GOOSE, LEE, AND SUTTER ALL BELONG (AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ROLLIE. IS HE ALREADY IN?)

I know I need all the readily available stats to make a substantial argument for three relief pitchers to be elected to the Hall of Fame this year, but I'll just leave it at they were the best ever and are worthy.

It's a injustice that the only relief pitcher in the Hall, the Eck, was also a starter for a big part of his career. Gossage, Smith and Bruce were exclusively (practically) closers. Maybe more than any other change in MLB over the years has been the rise of the relief corps, and their shining stars: the closers.

Imagine having to face a dominant Bob Gibson 3 or 4 times a game. If you're going to touch him, your best bet is the fourth at bat. I know, if you don't get to the great ones early, you won't get to them. Or in 1968, Gibby had a 1.12 ERA; do you think it mattered when you came to bat? Ok, forget Gibson. Who would ever want to face him anyway(s)?

Imagine facing Bob Buhl. Same argument. Buhl is taken out in the eighth and a fresh Sutter comes in to mow down the opposition. Value? In today's world, just try to go for very long without a dominant closer. It worked for a while with Whitey in the mid- eighties, but he found another in Todd Worrell. It didn't work at all for Tony in 2003.

The closers deserve to be included. This year.