Quote of the Day: Reggie Jackson on Andy Pettitte’s Hall of Fame chances

Here’s Reggie Jackson taking about tonight’s matchup:

“I think if Andy beats Lee, it would make any [Hall of Fame] voter that’s on the borderline put him in. I think Andy has a strong resume now for the Hall of Fame, and I think he’ll already get strong consideration. But something like this would give him additional consideration.”

People are pretty simple creatures. We approve when people do like we do. We disapprove when people do differently. If something we did made us great, of course we’re going to think that someone else behaving similarly is great too. In light of that, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that a guy who is best known for what he did in one postseason game puts undue emphasis on what another player may or may not do in one postseason game.

That said, Reggie Jackson had more than one great game on his Hall of Fame resume. It took an entire career’s worth of work to get him to Cooperstown. My gut feeling: Andy Pettitte, for all of his accomplishments, doesn’t have the same quality of a career, and I don’t think he’s ultimately a Hall of Fame pitcher, whether he beats Cliff Lee or not.

I don’t think he’s a Jack Morris case (i.e. a guy no one with sense should consider for the Hall). I will understand one day when people push hard for him. But in my mind, he’s Hall of Very Good. He’s Hall of Excellent Postseason. But he’s not, in my mind, a Hall of Famer.

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that some of you disagree.