1902 American League - Cy Young, Boston Americans
32-11, 2.15 ERA, 160 K
This one was a close call between Young and Philadelphia's Rube Waddell. Waddell had a slightly better ERA (2.05 to 2.15), a better win-loss record, more strikeouts (he led the league, and young finished a distant second), and a marginally better WHIP (1.042 to 1.048). However, there were several factors that gave Young the advantage: he led the league in wins by 8 over the second-place Waddell, and he led the league in innings pitched, with over 100 more than Waddell. I have said it before, but I believe that if two pitchers have similar stats, but one has slightly better average stats (like ERA), but the other has substantially more innings pitched, the award should go to the one with more innings. After all, I feel that someone who provides his team with 384.2 innings pitched with a 2.15 ERA is more valuable than someone who pitches 276.1 innings with a 2.05 ERA. That's of course not to take anything away from Waddell; he certainly had a strong season, but in the end I believe Young's was superior.
1902 National League - Jack Taylor, Chicago Orphans
23-11, 1.29 ERA, 88 K
Compared to most of the other pitchers who have been featured here as the best of each year, Jack Taylor is a relatively unknown pitcher today. However, his performance during the 1902 season certainly earned him a spot here and a retroactive Cy Young Award. His win total wasn't impressive - he finished fourth in the league - and he didn't even come close to the top 10 in strikeouts, but his ERA set him far above everyone else in terms of overall performance. This season was in the midst of a stretch from 1901 to 1906 when he started 107 games, and completed all 107 of them. Among his 34 starts/complete games in 1902 were 8 shutouts, tying him for the lead league. In addition, his ERA+ was far above the rest of the league at 209, with 100 being league average. There were certainly plenty of other great pitchers in the NL in 1902, some of whom exceeded Taylor in strikeouts, hits per 9 innings, etc. but what Taylor did far better than anyone else was the ultimate goal of any pitcher - to avoid giving up runs. And that was something that he did very well at in 1902.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
1901 Cy Young Awards
1901 American League - Cy Young, Boston Americans
33-10, 1.62 ERA, 158 K
No doubt about this one. In the American League's first year of existence, the newly-created Boston Americans (now the Red Sox) lured Cy Young from St. Louis for a $3,500 annual salary. Prior to this season, Young had "only" been the best pitcher in the league twice, and not at all since 1895, so it almost appeared as though he was in decline. However, as it turned out, his career was just reaching the halfway mark, and the best was yet to come. In 1901, he led the league in almost every imaginable category, and in some he was untouchable. He did not just win the Triple Crown; he dominated it. His ERA was 0.80 runs better than the next pitcher (who pitched in over 150 fewer innings), he won 7 more games, and struck out 31 more batters than anyone else. His career-high ERA+ of 217, which means his ERA was less than half that of the league average, is tied for the 20th best of all time. In addition, he led the league in shutouts (5), WHIP (0.972), hits per 9 innings (7.853), walks per 9 innings (0.897), strikeout to walk ratio (4.270, more than twice that of anyone else in the league), and WAR, which at 11.2 was nearly twice that of the runner up, who had 5.9. It was by far the best season of his career, but only the first of many great seasons with Boston.
1901 National League - Deacon Phillippe, Pittsburgh Pirates
22-12, 2.22 ERA, 103 K
Unlike in the American League, there was no one pitcher who really stood out. In fact, Phillippe didn't lead the league in any significant categories, but overall he finished closer to the top in more of the categories than anyone else. He was the only pitcher to finish in the top 3 in ERA, wins, win-loss percentage, and WHIP, and although his strikeout totals were fairly low, his strikeout to walk ratio was still good enough for 4th in the league. Interestingly, with Phillippe earning my retroactive Cy Young Award, he is the first non-Hall of Fame pitcher to do so in any league since George Haddock in 1891.
33-10, 1.62 ERA, 158 K
No doubt about this one. In the American League's first year of existence, the newly-created Boston Americans (now the Red Sox) lured Cy Young from St. Louis for a $3,500 annual salary. Prior to this season, Young had "only" been the best pitcher in the league twice, and not at all since 1895, so it almost appeared as though he was in decline. However, as it turned out, his career was just reaching the halfway mark, and the best was yet to come. In 1901, he led the league in almost every imaginable category, and in some he was untouchable. He did not just win the Triple Crown; he dominated it. His ERA was 0.80 runs better than the next pitcher (who pitched in over 150 fewer innings), he won 7 more games, and struck out 31 more batters than anyone else. His career-high ERA+ of 217, which means his ERA was less than half that of the league average, is tied for the 20th best of all time. In addition, he led the league in shutouts (5), WHIP (0.972), hits per 9 innings (7.853), walks per 9 innings (0.897), strikeout to walk ratio (4.270, more than twice that of anyone else in the league), and WAR, which at 11.2 was nearly twice that of the runner up, who had 5.9. It was by far the best season of his career, but only the first of many great seasons with Boston.
1901 National League - Deacon Phillippe, Pittsburgh Pirates
22-12, 2.22 ERA, 103 K
Unlike in the American League, there was no one pitcher who really stood out. In fact, Phillippe didn't lead the league in any significant categories, but overall he finished closer to the top in more of the categories than anyone else. He was the only pitcher to finish in the top 3 in ERA, wins, win-loss percentage, and WHIP, and although his strikeout totals were fairly low, his strikeout to walk ratio was still good enough for 4th in the league. Interestingly, with Phillippe earning my retroactive Cy Young Award, he is the first non-Hall of Fame pitcher to do so in any league since George Haddock in 1891.
1900 Cy Young Award
1900 National League - Joe McGinnity, Brooklyn Superbas
28-8, 2.94 ERA, 93 K
This was the last season with just one major league; the American League declared themselves to be a major league the following year in competition with the National League. In the meantime though, future Hall of Famer Joe McGinnity put up an impressive season, leading Brooklyn to the NL pennant. Along the way, he led the league in wins by a huge margin (28 to 20), winning percentage (.778), and innings pitched (343). Trying to decide who was the best pitcher was an interesting challenge though, among other things because McGinnity only finished 7th in ERA. However, none of the six pitchers pitched more than 279 innings, and many of them finished poorly in other areas, such as ERA leader Rube Waddell's 8-13 win-loss record in only 208.2 innings pitched. So, it wasn't a clear-cut decision as to who had earned the 1900 award, and although I don't generally like to rely too heavily on wins and losses, I think that McGinnity winning nearly 50% more games than anyone else suggested that he was the dominant pitcher of the season.
28-8, 2.94 ERA, 93 K
This was the last season with just one major league; the American League declared themselves to be a major league the following year in competition with the National League. In the meantime though, future Hall of Famer Joe McGinnity put up an impressive season, leading Brooklyn to the NL pennant. Along the way, he led the league in wins by a huge margin (28 to 20), winning percentage (.778), and innings pitched (343). Trying to decide who was the best pitcher was an interesting challenge though, among other things because McGinnity only finished 7th in ERA. However, none of the six pitchers pitched more than 279 innings, and many of them finished poorly in other areas, such as ERA leader Rube Waddell's 8-13 win-loss record in only 208.2 innings pitched. So, it wasn't a clear-cut decision as to who had earned the 1900 award, and although I don't generally like to rely too heavily on wins and losses, I think that McGinnity winning nearly 50% more games than anyone else suggested that he was the dominant pitcher of the season.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
1899 Cy Young Award
1899 National League - Vic Willis, Boston Beaneaters
27-8, 2.50 ERA, 120 K
This wasn't too hard to decide; although there were other pitchers who pitched nearly as well as Willis in 1899, he stands out as the best. Cy Young in particular had an impressive season, but he seemed to fall right behind Willis in just about every major statistic. Willis led the league in ERA and ERA+ (167, to Young's 2nd place 154), shutouts (5), hits per 9 innings (7.275), and WAR (8.9). He also finished third in wins, third in WHIP (with Young finishing first), third in winning percentage (.771), and tied for fourth in strikeouts. In addition, he pitched a no-hitter on August 7 against the Washington Senators, the last no-hitter of the 19th century. Willis played alongside fellow Hall of Famer and 3-time retroactive Cy Young Award winner Kid Nichols, but Nichols was only somewhat effective, with a 21-19 record, and the Beaneaters finished 8 games behind Brooklyn in the pennant race.
27-8, 2.50 ERA, 120 K
This wasn't too hard to decide; although there were other pitchers who pitched nearly as well as Willis in 1899, he stands out as the best. Cy Young in particular had an impressive season, but he seemed to fall right behind Willis in just about every major statistic. Willis led the league in ERA and ERA+ (167, to Young's 2nd place 154), shutouts (5), hits per 9 innings (7.275), and WAR (8.9). He also finished third in wins, third in WHIP (with Young finishing first), third in winning percentage (.771), and tied for fourth in strikeouts. In addition, he pitched a no-hitter on August 7 against the Washington Senators, the last no-hitter of the 19th century. Willis played alongside fellow Hall of Famer and 3-time retroactive Cy Young Award winner Kid Nichols, but Nichols was only somewhat effective, with a 21-19 record, and the Beaneaters finished 8 games behind Brooklyn in the pennant race.
1898 Cy Young Award
1898 National League - Clark Griffith, Chicago Orphans
24-10, 1.88 ERA, 190 K
Kid Nichols, who was the best NL pitcher in each of the two previous seasons as well as in 1891, pitched possibly the best season of his career in 1898, but he was outdone by another Hall of Famer, Clark Griffith. Griffith led the league in ERA and ERA+ (190) by a substantial margin, and finished third in WHIP (1.133) and second in WAR (9.2). It could certainly be argued that Nichols was the better pitcher in 1898, but, as has been the case before, I gave preference to Griffith's substantially lower ERA over Nichols's smaller lead in other categories, such as WHIP and WAR. Probably the biggest thing in Nichols's favor was his substantially larger win total (31, which led the league, to 24 for Griffith), but Nichols also had a much better offense to back him up and improve his win totals. It was close, but in the end I think that Griffith happened to be the better pitcher that year.
24-10, 1.88 ERA, 190 K
Kid Nichols, who was the best NL pitcher in each of the two previous seasons as well as in 1891, pitched possibly the best season of his career in 1898, but he was outdone by another Hall of Famer, Clark Griffith. Griffith led the league in ERA and ERA+ (190) by a substantial margin, and finished third in WHIP (1.133) and second in WAR (9.2). It could certainly be argued that Nichols was the better pitcher in 1898, but, as has been the case before, I gave preference to Griffith's substantially lower ERA over Nichols's smaller lead in other categories, such as WHIP and WAR. Probably the biggest thing in Nichols's favor was his substantially larger win total (31, which led the league, to 24 for Griffith), but Nichols also had a much better offense to back him up and improve his win totals. It was close, but in the end I think that Griffith happened to be the better pitcher that year.
1897 Cy Young Award
1897 National League - Kid Nichols, Boston Beaneaters
31-11, 2.64 ERA, 127 K
The future Hall of Fame pitcher Kid Nichols had already won two retroactive Cy Young Awards and was in strong contention for a third, but 1897 was probably his finest season so far. Both he and Amos Rusie put up great numbers in 1897, but Nichols was somewhat better. He led the league in wins and finished second in ERA to Rusie, although when adjusted for ERA+ he actually comes out on top, 170 to 163. He also led the league in innings pitched (368), WHIP(1.168), WAR (10.0), and, for what it's worth, his 3 saves were enough to lead the league as well. For Nichols, it was his 6th 30+ win season in the past 7 years, and he would go on to win another 31 games in 1898. He reached his 300th career win at the age of 30, the youngest pitcher ever to do so, and he retired in 1906 with 361 wins, good for 7th all-time.
31-11, 2.64 ERA, 127 K
The future Hall of Fame pitcher Kid Nichols had already won two retroactive Cy Young Awards and was in strong contention for a third, but 1897 was probably his finest season so far. Both he and Amos Rusie put up great numbers in 1897, but Nichols was somewhat better. He led the league in wins and finished second in ERA to Rusie, although when adjusted for ERA+ he actually comes out on top, 170 to 163. He also led the league in innings pitched (368), WHIP(1.168), WAR (10.0), and, for what it's worth, his 3 saves were enough to lead the league as well. For Nichols, it was his 6th 30+ win season in the past 7 years, and he would go on to win another 31 games in 1898. He reached his 300th career win at the age of 30, the youngest pitcher ever to do so, and he retired in 1906 with 361 wins, good for 7th all-time.
1896 Cy Young Award
1896 National League - Kid Nichols, Boston Beaneaters
30-14, 2.83 ERA, 102 K
Nichols was previously ranked as the NL's best pitcher in 1891, and was one of the top 3 in 1893, and in 1896 was once again the league's best pitcher, although it was a pretty close call. It's always easy to recognize the best pitcher when they win the Triple Crown, or lead the league in a significant category by an enormous margin, but when there's no single pitcher that is at the top of most of the major statistics, it becomes harder to balance one pitcher's accomplishments over another pitcher's. However, Nichols put up the best overall numbers, leading the league in wins, finishing second in ERA (and first among pitchers with over 150 innings pitched) had an impressive 160 ERA+ (first among pitchers over 150 innings pitched, and 13 points higher than the next pitcher), and finished 4th in WHIP and 5th in WAR. An argument certainly could be made that Cy Young, Nig Cuppy, or Frank Dwyer was the best in the league, but it was Nichols's ERA in particular that stood out above everything else, being nearly a third of a run lower than any of the competition.
30-14, 2.83 ERA, 102 K
Nichols was previously ranked as the NL's best pitcher in 1891, and was one of the top 3 in 1893, and in 1896 was once again the league's best pitcher, although it was a pretty close call. It's always easy to recognize the best pitcher when they win the Triple Crown, or lead the league in a significant category by an enormous margin, but when there's no single pitcher that is at the top of most of the major statistics, it becomes harder to balance one pitcher's accomplishments over another pitcher's. However, Nichols put up the best overall numbers, leading the league in wins, finishing second in ERA (and first among pitchers with over 150 innings pitched) had an impressive 160 ERA+ (first among pitchers over 150 innings pitched, and 13 points higher than the next pitcher), and finished 4th in WHIP and 5th in WAR. An argument certainly could be made that Cy Young, Nig Cuppy, or Frank Dwyer was the best in the league, but it was Nichols's ERA in particular that stood out above everything else, being nearly a third of a run lower than any of the competition.
1895 Cy Young Award
1895 National League - Cy Young, Cleveland Spiders
35-10, 3.26 ERA, 121 K
Although Cy Young didn't dominate the league quite like he did in 1892, he was the best pitcher in 1895. Not only did he lead the league in wins, but he also led in WHIP (1.185), walks per 9 innings (1.826),WAR (10.6), and shutouts (4, tied with four other pitchers). Giving out very few walks was one statistic that Young consistently excelled in, something that often gets overshadowed by his 511 career victories. In 22 seasons, he led the league in fewest walks per 9 innings an astonishing 14 times, and although he only led the league in strikeouts twice, he led in walk to strikeout ratio 11 times, although he finished second in 1895. He only finished fifth in ERA in 1895, but when adjusted for ERA+, he places second at 152, behind only Al Maul (who we can only presume would go by the nickname Darth if he pitched today), who pitched less than half as many innings as Young.
35-10, 3.26 ERA, 121 K
Although Cy Young didn't dominate the league quite like he did in 1892, he was the best pitcher in 1895. Not only did he lead the league in wins, but he also led in WHIP (1.185), walks per 9 innings (1.826),WAR (10.6), and shutouts (4, tied with four other pitchers). Giving out very few walks was one statistic that Young consistently excelled in, something that often gets overshadowed by his 511 career victories. In 22 seasons, he led the league in fewest walks per 9 innings an astonishing 14 times, and although he only led the league in strikeouts twice, he led in walk to strikeout ratio 11 times, although he finished second in 1895. He only finished fifth in ERA in 1895, but when adjusted for ERA+, he places second at 152, behind only Al Maul (who we can only presume would go by the nickname Darth if he pitched today), who pitched less than half as many innings as Young.
1894 Cy Young Award
1894 National League - Amos Rusie, New York Giants
36-13, 2.78 ERA, 195 K
When I awarded the 1893 retroactive Cy Young Award to Amos Rusie, it was a close call between two other candidates. However, his 1894 season left little doubt that he deserved it. He easily won the Triple Crown, led the league in shutouts, ERA+, WAR, and WHIP, but those figures alone don't show how much he led in some categories. His strikeout totals were down from 1893, so he only had 28% more strikeouts than his nearest opponent, but he led the league in ERA by nearly a full run over the second place pitcher, 2.78 to 3.70, and had an ERA nearly half the league average of 5.32, for a 190 ERA+. Had the Cy Young Award existed in 1894, he definitely would have been the unanimous choice.
36-13, 2.78 ERA, 195 K
When I awarded the 1893 retroactive Cy Young Award to Amos Rusie, it was a close call between two other candidates. However, his 1894 season left little doubt that he deserved it. He easily won the Triple Crown, led the league in shutouts, ERA+, WAR, and WHIP, but those figures alone don't show how much he led in some categories. His strikeout totals were down from 1893, so he only had 28% more strikeouts than his nearest opponent, but he led the league in ERA by nearly a full run over the second place pitcher, 2.78 to 3.70, and had an ERA nearly half the league average of 5.32, for a 190 ERA+. Had the Cy Young Award existed in 1894, he definitely would have been the unanimous choice.
1893 Cy Young Award
1893 National League - Amos Rusie, New York Giants
33-21, 3.23 ERA, 208 K
This was the first season that the pitcher's mound was moved 5 feet from the plate to its current position 60.5 feet away. Overall, offensive numbers skyrocketed, and many great pitchers were unable to adjust to the new distance. However, there were three pitchers in particular, all Hall of Famers, who stood out in 1893: Kid Nichols, the 1891 winner; Cy Young, the 1892 winner; and Amos Rusie, who I chose as the best of the three for this season. It was a tough call, but Rusie led the league in starts, complete games, shutouts, innings pitched, and hits per 9 innings. He also finished second in ERA, WAR, and fourth in wins. That alone may have been enough to earn him the recognition, but on top of it, he not only led the league in strikeouts, he had nearly double the amount of anyone else, and had more than Nichols and Young combined. It was one of five times in his nine full seasons that Rusie led the league in strikeouts, although it was also one of five times that he led the league in walks as well. Still, despite his high walk totals, he was certainly deserving of the retroactive Cy Young Award in 1893.
33-21, 3.23 ERA, 208 K
This was the first season that the pitcher's mound was moved 5 feet from the plate to its current position 60.5 feet away. Overall, offensive numbers skyrocketed, and many great pitchers were unable to adjust to the new distance. However, there were three pitchers in particular, all Hall of Famers, who stood out in 1893: Kid Nichols, the 1891 winner; Cy Young, the 1892 winner; and Amos Rusie, who I chose as the best of the three for this season. It was a tough call, but Rusie led the league in starts, complete games, shutouts, innings pitched, and hits per 9 innings. He also finished second in ERA, WAR, and fourth in wins. That alone may have been enough to earn him the recognition, but on top of it, he not only led the league in strikeouts, he had nearly double the amount of anyone else, and had more than Nichols and Young combined. It was one of five times in his nine full seasons that Rusie led the league in strikeouts, although it was also one of five times that he led the league in walks as well. Still, despite his high walk totals, he was certainly deserving of the retroactive Cy Young Award in 1893.
1892 Cy Young Award
1892 National League - Cy Young, Cleveland Spiders
36-12, 1.93 ERA, 168 K
It seems only appropriate that the namesake of the award should win it a couple times, and Cy Young certainly deserved it in 1892, the first year since 1881 when there was only one major league, and the last year before the pitcher's mound was moved to its current location 60.5 feet from home plate. Along with leading the league in ERA by almost half a run, Young also had a 176 ERA+, led in shutouts (with 9) and WHIP, tied for first in wins (36, a career high), and led the league with a .750 winning percentage and WAR (12.6). It would end up being probably the second best season of Young's career, and one of only two times in his 22 seasons that he led the league in ERA.
1891 Cy Young Awards
1891 American Association - George Haddock, Boston Reds
34-11, 2.49 ERA, 169 K
This was the last season for the American Association, the longest that any of the four now-defunct major leagues lasted. Between 1892 and the emergence of the American League in 1901, the NL was again the only league at the highest level of professional baseball. There was no pitcher in the AA in 1891 that clearly dominated over the rest; in fact, Haddock did not lead the league in any significant categories except shutouts, but he was, across the board, the best pitcher in the league. He finished second in ERA, wins, and WAR, with a different pitcher finishing first in each category; he was the only one to finish in the top 3 in all 3 categories. An argument could be made for teammate Charlie Buffinton, who finished the season with a slightly higher WAR (9.3 to 8.7) and finished first in WHIP, but overall Haddock put up better numbers. The Reds, who are unrelated to either the modern Cincinnati Reds or the Boston Red Sox, played the previous year in the Players League, where they won the league pennant, and then moved to the AA where, behind the strong pitching of Haddock and Buffinton, they won the league pennant again. When the AA was disbanded after the 1891 season, four of the teams joined with the NL, but the Reds were not among them, putting an end to the team that won two league pennants from two different leagues in their only two years of existence.
1891 National League - Kid Nichols, Boston Beaneaters
30-17, 2.39 ERA, 240 K
This was a good season for Boston teams; both the Boston Reds and the Boston Beaneaters (now the Atlanta Braves) won the pennant in their respective leagues, and the Reds' George Haddock and the Beaneaters' Kid Nichols were the best pitchers in their leagues. Like Haddock, Nichols did not lead the league in many categories, other than saves (3), walks per 9 innings pitched (2.180), and ERA+ (154), none of which were calculated until many years later. However, he had the second lowest ERA, fourth most wins, second lowest WHIP, third highest WAR, and second most shutouts. Like Haddock, there were other pitchers who were higher than him in most categories, but none who were consistently as high as he was, which earned him the retroactive Cy Young Award without too much hesitation.
34-11, 2.49 ERA, 169 K
This was the last season for the American Association, the longest that any of the four now-defunct major leagues lasted. Between 1892 and the emergence of the American League in 1901, the NL was again the only league at the highest level of professional baseball. There was no pitcher in the AA in 1891 that clearly dominated over the rest; in fact, Haddock did not lead the league in any significant categories except shutouts, but he was, across the board, the best pitcher in the league. He finished second in ERA, wins, and WAR, with a different pitcher finishing first in each category; he was the only one to finish in the top 3 in all 3 categories. An argument could be made for teammate Charlie Buffinton, who finished the season with a slightly higher WAR (9.3 to 8.7) and finished first in WHIP, but overall Haddock put up better numbers. The Reds, who are unrelated to either the modern Cincinnati Reds or the Boston Red Sox, played the previous year in the Players League, where they won the league pennant, and then moved to the AA where, behind the strong pitching of Haddock and Buffinton, they won the league pennant again. When the AA was disbanded after the 1891 season, four of the teams joined with the NL, but the Reds were not among them, putting an end to the team that won two league pennants from two different leagues in their only two years of existence.
1891 National League - Kid Nichols, Boston Beaneaters
30-17, 2.39 ERA, 240 K
This was a good season for Boston teams; both the Boston Reds and the Boston Beaneaters (now the Atlanta Braves) won the pennant in their respective leagues, and the Reds' George Haddock and the Beaneaters' Kid Nichols were the best pitchers in their leagues. Like Haddock, Nichols did not lead the league in many categories, other than saves (3), walks per 9 innings pitched (2.180), and ERA+ (154), none of which were calculated until many years later. However, he had the second lowest ERA, fourth most wins, second lowest WHIP, third highest WAR, and second most shutouts. Like Haddock, there were other pitchers who were higher than him in most categories, but none who were consistently as high as he was, which earned him the retroactive Cy Young Award without too much hesitation.
Monday, February 27, 2012
1890 Cy Young Awards
1890 American Association - Scott Stratton, Louisville Colonels
34-14, 2.36 ERA, 207 K
Although I wouldn't refer to his season as a "lock" for the retroactive Cy Young Award, Stratton certainly pitched very well, and I would say better than anyone else in the league in 1890. Stratton led in ERA, WHIP, WAR, win-loss percentage, and fewest walk per 9 innings (by far). He also finished second in both wins and shutouts. Pitching for the team that won the pennant that year, Stratton started 49 of Louisville's 132 games, but it would be the highlight of his career by far. He eventually retired after the 1895 season with a 9-114 record and an ERA+ of 99, barely below league average. However, at least for the 1890 season he was better than anyone else in the league.
1890 National League - Billy Rhines, Cincinnati Reds
28-17, 1.95 ERA, 182 K
This was the year and league in which the award's namesake, Cy Young, began playing Major League Baseball. However, he would not be much of a contender in this particular season, so the award named after him would go to Billy Rhines instead. Just like the year before in the AA, there was no clear winner in the NL in 1890. However, it was once again a pitcher from Cincinnati (a team which moved from the AA to NL during the offseason) who was, in my opinion, the best overall pitcher. Although his win total ranked only 5th in the league, he was the ERA leader by far (better over a quarter of a run) and also led the NL in WHIP. Although he didn't lead too many categories, he was consistently near the top in almost every category, and it was his substantial lead in ERA that put him over the others in my opinion.
1890 Players League - Silver King, Chicago Pirates
30-22, 2.69 ERA, 185 K
Billy Rhines did well in the NL by posting an ERA more than a quarter run lower than anybody else in the league, but 1888 AA winner Silver King had an even bigger lead in that category in the newly-created Players League. King's ERA of 2.69 was over a half of a run better than the next lowest, Henry Staley, who finished with a 3.23 ERA. King also had a huge lead in ERA+, 162 to 134. King also led in WAR, and finished second in many other categories, including wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, and WHIP. The fact that he was near the top of almost every category, plus the fact that he had such a wide margin of victory for the ERA title, leads me to give King the retroactive Cy Young Award without much hesitation. As I mentioned in my 1888 post, King didn't have many great seasons, and was done in the majors by age 29, but he still managed a couple seasons as the best pitcher in his league, the last of which was 1890. The Players League didn't fare much better after the 1890 season either; the league disbanded after just one season, leaving King as technically the best pitcher in the history of the league.
1889 Cy Young Awards
1889 American Association - Jesse Duryea, Cincinnati Red Stockings
32-19, 2.56 ERA, 183
Unlike 1888, there was no clear-cut winner for the AA in 1889. I ended up choosing Duryea because, although he did not lead the league in any significant category, he was close to the top in most categories, finishing second in ERA and ERA+, third in wins, and fourth in WHIP and WAR. I considered Bob Caruthers, the 1885 winner, but his ERA was fairly high, and his ERA+ of 112 shows that, while he was above average, Duryea, at 155, was far above average. While there was no single pitcher who clearly dominated the AA in 1889, Duryea was the best all-around pitcher, and I feel would have deserved the Cy Young Award. This year was certainly the high point of his career though; it was his rookie year, but he only pitched for four more seasons, and more than half of his career wins came in 1889.
1889 National League - John Clarkson, Boston Beaneaters
49-19, 2.73 ERA, 284 K
Little doubt about this one. Clarkson, who previously won in 1885 and 1887, once again dominated the league. He led almost every significant pitching category, and most of them weren't even close. There have only been four seasons in which a pitcher has won 49 or more games, and Clarkson did it twice, winning 53 in 1885 and 49 in 1889. His 49 were 21 more than the nearest competition, but that's not all he did. He led the other two Triple Crown categories as well; his ERA was nearly a quarter run lower than anyone else, and he struck out 29 more than the second place pitcher. He also had 25 more starts than anyone else, 22 more complete games, 200 more innings pitched, and twice as many shutouts. He even led in sabermetrically oriented statistics, like WHIP and WAR (finishing an astonishing 6.3 wins above anyone else). Clarkson's numbers would've looked good 5 to 10 years earlier, but as pitchers began starting fewer games each year, 45+ wins and 600+ innings pitched were rarely seen by 1889. His new team for the 1889 season, the Boston Beaneaters, only had three pitchers all year, with Clarkson starting more than half of the team's games. All but 19 of the remaining games were started by another future Hall of Famer, Old Hoss Radbourn, but despite the strong pitching staff and Hall of Fame outfielder King Kelly, Boston finished a game behind New York in the pennant race.
32-19, 2.56 ERA, 183
Unlike 1888, there was no clear-cut winner for the AA in 1889. I ended up choosing Duryea because, although he did not lead the league in any significant category, he was close to the top in most categories, finishing second in ERA and ERA+, third in wins, and fourth in WHIP and WAR. I considered Bob Caruthers, the 1885 winner, but his ERA was fairly high, and his ERA+ of 112 shows that, while he was above average, Duryea, at 155, was far above average. While there was no single pitcher who clearly dominated the AA in 1889, Duryea was the best all-around pitcher, and I feel would have deserved the Cy Young Award. This year was certainly the high point of his career though; it was his rookie year, but he only pitched for four more seasons, and more than half of his career wins came in 1889.
1889 National League - John Clarkson, Boston Beaneaters
49-19, 2.73 ERA, 284 K
Little doubt about this one. Clarkson, who previously won in 1885 and 1887, once again dominated the league. He led almost every significant pitching category, and most of them weren't even close. There have only been four seasons in which a pitcher has won 49 or more games, and Clarkson did it twice, winning 53 in 1885 and 49 in 1889. His 49 were 21 more than the nearest competition, but that's not all he did. He led the other two Triple Crown categories as well; his ERA was nearly a quarter run lower than anyone else, and he struck out 29 more than the second place pitcher. He also had 25 more starts than anyone else, 22 more complete games, 200 more innings pitched, and twice as many shutouts. He even led in sabermetrically oriented statistics, like WHIP and WAR (finishing an astonishing 6.3 wins above anyone else). Clarkson's numbers would've looked good 5 to 10 years earlier, but as pitchers began starting fewer games each year, 45+ wins and 600+ innings pitched were rarely seen by 1889. His new team for the 1889 season, the Boston Beaneaters, only had three pitchers all year, with Clarkson starting more than half of the team's games. All but 19 of the remaining games were started by another future Hall of Famer, Old Hoss Radbourn, but despite the strong pitching staff and Hall of Fame outfielder King Kelly, Boston finished a game behind New York in the pennant race.
1888 Cy Young Awards
1888 American Association - Silver King, St. Louis Browns
45-20, 1.63 ERA, 258 K
Not much of a debate about this one; not only did King lead the AA in most pitching categories, but he dominated those categories. He was the ERA leader by .38 runs, wins by 10, ERA+ by 48, WHIP by .12, and WAR by 4. He also tied for the lead with 6 shutouts, and came in second in strikeouts, along the way leading the Browns to yet another AA pennant. At 20 years old, it was only King's second full season in the majors, but, like many of his contemporaries, he burned out quickly, with only a few more productive seasons, and he was done in the majors before he turned 30.
1888 National League - Tim Keefe, New York Giants
35-12, 1.74 ERA, 335 K
Just like in the AA, there wasn't much question as to who was the NL's best pitcher in 1888. After several years of consistently being a contender for the league's best pitcher, the future Hall of Famer was quite decisively the best in 1888. Along with winning the Triple Crown, Keefe led the league in winning percentage, WHIP, WAR, and shutouts. There were other pitchers, particularly Charlie Buffinton, who did well, but Keefe was by far the best, and in the process led the Giants to the NL pennant.
1887 Cy Young Awards
1887 American Association - Matt Kilroy, Baltimore Orioles
46-19, 3.07 ERA, 217 K
Despite striking out an all-time single season record 513 batters in 1886, his relatively high ERA and 29-34 record kept him from being awarded the retroactive Cy Young Award. However, in his second major league season in 1887, he improved dramatically. Although his strikeouts dropped by more than half despite pitching more innings, he led the league in wins, winning 9 more than the nearest competition, finished second in ERA and strikeouts, and led the league in starts (69), complete games (66), innings pitched (589.1), shutouts (6), and WAR (12.7). However, like many pitchers of his day, Kilroy burned out quickly; he played only five full seasons in the majors, followed by five seasons in which he pitched a total of 37 games.
1887 National League - John Clarkson, Chicago White Stockings
38-21, 3.08 ERA, 237 K
Two years after a spectacular 1885 season, John Clarkson was again the best pitcher in the NL, leading the league in wins and strikeouts, finishing fourth in ERA, and second in ERA+ and WHIP. Philadelphia's Dan Casey and New York's future Hall of Famer Tim Keefe also put up impressive numbers in 1887, but overall, I felt that Clarkson was the most deserving. In most cases, if there are several pitchers for whom an argument can be made, I am more likely to give it to the pitcher who pitched the most innings; I feel that a pitcher like Clarkson, who pitched very well in a league-leading 523 innings, was more valuable to his team than a pitcher like Casey, who it could be argued pitched somewhat better, but in almost 150 fewer innings. The WAR statistic also agrees with this - Clarkson led the league at 12.4, more than 3 wins higher than Casey, the runner-up.
1886 Cy Young Awards
1886 American Association - Dave Foutz, St. Louis Browns
41-16, 2.11 ERA 283 K
It was hard to not pick rookie Matt Kilroy for this award, given his all-time record 513 strikeouts, but he also led the league in both losses (34) and earned runs (218), and his ERA was barely above the league average. There were other worthy candidates for the award though, including Ed Morris, Bob Caruthers, and the curiously nicknamed Toad Ramsey, but I felt that Foutz, who led the league in wins, ERA, winning percentage, and led the Browns to their second consecutive AA pennant, was the most deserving of the award. His ERA was particularly impressive though, being .21 points higher than the nearest competition, for a 164 ERA+, 15 points ahead of second place Ramsey.
1886 National League - Lady Baldwin, Detroit Wolverines
42-13, 2.24 ERA, 323 K
Don't let the nickname fool you; Lady Baldwin was a good pitcher, in 1886 anyway. It was a close call between him and Charlie Ferguson, but in the end I chose Baldwin, who tied for the league lead in wins, was third in ERA (behind Ferguson), led in strikeouts, WHIP (0.967), and shutouts (7 - and the next highest in the league was 4). Interestingly, it was Baldwin's only full season as a starter; he played for six years, and nearly half of his 118 games came in 1886. In 1886, his Detroit Wolverines finished second in the NL with a starting rotation that included not only Lady Baldwin, but other names such as Pretzels Getzien and Phenomenal Smith.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
1885 Cy Young Awards
1885 American Association - Bob Caruthers, St. Louis Browns
40-13, 2.07 ERA, 190 K
This award was a toss-up between Caruthers and Pittsburgh's Ed Morris. Caruthers led the league in ERA and wins, with Morris finishing third and second, respectively. Morris did, however, lead the league in strikeouts, innings pitched, lowest walks & hits per inning, and highest WAR. I ended up choosing Caruthers for the award though, on the basis of his lower ERA (2.07 to 2.35), significantly higher winning percentage, the fact that Caruthers was right behind Morris in most of the other categories, and the fact that Caruthers led the Browns to the league pennant.
1885 National League - John Clarkson, Chicago White Stockings
53-16, 1.85 ERA, 308 K
After three years of Old Hoss Radbourn dominating the NL, another future Hall of Famer, John Clarkson, took over as the league's best pitcher. Clarkson led the league in just about every "counting" statistic: wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, starts, complete games, shutouts, saves, etc., and did well in the "average" stats as well, finishing third in ERA and second in WHIP. He also led in WAR (13.8) by a substantial margin. His 53 wins are the second most of any season, behind only Radbourne's 1884 season, and it was one of only three times when a pitcher won 50 or more games in a season. Clarkson also pitched a no-hitter on July 27, beating the Providence Grays 4-0.
1884 Cy Young Awards
1884 American Association - Guy Hecker, Louisville Eclipse
52-20, 1.80 ERA, 385 K
This year was the first of four in which there were three different major leagues, so as a result I will be giving out three retroactive Cy Young Awards, the first of which will go to Guy Hecker of the Louisville Eclipse. Hecker certainly deserved it, winning the Triple Crown by a healthy margin in each category. His 52 wins (third most all-time) were 15 more than the pitcher who finished second, and he pitched an impressive 670.2 innings, competing 72 of his 73 starts and pitching 6 shutouts. His league-leading 385 strikeouts are also the 7th most all-time, two better than Nolan Ryan's best season. Hecker never came close to having another season quite like 1884, but he was known as one of the best hitting pitchers of his day, and possibly of all time. In 1882, he was 4th in the league in home runs, and in 1886 he became the only pitcher ever to win a batting title, hitting .341 while playing first base and outfield on the days that he wasn't pitching.
1884 National League - Old Hoss Radbourn, Providence Grays
59-12, 1.38 ERA, 441 K
Guy Hecker had a great season in the American Association in 1884, but his performance was overshadowed by one of the greatest pitching seasons of all time. Radbourn, who became Providence's only pitcher after their other pitcher, Charlie Sweeney quit halfway through the season, and Radbourn agreed to pitch the remainder of the team's games. In the process, he set an unbreakable MLB record of 59 wins, won the Triple Crown, and led his team to the 1884 equivalent of the World Series title, against the New York Metropolitans of the American Association. His 441 strikeouts are 5th all-time, and his 73 complete games and 678.2 innings pitched are the second most ever pitched in one season. In the following seasons, Radbourn could never quite duplicate his impressive 1882-1884 seasons, but he continued as a capable pitcher until his retirement in 1891. He finished with 309 career wins and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
1884 Union Association - Bill Sweeney, Baltimore Monumentals
40-21, 2.59 ERA, 374 K
The Union Association was the first of several attempts at creating a third major league; it ended after only a year, but it featured a number of players who had played in the other two leagues. However, because the overall talent pool was poorer than either the NL or AA, some have argued that the UA wasn't truly a major league, but MLB and many others recognize it as such, so I will be giving a retroactive Cy Young to the league's best pitcher, in my opinion. This was, unlike the other two leagues in 1884, a fairly tough choice. One pitcher in particular, Billy Taylor, put up an impressive win-loss record and ERA, but switched leagues halfway through the season. Because of that, I chose Bill Sweeney, whose ERA was good but not great compared to the rest of the league (128 ERA+) but he led the league by far in wins (40, over the second place pitcher who had 28), starts (60), complete games (58), and innings pitched (538). Curiously, this was only Sweeney's second MLB season, and after 1884 he played several more seasons in the minors, but never played in any major league again.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
1883 Cy Young Awards
1883 American Association - Will White, Cincinnati Red Stockings
43-22, 2.09 ERA, 141 K
Statistically speaking, White didn't do quite as well in 1883 as he had the year before, but it was still good enough for him to earn his second consecutive retroactive American Association Cy Young Award. Hiis 43 wins, 2.09 ERA, and 6 shutouts led the league, and he finished second in starts (64), complete games (64), and innings pitched (577). Hall of Famer Tim Keefe also pitched well that season, beating him in those three categories and leading the league in strikeouts, but overall White had the better season, especially considering White's ERA was nearly half a run better than Keefe's
1883 National League - Old Hoss Radbourn, Providence Grays
48-25, 2.05, 315
As it turns out, the best pitchers in each league in 1882 were also the best in 1883, with Radbourn leading the league by winning an astonishing 48 games (5th all-time) in 68 starts and 632.1 innings pitched. He also finished second in ERA, strikeouts, and shutouts (4), and even managed to tie for third place in saves (a statistic that was not invented until years later) with one. Additionally, although unrelated to his pitching performance, he played 20 games in the outfield, 2 at first base, and hit 3 home runs, drove in 48 runs, and batted .283.
1882 Cy Young Awards
1882 American Association - Will White, Cincinnati Red Stockings
40-12, 1.54 ERA, 122 K
1882 was the first year in which there were two major leagues - the National League, and the relatively short-lived American Association. Had the Cy Young Award existed at the time, it would have gone to the star pitcher of the league champion Cincinnati Red Stockings, Will White. By now a six-year major league veteran, White had previously set single season records for games started (75), complete games (75) and innings pitched (680). While he did not come close to those figures in 1882, he still led the league in complete games, with 52, and innings pitched, with 480. Additionally, he led the league in wins, and was fourth in ERA, although he pitched substantially more innings than the other pitchers that he was behind. Incidentally, the Cincinnati Reds have never had a pitcher who won the Cy Young Award, but had the award existed in 1882, Cincinnati's first year of existence, White certainty would have earned it.
1882 National League - Old Hoss Radbourn, Providence Grays
33-19, 2.11 ERA, 201 K
The 1882 NL Award was a toss-up between 1880 winner Jim McCormick and Radbourn, but I gave it to Radbourn because of his better ERA, and the fact that he led the league in strikeouts and shutouts (6). He was also second in games started (51), complete games (50), and innings pitched (466), although McCormick finished first in all three of those categories. He is also the first pitcher that I have chosen for a retroactive Cy Young Award who has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, although 1882 was just his second year in the majors, and his greatest fame as a pitcher was yet to come.
1881 Cy Young Award
1881 National League - George Derby, Detroit Wolverines
29-26, 2.20 ERA, 212 K
At first glance, Derby's stats from 1881 don't appear to be eye popping, but he pitched for a sub-.500 team and yet still managed to finish third in wins. In addition, he led the league in strikeouts and finished third in ERA, although he pitched far more innings than the two pitchers ahead of him. The 23 year old rookie also led the league with 9 shutouts, and pitched 494.2 innings, good for third place on the season. Curiously, he followed it up with two below average seasons, including a dreadful 2-10, 5.85 season in 1883, and never pitched in the majors again.
1880 Cy Young Award
1880 National League - Jim McCormick, Cleveland Blues
45-28, 1.85 ERA, 260 K
Jim McCormick was pretty busy in 1880, to say the least. He started an astonishing 74 games, completing 72 of them; both figures are good for third all time. He also pitched 657.2 innings, the 4th most of all time. All of those stats would be impressive no matter how he pitched, but to make things even better, he was also the best pitcher of the year. In addition to leading the league in wins, he finished second in strikeouts, second in shutouts, and fifth in ERA (and he pitched more innings than the 1st, 2nd, and 4th place pitchers combined). All in all, he certainly would have deserved the Cy Young Award if it was around in 1880.
1879 Cy Young Award
1879 National League - Tommy Bond, Boston Red Stockings
43-19, 1.96 ERA, 155 K
For the third consecutive year, Tommy Bond was the best pitcher in baseball, leading the NL in ERA for the second time in three years and shutouts for the third consecutive year. With an expanded schedule, Bond was no longer to pitch virtually all of Boston's games, but he still started 64 of the team's 84 games, completing all but five of them and throwing 11 shutouts in the process. Still, Boston was unable to win their third consecutive pennant, finishing second, five games behind the Providence Grays, who were led by my choice as the runner-up for the 1879 Cy Young Award, Hall of Famer John Montgomery Ward. Although Bond never joined him in the Hall of Fame (he received 1.3% of the vote in 1936 and did not appear on the ballot again) he certainly put together an impressive three consecutive seasons in which he was the best pitcher in baseball.
1878 Cy Young Award
1878 National League - Tommy Bond, Boston Red Stockings
40-19, 2.06 ERA, 182 K
The Boston Red Stockings repeated as National League champions in 1878, and had the Cy Young Award existed then, Tommy Bond likely would have repeated the award as well. Although he finished fifth in the league in ERA, he was still the leader in wins and strikeouts, and started all but one of his team's games, leading the league with 59 games started. He also led the league in shutouts for the second consecutive year, and he had by far the highest WAR (Wins Above Replacement) for any pitcher in the league, with 10.8 wins, over the next highest, which was 6.4. Incidentally, his 10.8 WAR on the season is tied for 48th all-time, alongside Sandy Koufax in 1963 and 1966.
1877 Cy Young Award
1877 National League - Tommy Bond, Boston Red Stockings
40-17, 2.11 ERA, 170 K
Since the Cy Young Award was first given out in 1956, 13 pitchers have won the Triple Crown - leading the league in wins, earned run average, and strikeouts. All 13 won the Cy Young Award, so it would be safe to assume that, had the award existed in 1877, Tommy Bond's Triple Crown season would have guaranteed him the award. Bond started 58 of Boston's 61 games, something that was not at all uncommon in the early days of professional baseball, but he did so while leading his team to their first National League pennant. At the time, there was no other major league, and therefore no World Series, making the Red Stockings the de facto world champions of baseball.
1876 Cy Young Award
1876 National League - George Bradley, St. Louis Brown Stockings
45-19, 1.23 ERA, 103 K
Although not exactly a household name today, George Bradley would have been my pick for the Cy Young Award, had I been alive in 1876, and had the Cy Young Award existed then. Not only did he pitch the first no-hitter in MLB history, he was also the league's first ERA leader, winning by a healthy margin, and finished second in wins for the third place Brown Stockings. He also pitched 16 shutouts that year, a record that Grover Cleveland Alexander tied in 1916, but that nobody else has come close to. Incidentally, Bradley's win-loss record of 45-19 was also the team's win-loss record; he started all 64 of their games and completed all but one, with outfielder Joe Blong pitching the final four innings of one game.
Retroactive Cy Young Awards
Every year, the Cy Young Award is given out to the best pitcher in each league, and along with the MVP Award is considered to be the most prestigious postseason award a player can receive. However, the Cy Young Award has only been given out since 1956, which leaves 80 years of Major League Baseball without any official awards for pitchers.
MVP Awards, which were given out sporadically between 1911 and 1929, and annually from 1931 onward, have been given out to pitchers at times, but until 1956 there was no equivalent award specifically for pitchers. The closest thing to a pre-Cy Young Award recognition of the best pitcher in each league was the TSN Pitcher of the Year Award, which was given out in 1944 and 1945, and 1948 onward. However, while other awards and recognitions such as the MVP Award and Hall of Fame selections are chosen by the Baseball Writers Association of America, the Pitcher of the Year Award is chosen by the The Sporting News, and is not officially endorsed by Major League Baseball.
In any case, there is a substantial gap in MLB history between when the National League was first established and when any kind of awards were given out for pitchers. So, what I will be doing on this blog is going through each league, each year, and deciding which pitcher probably would have, or at least deserved to have won the Cy Young Award, had it existed. Because the National Association of 1871-1875 is not generally regarded as a major league, I won't be including pitchers from that league, but I will be including winners for the American Association (1882-1891), Union Association (1884), Players League (1890), and the Federal League (1914-1915).
MVP Awards, which were given out sporadically between 1911 and 1929, and annually from 1931 onward, have been given out to pitchers at times, but until 1956 there was no equivalent award specifically for pitchers. The closest thing to a pre-Cy Young Award recognition of the best pitcher in each league was the TSN Pitcher of the Year Award, which was given out in 1944 and 1945, and 1948 onward. However, while other awards and recognitions such as the MVP Award and Hall of Fame selections are chosen by the Baseball Writers Association of America, the Pitcher of the Year Award is chosen by the The Sporting News, and is not officially endorsed by Major League Baseball.
In any case, there is a substantial gap in MLB history between when the National League was first established and when any kind of awards were given out for pitchers. So, what I will be doing on this blog is going through each league, each year, and deciding which pitcher probably would have, or at least deserved to have won the Cy Young Award, had it existed. Because the National Association of 1871-1875 is not generally regarded as a major league, I won't be including pitchers from that league, but I will be including winners for the American Association (1882-1891), Union Association (1884), Players League (1890), and the Federal League (1914-1915).
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Sewell's Strikeouts
There are certain players who are best known for a single statistic that defined their careers: for Cy Young, it is 511 wins; for Hank Aaron, it is 755 home runs; for Cal Ripken, Jr., it is 2632 consecutive games. Then, there is Joe Sewell, whose number is 114. The number times that he struck out. In 14 seasons. Nobody else in the modern era has had a lower at bat to strikeout ratio, and it's a record that isn't likely to be broken, considering how frequently players today strike out. So, here's a few facts to put his accomplishment in context:
- Sewell led the AL in lowest at bat per strikeout ratio nine years in a row, from 1925 to 1933.
- The only reason he didn't win in 1934 was because he retired. The 1934 winner, Joe Vosmik, struck out once every 40.5 at bats. The previous year, Sewell struck out once every 133 at bats.
- Sewell's career average was 62.6 at bats per strikeout, the best in MLB history.
- In 1932, he averaged one strikeout every 167.7 at bats, the best single season average since strikeouts started being reliably recorded in 1910. He also has the record for the second best single season average, in 1929. And third best, in 1925. And fourth best, in 1933.
- In 2011, Juan Pierre led the AL with 15.6 at bats per strikeout.
- Sewell's worst at bat to strikeout ratio in a full season was 1922, when he averaged one every 27.9 at bats. No MLB player has even averaged that few strikeouts in a season since Tony Gwynn in 1995.
- The last MLB player to reach Sewell's career average in a single season was Don Mueller in 1956, when he averaged one strikeout ever 64.7 at bats.
- There have been more than twice as many no-hitters (272) than Joe Sewell strikeouts in MLB history.
- In 14 seasons, Joe Sewell struck out 114 times. Players have struck out more than that in a single season 1096 times.
- Since 1947, six batters have struck out six times in a single game. That is twice as many as Sewell's entire 1932 season (3 in 503 at bats).
- In 1929, Sewell struck out on May 17. He did not strike out again until September 20, 115 games and 442 at bats later, setting a MLB record.
- There were only two games in his career in which Sewell struck out twice.
- The record for the most no-hitters by one pitcher is 7. The most Joe Sewell strikeouts by one pitcher is 4.
- The all-time leader in strikeouts by a batter is Reggie Jackson, who accumulated 2597 strikeouts in 21 seasons. In order to strike out that many times, Sewell would have had to have played for 325 years.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Worst Pitchers in the Hall of Fame
In continuing my theme of the best and worst players & pitchers in and out of the Hall of Fame, here's my list of the ten worst pitchers in the Hall of Fame, according to WAR (Wins Above Replacement). This list excludes those, such as Babe Ruth, Candy Cummings, or John Montgomery Ward, who pitched extensively, but are in the Hall of Fame for other reasons.
10. Bob Lemon 1946-1958 (42.4)
9. Addie Joss 1902-1910 (40.9)
8. Dizzy Dean 1930-1947 (39.6)
7. Chief Bender 1903-1925 (38.5)
6. Burleigh Grimes 1916-1934 (37.2)
5. Herb Pennock 1912-1934 (36.9)
4. Jesse Haines 1918-1937 (33.8)
3. Jack Chesbro 1899-1909 (33.2)
2. Catfish Hunter 1965-1979 (32.5)
1. Rube Marquard 1908-1925 (28.5)
Certainly, some of these players do in fact deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. For players like Lemon, Joss, and Chesbro, their low WAR numbers have a lot to do with the fact that they pitched very well, but over relatively short MLB careers. Joss, in fact, only pitched for nine seasons, yet the Hall of Fame waived the 10-year requirement for him, since he died before the start of his tenth season.
However, for others such as Chief Bender and Jesse Haines, they were not particularly dominating at any point in their careers, yet they were rather inexplicably elected to the Hall of Fame anyway. Haines, for example, never led the league in any significant statistic, and finished with a mediocre 3.64 ERA and just 210 wins, which is fairly low for a Hall of Famer.
According to the list, Rube Marquard is the worst pitcher in the Hall of Fame, and I would tend to agree with this conclusion. With a 201-177 win-loss record, a 103 ERA+, and one season in which he led the NL in wins, there isn't really much that stands out about him, yet he was somehow elected to the Hall of Fame in 1971 anyway.
Interestingly, only one of the players on this list retired fairly recently (Hunter, in 1979); everyone else has been retired for over 50 years. Perhaps the Hall of Fame voters have decided upon stricter standards for pitchers? After all, it took Bert Blyleven 14 years to get elected, and while his stats aren't amazing, they make him look like Cy Young when compared to Rube Marquard. And then there's Luis Tiant, who I still think deserves to be elected, especially when considering some of the ones who have already been elected. But, then again, what is standard for electing someone to the Hall of Fame? Do you just have to be better than the worst person in, or is the standard somewhere above that? We may never know.
10. Bob Lemon 1946-1958 (42.4)
9. Addie Joss 1902-1910 (40.9)
8. Dizzy Dean 1930-1947 (39.6)
7. Chief Bender 1903-1925 (38.5)
6. Burleigh Grimes 1916-1934 (37.2)
5. Herb Pennock 1912-1934 (36.9)
4. Jesse Haines 1918-1937 (33.8)
3. Jack Chesbro 1899-1909 (33.2)
2. Catfish Hunter 1965-1979 (32.5)
1. Rube Marquard 1908-1925 (28.5)
Certainly, some of these players do in fact deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. For players like Lemon, Joss, and Chesbro, their low WAR numbers have a lot to do with the fact that they pitched very well, but over relatively short MLB careers. Joss, in fact, only pitched for nine seasons, yet the Hall of Fame waived the 10-year requirement for him, since he died before the start of his tenth season.
However, for others such as Chief Bender and Jesse Haines, they were not particularly dominating at any point in their careers, yet they were rather inexplicably elected to the Hall of Fame anyway. Haines, for example, never led the league in any significant statistic, and finished with a mediocre 3.64 ERA and just 210 wins, which is fairly low for a Hall of Famer.
According to the list, Rube Marquard is the worst pitcher in the Hall of Fame, and I would tend to agree with this conclusion. With a 201-177 win-loss record, a 103 ERA+, and one season in which he led the NL in wins, there isn't really much that stands out about him, yet he was somehow elected to the Hall of Fame in 1971 anyway.
Interestingly, only one of the players on this list retired fairly recently (Hunter, in 1979); everyone else has been retired for over 50 years. Perhaps the Hall of Fame voters have decided upon stricter standards for pitchers? After all, it took Bert Blyleven 14 years to get elected, and while his stats aren't amazing, they make him look like Cy Young when compared to Rube Marquard. And then there's Luis Tiant, who I still think deserves to be elected, especially when considering some of the ones who have already been elected. But, then again, what is standard for electing someone to the Hall of Fame? Do you just have to be better than the worst person in, or is the standard somewhere above that? We may never know.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Best Pitchers Not in the Hall of Fame
Last year, I took a look at the top ten eligible position players who are not in the Hall of Fame, based solely on the Wins Above Replacement Player statistic. Now, I decided to take a look at the top ten pitchers who have not yet made it into Cooperstown. Whether or not they deserve to be included remains to be seen, although I would argue that at least a few of them certainly are deserving. The list excludes a number of recently retired players (Maddux, Clemens, Glavine, Schilling, etc.) who would be ranked higher than these pitchers. Because they are not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame, they are not included here.
10. Larry Jackson 1955-1968 (55.6)
9. Charlie Buffinton 1882-1892 (56.1)
8. David Cone 1986-2003 (57.5)
7. Jerry Koosman 1967-1985 (58.8)
6. Tommy John 1963-1989 (59.0)
5. Luis Tiant 1964-1982 (60.1)
4. Jim McCormick 1878-1887 (64.7)
3. Kevin Brown 1986-2005 (64.8)
2. Tony Mullane 1881-1894 (65.1)
1. Rick Reuschel 1972-1991 (66.3)
For purpose of comparison, Cy Young is the all-time pitching WAR leader, at 146. Roger Clemens and Walter Johnson are second and third, respectively, with 128.4 and 127.7. Interestingly, while most of the top position players who are not in the Hall of Fame are recently retired, only Cone and Brown have just recently become eligible. All of the other players have had years of consideration for the Hall of Fame, with some, such as Tiant and John, becoming controversial borderline candidates. If it were up to me, both of them would be in Cooperstown, and I would probably give some consideration to Tony Mullane, although I'm not too familiar with him or other 19th century players. The other seven, however, I would say would not end up on my ballot if I had a say in it.
10. Larry Jackson 1955-1968 (55.6)
9. Charlie Buffinton 1882-1892 (56.1)
8. David Cone 1986-2003 (57.5)
7. Jerry Koosman 1967-1985 (58.8)
6. Tommy John 1963-1989 (59.0)
5. Luis Tiant 1964-1982 (60.1)
4. Jim McCormick 1878-1887 (64.7)
3. Kevin Brown 1986-2005 (64.8)
2. Tony Mullane 1881-1894 (65.1)
1. Rick Reuschel 1972-1991 (66.3)
For purpose of comparison, Cy Young is the all-time pitching WAR leader, at 146. Roger Clemens and Walter Johnson are second and third, respectively, with 128.4 and 127.7. Interestingly, while most of the top position players who are not in the Hall of Fame are recently retired, only Cone and Brown have just recently become eligible. All of the other players have had years of consideration for the Hall of Fame, with some, such as Tiant and John, becoming controversial borderline candidates. If it were up to me, both of them would be in Cooperstown, and I would probably give some consideration to Tony Mullane, although I'm not too familiar with him or other 19th century players. The other seven, however, I would say would not end up on my ballot if I had a say in it.
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