Kerry Wood -- Greatest what-if ever?

I recently read a book on Addie Joss. Interesting thing about him is he pitched nine years - need to have played in 10 seasons to get in the Hall of Fame. But people kept petioning to let Joss in, saying he was ready for his 10th season, but that is when he contracted tuberculosis and eventually died. Took a while, but they finally made him eligible.

 

More info on Lefty O'Doul.

http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/O/ODoul_Lefty.stm

 

Addie Joss would almost undoubtedly have been a Hall of Famer on his own merits if he had lived. He had 155 wins by age 29 and a 1.89 career ERA over his nine seasons, second-best in MLB history. Even by Dead Ball Era standards, he was one of the greats (and there are way more dubious HOF selections than him.) The reason the Veterans' Committee waived the 10-year rule, btw, was not because of his death, but because of his ERA.

Joss is definitely in the all-time "what-if" crowd, along with Joe Wood.

Another one, I'll add, was Frank Shellenback. Who? <a href="http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/S/Shellenback_Frank.stm">Find out</a>. If he gets grandfathered in as a legal spitballer in 1920, he wins 200 games in the big leagues. Easily.

 

Joss wanted to be a baseball writer when his career was finished.

 

He actually wrote during his career (in the offseason, covering a few World Series, writing a few columns) for Toledo, if memory serves.