In an offseason characterized by overpaying mediocre, aging players, the Red Sox have finally pulled off the blockbuster deal that Boston fans have been longing for all winter. General Manager Ben Cherington announced today that veteran A's shortstop Clarence "Ace" Parker has agreed to a 2-year, $14.5 million deal, which some team officials are already calling a "bargain." Although Parker, 100, has not played in the majors since 1938, Cherington believes "he brings a significant veteran presence to the clubhouse," and "he has demonstrated a remarkable athletic talent." Parker, after a 2-year career as a utility infielder for the A's, left baseball to pursue a career in the NFL. He found his niche there, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers as a quarterback/running back/defensive back/kicker/punter/kick returner/punt returner before being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972.
However, Cherington feels that Parker is "ready to make the transition back to baseball," emphasizing that he is "a significant upgrade in shortstops," referring to the recent signing of Stephen Drew, 29, coincidentally also a former A's shortstop. "We're exploring trading options for Drew," a team source said under the condition of anonymity. "Parker represents a significant upgrade in many areas, especially when it comes to injuries. He has outlived all of his other teammates, so if that doesn't say he can stay healthy, I don't know what does."
Cherington also deflected criticism over Parker's salary, explaining that although his $7.25 million annual salary is nearly five thousand times that of his 1938 salary of $1,500, "It's long overdue that he be adequately paid for his past successes, and we at the Red Sox are always happy to be the ones to do that."
The team source also indicated that Cherington was attempting to coax former Red Sox second baseman Bobby Doerr out of retirement. Doerr, 94, is the only living former opponent of Parker, and is expected to compete with Dustin Pedroia in spring training for the starting role.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Cy Young Predictor
So apparently ESPN has a Cy Young prediction formula, and using that formula it is possibly to objectively determine the most likely winner of the Cy Young Award for the years before the award existed. So naturally, I decided to check my own choices for Cy Young Award winners from 1876-1955. The results were that, of 149 award winners that I selected, 105 of them matched up with the Cy Young predictor, meaning that 70% of my choices can be objectively verified. Of course, I don't know exactly what criteria goes into the predictions, but overall I'd say not bad.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Worst Red Sox Team Ever
Today, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine remarked that the Red Sox currently have the weakest roster in team history. Given their thoroughly underwhelming 64-80 record, they are certainly the worst Red Sox team in recent history. In fact, their .444 winning percentage is worse than any Red Sox team since 1966, when they had the same percentage. However, do they actually have a chance at being the worst Red Sox team ever?
Actually, they won't even break the top ten.
Provided the Red Sox win one more of their remaining 18 games (admittedly a difficult challenge for this team), they can rest assured knowing they will be guaranteed to finish above .400 (someone forgot to tell them that hitting .400 doesn't mean reaching it in the standings). This will put them ahead of 11 other Red Sox teams, mostly from the 1920s, that reached even lower points of futility. The worst, however, is the team that I am focusing this blog post on, the 1932 Red Sox
The early 1930s is remembered as the low point of the Great Depression, and for Red Sox fans, that term described the era in more ways than one. To fully appreciate the situation, it is important to note that in the ten seasons prior to 1932, the Red Sox had finished with a winning percentage lower than this year's team, every year. The best season in that time period was 1924, when they managed a 67-87 record and didn't finish in last place (which was quite the accomplishment for them back then). All of this to say, there wasn't much in the way of expectations for the Red Sox in 1932. But I doubt that anyone was expecting a season quite as bad as what they experienced.
Since most of you (including myself) did not have the great fortune of watching this team in action, here are some facts and highlights from the season:
Actually, they won't even break the top ten.
Provided the Red Sox win one more of their remaining 18 games (admittedly a difficult challenge for this team), they can rest assured knowing they will be guaranteed to finish above .400 (someone forgot to tell them that hitting .400 doesn't mean reaching it in the standings). This will put them ahead of 11 other Red Sox teams, mostly from the 1920s, that reached even lower points of futility. The worst, however, is the team that I am focusing this blog post on, the 1932 Red Sox
The early 1930s is remembered as the low point of the Great Depression, and for Red Sox fans, that term described the era in more ways than one. To fully appreciate the situation, it is important to note that in the ten seasons prior to 1932, the Red Sox had finished with a winning percentage lower than this year's team, every year. The best season in that time period was 1924, when they managed a 67-87 record and didn't finish in last place (which was quite the accomplishment for them back then). All of this to say, there wasn't much in the way of expectations for the Red Sox in 1932. But I doubt that anyone was expecting a season quite as bad as what they experienced.
Since most of you (including myself) did not have the great fortune of watching this team in action, here are some facts and highlights from the season:
- The team went through 2 managers; Shano Collins was fired after an 11-44 start, and was succeeded by Marty McManus, who was able to improve the team enough to go 32-67 with them for the rest of the season. I guess the one advantage to being hired midseason after an 11-44 start is that there can't be a whole lot of expectations on you.
- At the end of the first half of the season, the team had a 15-59 record, good for a .203 winning percentage. However, they went on a tear, going 28-52 the rest of the way to finish 43-111. Had they kept up the pace from the first half, they would have finished with the worst winning percentage in post-1900 MLB history.
- They finished the season a mere 64 games out of first place.
- They managed to put together a three game winning streak during the season. And they did it twice!
- The star of the team was first baseman Dale Alexander, who was traded in mid-June and hit .372 for the team, the fourth highest single-season batting average in Red Sox history.
- The starting second baseman, shortstop, and centerfielder combined for zero home runs.
- The starting shortstop was Rabbit Warstler, whose name sounds like what a redneck would call someone who tackles hares. In any case, he hit .211 with 0 home runs, 34 RBI, and an astonishingly low OPS+ of 42. But, at least his defense was good, right? Except for those 41 errors that he made...
- In 1932, the team hit a combined total of 53 home runs. Jimmie Foxx, first baseman for the A's, hit 58.
- The "ace" of the staff was Ed Durham, whose 3.80 ERA was lowest on the team. However, he also had a 6-13 record.
- The leader in wins was Bob Kline, who went 11-13 as both a starter and reliever.
- Starting pitchers Gordon Rhodes and Danny MacFayden had a combined win-loss record of 2-18.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Greatest Pitching Matchup Ever?
What are the chances of the two greatest pitchers in baseball history facing off in a game? Probably not great, considering it would require two pitchers to have overlapping careers, play in the same league but on different teams, and have their rotation schedules coincide so that they end up starting against each other. However, there just may have been three such games like that in baseball history.
It obviously depends on the answer to the highly subjective question of who the two greatest pitchers in baseball history are. According to Bill James, it's Walter Johnson and Lefty Grove, and I tend to agree with him. I won't get into all of the details as to why I think so in this post, but suffice to say they both have legitimate claims to being the two greatest ever. And they started against each other three times in their careers. So, I decided to take a look at what the outcomes were.
They played in the same league together for just three seasons: the last three of Johnson's career, and the first three of Grove's. So, there are no intense pitcher's duels here, and likely the fans who saw the game didn't appreciate much about it. Likely, all they saw it as was a washed-up veteran against a somewhat decent young player. But in retrospect, these three games probably had the greatest pitching matchups in baseball history, when the whole of a pitcher's career is taken into account.
Game #1 - June 26, 1925, Shibe Park, Philadelphia. Washington Senators 5, Philadelphia A's 3
This was the only one of the three games in which both starters pitched complete games. Neither pitcher was amazing, but Johnson pitched well enough to earn the win, which at the time improved his record to 11-4. Rookie Lefty Grove, on the other hand, gave up five runs and lost the game, lowering his record to 7-5. However, he did strike out 7 batters, compared to none for Johnson. Apparently it was a sign of things to come, because Grove ended up leading the league in strikeouts that year, and for the next six years after that.
Game #2 - September 7, 1925, Shibe Park, Philadelphia. Washington Senators 2, Philadelphia A's 1
In a game that was played exactly 87 years ago yesterday, both Johnson and Grove pitched very well, but in the end it was Johnson again who earned the win. Along the way, he gave up 9 hits but just one run, while Grove, who was taken out after 8 innings, gave up 8 hits and two runs. It was definitely the best-pitched of any of the three games that they started against each other.
Game #3 - April 23, 1926, Shibe Park, Philadelphia. Washington Senators 9, Philadelphia A's 5
Johnson and Grove did not start against each other at all in 1927, so this was the last time they would do so. For Grove, it would turn out to be his last chance to defeat the greatest pitcher in baseball history, but sadly for him he was unable to even record an out. He gave up a hit, two walks, and four runs before being pulled from the game, while Johnson pitched another complete game to give him a 3-0 record against Lefty Grove.
It obviously depends on the answer to the highly subjective question of who the two greatest pitchers in baseball history are. According to Bill James, it's Walter Johnson and Lefty Grove, and I tend to agree with him. I won't get into all of the details as to why I think so in this post, but suffice to say they both have legitimate claims to being the two greatest ever. And they started against each other three times in their careers. So, I decided to take a look at what the outcomes were.
They played in the same league together for just three seasons: the last three of Johnson's career, and the first three of Grove's. So, there are no intense pitcher's duels here, and likely the fans who saw the game didn't appreciate much about it. Likely, all they saw it as was a washed-up veteran against a somewhat decent young player. But in retrospect, these three games probably had the greatest pitching matchups in baseball history, when the whole of a pitcher's career is taken into account.
Game #1 - June 26, 1925, Shibe Park, Philadelphia. Washington Senators 5, Philadelphia A's 3
This was the only one of the three games in which both starters pitched complete games. Neither pitcher was amazing, but Johnson pitched well enough to earn the win, which at the time improved his record to 11-4. Rookie Lefty Grove, on the other hand, gave up five runs and lost the game, lowering his record to 7-5. However, he did strike out 7 batters, compared to none for Johnson. Apparently it was a sign of things to come, because Grove ended up leading the league in strikeouts that year, and for the next six years after that.
Game #2 - September 7, 1925, Shibe Park, Philadelphia. Washington Senators 2, Philadelphia A's 1
In a game that was played exactly 87 years ago yesterday, both Johnson and Grove pitched very well, but in the end it was Johnson again who earned the win. Along the way, he gave up 9 hits but just one run, while Grove, who was taken out after 8 innings, gave up 8 hits and two runs. It was definitely the best-pitched of any of the three games that they started against each other.
Game #3 - April 23, 1926, Shibe Park, Philadelphia. Washington Senators 9, Philadelphia A's 5
Johnson and Grove did not start against each other at all in 1927, so this was the last time they would do so. For Grove, it would turn out to be his last chance to defeat the greatest pitcher in baseball history, but sadly for him he was unable to even record an out. He gave up a hit, two walks, and four runs before being pulled from the game, while Johnson pitched another complete game to give him a 3-0 record against Lefty Grove.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
The Contenders
Last September had one of the most dramatic playoff races in recent memory, with both wild card races going down to the last day of the season, largely thanks to astonishing collapses on the part of the Red Sox and Braves. However, this September looks to be even more dramatic, for several reasons.
First, the addition of two new wild card spots has accomplished several things; it has enabled even more teams to remain in contention, and it has also made winning the division more of a priority. As of right now, half of all MLB teams are still in contention (3.5 games back or fewer) for a playoff spot. However, those in contention will need to carefully consider their strategy going forward for the rest of the month. In previous years, since the wild card was introduced in 1995, teams that have clinched the wild card but that have barely been in contention for the division title have often chosen to "settle" for the wild card, and rest their starters in preparation for the playoffs.
The new playoff format, however, changes that. Now, the league's two wild card winners must face off in a one-game playoff, while division winners automatically advance to the LDS. This will make things particularly interesting in the last week of the season - should a manager rest his starters (especially his ace pitcher) for the wild card playoff, or should the team go all out in the last week and hope to win the division? Obviously, anything can happen in one game, so teams would be hesitant to roll the dice on it if they don't have to. Plus, A team will most likely use their best starter for that game, which leaves them (most likely) unavailable to pitch more than once in the LDS. So, while adding the wild card may have reduced the importance of winning the division, the addition of a second one has had the opposite effect, and has kept teams playing competitively for longer.
The second reason why this September is shaping up to be significant is the fact that there is no single team that appears poised to win it all. The Red Sox, Phillies, and Mets are hopelessly out of the running. The Yankees just blew a 10 game lead and are in free-fall mode. The Dodgers, despite making one of the biggest in-season trades in baseball history, are third in the wild card race. The Angels, despite having Albert Pujols, plus contenders for Cy Young, MVP, and Rookie of the Year on their team, are a couple losses away from being out of contention.
In their place, teams like the Orioles, Nationals, and Reds are leading their divisions. The Pirates, who haven't had a winning record since the first Bush administration, are just two games out of the wild card race. The A's, who haven't been relevant since being swept in the ALCS in 2006, are somehow winning despite being made up of a combination of untested young players and aging cast-offs from other teams. So, without a strong, clear favorite, the playoffs and the World Series are wide open for any one of a number of teams to step forward and win it all. This should certainly be an interesting September and October to watch.
My call? Reds over Rangers in 5.
First, the addition of two new wild card spots has accomplished several things; it has enabled even more teams to remain in contention, and it has also made winning the division more of a priority. As of right now, half of all MLB teams are still in contention (3.5 games back or fewer) for a playoff spot. However, those in contention will need to carefully consider their strategy going forward for the rest of the month. In previous years, since the wild card was introduced in 1995, teams that have clinched the wild card but that have barely been in contention for the division title have often chosen to "settle" for the wild card, and rest their starters in preparation for the playoffs.
The new playoff format, however, changes that. Now, the league's two wild card winners must face off in a one-game playoff, while division winners automatically advance to the LDS. This will make things particularly interesting in the last week of the season - should a manager rest his starters (especially his ace pitcher) for the wild card playoff, or should the team go all out in the last week and hope to win the division? Obviously, anything can happen in one game, so teams would be hesitant to roll the dice on it if they don't have to. Plus, A team will most likely use their best starter for that game, which leaves them (most likely) unavailable to pitch more than once in the LDS. So, while adding the wild card may have reduced the importance of winning the division, the addition of a second one has had the opposite effect, and has kept teams playing competitively for longer.
The second reason why this September is shaping up to be significant is the fact that there is no single team that appears poised to win it all. The Red Sox, Phillies, and Mets are hopelessly out of the running. The Yankees just blew a 10 game lead and are in free-fall mode. The Dodgers, despite making one of the biggest in-season trades in baseball history, are third in the wild card race. The Angels, despite having Albert Pujols, plus contenders for Cy Young, MVP, and Rookie of the Year on their team, are a couple losses away from being out of contention.
In their place, teams like the Orioles, Nationals, and Reds are leading their divisions. The Pirates, who haven't had a winning record since the first Bush administration, are just two games out of the wild card race. The A's, who haven't been relevant since being swept in the ALCS in 2006, are somehow winning despite being made up of a combination of untested young players and aging cast-offs from other teams. So, without a strong, clear favorite, the playoffs and the World Series are wide open for any one of a number of teams to step forward and win it all. This should certainly be an interesting September and October to watch.
My call? Reds over Rangers in 5.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Big Red Pitching Machine
As I have probably mentioned on this blog before, the Red Sox are my favorite baseball team. However, for almost as long as I have been following baseball regularly, I have also been a fan of the Cincinnati Reds. Historically, the Reds have had some great teams and great players, but one area in which they have always lacked is pitching.
Perhaps most notably, no Reds pitcher has ever won the Cy Young Award. However, Cincinnati ace Johnny Cueto has put together a spectacular season so far. With a 17-6 record, a 2.48 ERA (both of which lead the NL) and 144 strikeouts, he is the frontrunner in the Cy Young Award race with just a month left to go. Clayton Kershaw and R.A. Dickey are close contenders, but if Cueto can stay consistent and finish off the season well, he could very well be Cincinnati's long-awaited Cy Young Award winner.
In the meantime though, here are a few interesting facts to highlight the plight of Cincinnati's pitching:
Perhaps most notably, no Reds pitcher has ever won the Cy Young Award. However, Cincinnati ace Johnny Cueto has put together a spectacular season so far. With a 17-6 record, a 2.48 ERA (both of which lead the NL) and 144 strikeouts, he is the frontrunner in the Cy Young Award race with just a month left to go. Clayton Kershaw and R.A. Dickey are close contenders, but if Cueto can stay consistent and finish off the season well, he could very well be Cincinnati's long-awaited Cy Young Award winner.
In the meantime though, here are a few interesting facts to highlight the plight of Cincinnati's pitching:
- Of the 16 "original" non-expansion MLB teams, only the Reds and the Red Sox have never had a pitcher win 200 games in his career with the team. The Reds leader, Eppa Rixey, has 179, which is 13 fewer than Red Sox co-leaders Cy Young and Roger Clemens.
- There are 11 Hall of Famers who pitched for the Reds (one of whom was a first baseman who pitched 4 innings). Of those, only two, Eppa Rixey and Tom Seaver, played more than one season in Cincinnati.
- Eppa Rixey is the only Hall of Fame pitcher to pitch the majority of his innings with the Reds. Even then, he was hardly a first ballot Hall of Famer; his reaction when he heard that he was elected kind of sums it up: "They're really scraping the bottom of the barrel, aren't they?"
- In 1900, the Reds traded a young minor league pitcher for aging future Hall of Famer Amos Rusie. Rusie would go on to pitch just three games for the Reds, and never played in the majors again. But hey, it's not like they traded Christy Mathewson for him or anything. Oh wait...
- Reds pitchers have received Cy Young Award votes a total of 27 times in 56 seasons. They have finished in the top three just six times.
- During their World Series winning years of 1975-76, only one Reds pitcher received any Cy Young Award votes each season, Don Gullett and Rawly Eastwick respectively, and each finished a distant fifth.
- The most recent Reds second-place finisher was Pete Schourek in 1995, who had the misfortune of having a career year the same year that Greg Maddux finished with the fifth best ERA+ in baseball history.
- Since 1995, the only Reds pitcher to receive any Cy Young Award votes was Bronson Arroyo, who finished 12th in 2010.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Retroactive Cy Young Awards by Team
After I finished making my list of all of the Retroactive Cy Young Awards that I gave out to pre-1956 pitchers, I decided to figure out how many winners each team has had. The National League teams had the advantage of more seasons, with some, like the Braves, dating back to 1876. However, there were some AL teams who did well with their pitching as well. Some of the teams on this list went through several name changes over the years; I have listed them here under their most common name. The only team to have a winner in two different cities was the Braves, which had 12 in Boston and 1 in Milwaukee. Additionally, many of the early teams no longer exist; teams in bold are still active MLB teams, although their cities may have changed since then. All of the modern pre-expansion teams except for the St. Louis Browns (now the Baltimore Orioles) have had a pitcher win at least twice; the Browns never had one, and the Orioles didn't have a pitcher win a real Cy Young Award until Mike Cuellar in 1969.
| New York Giants | 17 |
| Boston/Milwaukee Braves | 13 |
| Chicago Cubs | 12 |
| Cleveland Indians | 10 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 10 |
| Boston Red Sox | 9 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 9 |
| Chicago White Sox | 9 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 9 |
| Washington Senators | 8 |
| New York Yankees | 7 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 6 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 6 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 5 |
| Providence Grays | 3 |
| Cleveland Spiders | 2 |
| Detroit Tigers | 2 |
| Detroit Wolverines | 2 |
| Louisville Colonels | 2 |
| Baltimore Monumentals | 1 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 1 |
| Chicago Chi-Feds | 1 |
| Chicago Pirates | 1 |
| Cleveland Blues | 1 |
| Boston Reds | 1 |
| St. Louis Brown Stockings | 1 |
| St. Louis Terriers | 1 |
Retroactive Cy Young Awards Summary
Over the past few months, I have been going through each MLB season
before the Cy Young Award was instituted in 1956, and I chose the
pitcher who I believed would have been most deserving of the award, had
it existed then. Along the way, I gave the award to some of the
all-time greats of the game, like Walter Johnson and Lefty Grove, but
also to some lesser-known pitchers, like Vean Gregg and Bill James. My
goal in this post is to recap the 80 seasons of retroactive awards and
highlight the players who were recognized the most.
There were a total of 149 awards given; some years only had one league, other years had three. A total of 86 pitchers won those awards, with 55 winning once, 18 winning twice, 7 winning three times, and 6 winning four or more times. The list below shows all players who won the award at least three times, and the number of times that they won. Players in bold are members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
*Spahn also won an actual Cy Young Award, in 1957. Early Wynn is the only other pitcher to win both one of my retroactive awards and a real Cy Young Award; he won one of each, in 1951 and 1959.
Of the 13 pitchers who won three or more times, 11 of them are in the Hall of Fame, and although there's little argument in favor of Bond or Walters being inducted, they certainly put together an impressive run of great seasons. In general though, the number of awards that the other pitchers won certainly matches up well with how they are perceived among the all-time greats; with the possible exception of Feller, all of the pitchers who won 4 or more are unquestionably top 10 pitchers of all-time. By way of comparison, the list below shows the pitchers who have won three or more actual Cy Young Awards, from 1956 to the present.
Note that the all of the pitchers on this list who are not in the Hall of Fame are not yet eligible.
Now, this doesn't necessarily prove that Walter Johnson and Roger Clemens were equal to each other, nor does it necessarily mean that Lefty Grove, in winning 9 times, is necessarily the greatest pitcher of all time (although I do think it's something to consider). But, I think it's helpful to have some way of showing who the greatest pitchers were in each season before 1956, to better judge some of the all-time greats from the past, as some have by now taken on an almost mythical perception among baseball fans.
There were a total of 149 awards given; some years only had one league, other years had three. A total of 86 pitchers won those awards, with 55 winning once, 18 winning twice, 7 winning three times, and 6 winning four or more times. The list below shows all players who won the award at least three times, and the number of times that they won. Players in bold are members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
| Lefty Grove | 9 |
| Christy Mathewson | 8 |
| Walter Johnson | 7 |
| Cy Young | 5 |
| Grover Cleveland Alexander | 4 |
| Bob Feller | 4 |
| Tommy Bond | 3 |
| John Clarkson | 3 |
| Kid Nichols | 3 |
| Old Hoss Radbourn | 3 |
| Warren Spahn | 3* |
| Dazzy Vance | 3 |
| Bucky Walters | 3 |
*Spahn also won an actual Cy Young Award, in 1957. Early Wynn is the only other pitcher to win both one of my retroactive awards and a real Cy Young Award; he won one of each, in 1951 and 1959.
Of the 13 pitchers who won three or more times, 11 of them are in the Hall of Fame, and although there's little argument in favor of Bond or Walters being inducted, they certainly put together an impressive run of great seasons. In general though, the number of awards that the other pitchers won certainly matches up well with how they are perceived among the all-time greats; with the possible exception of Feller, all of the pitchers who won 4 or more are unquestionably top 10 pitchers of all-time. By way of comparison, the list below shows the pitchers who have won three or more actual Cy Young Awards, from 1956 to the present.
| Roger Clemens | 7 |
| Randy Johnson | 5 |
| Steve Carlton | 4 |
| Greg Maddux | 4 |
| Sandy Koufax | 3 |
| Pedro MartÃnez | 3 |
| Jim Palmer | 3 |
| Tom Seaver | 3 |
Note that the all of the pitchers on this list who are not in the Hall of Fame are not yet eligible.
Now, this doesn't necessarily prove that Walter Johnson and Roger Clemens were equal to each other, nor does it necessarily mean that Lefty Grove, in winning 9 times, is necessarily the greatest pitcher of all time (although I do think it's something to consider). But, I think it's helpful to have some way of showing who the greatest pitchers were in each season before 1956, to better judge some of the all-time greats from the past, as some have by now taken on an almost mythical perception among baseball fans.
1955 Cy Young Awards
1955 American League - Billy Pierce, Chicago White Sox
15-10, 1.97 ERA, 157 K
The American League in 1955 was not exactly a pitcher-friendly place to be. The league leader in wins had just 18, the league average ERA was 3.96, and only one pitcher finished in the top 13 for MVP voting, and it wasn't Billy Pierce. In fact, Pierce's 15-10 record doesn't exactly scream Cy Young Award winner, nor does his third place 157 strikeouts. However, what really stands out, and what makes him the best candidate for a retroactive Cy Young Award, was his 1.97 ERA. No pitcher in either league had finished a season with a lower ERA since Hal Newhouser in 1946, and nobody else would do it again until Sandy Koufax in 1963. It's unfortunate for Pierce that his two best seasons, 1953 and 1955, both happened just before the Cy Young Award started in 1956; otherwise, he could've easily won the award in both of those years.
1955 National League - Robin Roberts, Philadelphia Phillies
23-14, 3.28 ERA, 160 K
This was a close call between Robin Roberts and Don Newcombe, but I decided to give it to Roberts because he and Newcombe had very similar numbers in rate stats like ERA, and WHIP, but Roberts pitched 71.1 more innings. As I've said before, if there is a pitcher with a slightly higher ERA but far more innings pitched, I am more likely to choose him over the other pitcher. Roberts also led the league in wins, and finished fifth in ERA and second in WHIP (1.131). He also led the league in complete games with 26, 9 more than anyone else, although surprisingly only one of those was a shutout. It was the last truly great season for Roberts, who eventually won 286 games in a Hall of Fame career. Unfortunately for him, his last great season was also the last season before the Cy Young Award began, so he never had the opportunity to receive formal recognition for being the best pitcher in the league.
15-10, 1.97 ERA, 157 K
The American League in 1955 was not exactly a pitcher-friendly place to be. The league leader in wins had just 18, the league average ERA was 3.96, and only one pitcher finished in the top 13 for MVP voting, and it wasn't Billy Pierce. In fact, Pierce's 15-10 record doesn't exactly scream Cy Young Award winner, nor does his third place 157 strikeouts. However, what really stands out, and what makes him the best candidate for a retroactive Cy Young Award, was his 1.97 ERA. No pitcher in either league had finished a season with a lower ERA since Hal Newhouser in 1946, and nobody else would do it again until Sandy Koufax in 1963. It's unfortunate for Pierce that his two best seasons, 1953 and 1955, both happened just before the Cy Young Award started in 1956; otherwise, he could've easily won the award in both of those years.
1955 National League - Robin Roberts, Philadelphia Phillies
23-14, 3.28 ERA, 160 K
This was a close call between Robin Roberts and Don Newcombe, but I decided to give it to Roberts because he and Newcombe had very similar numbers in rate stats like ERA, and WHIP, but Roberts pitched 71.1 more innings. As I've said before, if there is a pitcher with a slightly higher ERA but far more innings pitched, I am more likely to choose him over the other pitcher. Roberts also led the league in wins, and finished fifth in ERA and second in WHIP (1.131). He also led the league in complete games with 26, 9 more than anyone else, although surprisingly only one of those was a shutout. It was the last truly great season for Roberts, who eventually won 286 games in a Hall of Fame career. Unfortunately for him, his last great season was also the last season before the Cy Young Award began, so he never had the opportunity to receive formal recognition for being the best pitcher in the league.
1954 Cy Young Awards
1954 American League - Bob Lemon, Cleveland Indians
23-7, 2.72 ERA, 110 K
Several posts ago, I mentioned how good of a starting rotation the Indians had in the late 40s and early 50s, and 1954 was probably the best of any of those years. The award for best AL pitcher was a close call between three great pitchers: Bob Lemon, of the Cleveland Indians; Early Wynn, of the Cleveland Indians; and Mike Garcia of, you guessed it, the Cleveland Indians. It's not too often that the three best pitchers in the league happened to play on the same team, but that was the case in 1954 for the Indians. Their other two starters were no slouches either; their #4 starter was Art Houtteman, and #5 was Bob Feller, who also had a decent season. It's no wonder that the Indians went on to win 111 games in 1954, although they ended up being swept by the Giants in the World Series. In any case, Bob Lemon had a great season, tying Wynn for the league lead in wins, and finishing third in ERA. It was a close call between Lemon and Wynn, but I gave it to Lemon mostly because of the better win-loss record. The MVP voters agreed; they finished 5th and 6th, respectively in the voting, higher than any other pitchers.
1954 National League - Johnny Antonelli, New York Giants
21-7, 2.30 ERA, 152 K
It's only appropriate that the two winners in 1954 both came from pennant-winning teams, and in Antonelli's case, his team won the World Series against an Indians team that had won 14 more games in the regular season. Antonelli won the only game that he started in the World Series, and allowed 1 run in 10.2 innings over the course of two games. However, he was most valuable for the Giants in the regular season, leading the league in ERA by a healthy margin, along with leading in winning percentage (.750) and shutouts (6), and finishing second in wins and strikeouts (1.171) and fourth in strikeouts. He finished third in MVP voting, first among pitchers, and made his first of five All Star appearances in a respectable career with the Giants.
23-7, 2.72 ERA, 110 K
Several posts ago, I mentioned how good of a starting rotation the Indians had in the late 40s and early 50s, and 1954 was probably the best of any of those years. The award for best AL pitcher was a close call between three great pitchers: Bob Lemon, of the Cleveland Indians; Early Wynn, of the Cleveland Indians; and Mike Garcia of, you guessed it, the Cleveland Indians. It's not too often that the three best pitchers in the league happened to play on the same team, but that was the case in 1954 for the Indians. Their other two starters were no slouches either; their #4 starter was Art Houtteman, and #5 was Bob Feller, who also had a decent season. It's no wonder that the Indians went on to win 111 games in 1954, although they ended up being swept by the Giants in the World Series. In any case, Bob Lemon had a great season, tying Wynn for the league lead in wins, and finishing third in ERA. It was a close call between Lemon and Wynn, but I gave it to Lemon mostly because of the better win-loss record. The MVP voters agreed; they finished 5th and 6th, respectively in the voting, higher than any other pitchers.
1954 National League - Johnny Antonelli, New York Giants
21-7, 2.30 ERA, 152 K
It's only appropriate that the two winners in 1954 both came from pennant-winning teams, and in Antonelli's case, his team won the World Series against an Indians team that had won 14 more games in the regular season. Antonelli won the only game that he started in the World Series, and allowed 1 run in 10.2 innings over the course of two games. However, he was most valuable for the Giants in the regular season, leading the league in ERA by a healthy margin, along with leading in winning percentage (.750) and shutouts (6), and finishing second in wins and strikeouts (1.171) and fourth in strikeouts. He finished third in MVP voting, first among pitchers, and made his first of five All Star appearances in a respectable career with the Giants.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
1953 Cy Young Awards
1953 American League - Billy Pierce, Chicago White Sox
18-12, 2.72 ERA, 186 K
Billy Pierce didn't lead the league in any major statistical category in 1953 other than strikeouts, but he finished close to the top in most of the others, including fifth in wins and second in ERA. He was also second in ERA+, at 159, second in shutouts (7), and third in innings pitched (271.1). It was one of the better years in Pierce's career, and he made his first of seven All Star appearances. Overall, he had a decent career, winning over 200 games, but usually he was the kind of pitcher who was consistently one of the best in the league, but rarely the best. However, 1953 was an exception to that.
1953 National League - Warren Spahn, Milwaukee Braves
23-7, 2.10 ERA, 148 K
The previous year's winner, Robin Roberts, had another great season in 1953, tying with Spahn for the league lead in wins, leading the league in strikeouts, and finishing second to Spahn in ERA. Along the way, Roberts pitched 346.2 innings, 81 more than runner-up Spahn. Normally in cases like this I would defer to the player with more innings pitched, but Spahn's ERA of 2.10 was so much lower than Roberts's 2.75 second place finish, so I had to give it to Spahn. The MVP voters of the day agreed with me too, and Spahn finished fifth overall and first among pitchers, barely beating out Roberts, who finished sixth. For Spahn and the rest of the Braves, it was their first season in Milwaukee after leaving Boston, and the team responded by improving from a 7th place 64-89 record in 1952 to a second place 92-62 record the next season.
18-12, 2.72 ERA, 186 K
Billy Pierce didn't lead the league in any major statistical category in 1953 other than strikeouts, but he finished close to the top in most of the others, including fifth in wins and second in ERA. He was also second in ERA+, at 159, second in shutouts (7), and third in innings pitched (271.1). It was one of the better years in Pierce's career, and he made his first of seven All Star appearances. Overall, he had a decent career, winning over 200 games, but usually he was the kind of pitcher who was consistently one of the best in the league, but rarely the best. However, 1953 was an exception to that.
1953 National League - Warren Spahn, Milwaukee Braves
23-7, 2.10 ERA, 148 K
The previous year's winner, Robin Roberts, had another great season in 1953, tying with Spahn for the league lead in wins, leading the league in strikeouts, and finishing second to Spahn in ERA. Along the way, Roberts pitched 346.2 innings, 81 more than runner-up Spahn. Normally in cases like this I would defer to the player with more innings pitched, but Spahn's ERA of 2.10 was so much lower than Roberts's 2.75 second place finish, so I had to give it to Spahn. The MVP voters of the day agreed with me too, and Spahn finished fifth overall and first among pitchers, barely beating out Roberts, who finished sixth. For Spahn and the rest of the Braves, it was their first season in Milwaukee after leaving Boston, and the team responded by improving from a 7th place 64-89 record in 1952 to a second place 92-62 record the next season.
1952 Cy Young Awards
1952 American League - Bobby Shantz, Philadelphia Athletics
24-7, 2.48 ERA, 152 K
This was a close call both for me and for the MVP voters in 1952, but I ended up agreeing with them and giving the Retroactive Cy Young Award to Shantz, who led the league in wins, winning percentage (.774), and WHIP (1.048). New York's Allie Reynolds also had a great season, though. He led the league in ERA (by nearly a half a run over third place Shantz) and strikeouts, but overall their ERA+ stats were pretty close, with Reynolds leading over Shantz 162 to 160. This is because Reynolds had one distinct advantage; he didn't have to pitch against the 1952 Yankees. Shantz did have to, and he excelled nonetheless. The MVP voters agreed with me; he received 16 first place votes to Reynolds's 4, and the WAR figures agree as well; Shantz led all pitchers at 8.7, compared to Reynolds, who finished at 4.5, tied for fifth place. Interestingly, to this day Shantz, at 5'6", remains the shortest player ever to win an MVP Award. He is also the first living player who I have recognized with a Retroactive Cy Young Award; all of the winners before 1952 died before I started working on this blog.
1952 National League - Robin Roberts, Philadelphia Phillies
28-7, 2.59 ERA, 148 K
I don't know how Hank Sauer won the MVP Award over Roberts in 1952, but it was close; Robin Roberts finished second, although I would have to say he deserved it over Sauer or anyone else. Roberts was a workhorse who pitched over 300 innings for six seasons in a row, including 1952, when he led the league with 330.0. To put that into perspective, no pitcher has pitched 300 innings in a season since Steve Carlton in 1980. For Roberts though, it was his second of five consecutive years of leading in innings pitched, and the first of four seasons in which he led in wins. And he led in wins by a lot - his 28 wins were 10 more than the runner up. He also had a decent ERA, which was good for third in the league, and he finished second in WHIP despite actually leading the league in hits allowed. Overall, it was a great season for the future Hall of Famer, whose peak unfortunately occurred right before the Cy Young Award was instituted.
24-7, 2.48 ERA, 152 K
This was a close call both for me and for the MVP voters in 1952, but I ended up agreeing with them and giving the Retroactive Cy Young Award to Shantz, who led the league in wins, winning percentage (.774), and WHIP (1.048). New York's Allie Reynolds also had a great season, though. He led the league in ERA (by nearly a half a run over third place Shantz) and strikeouts, but overall their ERA+ stats were pretty close, with Reynolds leading over Shantz 162 to 160. This is because Reynolds had one distinct advantage; he didn't have to pitch against the 1952 Yankees. Shantz did have to, and he excelled nonetheless. The MVP voters agreed with me; he received 16 first place votes to Reynolds's 4, and the WAR figures agree as well; Shantz led all pitchers at 8.7, compared to Reynolds, who finished at 4.5, tied for fifth place. Interestingly, to this day Shantz, at 5'6", remains the shortest player ever to win an MVP Award. He is also the first living player who I have recognized with a Retroactive Cy Young Award; all of the winners before 1952 died before I started working on this blog.
1952 National League - Robin Roberts, Philadelphia Phillies
28-7, 2.59 ERA, 148 K
I don't know how Hank Sauer won the MVP Award over Roberts in 1952, but it was close; Robin Roberts finished second, although I would have to say he deserved it over Sauer or anyone else. Roberts was a workhorse who pitched over 300 innings for six seasons in a row, including 1952, when he led the league with 330.0. To put that into perspective, no pitcher has pitched 300 innings in a season since Steve Carlton in 1980. For Roberts though, it was his second of five consecutive years of leading in innings pitched, and the first of four seasons in which he led in wins. And he led in wins by a lot - his 28 wins were 10 more than the runner up. He also had a decent ERA, which was good for third in the league, and he finished second in WHIP despite actually leading the league in hits allowed. Overall, it was a great season for the future Hall of Famer, whose peak unfortunately occurred right before the Cy Young Award was instituted.
1951 Cy Young Awards
1951 American League - Early Wynn, Cleveland Indians
20-13, 3.02 ERA, 133 K
The Cleveland Indians of the late 1940s and early 1950s had some of the best pitching rotations ever assembled outside of an All Star team. In fact, there's a good case that they might have had the greatest starting rotation ever; for several years, their four regular starting pitchers were Early Wynn, Bob Feller, Bob Lemon, and Mike Garcia. There have been other great rotations; Baltimore's 1971 team stands out in particular, with Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson, Jim Palmer, and Dave McNally each winning at least 20 games. There have been plenty of teams with multiple Hall of Famers in their rotations (The 1987 Indians, for example, had both Phil Niekro, age 48, and Steve Carlton, age 42, in their rotation), but for the Indians of the early 1950s, they had three Hall of Famers who were all in their prime, plus a solid starter in Mike Garcia. In any case, it comes as no surprise that, including Wynn, five of the last six pitchers that I have selected in the AL have been Indians pitchers. It wasn't an amazing season for Wynn; he didn't lead in any Triple Crown categories, but he finished near the top in most of them. He finished third in ERA, fourth in wins, and second in strikeouts; nobody else ranked higher than him in those categories, plus he led the league in innings pitched (274.1). Incidentally, Cleveland's four regular starting pitchers finished first, second, fourth, and fifth in the league in innings pitched.
1951 National League - Sal Maglie, New York Giants
23-6, 2.93 ERA, 146 K
Maglie had a great record in 1951, and played a huge role in leading the Giants to an improbable NL pennant-winning season. However, probably the most famous game that he pitched in was one that he didn't receive a decision for; he pitched the first 8 innings of a game that was later won on a Bobby Thomson home run, which apparently was kind of a big deal. In any case though, he had a great season, winning over 20 games for the only time in his career, and along with leading the league in wins, he also finished second in ERA, fourth in WHIP, third in strikeouts, and first in ERA+ (134). Maglie had a few other decent seasons outside of 1951, including the runner-up for the first ever Cy Young Award, but 1951 was definitely his best season.
20-13, 3.02 ERA, 133 K
The Cleveland Indians of the late 1940s and early 1950s had some of the best pitching rotations ever assembled outside of an All Star team. In fact, there's a good case that they might have had the greatest starting rotation ever; for several years, their four regular starting pitchers were Early Wynn, Bob Feller, Bob Lemon, and Mike Garcia. There have been other great rotations; Baltimore's 1971 team stands out in particular, with Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson, Jim Palmer, and Dave McNally each winning at least 20 games. There have been plenty of teams with multiple Hall of Famers in their rotations (The 1987 Indians, for example, had both Phil Niekro, age 48, and Steve Carlton, age 42, in their rotation), but for the Indians of the early 1950s, they had three Hall of Famers who were all in their prime, plus a solid starter in Mike Garcia. In any case, it comes as no surprise that, including Wynn, five of the last six pitchers that I have selected in the AL have been Indians pitchers. It wasn't an amazing season for Wynn; he didn't lead in any Triple Crown categories, but he finished near the top in most of them. He finished third in ERA, fourth in wins, and second in strikeouts; nobody else ranked higher than him in those categories, plus he led the league in innings pitched (274.1). Incidentally, Cleveland's four regular starting pitchers finished first, second, fourth, and fifth in the league in innings pitched.
1951 National League - Sal Maglie, New York Giants
23-6, 2.93 ERA, 146 K
Maglie had a great record in 1951, and played a huge role in leading the Giants to an improbable NL pennant-winning season. However, probably the most famous game that he pitched in was one that he didn't receive a decision for; he pitched the first 8 innings of a game that was later won on a Bobby Thomson home run, which apparently was kind of a big deal. In any case though, he had a great season, winning over 20 games for the only time in his career, and along with leading the league in wins, he also finished second in ERA, fourth in WHIP, third in strikeouts, and first in ERA+ (134). Maglie had a few other decent seasons outside of 1951, including the runner-up for the first ever Cy Young Award, but 1951 was definitely his best season.
Monday, June 18, 2012
1950 Cy Young Awards
1950 American League - Bob Lemon, Cleveland Indians
23-11, 3.84 ERA, 170 K
This one was a total toss-up, so I deferred to the judgement of the 1950 MVP voters and gave it to Bob Lemon. He finished 5th in MVP voting, ahead of any other pitcher, and I'm sure most of it has to do with him leading the league in wins and strikeouts. However, he did have a relatively poor ERA (10th in the league) and his ERA+ was a decent if unimpressive 112. However, he also had a few things going for him, particularly the fact that he led the league in innings pitched (288.0). As I've said before, I think decent pitchers who pitched a lot of innings were more valuable to their teams, and hence better pitchers, than someone who pitched better but in fewer games. And, given that there was no clear-cut winner who had a low ERA, I figured future Hall of Famer Bob Lemon was as good a good choice as any.
1950 National League - Jim Konstanty, Philadelphia Phillies
16-7, 2.66 ERA, 56 K
Konstanty was the NL MVP in 1950, although I'm not entirely sure he deserved it over Stan Musial. Still, he was probably the best pitcher in the league at least, although I picked him more because there was no real competition than because I thought he had an amazing season. The stat line above seems decent but not amazing, until you consider that he made exactly zero starts. I don't usually like relief pitchers to win the Cy Young Award, because I feel like usually a starter with 250 innings pitched is more valuable than a closer with 75 innings pitched, but back in 1950 things were a little different for closers. Konstanty pitched in a league-leading 74 games, and with 152.0 innings pitched, he was just 2 innings away from qualifying for the ERA title, which he would've won with those extra innings. He also led the league in saves (a stat that hadn't been invented yet) with 22, compared to the second place finisher who had 8. All in all, he had a decent season, and just like in the AL there was no clear-cut winner, so I decided to give the benefit of the doubt to the MVP voters of the day.
23-11, 3.84 ERA, 170 K
This one was a total toss-up, so I deferred to the judgement of the 1950 MVP voters and gave it to Bob Lemon. He finished 5th in MVP voting, ahead of any other pitcher, and I'm sure most of it has to do with him leading the league in wins and strikeouts. However, he did have a relatively poor ERA (10th in the league) and his ERA+ was a decent if unimpressive 112. However, he also had a few things going for him, particularly the fact that he led the league in innings pitched (288.0). As I've said before, I think decent pitchers who pitched a lot of innings were more valuable to their teams, and hence better pitchers, than someone who pitched better but in fewer games. And, given that there was no clear-cut winner who had a low ERA, I figured future Hall of Famer Bob Lemon was as good a good choice as any.
1950 National League - Jim Konstanty, Philadelphia Phillies
16-7, 2.66 ERA, 56 K
Konstanty was the NL MVP in 1950, although I'm not entirely sure he deserved it over Stan Musial. Still, he was probably the best pitcher in the league at least, although I picked him more because there was no real competition than because I thought he had an amazing season. The stat line above seems decent but not amazing, until you consider that he made exactly zero starts. I don't usually like relief pitchers to win the Cy Young Award, because I feel like usually a starter with 250 innings pitched is more valuable than a closer with 75 innings pitched, but back in 1950 things were a little different for closers. Konstanty pitched in a league-leading 74 games, and with 152.0 innings pitched, he was just 2 innings away from qualifying for the ERA title, which he would've won with those extra innings. He also led the league in saves (a stat that hadn't been invented yet) with 22, compared to the second place finisher who had 8. All in all, he had a decent season, and just like in the AL there was no clear-cut winner, so I decided to give the benefit of the doubt to the MVP voters of the day.
1949 Cy Young Awards
1949 American League - Mel Parnell, Boston Red Sox
25-7, 2.77 ERA, 122 K
As previously mentioned, the Cincinnati Reds are one of only two current teams that have existed since 1901 or earlier that have not yet had a pitcher win at least 200 games for them. The other team is the Red Sox, whose all-time wins leaders are Cy Young and Roger Clemens, with 192 each. Next comes Tim Wakefield with 186, and after that it drops steeply to 123, which is Mel Parnell's win total. He didn't have a long career, but for five seasons from 1949 to 1953 he was one of the best pitchers in the league, and in 1949 he was the best. He led the league in wins and innings pitched (295.1), which are two statistics that often go hand in hand. However, he also finished second in ERA (to a pitcher with over 100 fewer innings), second in ERA+ (158), and second in winning percentage, behind teammate Ellis Kinder. Everyone knows that 1949 was the year that kicked off the Yankees' first of five consecutive World Series titles, but even Red Sox fans tend to forget how good Boston was back then. After winning the AL pennant in 1946, the Red Sox finished one game out of first place in both 1948 and 1949, and this year Mel Parnell and Ellis Kinder had a lot to do with the close finish; together they had a record of 48-13, but they ended up a game back of the Yankees.
1949 National League - Warren Spahn, Boston Braves
21-14, 3.07 ERA, 151 K
This was a tough call between Spahn and 1946 winner Howie Pollett, but I decided to give it to Spahn on the basis of his greater number of innings pitched (302.1 to Pollett's 230.2). Pollett did have a better ERA, but Spahn pitched more innings, and he led the league in wins and strikeouts. Overall, it was one of those years when nobody stood out as amazing, so it was more a matter of finding a pitcher who had a good balance of all of the stats. Interestingly, although Spahn had a higher ERA, he had a lower WHIP at 1.221, and by far the most complete games (25). As far as I know, this is the first year that there have been winners from both Boston teams, although it was the 1948 season when it was nearly a Boston v. Boston World Series; the Braves won the NL pennant in 1948, and the Red Sox lost a one-game playoff against the Indians. They would never face each other in the World Series, though, neither before the Braves moved, nor since.
25-7, 2.77 ERA, 122 K
As previously mentioned, the Cincinnati Reds are one of only two current teams that have existed since 1901 or earlier that have not yet had a pitcher win at least 200 games for them. The other team is the Red Sox, whose all-time wins leaders are Cy Young and Roger Clemens, with 192 each. Next comes Tim Wakefield with 186, and after that it drops steeply to 123, which is Mel Parnell's win total. He didn't have a long career, but for five seasons from 1949 to 1953 he was one of the best pitchers in the league, and in 1949 he was the best. He led the league in wins and innings pitched (295.1), which are two statistics that often go hand in hand. However, he also finished second in ERA (to a pitcher with over 100 fewer innings), second in ERA+ (158), and second in winning percentage, behind teammate Ellis Kinder. Everyone knows that 1949 was the year that kicked off the Yankees' first of five consecutive World Series titles, but even Red Sox fans tend to forget how good Boston was back then. After winning the AL pennant in 1946, the Red Sox finished one game out of first place in both 1948 and 1949, and this year Mel Parnell and Ellis Kinder had a lot to do with the close finish; together they had a record of 48-13, but they ended up a game back of the Yankees.
1949 National League - Warren Spahn, Boston Braves
21-14, 3.07 ERA, 151 K
This was a tough call between Spahn and 1946 winner Howie Pollett, but I decided to give it to Spahn on the basis of his greater number of innings pitched (302.1 to Pollett's 230.2). Pollett did have a better ERA, but Spahn pitched more innings, and he led the league in wins and strikeouts. Overall, it was one of those years when nobody stood out as amazing, so it was more a matter of finding a pitcher who had a good balance of all of the stats. Interestingly, although Spahn had a higher ERA, he had a lower WHIP at 1.221, and by far the most complete games (25). As far as I know, this is the first year that there have been winners from both Boston teams, although it was the 1948 season when it was nearly a Boston v. Boston World Series; the Braves won the NL pennant in 1948, and the Red Sox lost a one-game playoff against the Indians. They would never face each other in the World Series, though, neither before the Braves moved, nor since.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
1948 Cy Young Awards
1948 American League - Gene Bearden, Cleveland Indians
20-7, 2.43 ERA, 80 K
Once again, it was a Cleveland pitcher who was the best pitcher in the league, but for once it wasn't Bob Feller. Rookie Gene Bearden, who had previously pitched in one game in his entire MLB career, emerged as the best pitcher on a very talented staff that included Bob Feller, Bob Lemon, and Satchel Paige. A wounded World War II veteran, he had to have part of his skull removed after being struck by shrapnel, yet he had a great rookie year, leading the league in ERA, ERA+ (168), and finishing second in wins and winning percentage. Teammate Bob Lemon also had a great season, but I gave it to Bearden, who had fewer innings pitched than Lemon but also a substantially lower ERA. Lemon did lead the league with an amazing 10 shutouts, but Bearden was no slouch either, finishing the season with six. Bearden finished eighth in MVP voting, behind only Lemon among pitchers, and he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. He was not chosen as an All Star, but at the end of the season, when the Indians and Red Sox finished the season tied for first, Cleveland manager Lou Boudreau didn't go with Bob Feller or Bob Lemon; he started Gene Bearden on one day's rest, and he responded by leading the Indians to the World Series, which they won over the Boston Braves. It was the last time the Indians would win the World Series, and for Bearden it was the highlight of an otherwise unremarkable career; he bounced around to five different teams over the next five seasons, never winning more than eight games in a season; his career total of 45 wins was barely twice that of his win total in 1948.
1948 National League - Harry Brecheen, St. Louis Cardinals
20-7, 2.24 ERA, 149 K
This year had probably the least notable combination of winners with Gene Bearden and Harry Brecheen since the 1886 season, when the best pitchers in each league were Dave Foutz and Lady Baldwin. However, Brecheen had a great season in the National League as part of an otherwise decent but undistinguished baseball career. He led in two thirds of the Triple Crown, ERA and strikeouts, while finishing second to Johnny Sain in wins, and he also led in shutouts (7), WHIP (1.037), and ERA+ (182). It was his sixth full season in the majors, and while he had posted some respectable seasons as one of the better pitchers in the league, 1948 was his only really great season. It was his second year as an All Star, and his third season finishing in the top 20 for MVP voting, but he would never quite repeat his success, winning just 42 games in the next five seasons before retiring.
20-7, 2.43 ERA, 80 K
Once again, it was a Cleveland pitcher who was the best pitcher in the league, but for once it wasn't Bob Feller. Rookie Gene Bearden, who had previously pitched in one game in his entire MLB career, emerged as the best pitcher on a very talented staff that included Bob Feller, Bob Lemon, and Satchel Paige. A wounded World War II veteran, he had to have part of his skull removed after being struck by shrapnel, yet he had a great rookie year, leading the league in ERA, ERA+ (168), and finishing second in wins and winning percentage. Teammate Bob Lemon also had a great season, but I gave it to Bearden, who had fewer innings pitched than Lemon but also a substantially lower ERA. Lemon did lead the league with an amazing 10 shutouts, but Bearden was no slouch either, finishing the season with six. Bearden finished eighth in MVP voting, behind only Lemon among pitchers, and he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. He was not chosen as an All Star, but at the end of the season, when the Indians and Red Sox finished the season tied for first, Cleveland manager Lou Boudreau didn't go with Bob Feller or Bob Lemon; he started Gene Bearden on one day's rest, and he responded by leading the Indians to the World Series, which they won over the Boston Braves. It was the last time the Indians would win the World Series, and for Bearden it was the highlight of an otherwise unremarkable career; he bounced around to five different teams over the next five seasons, never winning more than eight games in a season; his career total of 45 wins was barely twice that of his win total in 1948.
1948 National League - Harry Brecheen, St. Louis Cardinals
20-7, 2.24 ERA, 149 K
This year had probably the least notable combination of winners with Gene Bearden and Harry Brecheen since the 1886 season, when the best pitchers in each league were Dave Foutz and Lady Baldwin. However, Brecheen had a great season in the National League as part of an otherwise decent but undistinguished baseball career. He led in two thirds of the Triple Crown, ERA and strikeouts, while finishing second to Johnny Sain in wins, and he also led in shutouts (7), WHIP (1.037), and ERA+ (182). It was his sixth full season in the majors, and while he had posted some respectable seasons as one of the better pitchers in the league, 1948 was his only really great season. It was his second year as an All Star, and his third season finishing in the top 20 for MVP voting, but he would never quite repeat his success, winning just 42 games in the next five seasons before retiring.
1947 Cy Young Awards
1947 American League - Bob Feller, Cleveland Indians
20-11, 2.68 ERA, 196 K
This was the sixth time in the past six full seasons of Feller's career that he led the league in strikeouts, and it was also the fourth time that he was the best pitcher in the league. It wasn't an overly spectacular season, particularly by Feller's standards, but it was still better than anyone else. Only Joe Page, who pitched just 141.1 innings, finished higher than Feller in MVP voting, who finished eighth. He led the league in wins (and was the only pitcher to win 20 games), and finished second in ERA (to someone who pitched over 100 innings less than Feller), and led in strikeouts. Not bad when a "good but not spectacular" season for Feller consists of winning two-thirds of the Triple Crown and finishing second in the third category.
1947 National League - Warren Spahn, Boston Braves
21-10, 2.33 ERA, 123 K
This was a pretty close call between Spahn and Cincinnati's Ewell Blackwell, but Spahn led Blackwell by narrow margins in most major statistics except for wins, where Spahn finished one behind Blackwell's league leading 22. The MVP voters in 1947 disagreed with me, though; Blackwell was the MVP runner-up, while Spahn finished a distant 15th, behind five other pitchers. Still, Spahn led in ERA, ERA+ (170), WHIP (1.136), innings pitched (289.2), shutouts (7), and WAR (9.1). He also made his first of 14 All Star appearances, and it was his first full season (he had previously pitched 141.1 innings in two seasons) in a 21-year Hall of Fame career. Interestingly, Spahn is the earliest winner of my retroactive Cy Young Awards who actually won a real Cy Young Award; Spahn won in 1957, the second year of its existence, back when there was only one combined award for both leagues.
20-11, 2.68 ERA, 196 K
This was the sixth time in the past six full seasons of Feller's career that he led the league in strikeouts, and it was also the fourth time that he was the best pitcher in the league. It wasn't an overly spectacular season, particularly by Feller's standards, but it was still better than anyone else. Only Joe Page, who pitched just 141.1 innings, finished higher than Feller in MVP voting, who finished eighth. He led the league in wins (and was the only pitcher to win 20 games), and finished second in ERA (to someone who pitched over 100 innings less than Feller), and led in strikeouts. Not bad when a "good but not spectacular" season for Feller consists of winning two-thirds of the Triple Crown and finishing second in the third category.
1947 National League - Warren Spahn, Boston Braves
21-10, 2.33 ERA, 123 K
This was a pretty close call between Spahn and Cincinnati's Ewell Blackwell, but Spahn led Blackwell by narrow margins in most major statistics except for wins, where Spahn finished one behind Blackwell's league leading 22. The MVP voters in 1947 disagreed with me, though; Blackwell was the MVP runner-up, while Spahn finished a distant 15th, behind five other pitchers. Still, Spahn led in ERA, ERA+ (170), WHIP (1.136), innings pitched (289.2), shutouts (7), and WAR (9.1). He also made his first of 14 All Star appearances, and it was his first full season (he had previously pitched 141.1 innings in two seasons) in a 21-year Hall of Fame career. Interestingly, Spahn is the earliest winner of my retroactive Cy Young Awards who actually won a real Cy Young Award; Spahn won in 1957, the second year of its existence, back when there was only one combined award for both leagues.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
1946 Cy Young Awards
1946 American League - Bob Feller, Cleveland Indians
26-15, 2.18 ERA, 348 K
This was a tough call; 1945 winner Hal Newhouser had another great season, but Bob Feller pitched just as well in his first full season after serving in World War II. Newhouser actually probably pitched better, but Feller pitched almost as well, in far more innings pitched. They both won the same number of games to lead the league, and Newhouser led the league in ERA at 1.94. Feller finished third in ERA, and fifth in WHIP (1.158), while Newhouser led in both of those categories. Normally, I would've chosen Newhouser in such a situation, but what gave Feller the edge was 371.1 innings pitched, to lead the league over Newhouser's second place 292.2. Feller pitched more complete games (36) than Newhouser started (34), and his 10 shutouts easily led the league over Newhouser's six. In terms of WAR, they were both extraordinarily high, with Feller at 9.4 and Newhouser at 9.1. Clearly, they both had spectacular pitching seasons, but I have to give the nod to Feller; the additional eight starts and nearly 80 innings more that he pitched are more valuable, in my opinion, than the slightly lower ERA and WHIP that Newhouser had. One last statistic worth mentioning was Feller's unbelievable 348 strikeouts. Although I don't like to put too much faith in strikeout numbers, he finished one shy of Rube Waddell's modern single-season records, and today it remains the sixth most strikeouts in post-1900 baseball history The MVP voters disagreed with me, however, with Newhouser finishing as the runner-up to Ted Williams, and Feller in sixth place.
1946 National League - Howie Pollet, St. Louis Cardinals
21-10, 2.10 ERA, 107 K
Howie Pollet didn't have a particularly spectacular MLB career; he played 14 seasons of occasionally above-average baseball as both a starter and reliever, but in 1946 he was the ace of the World Series winning Cardinals, and the best pitcher in the league. He led in both ERA and innings pitched (266.0), which is a combination that I like to see, and he also led in wins and ERA+ (165). Perhaps most impressive, however, was the fact that he had not thrown a pitch in professional baseball in two and a half seasons before 1946 due to service in World War II. After 1946, he would continue as a decent pitcher for a variety of teams, but he never quite matched his success from this season.
26-15, 2.18 ERA, 348 K
This was a tough call; 1945 winner Hal Newhouser had another great season, but Bob Feller pitched just as well in his first full season after serving in World War II. Newhouser actually probably pitched better, but Feller pitched almost as well, in far more innings pitched. They both won the same number of games to lead the league, and Newhouser led the league in ERA at 1.94. Feller finished third in ERA, and fifth in WHIP (1.158), while Newhouser led in both of those categories. Normally, I would've chosen Newhouser in such a situation, but what gave Feller the edge was 371.1 innings pitched, to lead the league over Newhouser's second place 292.2. Feller pitched more complete games (36) than Newhouser started (34), and his 10 shutouts easily led the league over Newhouser's six. In terms of WAR, they were both extraordinarily high, with Feller at 9.4 and Newhouser at 9.1. Clearly, they both had spectacular pitching seasons, but I have to give the nod to Feller; the additional eight starts and nearly 80 innings more that he pitched are more valuable, in my opinion, than the slightly lower ERA and WHIP that Newhouser had. One last statistic worth mentioning was Feller's unbelievable 348 strikeouts. Although I don't like to put too much faith in strikeout numbers, he finished one shy of Rube Waddell's modern single-season records, and today it remains the sixth most strikeouts in post-1900 baseball history The MVP voters disagreed with me, however, with Newhouser finishing as the runner-up to Ted Williams, and Feller in sixth place.
1946 National League - Howie Pollet, St. Louis Cardinals
21-10, 2.10 ERA, 107 K
Howie Pollet didn't have a particularly spectacular MLB career; he played 14 seasons of occasionally above-average baseball as both a starter and reliever, but in 1946 he was the ace of the World Series winning Cardinals, and the best pitcher in the league. He led in both ERA and innings pitched (266.0), which is a combination that I like to see, and he also led in wins and ERA+ (165). Perhaps most impressive, however, was the fact that he had not thrown a pitch in professional baseball in two and a half seasons before 1946 due to service in World War II. After 1946, he would continue as a decent pitcher for a variety of teams, but he never quite matched his success from this season.
1945 Cy Young Awards
1945 American League - Hal Newhouser, Detroit Tigers
25-9, 1.81 ERA, 212 K
Hal Newhouser had an amazing season in 1944, but missed out on a retroactive Cy Young Award only because of an equally great season from teammate Dizzy Trout. In 1945, however, he left no doubt that he was the best pitcher in the league. He won the Triple Crown by healthy margins in every category, and he won his second consecutive MVP Award. His strong pitching was one of the reasons why the Tigers won the AL pennant, and he went 2-1 in the World Series for them against the Cubs, despite a 6.10 ERA. Newhouser would later return to the World Series in 1954, where he was part of a pitching staff that included three other future Hall of Famers: Early Wynn, Bob Lemon, and Bob Feller. The Cubs, however, have not returned to the World Series since. On an interesting side note, many years later Hal Newhouser was working as a scout for the Astros, where he urged them to draft a young shortstop that he had discovered. They ignored him, however, and drafted Phil Nevin. Instead, the Yankees ended up drafting Derek Jeter, and the rest is history...
1945 National League - Hank Wyse, Chicago Cubs
22-10, 2.68 ERA, 77 K
The National League winner wasn't quite as clear cut as in the AL; several pitchers had decent seasons, but none really stood out above the rest. Wyse didn't lead the league in a single category, but he was right near the top in most of them, finishing second in wins and innings pitched (278.2), and finishing fifth in ERA and WHIP (1.175), and the other pitchers ahead of him in those two categories all pitched fewer innings, with two of them pitching over 100 fewer innings. Overall he was the best of a weak field, and although he didn't have a particularly memorable career (he finished 79-70 in eight seasons with a 3.52 ERA), he did help the Cubs to their last NL pennant ever, although he had an atrocious World Series, with a 7.10 ERA in 7.2 innings pitched.
25-9, 1.81 ERA, 212 K
Hal Newhouser had an amazing season in 1944, but missed out on a retroactive Cy Young Award only because of an equally great season from teammate Dizzy Trout. In 1945, however, he left no doubt that he was the best pitcher in the league. He won the Triple Crown by healthy margins in every category, and he won his second consecutive MVP Award. His strong pitching was one of the reasons why the Tigers won the AL pennant, and he went 2-1 in the World Series for them against the Cubs, despite a 6.10 ERA. Newhouser would later return to the World Series in 1954, where he was part of a pitching staff that included three other future Hall of Famers: Early Wynn, Bob Lemon, and Bob Feller. The Cubs, however, have not returned to the World Series since. On an interesting side note, many years later Hal Newhouser was working as a scout for the Astros, where he urged them to draft a young shortstop that he had discovered. They ignored him, however, and drafted Phil Nevin. Instead, the Yankees ended up drafting Derek Jeter, and the rest is history...
1945 National League - Hank Wyse, Chicago Cubs
22-10, 2.68 ERA, 77 K
The National League winner wasn't quite as clear cut as in the AL; several pitchers had decent seasons, but none really stood out above the rest. Wyse didn't lead the league in a single category, but he was right near the top in most of them, finishing second in wins and innings pitched (278.2), and finishing fifth in ERA and WHIP (1.175), and the other pitchers ahead of him in those two categories all pitched fewer innings, with two of them pitching over 100 fewer innings. Overall he was the best of a weak field, and although he didn't have a particularly memorable career (he finished 79-70 in eight seasons with a 3.52 ERA), he did help the Cubs to their last NL pennant ever, although he had an atrocious World Series, with a 7.10 ERA in 7.2 innings pitched.
Friday, June 8, 2012
1944 Cy Young Awards
1944 American League - Dizzy Trout, Detroit Tigers
27-14, 2.12 ERA, 144 K
Just a look at the above stat line makes it seem like this was an easy decision, but it was actually a pretty tough call. I had actually started writing this post with Hal Newhouser as the winner, but as I wrote more I realized I didn't have much of a defense for choosing him over his own teammate Dizzy Trout, so I changed my mind and rewrote it. They had remarkably similar seasons, with Trout leading the league and finishing second, in both cases to Newhouser, in the other two Triple Crown categories. The one edge that Newhouser had was a better win-loss record; he went 29-9, which is good enough to earn a retroactive Cy Young Award in almost any season. However, Trout had a slightly lower ERA in far more innings pitched (352.1!), and led Newhouser in WAR 8.9 to 7.4. The two of them deservedly finished first and second in MVP voting, although Newhouser barely won it, 236 to 232 points. The twin aces helped Detroit achieve the lowest ERA in the league and kept them in contention all year, although they ended up finishing second in the pennant race to the St. Louis Browns.
1944 National League - Bucky Walters, Cincinnati Reds
23-8, 2.40 ERA, 77 K
It's been a few years since we've heard from Bucky Walters. He had previously won in 1939 and 1940, but went on to have a few average seasons before again becoming the best in the league in 1944. The National League didn't have quite the same caliber of pitching that the AL did with Trout and Newhouser, but Walters nonetheless put up a respectable season, leading the league in wins and hits per 9 innings (7.358), and finishing second in ERA and ERA+ (146), behind only fellow teammate Ed Heusser, who pitched nearly 100 fewer innings. He also tied for fifth in the MVP voting, tied for first among pitchers along with New York's Bill Voiselle, and he made his sixth and final All Star appearance. Unlike in his other two award-winning seasons though, the Reds didn't win the NL pennant, and instead they finished in third, behind the NL champion and ultimately World Series champion Cardinals.
27-14, 2.12 ERA, 144 K
Just a look at the above stat line makes it seem like this was an easy decision, but it was actually a pretty tough call. I had actually started writing this post with Hal Newhouser as the winner, but as I wrote more I realized I didn't have much of a defense for choosing him over his own teammate Dizzy Trout, so I changed my mind and rewrote it. They had remarkably similar seasons, with Trout leading the league and finishing second, in both cases to Newhouser, in the other two Triple Crown categories. The one edge that Newhouser had was a better win-loss record; he went 29-9, which is good enough to earn a retroactive Cy Young Award in almost any season. However, Trout had a slightly lower ERA in far more innings pitched (352.1!), and led Newhouser in WAR 8.9 to 7.4. The two of them deservedly finished first and second in MVP voting, although Newhouser barely won it, 236 to 232 points. The twin aces helped Detroit achieve the lowest ERA in the league and kept them in contention all year, although they ended up finishing second in the pennant race to the St. Louis Browns.
1944 National League - Bucky Walters, Cincinnati Reds
23-8, 2.40 ERA, 77 K
It's been a few years since we've heard from Bucky Walters. He had previously won in 1939 and 1940, but went on to have a few average seasons before again becoming the best in the league in 1944. The National League didn't have quite the same caliber of pitching that the AL did with Trout and Newhouser, but Walters nonetheless put up a respectable season, leading the league in wins and hits per 9 innings (7.358), and finishing second in ERA and ERA+ (146), behind only fellow teammate Ed Heusser, who pitched nearly 100 fewer innings. He also tied for fifth in the MVP voting, tied for first among pitchers along with New York's Bill Voiselle, and he made his sixth and final All Star appearance. Unlike in his other two award-winning seasons though, the Reds didn't win the NL pennant, and instead they finished in third, behind the NL champion and ultimately World Series champion Cardinals.
1943 Cy Young Awards
1943 American League - Spud Chandler, New York Yankees
20-4, 1.64 ERA, 134 K
Back in the days prior to the Cy Young Award, there seemed to be little issue over giving the MVP Award to pitchers; today a pitcher has to be particularly exceptional in order to even come close to winning it. Chandler had one of those seasons in 1943, and if it had happened today, he would've been assured the Cy Young Award and probably the MVP as well. Along with an ERA that was 0.63 runs better than anyone else, he led the league in wins, winning percentage (.833), shutouts (5), WHIP (0.992), and WAR (6.0), and he easily won the NL MVP Award on his way to helping the Yankees win the World Series. In a relatively short 11 year career, Chandler barely won 100 games, but he will be remembered as having the highest career winning percentage (.717) among any pitcher with at least 100 decisions, and his 1943 season had a lot to do with that.
1943 National League - Mort Cooper, St. Louis Cardinals
21-8, 2.30 ERA, 141 K
Mort Cooper strikes again, becoming the best NL pitcher for the second year in a row. It wasn't quite as impressive as his MVP 1942 season, but it was good enough for fifth place in MVP voting and highest among pitchers. Along with tying for the lead in wins, he finished second in ERA, strikeouts, and ERA+ (147), and although teammate Max Lanier had a substantially lower ERA, he also pitched in substantially fewer innings. Cooper's Cardinals again made it to the World Series, although the tables were turned; instead of them beating the Yankees four games to one, the opposite happened.
20-4, 1.64 ERA, 134 K
Back in the days prior to the Cy Young Award, there seemed to be little issue over giving the MVP Award to pitchers; today a pitcher has to be particularly exceptional in order to even come close to winning it. Chandler had one of those seasons in 1943, and if it had happened today, he would've been assured the Cy Young Award and probably the MVP as well. Along with an ERA that was 0.63 runs better than anyone else, he led the league in wins, winning percentage (.833), shutouts (5), WHIP (0.992), and WAR (6.0), and he easily won the NL MVP Award on his way to helping the Yankees win the World Series. In a relatively short 11 year career, Chandler barely won 100 games, but he will be remembered as having the highest career winning percentage (.717) among any pitcher with at least 100 decisions, and his 1943 season had a lot to do with that.
1943 National League - Mort Cooper, St. Louis Cardinals
21-8, 2.30 ERA, 141 K
Mort Cooper strikes again, becoming the best NL pitcher for the second year in a row. It wasn't quite as impressive as his MVP 1942 season, but it was good enough for fifth place in MVP voting and highest among pitchers. Along with tying for the lead in wins, he finished second in ERA, strikeouts, and ERA+ (147), and although teammate Max Lanier had a substantially lower ERA, he also pitched in substantially fewer innings. Cooper's Cardinals again made it to the World Series, although the tables were turned; instead of them beating the Yankees four games to one, the opposite happened.
1942 Cy Young Awards
1942 American League - Tex Hughson, Boston Red Sox
22-6, 2.59 ERA, 133 K
This was the first year that World War II affected Major League Baseball, and in the AL this was evident by the fact that the two best pitchers in the league were Tex Hughson and Tiny Bonham, two otherwise mediocre pitchers who benefited greatly from the reduced talent pool. Regardless though, Hughson was the better of the two (slightly), leading the league in wins and strikeouts, and finishing sixth in ERA. However, he also led the league in innings pitched (281.0), and as I have mentioned before, I am more likely to defer to pitchers who have a slightly higher ERA but far more innings pitched. He ended up finishing sixth in MVP voting, the second highest ranked pitcher just behind Bonham, but I think Hughson was probably the marginally better player; among other things, he led the league in WAR with 5.7, over Bonham's seventh place 3.7. And for the record, Tiny Bonham was not exactly tiny; he was listed as 6'2" and 215 pounds. Tex Hughson, however, was from Texas, so I'll give him extra credit for having a nickname that actually makes sense.
1942 National League - Mort Cooper, St. Louis Cardinals
22-7, 1.78 ERA, 152 K
Speaking of pitchers who benefited from the better players being away at war. He was barely an above average player both before and after the war, but from 1942-1944, he looked like Walter Johnson. He was an All Star twice in that period, finishing in the top 10 in MVP voting all three seasons, and in 1942 was voted the NL MVP. He led the league in wins, ERA, ERA+ (192), shutouts (10), and WHIP (0.987), so there was little doubt that he was the best pitcher in the league, and the best in the majors in 1942. He led the Cardinals to a World Series title, and he finished miles ahead of any other pitcher in MVP voting.
22-6, 2.59 ERA, 133 K
This was the first year that World War II affected Major League Baseball, and in the AL this was evident by the fact that the two best pitchers in the league were Tex Hughson and Tiny Bonham, two otherwise mediocre pitchers who benefited greatly from the reduced talent pool. Regardless though, Hughson was the better of the two (slightly), leading the league in wins and strikeouts, and finishing sixth in ERA. However, he also led the league in innings pitched (281.0), and as I have mentioned before, I am more likely to defer to pitchers who have a slightly higher ERA but far more innings pitched. He ended up finishing sixth in MVP voting, the second highest ranked pitcher just behind Bonham, but I think Hughson was probably the marginally better player; among other things, he led the league in WAR with 5.7, over Bonham's seventh place 3.7. And for the record, Tiny Bonham was not exactly tiny; he was listed as 6'2" and 215 pounds. Tex Hughson, however, was from Texas, so I'll give him extra credit for having a nickname that actually makes sense.
1942 National League - Mort Cooper, St. Louis Cardinals
22-7, 1.78 ERA, 152 K
Speaking of pitchers who benefited from the better players being away at war. He was barely an above average player both before and after the war, but from 1942-1944, he looked like Walter Johnson. He was an All Star twice in that period, finishing in the top 10 in MVP voting all three seasons, and in 1942 was voted the NL MVP. He led the league in wins, ERA, ERA+ (192), shutouts (10), and WHIP (0.987), so there was little doubt that he was the best pitcher in the league, and the best in the majors in 1942. He led the Cardinals to a World Series title, and he finished miles ahead of any other pitcher in MVP voting.
1941 Cy Young Awards
1941 American League - Thornton Lee, Chicago White Sox
22-11, 2.37 ERA, 130 K
After 23 consecutive seasons of future Hall of Famers winning the American League retroactive Cy Young Award, Thornton Lee becomes the first non-Hall of Fame AL pitcher since fellow White Sox Eddie Cicotte received it in 1917. He had a fairly nondescript career as a good but unspectacular starter, but in 1941 he was the best pitcher in the league, even better than the winner the previous two seasons, Bob Feller. Feller had a good season, and was actually ranked third in MVP voting ahead of Lee's fourth place finish, but in my opinion Lee was the better pitcher. He led the AL in ERA (by 0.6 runs), complete games (30), ERA+ (174), and WHIP (1.165), and although his White Sox went absolutely nowhere in 1941, he was still the most effective pitcher in the league. He never came close to having as successful as a season in any other year though; he never won more than 15 games in a season other than in 1941, and although he pitched seven more seasons, he only once again pitched more than 127 innings in a season, and retired with a 117-124 record.
1941 National League - Whit Wyatt, Brooklyn Dodgers
22-10, 2.34 ERA, 176 K
This was a close call between Wyatt and Cincinnati's Elmer Riddle, but in the end I chose Wyatt, and so did the MVP voters in 1941, who ranked him third overall and first among pitchers. Wyatt's career was interesting in that he pitched better in his 30s than in his 20s. He was a below average pitcher for the first nine seasons of his career, posting a 26-43 record with a 5.22 ERA and an 88 ERA+ mostly as a relief pitcher. However, after spending the entire 1938 season in the minors, he re-emerged as a top-notch starter for the Dodgers, going 80-52 in his last seven seasons with a 2.97 ERA and 124 ERA+, and being selected as an All Star in each of his first four seasons upon his return to the majors. This was by far his best season though, when he led the Dodgers to the NL pennant while leading the league in wins, shutouts (7) and WHIP (1.058) and finishing second in both ERA and strikeouts. After 1941, he went on to pitch two more full seasons and finished his career in 1945 with a 106-95 record.
22-11, 2.37 ERA, 130 K
After 23 consecutive seasons of future Hall of Famers winning the American League retroactive Cy Young Award, Thornton Lee becomes the first non-Hall of Fame AL pitcher since fellow White Sox Eddie Cicotte received it in 1917. He had a fairly nondescript career as a good but unspectacular starter, but in 1941 he was the best pitcher in the league, even better than the winner the previous two seasons, Bob Feller. Feller had a good season, and was actually ranked third in MVP voting ahead of Lee's fourth place finish, but in my opinion Lee was the better pitcher. He led the AL in ERA (by 0.6 runs), complete games (30), ERA+ (174), and WHIP (1.165), and although his White Sox went absolutely nowhere in 1941, he was still the most effective pitcher in the league. He never came close to having as successful as a season in any other year though; he never won more than 15 games in a season other than in 1941, and although he pitched seven more seasons, he only once again pitched more than 127 innings in a season, and retired with a 117-124 record.
1941 National League - Whit Wyatt, Brooklyn Dodgers
22-10, 2.34 ERA, 176 K
This was a close call between Wyatt and Cincinnati's Elmer Riddle, but in the end I chose Wyatt, and so did the MVP voters in 1941, who ranked him third overall and first among pitchers. Wyatt's career was interesting in that he pitched better in his 30s than in his 20s. He was a below average pitcher for the first nine seasons of his career, posting a 26-43 record with a 5.22 ERA and an 88 ERA+ mostly as a relief pitcher. However, after spending the entire 1938 season in the minors, he re-emerged as a top-notch starter for the Dodgers, going 80-52 in his last seven seasons with a 2.97 ERA and 124 ERA+, and being selected as an All Star in each of his first four seasons upon his return to the majors. This was by far his best season though, when he led the Dodgers to the NL pennant while leading the league in wins, shutouts (7) and WHIP (1.058) and finishing second in both ERA and strikeouts. After 1941, he went on to pitch two more full seasons and finished his career in 1945 with a 106-95 record.
1940 Cy Young Awards
1940 American League - Bob Feller, Cleveland Indians
27-11, 2.61 ERA, 261 K
Not much of a contest here; as good as Bob Feller was in 1939, he was even better in 1940, winning the Triple Crown easily, with six more wins, an ERA nearly a quarter run lower, and 97 more strikeouts than anyone else in the league. Feller never won an MVP Award in his career, but 1940 was the closest he came, finishing second to Hank Greenberg. It would end up being probably his best season, but he certainly had a lot that were very similar, and it's amazing to consider what he might have been capable of, had he not missed three and a half years of his prime due to his service in World War II. After all, his best seasons came immediately before and after the war, so who knows what he could've done in between
1940 National League - Bucky Walters, Cincinnati Reds
22-10, 2.48 ERA, 115 K
This was a fairly close call between Walters and Chicago's Claude Passeau, but in the end I decided to give it to Walters because 1) his numbers in most major stats were slightly better, 2) he helped lead the Reds to their first World Series victory since 1919, and 3) the contemporary sportswriters clearly thought he was the better pitcher; he finished third in MVP voting, with Passeau in a distant 16th place. Walters very nearly won his second consecutive Triple Crown; he led in wins and ERA, but finished fifth in strikeouts. However, he also led in ERA+ (154), complete games (29), WHIP (1.092), and hits per 9 innings (7.112). He went on to have a few more decent seasons after 1940, but his relatively late start in pitching (he didn't pitch regularly until he was 26) and fairly early decline (he never won more than 10 games in a season after the age of 35) meant that he is a borderline Hall of Famer, but it's unlikely he will ever be elected.
27-11, 2.61 ERA, 261 K
Not much of a contest here; as good as Bob Feller was in 1939, he was even better in 1940, winning the Triple Crown easily, with six more wins, an ERA nearly a quarter run lower, and 97 more strikeouts than anyone else in the league. Feller never won an MVP Award in his career, but 1940 was the closest he came, finishing second to Hank Greenberg. It would end up being probably his best season, but he certainly had a lot that were very similar, and it's amazing to consider what he might have been capable of, had he not missed three and a half years of his prime due to his service in World War II. After all, his best seasons came immediately before and after the war, so who knows what he could've done in between
1940 National League - Bucky Walters, Cincinnati Reds
22-10, 2.48 ERA, 115 K
This was a fairly close call between Walters and Chicago's Claude Passeau, but in the end I decided to give it to Walters because 1) his numbers in most major stats were slightly better, 2) he helped lead the Reds to their first World Series victory since 1919, and 3) the contemporary sportswriters clearly thought he was the better pitcher; he finished third in MVP voting, with Passeau in a distant 16th place. Walters very nearly won his second consecutive Triple Crown; he led in wins and ERA, but finished fifth in strikeouts. However, he also led in ERA+ (154), complete games (29), WHIP (1.092), and hits per 9 innings (7.112). He went on to have a few more decent seasons after 1940, but his relatively late start in pitching (he didn't pitch regularly until he was 26) and fairly early decline (he never won more than 10 games in a season after the age of 35) meant that he is a borderline Hall of Famer, but it's unlikely he will ever be elected.
1939 Cy Young Awards
1939 American League - Bob Feller, Cleveland Indians
24-9, 2.85 ERA, 246 K
This year was the last great season for Lefty Grove, who I had previously awarded a record nine retroactive Cy Young Awards to. He led the league in ERA for a record ninth and final time, and he made his sixth and final All Star appearance. However, he wasn't quite as good as Cleveland's ace Bob Feller who, at just 20 years of age, was already an All Star from the previous year and the defending league leader in strikeouts. He ended up finishing third in the MVP voting in 1939, was selected to another All Star game, and led the league in wins, complete games (24), innings pitched (296.2), and an astonishing 246 strikeouts, 54 more than the runner up and 109 more than the NL champion. It was a great season for the young Bob Feller, but the best was still to come for him.
1939 National League - Bucky Walters, Cincinnati Reds
27-11, 2.29 ERA, 137 K
Throughout the history of the Cincinnati Reds, they have had some great teams, yet one area that they have always been lacking in is good pitching. As mentioned before, no Reds pitcher has ever won the Cy Young Award, few have been elected to the Hall of Fame, and none have won 200 games or more while in Cincinnati; their all-time leader in wins is Eppa Rixey, with 179, the least among any of the "original" 16 MLB teams (The Red Sox are the only other team without a 200-game winner in their history; Cy Young and Roger Clemens are tied for the team lead with 192). However, for several seasons in the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Reds had one of the best pitchers in the league in Bucky Walters. While winning both the Triple Crown and the MVP Award, Walters also led the Reds to their first NL pennant since 1919, although they were swept in the World Series by the Yankees. Interestingly, although he developed into one of the best pitchers of his era and a borderline Hall of Fame candidate, he spent his first four MLB seasons as a third baseman for the Braves, Red Sox, and Phillies before he decided to give pitching a try. Naturally, it would figure that the Red Sox of all teams would unknowingly have an MVP-caliber pitcher playing as a backup third baseman.
24-9, 2.85 ERA, 246 K
This year was the last great season for Lefty Grove, who I had previously awarded a record nine retroactive Cy Young Awards to. He led the league in ERA for a record ninth and final time, and he made his sixth and final All Star appearance. However, he wasn't quite as good as Cleveland's ace Bob Feller who, at just 20 years of age, was already an All Star from the previous year and the defending league leader in strikeouts. He ended up finishing third in the MVP voting in 1939, was selected to another All Star game, and led the league in wins, complete games (24), innings pitched (296.2), and an astonishing 246 strikeouts, 54 more than the runner up and 109 more than the NL champion. It was a great season for the young Bob Feller, but the best was still to come for him.
1939 National League - Bucky Walters, Cincinnati Reds
27-11, 2.29 ERA, 137 K
Throughout the history of the Cincinnati Reds, they have had some great teams, yet one area that they have always been lacking in is good pitching. As mentioned before, no Reds pitcher has ever won the Cy Young Award, few have been elected to the Hall of Fame, and none have won 200 games or more while in Cincinnati; their all-time leader in wins is Eppa Rixey, with 179, the least among any of the "original" 16 MLB teams (The Red Sox are the only other team without a 200-game winner in their history; Cy Young and Roger Clemens are tied for the team lead with 192). However, for several seasons in the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Reds had one of the best pitchers in the league in Bucky Walters. While winning both the Triple Crown and the MVP Award, Walters also led the Reds to their first NL pennant since 1919, although they were swept in the World Series by the Yankees. Interestingly, although he developed into one of the best pitchers of his era and a borderline Hall of Fame candidate, he spent his first four MLB seasons as a third baseman for the Braves, Red Sox, and Phillies before he decided to give pitching a try. Naturally, it would figure that the Red Sox of all teams would unknowingly have an MVP-caliber pitcher playing as a backup third baseman.
1938 Cy Young Awards
1938 American League - Red Ruffing, New York Yankees
21-7, 3.31 ERA, 127 K
Red Ruffing is one of those pitchers who got better the older he got. He started off his career with the Red Sox in 1924, where he spent seven seasons and compiled an absolutely dreadful 39-96 record. Finally, he was traded to the Yankees in 1930 for a broken bat and a few wads of used chewing tobacco (or Cedric Durst, as the case may be). There, as former Red Sox players are wont to do, his career started to take off, but it wasn't until he was in his early 30s that he developed into one of the best in the league. In 1938, he led the league in wins, and finished second in ERA, fifth in strikeouts, third in WHIP (1.326), and tied for second in WAR (5.0). It wasn't an amazingly dominant season, but it was the best of a fairly weak pool in 1938. He did finish fourth in MVP voting though, the highest among any pitcher in the league. Lefty Grove, who previously had won nine retroactive Cy Young Awards in the past 12 seasons, pitched well, leading the league in ERA yet again, but it was in only 163.2 innings, and he finished with 14 wins in just 24 starts.
1938 National League - Bill Lee, Chicago Cubs
22-9, 2.66 ERA, 121 K
Not to be confused with the 1970s Red Sox pitcher of the same name, Bill Lee was a fairly effective starting pitcher for the Cubs, particularly in the mid to late 1930s. However, his 1938 performance far surpassed any other year; he led the league in wins and ERA, finished fourth in strikeouts, and also led in starts (37), shutouts (9), and ERA+ (144). He made his first of two All-Star appearances this year, and he finished second only to Cincinnati catcher Ernie Lombardi in the MVP voting. Along the way, he led the Cubs to a rare NL pennant, although they were promptly swept by Red Ruffing's Yankees in the World Series. The Cubs would make it to the World Series one more time, in 1945, and they haven't been there since.
21-7, 3.31 ERA, 127 K
Red Ruffing is one of those pitchers who got better the older he got. He started off his career with the Red Sox in 1924, where he spent seven seasons and compiled an absolutely dreadful 39-96 record. Finally, he was traded to the Yankees in 1930 for a broken bat and a few wads of used chewing tobacco (or Cedric Durst, as the case may be). There, as former Red Sox players are wont to do, his career started to take off, but it wasn't until he was in his early 30s that he developed into one of the best in the league. In 1938, he led the league in wins, and finished second in ERA, fifth in strikeouts, third in WHIP (1.326), and tied for second in WAR (5.0). It wasn't an amazingly dominant season, but it was the best of a fairly weak pool in 1938. He did finish fourth in MVP voting though, the highest among any pitcher in the league. Lefty Grove, who previously had won nine retroactive Cy Young Awards in the past 12 seasons, pitched well, leading the league in ERA yet again, but it was in only 163.2 innings, and he finished with 14 wins in just 24 starts.
1938 National League - Bill Lee, Chicago Cubs
22-9, 2.66 ERA, 121 K
Not to be confused with the 1970s Red Sox pitcher of the same name, Bill Lee was a fairly effective starting pitcher for the Cubs, particularly in the mid to late 1930s. However, his 1938 performance far surpassed any other year; he led the league in wins and ERA, finished fourth in strikeouts, and also led in starts (37), shutouts (9), and ERA+ (144). He made his first of two All-Star appearances this year, and he finished second only to Cincinnati catcher Ernie Lombardi in the MVP voting. Along the way, he led the Cubs to a rare NL pennant, although they were promptly swept by Red Ruffing's Yankees in the World Series. The Cubs would make it to the World Series one more time, in 1945, and they haven't been there since.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
1937 Cy Young Awards
1937 American League - Lefty Gomez, New York Yankees
21-11, 2.33 ERA, 194 K
Evidently it wasn't easy being a right-handed pitcher in the AL in the 1930s; the last pitcher not named "Lefty" to receive a retroactive Cy Young Award from me was Waite Hoyt in 1927. Lefty Grove won most of those, but for the second time, the "other" Lefty G. won the AL pitching triple crown, with the same ERA, although fewer wins and more strikeouts. He may be a somewhat marginal player by Hall of Fame standards, but in 1934 and 1937 he was undoubtedly the best AL pitcher, and in 1937 he helped lead the Yankees to yet another World Series title.
1937 National League - Jim Turner, Boston Braves
20-11, 2.38 ERA, 69 K
I'll be honest, I had never heard of Jim Turner before in my life. In fact, I had expected Carl Hubbell, who finished third in MVP voting and won two thirds of the Triple Crown, would probably win the retroactive Cy Young Award. However, he also had a very unimpressive 3.20 ERA, which didn't even crack the top ten list, and his WHIP was a mediocre 1.208. However, Boston's Jim Turner, a 33 year old rookie whose lifetime record ended up being 69-60, had a great season. Along with leading in ERA by nearly a quarter of a run, he also led in WHIP (1.091), WAR (5.2), and finished tied second in wins. In the end, he finished fourth in MVP voting, behind only Hubbell among pitchers, and undoubtedly would've been Rookie of the Year had it existed in 1937. Still, his Major League pitching career was less than stellar; he spent 14 seasons in the minors, and he really only had four seasons as an effective starter. Imagine my surprise, then, when I found out that he was a part of nine World Series winning teams; after his playing career was over, he served as the pitching coach of the Yankees during their late 1940s-1950s dynasty, and was also pitching coach for the Reds from 1961-1965 and the Yankees again from 1966-1973.
21-11, 2.33 ERA, 194 K
Evidently it wasn't easy being a right-handed pitcher in the AL in the 1930s; the last pitcher not named "Lefty" to receive a retroactive Cy Young Award from me was Waite Hoyt in 1927. Lefty Grove won most of those, but for the second time, the "other" Lefty G. won the AL pitching triple crown, with the same ERA, although fewer wins and more strikeouts. He may be a somewhat marginal player by Hall of Fame standards, but in 1934 and 1937 he was undoubtedly the best AL pitcher, and in 1937 he helped lead the Yankees to yet another World Series title.
1937 National League - Jim Turner, Boston Braves
20-11, 2.38 ERA, 69 K
I'll be honest, I had never heard of Jim Turner before in my life. In fact, I had expected Carl Hubbell, who finished third in MVP voting and won two thirds of the Triple Crown, would probably win the retroactive Cy Young Award. However, he also had a very unimpressive 3.20 ERA, which didn't even crack the top ten list, and his WHIP was a mediocre 1.208. However, Boston's Jim Turner, a 33 year old rookie whose lifetime record ended up being 69-60, had a great season. Along with leading in ERA by nearly a quarter of a run, he also led in WHIP (1.091), WAR (5.2), and finished tied second in wins. In the end, he finished fourth in MVP voting, behind only Hubbell among pitchers, and undoubtedly would've been Rookie of the Year had it existed in 1937. Still, his Major League pitching career was less than stellar; he spent 14 seasons in the minors, and he really only had four seasons as an effective starter. Imagine my surprise, then, when I found out that he was a part of nine World Series winning teams; after his playing career was over, he served as the pitching coach of the Yankees during their late 1940s-1950s dynasty, and was also pitching coach for the Reds from 1961-1965 and the Yankees again from 1966-1973.
1936 Cy Young Awards
1936 American League - Lefty Grove, Boston Red Sox
17-12, 2.81 ERA, 130 K
I used to think that Bill James ranked Lefty Grove a bit too high when he put him as the #2 greatest pitcher of all time in his Baseball Abstract, but the more I look at just how dominant Grove was for so many years, I'm starting to think maybe James ranked him too low. This is now the ninth time that I have ranked him as the best pitcher in the AL, and while the choice was not quite as clear-cut as other seasons, I think it's a pretty safe bet. Grove was ranked 15th in MVP voting in 1936, behind two other pitchers. However, it appears that a greater emphasis was placed on wins and winning percentage; Grove had a rather pedestrian record, but I think the more important stat is his league-leading 2.81 ERA, more than a half run lower than anyone else. His ERA+ was 190, 41 points higher than anyone else. He also pitched a league-leading six shutouts, but had the misfortune of playing on a mediocre sixth place Boston team. So, the question may be whether he was the greatest AL pitcher in 1936, but I think an even better question is, is he the greatest pitcher ever? Because I think the answer might be yes...
1936 National League - Carl Hubbell, New York Giants
26-6, 2.31 ERA, 123 K
There were some great pitching seasons in the NL in 1936; the winner the previous two seasons, Dizzy Dean, had another great season, and one of the greatest names in baseball history, Van Lingle Mungo, struck out an astonishing 248 batters. However, Carl Hubbell was even better, leading the league in wins, ERA, winning percentage (.813), WHIP (1.059), and ERA+ (169), capturing the MVP Award over second place finisher Dizzy Dean. It was his second MVP, and the fourth year in a row (out of five) that he finished in the top 10 for MVP voting, and he made his fourth of nine All-Star appearances on his way to a great Hall of Fame career. He is generally considered to be one of the greatest screwball pitchers (as in pitchers who threw primarily a screwball, not pitchers who were screwballs, otherwise that award would probably go to Bill Lee), and according to Joe DiMaggio, he was the toughest pitcher he ever faced.
17-12, 2.81 ERA, 130 K
I used to think that Bill James ranked Lefty Grove a bit too high when he put him as the #2 greatest pitcher of all time in his Baseball Abstract, but the more I look at just how dominant Grove was for so many years, I'm starting to think maybe James ranked him too low. This is now the ninth time that I have ranked him as the best pitcher in the AL, and while the choice was not quite as clear-cut as other seasons, I think it's a pretty safe bet. Grove was ranked 15th in MVP voting in 1936, behind two other pitchers. However, it appears that a greater emphasis was placed on wins and winning percentage; Grove had a rather pedestrian record, but I think the more important stat is his league-leading 2.81 ERA, more than a half run lower than anyone else. His ERA+ was 190, 41 points higher than anyone else. He also pitched a league-leading six shutouts, but had the misfortune of playing on a mediocre sixth place Boston team. So, the question may be whether he was the greatest AL pitcher in 1936, but I think an even better question is, is he the greatest pitcher ever? Because I think the answer might be yes...
1936 National League - Carl Hubbell, New York Giants
26-6, 2.31 ERA, 123 K
There were some great pitching seasons in the NL in 1936; the winner the previous two seasons, Dizzy Dean, had another great season, and one of the greatest names in baseball history, Van Lingle Mungo, struck out an astonishing 248 batters. However, Carl Hubbell was even better, leading the league in wins, ERA, winning percentage (.813), WHIP (1.059), and ERA+ (169), capturing the MVP Award over second place finisher Dizzy Dean. It was his second MVP, and the fourth year in a row (out of five) that he finished in the top 10 for MVP voting, and he made his fourth of nine All-Star appearances on his way to a great Hall of Fame career. He is generally considered to be one of the greatest screwball pitchers (as in pitchers who threw primarily a screwball, not pitchers who were screwballs, otherwise that award would probably go to Bill Lee), and according to Joe DiMaggio, he was the toughest pitcher he ever faced.
1935 Cy Young Awards
1935 American League - Lefty Grove, Boston Red Sox
20-12, 2.70 ERA, 121 K
With his eighth award, Lefty Grove now ties Christy Mathewson for the most that I have given out to one pitcher on this blog. It was his first full season on his new team, the Boston Red Sox, and while his numbers after leaving Philadelphia were never quite the same, he was still the best pitcher in the league in 1935. Along with leading the league in ERA (his sixth time doing so) by nearly a third of a run, he also finished first in WHIP (1.223), ERA+ (175), and WAR (7.7), and fourth in both wins and strikeouts. Apparently, even pitching half of his games in hitter-friendly Fenway Park didn't hurt his ERA too much.
1935 National League - Dizzy Dean, St. Louis Cardinals
28-12, 3.04 ERA, 190 K
It wasn't quite the same as his 1934 season, but Dean still followed it up with another great one, leading the NL (by a lot) in wins in strikeouts, and finishing sixth in ERA (but third in ERA+ at 135). After winning the MVP Award in 1934, he came in second this year to Gabby Harnett. Much like Sandy Koufax 30 years later, Dean was a dominant pitcher for several years, but ended up with a Hall of Fame career that was severely shortened by injury; he played his last full MLB season at the age of 27 and was essentially done by the time he turned 30. But, in the mid 1930's, he was better than anyone else.
20-12, 2.70 ERA, 121 K
With his eighth award, Lefty Grove now ties Christy Mathewson for the most that I have given out to one pitcher on this blog. It was his first full season on his new team, the Boston Red Sox, and while his numbers after leaving Philadelphia were never quite the same, he was still the best pitcher in the league in 1935. Along with leading the league in ERA (his sixth time doing so) by nearly a third of a run, he also finished first in WHIP (1.223), ERA+ (175), and WAR (7.7), and fourth in both wins and strikeouts. Apparently, even pitching half of his games in hitter-friendly Fenway Park didn't hurt his ERA too much.
1935 National League - Dizzy Dean, St. Louis Cardinals
28-12, 3.04 ERA, 190 K
It wasn't quite the same as his 1934 season, but Dean still followed it up with another great one, leading the NL (by a lot) in wins in strikeouts, and finishing sixth in ERA (but third in ERA+ at 135). After winning the MVP Award in 1934, he came in second this year to Gabby Harnett. Much like Sandy Koufax 30 years later, Dean was a dominant pitcher for several years, but ended up with a Hall of Fame career that was severely shortened by injury; he played his last full MLB season at the age of 27 and was essentially done by the time he turned 30. But, in the mid 1930's, he was better than anyone else.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Worst Pitching Seasons
Previously in this blog I looked at the worst pitching starts in MLB history, and I have looked at other notable pitchers, including those who would have won the Cy Young Award in seasons prior to the award's existence. Recently, however, I decided to take a look at some of the worst pitching seasons in baseball history. With the help of my friend Ryan, we looked through some downright terrible seasons, and settled upon a top ten list that appears below.
First, allow me to explain our methodology. We began by sorting all pitching seasons in MLB history by ERA, provided that the pitcher had at least one inning pitched per team game played (so, 162 innings pitched for modern pitchers, 154 for most pre-1961 seasons, etc.). This gave us a list of some impressively bad seasons, but we also checked a list of the worst ERA+ seasons, using the same innings pitched criteria, in order to identify poor pitching seasons that happened in time periods when ERAs were relatively low (1900-1920, the 1960s, etc.). For example, an ERA of 5.00 in 2000 would barely be noticed, yet the same ERA in 1915 would certainly put that pitcher's season in contention.
Beyond that, our choices were largely subjective, primarily using ERA, ERA+, WHIP, and in some instances win-loss record to evaluate each season. In the event of a tie (or close to it) we tended to give preference to the season with more innings pitched; having an ERA of 5.00 in 225 innings is worse than the same ERA in 175 innings. We also tried to include a good mix of pitchers from different eras, with three pre-1900, three dead ball era, and one each from the 1930s, 1960s, 1980s, and 2000s. However, there were still more pre-1920 than post 1920, which might be accounted for by changes in the way the game is played; modern teams would probably be less likely to stick with a struggling starter all season, thus denying him the chance to pitch the required number of innings to make the list.
In any case, here's our list:
#10 Mark Davis, 1984 San Francisco Giants
5-17, 5.36 ERA, 66 ERA+, 1.460 WHIP, 174.2 innings pitched
Davis is the only Cy Young Award winner on this list, but other than two and a half impressive seasons as a closer for the Padres, he had a remarkably unspectacular career, the worst of which was his last of two seasons as a full-time starter. It's amazing that he managed to make 27 starts with numbers like those, but the rest of San Francisco's rotation wasn't much better, and they finished with a 66-96 record.
#9 Jack Lamabe, 1964 Boston Red Sox
9-13, 5.89 ERA, 65 ERA+, 1.647 WHIP, 177.1 innings pitched
Lamabe had previously been a successful relief pitcher in his first two major league seasons, but in 1964 Boston decided to switch him to the rotation. Given that he played for the Red Sox in the mid-60s, they probably didn't have too many other options, but it didn't end very well. He somehow managed a better winning percentage than two of the other regular starters, but his ERA was shockingly high, especially in a time period that was dominated by pitchers.
#8 Dan Griner, 1913 St. Louis Cardinals
10-22, 5.08 ERA, 64 ERA+, 1.533 WHIP, 225.0 innings pitched
How bad must the 1913 Cardinals have been if they stuck with Griner for 225 innings? Pretty bad, considering Griner finished second on the team in wins, and fellow teammate Pol Perritt was one of the last cuts when we were making this list. Griner, unbelievably, was not the worst on his team in any of the four categories listed above, yet we chose him over Perritt simply because of the number of innings pitched, he pitched 50 innings more than Perritt and was only marginally better in most categories. Plus, it's hard to ignore a 10-22 win-loss record.
#7 Gene Wright, 1903 Cleveland Naps and St. Louis Browns
6-15, 4.98 ERA, 58 ERA+, 1.654 WHIP, 162.2 innings pitched
Wright split his season between two teams, but had more innings pitched (and pitched the worst) for the Naps, who, despite their non-threatening name, were actually contenders in the AL that season, having three pitchers who were actually good, plus Wright. Wright pitched his first 101.2 innings with them, going 3-10 with a 5.75 ERA before they somehow managed to trade him to the Browns for Red Donahue, a moderately decent pitcher. Wright's pitching improved slightly for the Browns, but he was still pretty bad, and after one atrocious start for them at the beginning of the 1904 season, he was done in the majors for good.
#6 Les Sweetland, 1930 Philadelphia Phillies
7/15, 7.71 ERA, 71 ERA+, 1.982 WHIP, 167.0 innings pitched
It's impressive that Sweetland didn't finish higher on this list considering his 7.71 ERA is the all-time record for ERA by qualifying pitchers. However, it also happened during a major surge in offense, when the league ERA was 4.97. So, his ERA, while bad, is not as bad as it would have been in, say, the 1960s. Sweetland also had a teammate, Claude Willoughby, who had a similar, 7.59 ERA, but he finished the season one inning shy of qualifying for this list.
#5 Jack Wadsworth, 1894 Louisville Colonels
4-18, 7.60 ERA, 67 ERA+, 2.104 WHIP, 173.0 innings pitched
Overall, 1894 was a bad year for pitchers. Only a year after the pitcher's mound was moved back to its current location 60 feet 6 inches from home plate, a lot of pitchers were having trouble adjusting. The league ERA in 1894 was an incredible 5.33, but no pitcher had a worse time of it than Jack Wadsworth, of the last place Colonels. Sadly, it was arguably the highlight of his career; in four MLB seasons, it was one of only two in which he pitched enough innings to qualify, and his 1890 season was almost as bad. He pitched two more games after 1894 and retired with a record of 6-38, with a 6.85 ERA and an ERA+ of 63. If I was making a list of "worst pitchers in MLB history,' he would certainly be a contender.
#4 John Coleman, 1883 Philadelphia Quakers
12-48, 4.87 ERA, 63 ERA+, 1.523 WHIP, 538.1 innings pitched
John Coleman started his career as a pitcher, but finished as an outfielder, for reasons that should be clear based on his 1883 pitching performance. His 4.87 ERA doesn't look terrible, but based on the league average, it's atrocious, with just a 63 ERA+. However, what really makes his season stand out is the unbelievable 48 losses, by far a single-season baseball record that is unlikely to ever be broken. He saw significant pitching time in just one other season, 1884, in which he somehow managed to be even worse, although in far fewer innings.
#3 Jose Lima, 2005 Kansas City Royals
5-16, 6.99 ERA, 62 ERA+, 1.660 WHIP, 168.2 innings pitched
This is the only one of these seasons that I personally remember, but even I didn't realize just how bad it was until I compared it to some of the other all-time worst seasons. Sadly, Lima had not just one but two seasons that were being considered for this list, although his atrocious 2000 season ended up being one of the last cuts from this list. He went on to pitch four games the next season, with an ERA of 9.87, and never played in the majors again.
#2 Rube Bressler, 1915 Philadelphia Athletics
4-17, 5.20 ERA, 56 ERA+, 1.688 WHIP, 178.1 innings pitched
An ERA of 5.20 is pretty bad nowadays, but back in the dead ball era, it was practically unheard of. However, Rube Bressler managed to do so in 1915, his only season in which he pitched enough innings to qualify for the ERA title. Interestingly, Bressler had the longest career of any pitcher on this list, playing 19 MLB seasons - mostly as an outfielder. Although he was neither as good of a pitcher nor hitter as a certain other player who was switched from the pitcher's mound to the outfield in 1919, he retired in 1932 with a respectable .301 career batting average and a World Series championship with the Reds in 1919.
#1 Frank Bates, 1899 Cleveland Spiders & St. Louis Perfectos
1-18, 6.90 ERA, 53 ERA+, 2.202 WHIP, 161.2 innings pitched
The 1899 Cleveland Spiders have long since gone down in history as the ultimate farce in MLB history, but of all the farce pitchers on their team, none could quite match Frank Bates. At the time, the same people owned both the St. Louis and Cleveland teams (something that we call a "conflict of interest" today), so they essentially traded all of Cleveland's good players to St. Louis for all of their lousy players. A very angry Bates was one of those lousy players, and apparently in order to indicate his displeasure, he compiled the worst pitching season in baseball history, winning just one of his 19 starts, a 10-9 victory in which he allowed 17 hits. It was the final major league season for both the Spiders and for Bates, who in two MLB seasons accumulated a 3-19 record, with a 6.33 ERA and an ERA+ of 58.
First, allow me to explain our methodology. We began by sorting all pitching seasons in MLB history by ERA, provided that the pitcher had at least one inning pitched per team game played (so, 162 innings pitched for modern pitchers, 154 for most pre-1961 seasons, etc.). This gave us a list of some impressively bad seasons, but we also checked a list of the worst ERA+ seasons, using the same innings pitched criteria, in order to identify poor pitching seasons that happened in time periods when ERAs were relatively low (1900-1920, the 1960s, etc.). For example, an ERA of 5.00 in 2000 would barely be noticed, yet the same ERA in 1915 would certainly put that pitcher's season in contention.
Beyond that, our choices were largely subjective, primarily using ERA, ERA+, WHIP, and in some instances win-loss record to evaluate each season. In the event of a tie (or close to it) we tended to give preference to the season with more innings pitched; having an ERA of 5.00 in 225 innings is worse than the same ERA in 175 innings. We also tried to include a good mix of pitchers from different eras, with three pre-1900, three dead ball era, and one each from the 1930s, 1960s, 1980s, and 2000s. However, there were still more pre-1920 than post 1920, which might be accounted for by changes in the way the game is played; modern teams would probably be less likely to stick with a struggling starter all season, thus denying him the chance to pitch the required number of innings to make the list.
In any case, here's our list:
#10 Mark Davis, 1984 San Francisco Giants
5-17, 5.36 ERA, 66 ERA+, 1.460 WHIP, 174.2 innings pitched
Davis is the only Cy Young Award winner on this list, but other than two and a half impressive seasons as a closer for the Padres, he had a remarkably unspectacular career, the worst of which was his last of two seasons as a full-time starter. It's amazing that he managed to make 27 starts with numbers like those, but the rest of San Francisco's rotation wasn't much better, and they finished with a 66-96 record.
#9 Jack Lamabe, 1964 Boston Red Sox
9-13, 5.89 ERA, 65 ERA+, 1.647 WHIP, 177.1 innings pitched
Lamabe had previously been a successful relief pitcher in his first two major league seasons, but in 1964 Boston decided to switch him to the rotation. Given that he played for the Red Sox in the mid-60s, they probably didn't have too many other options, but it didn't end very well. He somehow managed a better winning percentage than two of the other regular starters, but his ERA was shockingly high, especially in a time period that was dominated by pitchers.
#8 Dan Griner, 1913 St. Louis Cardinals
10-22, 5.08 ERA, 64 ERA+, 1.533 WHIP, 225.0 innings pitched
How bad must the 1913 Cardinals have been if they stuck with Griner for 225 innings? Pretty bad, considering Griner finished second on the team in wins, and fellow teammate Pol Perritt was one of the last cuts when we were making this list. Griner, unbelievably, was not the worst on his team in any of the four categories listed above, yet we chose him over Perritt simply because of the number of innings pitched, he pitched 50 innings more than Perritt and was only marginally better in most categories. Plus, it's hard to ignore a 10-22 win-loss record.
#7 Gene Wright, 1903 Cleveland Naps and St. Louis Browns
6-15, 4.98 ERA, 58 ERA+, 1.654 WHIP, 162.2 innings pitched
Wright split his season between two teams, but had more innings pitched (and pitched the worst) for the Naps, who, despite their non-threatening name, were actually contenders in the AL that season, having three pitchers who were actually good, plus Wright. Wright pitched his first 101.2 innings with them, going 3-10 with a 5.75 ERA before they somehow managed to trade him to the Browns for Red Donahue, a moderately decent pitcher. Wright's pitching improved slightly for the Browns, but he was still pretty bad, and after one atrocious start for them at the beginning of the 1904 season, he was done in the majors for good.
#6 Les Sweetland, 1930 Philadelphia Phillies
7/15, 7.71 ERA, 71 ERA+, 1.982 WHIP, 167.0 innings pitched
It's impressive that Sweetland didn't finish higher on this list considering his 7.71 ERA is the all-time record for ERA by qualifying pitchers. However, it also happened during a major surge in offense, when the league ERA was 4.97. So, his ERA, while bad, is not as bad as it would have been in, say, the 1960s. Sweetland also had a teammate, Claude Willoughby, who had a similar, 7.59 ERA, but he finished the season one inning shy of qualifying for this list.
#5 Jack Wadsworth, 1894 Louisville Colonels
4-18, 7.60 ERA, 67 ERA+, 2.104 WHIP, 173.0 innings pitched
Overall, 1894 was a bad year for pitchers. Only a year after the pitcher's mound was moved back to its current location 60 feet 6 inches from home plate, a lot of pitchers were having trouble adjusting. The league ERA in 1894 was an incredible 5.33, but no pitcher had a worse time of it than Jack Wadsworth, of the last place Colonels. Sadly, it was arguably the highlight of his career; in four MLB seasons, it was one of only two in which he pitched enough innings to qualify, and his 1890 season was almost as bad. He pitched two more games after 1894 and retired with a record of 6-38, with a 6.85 ERA and an ERA+ of 63. If I was making a list of "worst pitchers in MLB history,' he would certainly be a contender.
#4 John Coleman, 1883 Philadelphia Quakers
12-48, 4.87 ERA, 63 ERA+, 1.523 WHIP, 538.1 innings pitched
John Coleman started his career as a pitcher, but finished as an outfielder, for reasons that should be clear based on his 1883 pitching performance. His 4.87 ERA doesn't look terrible, but based on the league average, it's atrocious, with just a 63 ERA+. However, what really makes his season stand out is the unbelievable 48 losses, by far a single-season baseball record that is unlikely to ever be broken. He saw significant pitching time in just one other season, 1884, in which he somehow managed to be even worse, although in far fewer innings.
#3 Jose Lima, 2005 Kansas City Royals
5-16, 6.99 ERA, 62 ERA+, 1.660 WHIP, 168.2 innings pitched
This is the only one of these seasons that I personally remember, but even I didn't realize just how bad it was until I compared it to some of the other all-time worst seasons. Sadly, Lima had not just one but two seasons that were being considered for this list, although his atrocious 2000 season ended up being one of the last cuts from this list. He went on to pitch four games the next season, with an ERA of 9.87, and never played in the majors again.
#2 Rube Bressler, 1915 Philadelphia Athletics
4-17, 5.20 ERA, 56 ERA+, 1.688 WHIP, 178.1 innings pitched
An ERA of 5.20 is pretty bad nowadays, but back in the dead ball era, it was practically unheard of. However, Rube Bressler managed to do so in 1915, his only season in which he pitched enough innings to qualify for the ERA title. Interestingly, Bressler had the longest career of any pitcher on this list, playing 19 MLB seasons - mostly as an outfielder. Although he was neither as good of a pitcher nor hitter as a certain other player who was switched from the pitcher's mound to the outfield in 1919, he retired in 1932 with a respectable .301 career batting average and a World Series championship with the Reds in 1919.
#1 Frank Bates, 1899 Cleveland Spiders & St. Louis Perfectos
1-18, 6.90 ERA, 53 ERA+, 2.202 WHIP, 161.2 innings pitched
The 1899 Cleveland Spiders have long since gone down in history as the ultimate farce in MLB history, but of all the farce pitchers on their team, none could quite match Frank Bates. At the time, the same people owned both the St. Louis and Cleveland teams (something that we call a "conflict of interest" today), so they essentially traded all of Cleveland's good players to St. Louis for all of their lousy players. A very angry Bates was one of those lousy players, and apparently in order to indicate his displeasure, he compiled the worst pitching season in baseball history, winning just one of his 19 starts, a 10-9 victory in which he allowed 17 hits. It was the final major league season for both the Spiders and for Bates, who in two MLB seasons accumulated a 3-19 record, with a 6.33 ERA and an ERA+ of 58.
Monday, May 7, 2012
The Ancient Mariner, Revisited
Back in June 2010, I looked at the season that Jamie Moyer, then 47, was having. A month later, he suffered a season-ending (and seemingly career-ending) injury that resulted in Tommy John surgery. He missed the entire 2011 season, but managed to make the Rockies rotation this year. Six starts into the season, I would say that he's not bad for his age, but that wouldn't be entirely accurate; he hasn't been bad for any MLB pitcher of any age.
Granted, he is only 1-2, and he's averaging only 5.2 innings per start, but his ERA is 4.01, and his ERA+ is a respectable 111, putting him safely above the league average. To put that in perspective, that's better than any member of the 2012 Red Sox rotation so far.
At the age of 49, Moyer is now the fourth oldest pitcher in MLB history, behind Satchel Paige (59), Jack Quinn (50), and Hoyt Wilhelm (49). Each of the three of them only pitched one season at an age older than what Moyer is right now, and here's how it adds up for the three of them. In MLB history, pitchers older than Moyer have pitched a total of:
31 games
1 start
44 innings
0 wins
2 losses
Moyer was already the oldest pitcher to pitch a shutout, and this year became the oldest ever to win a game, and the second oldest ever to start a game (a record set by Satchel Paige that is unlikely to be broken), the oldest to pitch more than three innings in a start, the oldest to start multiple games in a season, and the oldest to pitch more than 30 innings in a season (he's currently at 33.2 innings). He's also the oldest MLB player at any position in the majors since 1980, surpassing Julio Franco, who played less than a month past his 49th birthday in 2007.
I would say that this is probably Moyer's last season, but I'm sure people were saying the same thing 21 years ago, when he was released by the Cardinals. Not that I can blame them; he has a lower ERA+ so far this year than he had in any season in his 20's.
Granted, he is only 1-2, and he's averaging only 5.2 innings per start, but his ERA is 4.01, and his ERA+ is a respectable 111, putting him safely above the league average. To put that in perspective, that's better than any member of the 2012 Red Sox rotation so far.
At the age of 49, Moyer is now the fourth oldest pitcher in MLB history, behind Satchel Paige (59), Jack Quinn (50), and Hoyt Wilhelm (49). Each of the three of them only pitched one season at an age older than what Moyer is right now, and here's how it adds up for the three of them. In MLB history, pitchers older than Moyer have pitched a total of:
31 games
1 start
44 innings
0 wins
2 losses
Moyer was already the oldest pitcher to pitch a shutout, and this year became the oldest ever to win a game, and the second oldest ever to start a game (a record set by Satchel Paige that is unlikely to be broken), the oldest to pitch more than three innings in a start, the oldest to start multiple games in a season, and the oldest to pitch more than 30 innings in a season (he's currently at 33.2 innings). He's also the oldest MLB player at any position in the majors since 1980, surpassing Julio Franco, who played less than a month past his 49th birthday in 2007.
I would say that this is probably Moyer's last season, but I'm sure people were saying the same thing 21 years ago, when he was released by the Cardinals. Not that I can blame them; he has a lower ERA+ so far this year than he had in any season in his 20's.
Designated Winner
One baseball phenomenon that has always interested me is when position players are called upon to pitch. It's relatively uncommon; typically it will only happen a few times a year. Understandably so, because it's almost always preferable to use a legitimate professional pitcher instead of taking a huge chance either giving up a lot of runs and/or injuring a position player. Consequently, position players who pitch are usually bench players, and they are usually used as pitchers for one of three reasons:
1. The team is so far behind that a comeback is virtually impossible; done to avoid wasting/potentially injuring relief pitchers on meaningless innings.
2. The team is completely out of viable pitchers and is essentially conceding defeat.
3. (Rarely) A team is trying out a position player as a potential pitcher, usually in a meaningless game or situation.
Because of this, it is even rarer to see two position players pitch in the same game on opposing teams. In fact, it had not been done since 1925, until last night, at least. In the situation in question, the Red Sox and Orioles were tied in the bottom of the 16th, with both teams having depleted their bullpens. The Orioles chose to bring in designated hitter Chris Davis, who had no previous MLB pitching experience. He pitched a scoreless inning, and in the top of the 17th, the Red Sox chose to bring in utility outfielder Darnell McDonald, who had all of one inning of MLB pitching experience, in a blowout game last year. McDonald allowed three runs, and in the bottom of the 17th Chris Davis pitched another scoreless inning, becoming only the fourth position player since 1968 to win a MLB game.
The question is, was this a wise decision by Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine? He obviously was out of arms in the bullpen, but would it have been unreasonable to bring in a starter to pitch a couple innings? I had a hunch that it would have been a good idea, but I decided to take a closer look at the numbers. After all, an extra inning game being pitched on one side by a professional pitcher and on the other side by a designated hitter should not have lasted much longer, right?
With the help of the Non-pitchers with pitching appearances page on Baseball Reference, I decided to take a look at what the results have been in the past when teams use position players to pitch. I focused the list on just those who have played since 1968, and I removed as many as I could find who (like Rick Ankiel) were at one point considered MLB-caliber pitchers. Here's what I found:
Win-Loss Record: 4-6
Games: 208
Games Started: 1
Games Finished: 190
Innings Pitched: 223.2
Earned Runs: 194
ERA: 7.81
Notice how the numbers confirm the fact that most position players are used in meaningless situations; in 208 appearances, only 10 have received decisions. Furthermore, 190 of those 208 games were finished by the position player in question, presumably when the outcome had long-since been obvious. So, what relevance does this have in last night's game?
Well, probably the best option for the Red Sox (in my opinion) would have been to pitch Felix Doubront, today's scheduled starter. That would've affected today's game, but that's something that could've been sorted out later. Granted, Doubront's 5.19 ERA so far this season doesn't inspire much confidence, but the odds certainly would have been in Boston's favor against the 7.81 average ERA of position players who pitch. Instead, Bobby Valentine essentially evened the odds, presumably in the interest of maintaining the pitching matchup for today. Meaning that he gave up a near-certain victory yesterday in order to have basically even odds at winning today. Doesn't seem to make much sense to me.
1. The team is so far behind that a comeback is virtually impossible; done to avoid wasting/potentially injuring relief pitchers on meaningless innings.
2. The team is completely out of viable pitchers and is essentially conceding defeat.
3. (Rarely) A team is trying out a position player as a potential pitcher, usually in a meaningless game or situation.
Because of this, it is even rarer to see two position players pitch in the same game on opposing teams. In fact, it had not been done since 1925, until last night, at least. In the situation in question, the Red Sox and Orioles were tied in the bottom of the 16th, with both teams having depleted their bullpens. The Orioles chose to bring in designated hitter Chris Davis, who had no previous MLB pitching experience. He pitched a scoreless inning, and in the top of the 17th, the Red Sox chose to bring in utility outfielder Darnell McDonald, who had all of one inning of MLB pitching experience, in a blowout game last year. McDonald allowed three runs, and in the bottom of the 17th Chris Davis pitched another scoreless inning, becoming only the fourth position player since 1968 to win a MLB game.
The question is, was this a wise decision by Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine? He obviously was out of arms in the bullpen, but would it have been unreasonable to bring in a starter to pitch a couple innings? I had a hunch that it would have been a good idea, but I decided to take a closer look at the numbers. After all, an extra inning game being pitched on one side by a professional pitcher and on the other side by a designated hitter should not have lasted much longer, right?
With the help of the Non-pitchers with pitching appearances page on Baseball Reference, I decided to take a look at what the results have been in the past when teams use position players to pitch. I focused the list on just those who have played since 1968, and I removed as many as I could find who (like Rick Ankiel) were at one point considered MLB-caliber pitchers. Here's what I found:
Win-Loss Record: 4-6
Games: 208
Games Started: 1
Games Finished: 190
Innings Pitched: 223.2
Earned Runs: 194
ERA: 7.81
Notice how the numbers confirm the fact that most position players are used in meaningless situations; in 208 appearances, only 10 have received decisions. Furthermore, 190 of those 208 games were finished by the position player in question, presumably when the outcome had long-since been obvious. So, what relevance does this have in last night's game?
Well, probably the best option for the Red Sox (in my opinion) would have been to pitch Felix Doubront, today's scheduled starter. That would've affected today's game, but that's something that could've been sorted out later. Granted, Doubront's 5.19 ERA so far this season doesn't inspire much confidence, but the odds certainly would have been in Boston's favor against the 7.81 average ERA of position players who pitch. Instead, Bobby Valentine essentially evened the odds, presumably in the interest of maintaining the pitching matchup for today. Meaning that he gave up a near-certain victory yesterday in order to have basically even odds at winning today. Doesn't seem to make much sense to me.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
1934 Cy Young Awards
1934 American League - Lefty Gomez, New York Yankees
26-5, 2.33 ERA, 158 K
Yet again a pitcher named Lefty won the AL Retroactive Cy Young Award, but for once it's Lefty Gomez, not Lefty Grove. With the winner of the past six awards having an injury-shortened year, Gomez stepped up nicely and won the Triple Crown, along with leading the league in winning percentage (.839), WHIP (1.133), hits per 9 innings (7.125), shutouts (6), WAR (8.1) and ERA+ (176). It was a dominating season for the future Hall of Famer, and interestingly the 17th consecutive season in which a future Hall of Famer was the best pitcher in the AL. He was selected third overall in MVP voting in 1934, first among all pitchers, and was selected to his second of seven All-Star games.
1934 National League - Dizzy Dean, St. Louis Cardinals
30-7, 2.66 ERA, 195 K
The 1933 winner, Carl Hubbell, had an impressive season in 1934 as well, leading the league in ERA by a third of a run, but it was impossible to not choose Dean's 30-win season. Dean was the last NL pitcher ever to win 30 games, and was the second to last (with Denny McLain in 1968 being the last) pitcher in either league to accomplish the now seemingly-impossible feat. The wins category wasn't the only thing that Dean led in though; he also lead in strikeouts, winning percentage (.811), shutouts (7), and easily won the NL MVP Award, en route to leading the Cardinals to a World Series title.
26-5, 2.33 ERA, 158 K
Yet again a pitcher named Lefty won the AL Retroactive Cy Young Award, but for once it's Lefty Gomez, not Lefty Grove. With the winner of the past six awards having an injury-shortened year, Gomez stepped up nicely and won the Triple Crown, along with leading the league in winning percentage (.839), WHIP (1.133), hits per 9 innings (7.125), shutouts (6), WAR (8.1) and ERA+ (176). It was a dominating season for the future Hall of Famer, and interestingly the 17th consecutive season in which a future Hall of Famer was the best pitcher in the AL. He was selected third overall in MVP voting in 1934, first among all pitchers, and was selected to his second of seven All-Star games.
1934 National League - Dizzy Dean, St. Louis Cardinals
30-7, 2.66 ERA, 195 K
The 1933 winner, Carl Hubbell, had an impressive season in 1934 as well, leading the league in ERA by a third of a run, but it was impossible to not choose Dean's 30-win season. Dean was the last NL pitcher ever to win 30 games, and was the second to last (with Denny McLain in 1968 being the last) pitcher in either league to accomplish the now seemingly-impossible feat. The wins category wasn't the only thing that Dean led in though; he also lead in strikeouts, winning percentage (.811), shutouts (7), and easily won the NL MVP Award, en route to leading the Cardinals to a World Series title.
1933 Cy Young Awards
1933 American League - Lefty Grove, Philadelphia Athletics
24-8, 3.20 ERA, 114 K
It was Lefty Grove's last season in Philadelphia, and although it wasn't quite as dominant as some of his previous seasons were, Lefty Grove was still, for the sixth time in a row and seventh time overall, the best pitcher in the American League. He led the league in wins, but finished a distant sixth in strikeouts, and fourth in ERA. Still, the only people ahead of him in ERA were Mel Harder, Tommy Bridges, and Lefty Gomez. None of them pitched as many innings as Grove, and both Harder and Bridges had mediocre win-loss records. I only briefly considered Gomez, before realizing that his low ERA was a product of the fact that he didn't have to pitch to his own team, unlike Grove and the others. In any case, his contemporaries agreed; he finished fifth in MVP voting, ahead of any other pitcher, and using the modern WAR statistic, which he led all pitchers in, it shows that the voters were justified in their choices.
1933 National League - Carl Hubbell, New York Giants
23-12, 1.66 ERA, 156 K
For the past few seasons, Hubbell had been one of the better pitchers in the league, but in 1933 there was no doubt that he was the best. Along with finishing first in wins and ERA, he finished second in strikeouts, and first with 10(!) shutouts, 308.2 innings pitched, 0.982 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 195. Overall, he had a season that would've been good in the Dead Ball Era, never mind in one of the greatest periods of offensive dominance in baseball history. For his efforts, Hubbell received his first of two MVP Awards, and was selected to the first ever All-Star Game, (and first of nine) in which he pitched two shutout innings for the NL.
24-8, 3.20 ERA, 114 K
It was Lefty Grove's last season in Philadelphia, and although it wasn't quite as dominant as some of his previous seasons were, Lefty Grove was still, for the sixth time in a row and seventh time overall, the best pitcher in the American League. He led the league in wins, but finished a distant sixth in strikeouts, and fourth in ERA. Still, the only people ahead of him in ERA were Mel Harder, Tommy Bridges, and Lefty Gomez. None of them pitched as many innings as Grove, and both Harder and Bridges had mediocre win-loss records. I only briefly considered Gomez, before realizing that his low ERA was a product of the fact that he didn't have to pitch to his own team, unlike Grove and the others. In any case, his contemporaries agreed; he finished fifth in MVP voting, ahead of any other pitcher, and using the modern WAR statistic, which he led all pitchers in, it shows that the voters were justified in their choices.
1933 National League - Carl Hubbell, New York Giants
23-12, 1.66 ERA, 156 K
For the past few seasons, Hubbell had been one of the better pitchers in the league, but in 1933 there was no doubt that he was the best. Along with finishing first in wins and ERA, he finished second in strikeouts, and first with 10(!) shutouts, 308.2 innings pitched, 0.982 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 195. Overall, he had a season that would've been good in the Dead Ball Era, never mind in one of the greatest periods of offensive dominance in baseball history. For his efforts, Hubbell received his first of two MVP Awards, and was selected to the first ever All-Star Game, (and first of nine) in which he pitched two shutout innings for the NL.
1932 Cy Young Awards
1932 American League - Lefty Grove, Philadelphia Athletics
25-10, 2.84 ERA, 188 K
In 1932, Lefty Grove was a win and two strikeouts away from his third consecutive Triple Crown. In any case, he was still the best pitcher in the league, for the fifth year in a row and sixth time in seven years. He easily led the league in ERA, and was the only pitcher to finish the year under 3.00. In addition, he finished second in wins, one behind the leader, and second in strikeouts, two behind the leader. He also finished first in WHIP (1.193), shutouts (4), and WAR (8.5, nearly 2 wins above anyone else). He also, for the second year in a row, started 30 games and pitched 27 complete games. Both seasons, the 27 complete games led the league, and were a big reason why his win totals were so high despite not usually starting more than 30 games a year.
1932 National League - Lon Warneke, Chicago Cubs
22-6, 2.37 ERA, 106 K
This choice was as clear as it was unexpected; Warneke, who prior to 1932 had all of 65.2 innings of MLB experience, led in two thirds of the Triple Crown (wins and ERA), led all NL pitchers in WAR (7.2), ERA+ (160), and winning percentage (.786). It was the first full season for 23 year old Warneke, who would go on to have a respectable pitching career with the Cubs and Cardinals. He finished second in MVP voting, far above any other NL pitcher, and the following year, he was selected to his first of five All-Star games, and in the process hit the NL's first triple and scored their first run in All-Star history.
25-10, 2.84 ERA, 188 K
In 1932, Lefty Grove was a win and two strikeouts away from his third consecutive Triple Crown. In any case, he was still the best pitcher in the league, for the fifth year in a row and sixth time in seven years. He easily led the league in ERA, and was the only pitcher to finish the year under 3.00. In addition, he finished second in wins, one behind the leader, and second in strikeouts, two behind the leader. He also finished first in WHIP (1.193), shutouts (4), and WAR (8.5, nearly 2 wins above anyone else). He also, for the second year in a row, started 30 games and pitched 27 complete games. Both seasons, the 27 complete games led the league, and were a big reason why his win totals were so high despite not usually starting more than 30 games a year.
1932 National League - Lon Warneke, Chicago Cubs
22-6, 2.37 ERA, 106 K
This choice was as clear as it was unexpected; Warneke, who prior to 1932 had all of 65.2 innings of MLB experience, led in two thirds of the Triple Crown (wins and ERA), led all NL pitchers in WAR (7.2), ERA+ (160), and winning percentage (.786). It was the first full season for 23 year old Warneke, who would go on to have a respectable pitching career with the Cubs and Cardinals. He finished second in MVP voting, far above any other NL pitcher, and the following year, he was selected to his first of five All-Star games, and in the process hit the NL's first triple and scored their first run in All-Star history.
Friday, March 23, 2012
1931 Cy Young Awards
1931 American League - Lefty Grove, Philadelphia Athletics
31-4, 2.06 ERA, 175 K
It was the greatest season in the career of one of the greatest pitchers ever, and among the best pitching seasons of all time. Along with winning the Triple Crown by a substantial margin in every category (9 more wins, 0.60 runs lower, and 23 more strikeouts than anyone else), he set career highs in both wins and ERA+. He won more games (31) than he started (30), and his ERA of 2.06 was less than half the league average of 4.38. Only two other pitchers since then have won 30 or more games: Dizzy Dean in 1934 and Denny McLain in 1968, and even then, McLain's accomplishment came in a season when hitting was at a post-1920 low point. The league's .637 average OPS would've been low even by Dead Ball Era standards. Grove, by way of contrast, pitched in a league with an average OPS of .740, which is roughly comparable to modern averages. He didn't even have the advantage of starting more games than most modern pitchers; he started four fewer games than 2011 Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, who led the league with 24 wins. So, even if Grove was somehow transported from 1931 to 2011, he would still probably put up similar numbers. In any case, Grove also led the league with an .886 winning percentage, which is tied for 8th highest of all time, and he led in shutouts (4), WHIP (1.077), and WAR (9.4). Overall, it was Grove's greatest season, and the fourth year in a row (and fifth in six years) that he was the best pitcher in the American League.
1931 National League - Bill Walker, New York Giants
16-9, 2.26 ERA, 121 K
What makes Lefty Grove's 31-win season even more impressive was the fact that in the National League, nobody even won 20 games. The best NL pitcher was not nearly as clear cut as in the AL, but overall Walker had the best season, leading the league in ERA by a substantial margin, an ERA+ of 163, and WAR, at 5.3. He also finished second in WHIP (1.153) and hits per 9 innings (7.972). He did finish sixth in strikeouts and a distant ninth in wins, but overall I think ERA is a better judge of a pitcher's abilities than either of the other two Triple Crown categories, so I gave Walker the edge here. This was the high point of Walker's career, which was above average but not spectacular. He led the NL in ERA twice (1929 being the other year) but only once started more than 28 games in a season, and his career high in wins was just 17. He made one All-Star appearance in his ten year career, in 1935, and retired after the following season.
31-4, 2.06 ERA, 175 K
It was the greatest season in the career of one of the greatest pitchers ever, and among the best pitching seasons of all time. Along with winning the Triple Crown by a substantial margin in every category (9 more wins, 0.60 runs lower, and 23 more strikeouts than anyone else), he set career highs in both wins and ERA+. He won more games (31) than he started (30), and his ERA of 2.06 was less than half the league average of 4.38. Only two other pitchers since then have won 30 or more games: Dizzy Dean in 1934 and Denny McLain in 1968, and even then, McLain's accomplishment came in a season when hitting was at a post-1920 low point. The league's .637 average OPS would've been low even by Dead Ball Era standards. Grove, by way of contrast, pitched in a league with an average OPS of .740, which is roughly comparable to modern averages. He didn't even have the advantage of starting more games than most modern pitchers; he started four fewer games than 2011 Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, who led the league with 24 wins. So, even if Grove was somehow transported from 1931 to 2011, he would still probably put up similar numbers. In any case, Grove also led the league with an .886 winning percentage, which is tied for 8th highest of all time, and he led in shutouts (4), WHIP (1.077), and WAR (9.4). Overall, it was Grove's greatest season, and the fourth year in a row (and fifth in six years) that he was the best pitcher in the American League.
1931 National League - Bill Walker, New York Giants
16-9, 2.26 ERA, 121 K
What makes Lefty Grove's 31-win season even more impressive was the fact that in the National League, nobody even won 20 games. The best NL pitcher was not nearly as clear cut as in the AL, but overall Walker had the best season, leading the league in ERA by a substantial margin, an ERA+ of 163, and WAR, at 5.3. He also finished second in WHIP (1.153) and hits per 9 innings (7.972). He did finish sixth in strikeouts and a distant ninth in wins, but overall I think ERA is a better judge of a pitcher's abilities than either of the other two Triple Crown categories, so I gave Walker the edge here. This was the high point of Walker's career, which was above average but not spectacular. He led the NL in ERA twice (1929 being the other year) but only once started more than 28 games in a season, and his career high in wins was just 17. He made one All-Star appearance in his ten year career, in 1935, and retired after the following season.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
1930 Cy Young Awards
1930 American League - Lefty Grove, Philadelphia Athletics
28-5, 2.54 ERA, 209 K
For the third year a row and fourth in five years, Lefty Grove is the best pitcher in the American League. There was really little doubt about this one; he easily won the Triple Crown, and his ERA was over three quarters of a run better than anyone else, and he had an ERA+ of 185. He also had the league's best winning percentage, at .848, and along with starting 32 games, he also pitcher 18 in relief, leading the league in both games pitched (50), and even saves (9), although it wasn't an official statistic in 1930. Still, how many pitcher have ever won the "Quadruple Crown" (when you include saves)? Probably not many. Overall, it was another impressive year for Grove, but the best was yet to come for him.
1930 National League - Dazzy Vance, Brooklyn Robins
17-15, 2.61 ERA, 173 K
His win-loss record isn't terribly impressive, but Dazzy Vance, the 39 year old Hall of Famer and two-time Retroactive Cy Young Award winner was too good in 1930 to let that stand in his way. His ERA was substantially better than the league average; it was 1.26 runs lower than anyone else, and 2.36 runs lower than the league average, which was an astronomical 4.97; even in the 1900s and early 2000s ERAs were rarely that high. Vance also finished second in strikeouts, first in shutouts (4), WHIP (1.144), hits per 9 innings (8.385), ERA+ (189 to the runner-up's 125), and WAR (7.3). Overall, not a bad season for a 39-year-old pitcher in one of the most hitter-dominated years in baseball history.
28-5, 2.54 ERA, 209 K
For the third year a row and fourth in five years, Lefty Grove is the best pitcher in the American League. There was really little doubt about this one; he easily won the Triple Crown, and his ERA was over three quarters of a run better than anyone else, and he had an ERA+ of 185. He also had the league's best winning percentage, at .848, and along with starting 32 games, he also pitcher 18 in relief, leading the league in both games pitched (50), and even saves (9), although it wasn't an official statistic in 1930. Still, how many pitcher have ever won the "Quadruple Crown" (when you include saves)? Probably not many. Overall, it was another impressive year for Grove, but the best was yet to come for him.
1930 National League - Dazzy Vance, Brooklyn Robins
17-15, 2.61 ERA, 173 K
His win-loss record isn't terribly impressive, but Dazzy Vance, the 39 year old Hall of Famer and two-time Retroactive Cy Young Award winner was too good in 1930 to let that stand in his way. His ERA was substantially better than the league average; it was 1.26 runs lower than anyone else, and 2.36 runs lower than the league average, which was an astronomical 4.97; even in the 1900s and early 2000s ERAs were rarely that high. Vance also finished second in strikeouts, first in shutouts (4), WHIP (1.144), hits per 9 innings (8.385), ERA+ (189 to the runner-up's 125), and WAR (7.3). Overall, not a bad season for a 39-year-old pitcher in one of the most hitter-dominated years in baseball history.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
1929 Cy Young Awards
1929 American League - Lefty Grove, Philadelphia Athletics
20-6, 2.81 ERA, 170 K
For the third time in his five years in the majors, Lefty Grove has been the best pitcher in the league, and for the fifth time in five years he led the league in strikeouts. He also led the league in ERA for the second time, and finished third in wins, 4 behind league-leading teammate George Earnshaw. His ERA was probably the most impressive part of this season; he had an ERA+ of 151, and he was 0.25 runs lower than anyone else, despite also pitching the third-most innings. He was the only pitcher in either league to finish with an ERA under 3.00, in a year when the league average was 4.24. Although Grove's career ERA of 3.09 doesn't seem particularly impressive, especially compared to pitchers of the dead ball era like Mathewson and Alexander, it is important to note that Grove's career fell right in the middle of one of the greatest hitter-friendly eras in baseball history; probably second only to the 1990s-early 2000s steroid era, making what Grove did even that much more impressive.
1929 National League - Burleigh Grimes, Pittsburgh Pirates
17-7, 3.13 ERA, 62 K
It's been a while since we've heard from Burleigh Grimes; he won my Retroactive Cy Young Award in 1921, and didn't do much until 1928, when he was in contention for it, and this year, when he won it for the second time. Even then, his stats don't exactly jump out as being particularly impressive; he just happened to have the best season out of a lot of mediocre ones in 1929. Grimes finished second in ERA (although first in ERA+ at 154), although he was a distant seventh in wins, and eighth in WHIP (1.354), seventh in hits per 9 innings (9.477), and fifth in WAR (4.8). Still, he was the best of a weak field, and even the MVP voters of his day agreed; he finished fourth overall, and first among pitchers. Interestingly, Grimes is one of few Hall of Fame pitchers to win my NL Retroactive Cy Young Award in the past 12 seasons. Only five awards have been won by Hall of Famers in the NL since 1918, but in the AL a future Hall of Famer has won every year. Grimes has won two such awards, and even then his Hall of Fame credentials are questionable; he was featured in my Worst Pitchers in the Hall of Fame post as the sixth worst.
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20-6, 2.81 ERA, 170 K
For the third time in his five years in the majors, Lefty Grove has been the best pitcher in the league, and for the fifth time in five years he led the league in strikeouts. He also led the league in ERA for the second time, and finished third in wins, 4 behind league-leading teammate George Earnshaw. His ERA was probably the most impressive part of this season; he had an ERA+ of 151, and he was 0.25 runs lower than anyone else, despite also pitching the third-most innings. He was the only pitcher in either league to finish with an ERA under 3.00, in a year when the league average was 4.24. Although Grove's career ERA of 3.09 doesn't seem particularly impressive, especially compared to pitchers of the dead ball era like Mathewson and Alexander, it is important to note that Grove's career fell right in the middle of one of the greatest hitter-friendly eras in baseball history; probably second only to the 1990s-early 2000s steroid era, making what Grove did even that much more impressive.
1929 National League - Burleigh Grimes, Pittsburgh Pirates
17-7, 3.13 ERA, 62 K
It's been a while since we've heard from Burleigh Grimes; he won my Retroactive Cy Young Award in 1921, and didn't do much until 1928, when he was in contention for it, and this year, when he won it for the second time. Even then, his stats don't exactly jump out as being particularly impressive; he just happened to have the best season out of a lot of mediocre ones in 1929. Grimes finished second in ERA (although first in ERA+ at 154), although he was a distant seventh in wins, and eighth in WHIP (1.354), seventh in hits per 9 innings (9.477), and fifth in WAR (4.8). Still, he was the best of a weak field, and even the MVP voters of his day agreed; he finished fourth overall, and first among pitchers. Interestingly, Grimes is one of few Hall of Fame pitchers to win my NL Retroactive Cy Young Award in the past 12 seasons. Only five awards have been won by Hall of Famers in the NL since 1918, but in the AL a future Hall of Famer has won every year. Grimes has won two such awards, and even then his Hall of Fame credentials are questionable; he was featured in my Worst Pitchers in the Hall of Fame post as the sixth worst.
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