The Top 40 VORP list continues with the player that accumulated the 30th highest VORP total as a member of the Minnesota Twins, Scott Erickson.

Scott Erickson was a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins from 1990-95. If you are old enough to remember the 1991 season, it is really hard to believe that Scott Erickson ended up in a relatively pedestrian 30th place on this list. I wrote in the last installment of this list that Joe Mays had “one glorious season” in 2001. Ten years earlier, Erickson had an astounding half season in 1991 before things changed in a way that was hard to believe.

Erickson had more productivity besides the 1991 season, but Scott Erickson’s Twins career really centers around that World Championship season.

6’4 224 LBS. Bats Right and Throws Right. Born 1968.
Member of the Twins from 1990-95
VORP as a Twin: 122.7 Rank: 30th

Scott Erickson was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 4th round of the 1989 amateur draft. Erickson made his major league exactly one year to the day after signing his first professional contract. Erickson started off on a good note, starting and going six innings, allowing four hits, one run, one earned run, with two walks and four strikeouts. The Twins won 9-1 and Erickson had his first major league win. After that first game, Erickson struggled a little, but ended his rookie season with 17 starts in 19 appearances. Erickson was 8-4 with a 2.87 ERA on a last place 1990 team, a team with a lot of talent, but with disappointing results.

In the off-season, the Twins parted ways with Gary Gaetti and brought in Jack Morris, Chili Davis and Mike Pagliarulo. The Twins started slowly, and on Sunday morning, April 21, 1991, the Twins were 2-9. Erickson was 0-2. That afternoon, Erickson beat the California Angels 4-3, ending the Twins’ early slide. Erickson was now 1-2 with a very respectable 2.86 ERA. The Twins were 3-9. Twelve starts later, on June 24, 1991, Erickson threw a two hit shutout at the New York Yankees. The Twins were 43-27, going 41-18 after their slow start. Erickson had a 12-2 record, winning 12 straight decisions and was sporting a gaudy 1.39 ERA.

Everything was turning up roses. Or so it seemed.

The next time out, Erickson got lit up by the Chisox and went on the disabled list with a sore right forearm. Scott was selected to start the All-Star game, but missed the game with his injury. Teammate Jack Morris started in his place and battled for two innings, allowing one run on four hits. The scariest moment was when Bobby Bonilla hit a run scoring single off of Black Jack’s ankle. Morris, ever the warrior, stayed in the game and finished the first and then the second inning. I remember being more concerned about Morris at that point then Erickson. There would be more All-Star games for Erickson, but Morris we needed for 1991. As it turned out, Erickson never pitched in the All-Star game.

Erickson came back after a just over two weeks on the DL. Erickson didn’t miss another start the rest of the season. For the year, Erickson was 20-8 with a 3.18 ERA and was second in the Cy Young balloting. However, after his June 24th effort against the Yankees, Erickson was 8-6 with a 5.54 ERA. When the playoffs came around, the 20 game winner and eventual runner up in the Cy Young balloting was the Twins third starter. While not exactly Les Straker, he was a disappointment. In three post season starts, Erickson logged just 14.2 innings. His Game 6 start in the World Series was a quality start – six innings, three runs, but he was long gone by the time that Kirby Puckett cemented his Hall of Fame candidacy with the game of his life.

Erickson ended the 1991 season with 46 VORP. For a half season, Erickson was the most exciting player in the league. With his good looks, his all black look and his other worldly performance, he was an idol. Just like that, it was over.
In 1992, the Twins had another good team and started strong. They faded late and failed to defend their championship. Erickson had a fairly good season, with a 13-12 record with a 3.40 ERA, good for a 120 ERA+ and a 39.8 VORP in 212 innings. Erickson chewed up another 218.2 innings in 1993, but his ERA ballooned to 5.19, an 85 ERA+. By this time, Twins fans had come to believe that Erickson’s best days were behind him.

Erickson flashed some signs in 1994 with a no hitter on April 27th. Certainly, it wasn’t hard to believe that Erickson might throw a no-hitter at some point in the future in 1991. But, by 1994, it was stunning that he had accomplished the feat. Erickson came into the game with a 7.48 ERA after four starts. By the time the player’s strike hit, Erickson had taken the hill 23 times, not missing a start. But, he was 8-11 with a 5.44 ERA. His 1991 season was a distant memory.

Erickson was traded to the Baltimore Orioles on July 7, 1995 for Scott Klingenbeck and Kimera Bartee. It was quite possibly the worst trade in franchise history. From 1996 to 1999, Erickson averaged 35 starts a season and pitched pretty effectively. Meanwhile, Klingenbeck was a poster child for the precipitous decline that the Twins suffered for the rest of the decade.

Eventually, Erickson had arm problems and missed the 2001 and 2003 seasons. He has since played for four more teams. Erickson pitched more than half of his career outside of Minnesota. I presume that he’s done now. He won 142 games in the majors and had a 99 ERA+. He was a good pitcher for several years but never again approached the dominance of that magical first half of 1991.