CHICAGO — Mark Buehrle, who was one of the top starting pitchers in White Sox history, received 10.8% support and 42 votes in Hall of Fame balloting from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, returning him to the ballot next year for a fourth time. Five percent of the vote is needed to stay on the ballot.
Buehrle was a model of consistency over his 16-year career, with spectacular accomplishments mixed in along the way. Beginning in 2001, Buehrle posted 15 straight seasons with at least 198 innings pitched, at least 30 starts and double-digit victories. He pitched 198 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays in 2015, marking Buehrle’s final campaign, leaving him 1 1/3 innings short of throwing 200 innings in 15 straight seasons.
His highest Cy Young finish was fifth in 2005, when Buehrle helped the White Sox capture their first World Series title in 88 seasons. Buehrle posted a 16-8 record with a 3.12 ERA in ’05, eventually throwing seven innings in Game 2 of the World Series and then coming back to get the save in the 14th inning of Game 3. His lone brush with 20 victories came in 2002, when he finished at 19-12 and lost an eighth-inning lead in Minnesota during his last start.
While pitching for the White Sox, Marlins, and Blue Jays, Buehrle made five All-Star appearances and earned four Gold Gloves. He also no-hit the Rangers at U.S. Cellular Field in 2007, threw a perfect game against the Rays at home in ’09 and even homered against the Brewers in ’09. Buehrle ranks in the top eight in six separate career statistical categories for the White Sox — not to mention sitting No. 1 with 274 home runs allowed — and he posted a 161-119 record, 3.83 ERA, 27 complete games, eight shutouts and 2,476 2/3 innings pitched from 2000-11.
Buehrle made 25 relief appearances (three starts) as a rookie in 2000 and then started his next 362 with Chicago.
Other players with past White Sox connections receiving votes were Andruw Jones (58.1%, sixth year on the ballot), Manny Ramirez (33.2%, seventh), Omar Vizquel (19.5%, sixth) and Jimmy Rollins (12.9%, second).
