom Seaver. He was never able to come away with the trophy. I think it must have been very tough for him to always finish behind someone else. It takes not only courage to continue working without ever being truly rewarded, but persistence and determination. His grittiness also shows me he played the game because he loved it and enjoyed it, not letting second-place be a deterrent. His devotion to the game is missing in many players today.

As such, with the lack of hardware to prove his feats, many don't consider him to be on par with some of the greatest of all-time. Rest assured, in my opinion, he is. Often considered second string to others in estimation in the Hall of Fame, his high leg kick will always be considered one of the best in my thoughts.