90s Forgotten All-Star: Denny Neagle

 

-Matthew McConkey 

He wasn't flashy. He wasn't dominating. He wasn't doing Nike commercials or on anyone's lists of Best Pitchers of the Decade. What Denny Neagle was was a good southpaw and an all-star in MLB twice during the 1990s.

His first selection was in 1995, when he pitched for the dismal Pittsburgh Pirates. The other in 1997 while pitching with the star-studded Atlanta Braves. In 1995, during the first half of his season, he was 9-4 with a 3.34 ERA and a 1.254 WHIP. It was good enough to earn him a spot as an All-Star. Neagle would end the season with a 13-8 record, a 3.43 ERA, and a 1.269 WHIP for a Pirates team that managed to win only 58 games.

His second All-Star selection came as a member of the Braves in 1997. The '97 season was Neagle's finest as a pitcher in the Bigs. The first half of the season, Nealge was 12-2 with a 3.20 ERA and 1.160 WHIP. His season would continue to be his best, as he finished with a 20-5 record and a 2.97 ERA, along with a 1.084 WHIP. For a season, he was as good as the legendary Big Three in Atlanta.  

Neagle is a forgotten MLB All-Star from the 1990s and one worth remembering, at least in this writer's mind. 

Denny Neagle Stats

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/neaglde01.shtml