Signature Season of the 1990s: David Cone 1992

 

-Matthew McConkey

When I was a kid, the first time I saw David Cone pitch was during a Mets game at my grandmother's house here in Tennessee. It was a network on her cable subscription called WWOR, channel 5, where I saw Cone pitch. On Sundays, I would go to Grandmother's house with my dad to visit her. I'd watch the Braves (my favorite team) on TBS, and during commercials, I'd flip over to the Mets. I would flip between the games like that until it was time to go. 

I remember seeing Cone pitch one Sunday. I liked his devilery, his toughness, his way of getting out of jams on the mound. Plus, I'd had a bunch of his baseball cards I'd pulled over the years and knew he was a good pitcher. But in late August of the 1992 season, the Mets traded Cone to the Toronto Blue Jays, who needed some pitching for their push to the postseason. I didn't get to see Cone pitch anymore on those Sunday visits with my grandmother. Little did I know, I was going to get to see a lot of David Cone during that 1992 postseason on national broadcasts on TV. 

The acquisition of Cone gave the Jays exactly what they needed. In the end, the Blue Jays not only made it to the World Series but they won it over the Atlanta Braves. I was once again devastated, but that's another story for another post. 

I consider the righty's 1992 MLB season his best overall in the 1990s, split between the Mets and Blue Jays. At the end of the season, Cone was 17-10. His 2.81 ERA was the second-lowest of his career and the lowest of his 1990s decade. 

He logged 249.1 innings pitched, his second-highest during his 90s decade. He started 34 games, producing 7 complete games and 5 shutouts. He also fanned 261 hitters, the most ever in his career. He led the National League in walks while with the Mets, with 82, before being traded, and was second in the National League in strikeouts with 214. 

When the Blue Jays played the Oakland Athletics in the ALCS in 1992, Cone went 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA.

The Jays dispatched the A's 4 games to 2, advancing to the 1992 World Series. He was 0-0 in 2 game starts with a 3.48 ERA against the Braves in the fall classic, allowing 4 ER in 10.1 innings, which wasn't bad at all. Eventually, the Jays won the World Series over the Braves, 4-2, giving Cone his first World Series championship.

Cone's 1992 Season At A Glance

Went to his second career All-Star game

Cone was tough on righties, limiting them to a .207 batting average in 1992

Pitching on the road, Cone was a road warrior, allowing the home team a .212 batting average while posting a 9-4 record with a 2.33 ERA

On May 3rd, he was named the NL Player of the Week 

In July of 1992, Cone was stunning, going 5-0 with a 3.20 ERA 

When given 3-5 runs of support, Cone was dazzling, posting a 5-1 record with a 2.37 ERA

When it came to RISP with no outs, Cone was greedy, limiting teams to a .181 batting average, while RISP W/2 outs, he was even greedier, allowing a .175 batting average

The Giants, Astros, and Braves, Cone was a combined 6-1 in 7 starts with a 1.15 ERA, which included 2 complete game shutouts against the Giants

While with the Mets, Cone ranked first in the NL in strikeouts per 9 IP with 9.793 

David Cone Stats

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/coneda01.shtml

Hardware Heroes of the 1990s: Cal Ripken, Jr.'s 1991 MVP

 

-Matthew McConkey

When I was a kid, one of the living icons of the game at that time was Cal Ripken, Jr. Growing up in the 1980s and 90s, I didn't get to see him play unless the Baltimore Orioles were playing on NBC on the Game of the Week, ESPN, or it was an All-Star game. That was it. There were also pictures of him on the covers of baseball magazines that I'd occasionally see. There were, of course, baseball cards of the man. It was how I tracked his success over the years. 

When I collected baseball cards, I'd pull one of his from a pack and was ecstatic because I knew how good he was, even though I didn't get to see him play often. Sometimes, I'd make card trades for Ripken, Jr. to add more of his cards to my ever-growing baseball card collection. 

During the 1990s, Ripken, Jr. was a giant among men in baseball. He was the best shortstop in the game, both in the field and at the plate. His consecutive games played streak was going strong in the 1990s. All of us kids back then wondered if he was ever going to break it, the immortal Lou Gehrig's 2,130. He would in 1995. 

Ripken, Jr. had arguably the best season of his career that '91 season. When it came time for the MVP voting, he received 15 first-place votes to runner-up Cecil Fielder's 9. It would be his final MVP trophy.

Ripken's 1991 Season: At a Glance

In 1991, Cal won his second MVP. He had 34 home runs and 114 RBIs, both of which were career highs. 

Cal also hit .323, his career high, when he registered 600+ plate appearances

His OPS was .940, a career high when he registered 600+ plate appearances

Posted the second-most hits of his career with 210

He also won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger that year and didn't miss a game, of course

Cal was a road warrior, hitting .358 away with 18 HRs and 62 RBIs with a 1.027 OPS

He crushed lefties with a .348 BA and a 1.088 OPS

In his first 80 games, Ripken collected 18 HRs and 54 RBIs with a .348 BA and a 1.001 OPS

He hit .371 in June, the highest of any month during the 1991 season

During a 1-1 count, Ripken was deadly, hitting .453 with a 1.188 OPS

With RISP, Cal tallied 70 of his 114 RBIs with a .315 BA. 

Two outs w/RISP, Ripken hit .290 and had 20 RBIs and 2 HRs

He destroyed the Rangers in 12 games, hitting .409 with 2 HRs and 13 RBIs, 1.140 OPS while hitting .476 in 6 games at Texas' Arlington Stadium. 

Cal Ripken, Jr.'s Stats

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ripkeca01.shtml

Forgotten All Star: Orel Hershiser

 

-Matthew McConkey

My first memory of Orel Hershiser came in the 1988 World Series. I remember watching him pitch and noticing right away how determined he was to go after the hitters in the box. His aggressiveness earned him the nickname "Bulldog". He was one of the more determined pitchers I watched as a kid on the mound. I could see that "Bulldog" mentality in the games he pitched. 

I learned more about Hershiser from one of my childhood friends who grew up in the era in which Hershiser pitched. Justin was the biggest fan (still is) of the decorated righty from the L.A. Dodgers. He taught me a lot about the pitcher back then, way before the internet was even a thing. He also taught me a lot about baseball. 

When I selected Orel for this week's feature, I learned more about how good he was back in the day. To say the least, I'm now a fan of #55. He doesn't get a lot of play outside of L.A., but he should. His number should be retired at Dodger Stadium, if you ask me. 

In the late 1980s, Hershiser was one of the league's elite pitchers, having been selected as an all-star three consecutive seasons (1987, 1988, 1989). His durability was among the National League's best as he led the league in Innings Pitched during those three all-star seasons (264.2, 267, 256.2, respectively).

During the 1980s (1983-1989), Hershiser was one of the best pitchers in baseball. He was 98-64 with a 2.64 ERA, 1,457 innings, 1.149 WHIP, started 191 games, had 58 complete games, and 23 shutouts while striking out 1,011 hitters. 

The crown jewel in Hersisher's career was the 1988 season. He was the National League's Cy Young Award winner, NLCS MVP, and World Series champion with series MVP honors. He also won his only Gold Glove. 

Hershiser never recaptured that kind of magic after the 1988 season. He was never an all-star after 1989, but he was able to notch out an excellent playing career. Orel pitched another 11 seasons after 1989 with the Dodgers, Indians, Giants, and Mets, starting 275 games and logging 1,673.1 innings. He was 105-81 with a 4.04 ERA and a 1.344 WHIP during those last 11 seasons. 

At ages 36-40, showing that he still had gas left in the tank, Hershiser established himself as one of the game's most reliable pitchers despite his age. In that stretch, he was 69-43, started 157 games, and logged 949.2 innings with a 4.32 ERA and a 1.372 WHIP.   

He also started 11 postseason games during the ages of 36-40 with the Indians and Mets, going 4-3 with a 3.28 ERA, pitching 74 innings with a 1.149 WHIP.

*3 X All-Star 

*WS Champion in 1988

*WS MVP in 1988

*NLCS MVP in 1988

*1988 National League Cy Young Award winner 

*Led the National League in Innings Pitched three consecutive seasons (1987, 1988, 1989)

*Led the National League in Wins in 1988 with 23

*Won his only Gold Glove in 1988

*Won his only Silver Slugger award in 1993

*Led MLB in 1988 with 15 Complete Games and 8 Shutouts

*Had a career-low 2.03 ERA (min 230 IP) in 1985 with a career-low 1.031 WHIP

*Holds the MLB record for consecutive scoreless innings by a pitcher with 59 (August 20, 1988, and ended on September 28, 1989)

Orel Hershiser Stats

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hershor01.shtml

My Case for the HOF: Dale Murphy

 

-Matthew McConkey

Dale Murphy is one of the most enduring players to have worn a Braves uniform. I'll be honest, he was my gateway into baseball as a kid of ten years old. His #3 has been retired and is on full display at Truist Park in Atlanta. It is baffling that this man has not been enshrined in the hallowed halls of baseball's Hall of Fame. What's the hold up here?  

Well, who knows really. One factor that may have contributed to Murphy not being elected was that during his time with the Atlanta Braves, the team was not based in a major market like Los Angeles, New York, or Boston. That truly hindered his status as one of the nationally known elites in MLB and caused him to fail at getting into the HOF...for now, as of 2025. 

Critics often point out that he experienced a decline in production during his final six seasons. During this span from 1988-1993, Murphy's numbers paled in comparison to his prime years. He posted a .234 BA, 88 HRs, and 339 RBIs in this stretch, which hampered any sort of consideration for the Hall. Very few players in MLB don't have a drop-off in production in their later years. This raises the question: Should outstanding players who experience a drop-off in performance after ten or twelve seasons of their careers be penalized? My answer is NO. 

However, I would like to make the case for Murphy, who never received more than 23.2% of the vote while on the HOF ballot from 1999-2013. A player should not be judged on their final years of play since nearly every player (save for the rare ones who leave on top) has a cavernous drop-off in numbers. Time catches up with everyone, and skills do diminish. It happens to the best of them. 

It's advantageous to review these types of players. I always have two questions when discussing players such as Murphy: One, how popular were they in the era they played in? Two, how good were they in that era (an era can mean 10-12 seasons).

Murphy was extremely popular during the 1980s as he was the franchise face of the Atlanta Braves, who had gained a nationwide following thanks to Ted Turner's TBS Superstation. Baseball fans all over the country who had cable could sit down and watch a Braves game and see how good Murphy was. In the 1980s, he was one of the most popular players in baseball and was an absolute dynamo who could run, play defense and hit.

How good was Murphy during the ten seasons from 1980-1989?

* 7 AS Game selections in the 1980s 

* Was twice named the National League Most Valuable Player in 1982 and 1983

* Had 929 RBIs during the 1980s, second to Eddie Murray's 996

* Had 308 HRs during the 1980s, second to Mike Schmidt's 313 

* 100+ RBIs in 5 different seasons in the 1980s

* 30+ HRs in 6 different seasons in the 1980s

* 5-time Gold Glove winner in the 1980s

* 4-time Silver Slugger in the 1980s

* Had .852 OPS during the 1980s

* Played in 1,537 games during the 1980s

* Had 1,553 hits in the 1980s, the 5th most in the decade

Murphy's resume speaks for itself, and had he played in a much larger market, we would not be having this discussion. Would he have been a first-ballot HOFer? No, but he should have secured the votes (75%) to get in before his name was taken off. And what a travesty that the Veterans committee didn't elect him...yet.

The game has undergone significant changes over the years. Gone are the old standard benchmarks of 500 HRs, 3,000 hits, and 1,500 RBIs that would grant you entry into Cooperstown. As for this writer, a player should be judged not on their first two seasons and last three, but rather on the ten years in between, because that is where the accurate metric of how good a player is lies. 

In Murphy's case, from the 1980s, when he was 24-33, he was a powerhouse and is a forgotten great of the decade who should be in the Hall of Fame.

Dale Murphy Stats

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/murphda05.shtml