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.
Showing posts with label Cubs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cubs. Show all posts
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
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.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
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.
Monday, March 12, 2012
1920 Cy Young Awards
1920 American League - Stan Coveleski, Cleveland Indians
24-14, 2.49 ERA, 133 K
This year marked the end of the Dead-ball era in baseball, and for the first time in the history of the American League, the league leader had an ERA over 2.00. Coveleski finished second in both ERA and wins, first in strikeouts, and first in WHIP (1.108) and hits per 9 innings (8.1). It was a mediocre season by pre-1920 standards, but in 1920 it was the best; his ERA of 2.49 gave him an ERA+ of 154; a few years earlier the same ERA would've barely been better than the league average. along the way, Coveleski led the Indians to the World Series, winning the pennant over a White Sox team that imploded after the players suspected of throwing the 1919 World Series were suspended. Coveleski's Indians had to overcome problems of their own though, with star shortstop Ray Chapman getting killed by a pitch on August 17. However, Chapman's replacement, Joe Sewell, would go on to have a successful career of his own, and both Sewell and Coveleski would end up in the Hall of Fame.
1920 National League - Grover Cleveland Alexander, Chicago Cubs
27-14, 1.91 ERA, 173 K
The end of the Dead-ball era didn't seem to affect Grover Cleveland Alexander, who was returning to form after spending most of his 1918 season in the army fighting World War I. Along with winning the Triple Crown for the third time, he also led the league in innings (363.1), starts (40), complete games (33), ERA+ (168), and WAR (10). It was the fourth time that he would be the best pitcher in the league, but it was also his last great season. He would pitch until 1930, winning 373 games to put himself in a tie with Christy Mathewson for third all-time. However, he was never again able to duplicate his prewar success; despite nine more seasons with an ERA above the league average, he never again led the league in any major categories.
24-14, 2.49 ERA, 133 K
This year marked the end of the Dead-ball era in baseball, and for the first time in the history of the American League, the league leader had an ERA over 2.00. Coveleski finished second in both ERA and wins, first in strikeouts, and first in WHIP (1.108) and hits per 9 innings (8.1). It was a mediocre season by pre-1920 standards, but in 1920 it was the best; his ERA of 2.49 gave him an ERA+ of 154; a few years earlier the same ERA would've barely been better than the league average. along the way, Coveleski led the Indians to the World Series, winning the pennant over a White Sox team that imploded after the players suspected of throwing the 1919 World Series were suspended. Coveleski's Indians had to overcome problems of their own though, with star shortstop Ray Chapman getting killed by a pitch on August 17. However, Chapman's replacement, Joe Sewell, would go on to have a successful career of his own, and both Sewell and Coveleski would end up in the Hall of Fame.
1920 National League - Grover Cleveland Alexander, Chicago Cubs
27-14, 1.91 ERA, 173 K
The end of the Dead-ball era didn't seem to affect Grover Cleveland Alexander, who was returning to form after spending most of his 1918 season in the army fighting World War I. Along with winning the Triple Crown for the third time, he also led the league in innings (363.1), starts (40), complete games (33), ERA+ (168), and WAR (10). It was the fourth time that he would be the best pitcher in the league, but it was also his last great season. He would pitch until 1930, winning 373 games to put himself in a tie with Christy Mathewson for third all-time. However, he was never again able to duplicate his prewar success; despite nine more seasons with an ERA above the league average, he never again led the league in any major categories.
1919 Cy Young Awards
1919 American League - Walter Johnson, Washington Senators
20-14, 1.49 ERA, 147 K
It's the sixth such award for Johnson, who was actually better even than his numbers suggest. Although he won two thirds of the Triple Crown, he finished fifth with 20 wins and a seemingly mediocre win-loss record of 20-14. However, he did so on a Senators team that finished seventh out of eight teams in the NL, with a 56-84 record. That means that Johnson alone accounted for 36% of his team's wins. All of this makes it easy to imagine how good Johnson would've been if he had spent his entire career on contender teams, instead of pitching for a mostly mediocre to poor Senators team for his entire career.
1919 National League - Hippo Vaughn, Chicago Cubs
21-14, 1.79 ERA, 141 K
Hippo Vaughn and Grover Cleveland Alexander, the only two NL pitchers to win a Retroactive Cy Young Award in the past four seasons, were both contenders in 1919, but Vaughn's substantially more innings pitched and substantially more wins gave him the edge over Alexander's marginally better ERA. Vaughn led in strikeouts, and he also finished second in ERA and wins, the only pitcher to finish in the top three of all three categories. It was the second year in a row that he was the best in the league, but Vaughn quickly declined; he had a decent 1920 season but was 3-11 with a 6.01 ERA in 1921 and never pitched in the majors again after that.
20-14, 1.49 ERA, 147 K
It's the sixth such award for Johnson, who was actually better even than his numbers suggest. Although he won two thirds of the Triple Crown, he finished fifth with 20 wins and a seemingly mediocre win-loss record of 20-14. However, he did so on a Senators team that finished seventh out of eight teams in the NL, with a 56-84 record. That means that Johnson alone accounted for 36% of his team's wins. All of this makes it easy to imagine how good Johnson would've been if he had spent his entire career on contender teams, instead of pitching for a mostly mediocre to poor Senators team for his entire career.
1919 National League - Hippo Vaughn, Chicago Cubs
21-14, 1.79 ERA, 141 K
Hippo Vaughn and Grover Cleveland Alexander, the only two NL pitchers to win a Retroactive Cy Young Award in the past four seasons, were both contenders in 1919, but Vaughn's substantially more innings pitched and substantially more wins gave him the edge over Alexander's marginally better ERA. Vaughn led in strikeouts, and he also finished second in ERA and wins, the only pitcher to finish in the top three of all three categories. It was the second year in a row that he was the best in the league, but Vaughn quickly declined; he had a decent 1920 season but was 3-11 with a 6.01 ERA in 1921 and never pitched in the majors again after that.
1918 Cy Young Awards
1918 American League - Walter Johnson, Washington Senators
23-13, 1.27 ERA, 162 K
This was another contest that wasn't even close. Johnson easily won the Triple Crown; the only category that was even close was wins, which Johnson led by one. Considering Washington's mediocre offense, Johnson could've easily won more with a better team. His ERA was more than half a run lower than anyone else, and he had an ERA+ of 216. He also led in shutouts (8), WHIP (0.954), and WAR (8.7), and it was the 5th time in his career that Johnson was the best in the league.
1918 National League - Hippo Vaughn, Chicago Cubs
22-10, 1.74 ERA, 148 K
It literally took a World War to keep Grover Cleveland Alexander from winning the Retroactive Cy Young Award for the fourth year in a row; he was drafted and spent most of the season in the army. In any case, that fact doesn't take anything away from Hippo Vaughn, who won the Triple Crown and led the Cubs to the NL pennant. However, Vaughn is probably best known for two other incidents, with one being getting stabbed by his father-in-law, and the other being his participation in the closest thing MLB has ever had to a double no-hitter, which occurred in the previous year when neither he nor Cincinnati's Fred Toney allowed a hit in the first 9 innings, the only time that has happened in MLB history. However, he lost the no-hitter (and the game) in the 10th inning, but made up for it by winning the Triple Crown in 1918. He led in many other major categories, including starts (33), innings (290.1), WHIP (1.006), and hits per 9 innings (6.7). The counting stats such as wins, starts, and innings are all fairly low because the season was shortened due to World War I; his Cubs played just 129 games.
23-13, 1.27 ERA, 162 K
This was another contest that wasn't even close. Johnson easily won the Triple Crown; the only category that was even close was wins, which Johnson led by one. Considering Washington's mediocre offense, Johnson could've easily won more with a better team. His ERA was more than half a run lower than anyone else, and he had an ERA+ of 216. He also led in shutouts (8), WHIP (0.954), and WAR (8.7), and it was the 5th time in his career that Johnson was the best in the league.
1918 National League - Hippo Vaughn, Chicago Cubs
22-10, 1.74 ERA, 148 K
It literally took a World War to keep Grover Cleveland Alexander from winning the Retroactive Cy Young Award for the fourth year in a row; he was drafted and spent most of the season in the army. In any case, that fact doesn't take anything away from Hippo Vaughn, who won the Triple Crown and led the Cubs to the NL pennant. However, Vaughn is probably best known for two other incidents, with one being getting stabbed by his father-in-law, and the other being his participation in the closest thing MLB has ever had to a double no-hitter, which occurred in the previous year when neither he nor Cincinnati's Fred Toney allowed a hit in the first 9 innings, the only time that has happened in MLB history. However, he lost the no-hitter (and the game) in the 10th inning, but made up for it by winning the Triple Crown in 1918. He led in many other major categories, including starts (33), innings (290.1), WHIP (1.006), and hits per 9 innings (6.7). The counting stats such as wins, starts, and innings are all fairly low because the season was shortened due to World War I; his Cubs played just 129 games.
Monday, March 5, 2012
1907 Cy Young Awards
1907 American League - Ed Walsh, Chicago White Sox
24-18, 1.60 ERA, 206 K
Often, the ERA leader of the league is a pitcher who pitched a fairly low number of innings,meaning they did well but in a smaller sample size. However, not only did Walsh lead the league in ERA, but he also led in innings pitched (422.1), games pitched (56), starts (46), complete games (37), and even saves (4), meaning that not only was he very effective, he was effective in more innings than anyone else. His win-loss record leaves something to be desired, but it needs to be taken into account that he pitched for the team with the second worst offense in the league (.238 team batting average and a dismal OPS+ of 89), so when everything else is taken into consideration, he was clearly the best pitcher in the league. Honorable mention does go to Cleveland's Addie Joss though, for posting a 27-11 win-loss record and a third place 1.83 ERA.
1907 National League -Carl Lundgren, Chicago Cubs
18-7, 1.17 ERA, 84 K
A year after losing to the "Hitless Wonders" in the World Series, the Cubs returned in 1907, bringing with them by far the best pitching staff in the league. The top three ERA leaders, along with 5 of the top 6, all pitched for the Cubs, and the team led the NL with an unbelievable 1.73 ERA, which translated to a 144 ERA+. As a result, there was little doubt that a Cubs pitcher would win the retroactive Cy Young Award; the only question was who. I ended up choosing Carl Lundgren, who finished second in ERA by 0.02 runs, but had a much better record than the ERA leader (Jack Pfiester, 14-9) and more innings pitched (207 to 195). Although Lundgren himself didn't have very high win totals, his ERA was so far above anyone else who pitched more innings that it was hard not to give it to him.Lundgren did have a tendency to give up walks (on average 4 every 9 innings) but he also led the league in fewest hits per 9 innings (5.652 - about one hit lower than anyone else).
24-18, 1.60 ERA, 206 K
Often, the ERA leader of the league is a pitcher who pitched a fairly low number of innings,meaning they did well but in a smaller sample size. However, not only did Walsh lead the league in ERA, but he also led in innings pitched (422.1), games pitched (56), starts (46), complete games (37), and even saves (4), meaning that not only was he very effective, he was effective in more innings than anyone else. His win-loss record leaves something to be desired, but it needs to be taken into account that he pitched for the team with the second worst offense in the league (.238 team batting average and a dismal OPS+ of 89), so when everything else is taken into consideration, he was clearly the best pitcher in the league. Honorable mention does go to Cleveland's Addie Joss though, for posting a 27-11 win-loss record and a third place 1.83 ERA.
1907 National League -Carl Lundgren, Chicago Cubs
18-7, 1.17 ERA, 84 K
A year after losing to the "Hitless Wonders" in the World Series, the Cubs returned in 1907, bringing with them by far the best pitching staff in the league. The top three ERA leaders, along with 5 of the top 6, all pitched for the Cubs, and the team led the NL with an unbelievable 1.73 ERA, which translated to a 144 ERA+. As a result, there was little doubt that a Cubs pitcher would win the retroactive Cy Young Award; the only question was who. I ended up choosing Carl Lundgren, who finished second in ERA by 0.02 runs, but had a much better record than the ERA leader (Jack Pfiester, 14-9) and more innings pitched (207 to 195). Although Lundgren himself didn't have very high win totals, his ERA was so far above anyone else who pitched more innings that it was hard not to give it to him.Lundgren did have a tendency to give up walks (on average 4 every 9 innings) but he also led the league in fewest hits per 9 innings (5.652 - about one hit lower than anyone else).
1906 Cy Young Awards
1906 American League - Doc White, Chicago White Sox
18-6, 1.52 ERA, 95 K
This particular race was wide open - there was no single pitcher that even came close to standing out as exceptional. In the end though, I went with White. Pitching for the World Series winning White Sox, White led the league in ERA, ERA+ (169), and WHIP (0.903), although he did so in "only" 219.1 innings, and had "only" 18 wins. However, there were no other pitchers who both pitched substantially more than White and had an ERA that wasn't substantially higher than White's. Although I will often give preference to the pitcher with a slightly higher ERA and substantially more innings pitched, there was nobody who fit that description this year. Interestingly though, despite the fairly low innings pitched figure, White had the second highest WAR in the league (5.6). Interestingly, the White Sox had the lowest batting average in the league, yet they still won the World Series, which says something about the quality of their pitchers, including White.
1906 National League - Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown, Chicago Cubs
26-6, 1.04 ERA, 144 K
The title of the best pitcher in the AL in 1906 might have been wide open, but there was no such problem in the NL, where future Hall of Famer Mordecai Brown put up one of the best pitching seasons ever. Brown, who acquired his nickname from a farm machinery accident when he was young (and has a given name even more interesting than his nickname - Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown), had been a successful pitcher in his previous three seasons, but 1906 was when his career really took off. Pitching three times as many shutouts as he had fingers on his pitching hand, Three Finger Brown actually worked his disability to his advantage; his missing fingers allowed him to give extra spin that a pitcher with a full set of fingers would not be able to do. His 1906 season was the first of four consecutive seasons with an ERA under 1.50, and his ERA of 1.04 in 1906 was by far the best in the league (by nearly half a run), and it remains the second-lowest in post-1893 baseball, and the lowest among any pitcher with over 250 innings pitched, in any time period. In addition, he led the league in ERA+ with an absurd figure of 253, meaning his ERA was more than 2.5 times the league average, and he also led in WHIP (.934), shutouts, and finished second in wins. With Brown's help, the Cubs reached the World Series in 1906, losing to the "Hitless Wonders" White Sox.
18-6, 1.52 ERA, 95 K
This particular race was wide open - there was no single pitcher that even came close to standing out as exceptional. In the end though, I went with White. Pitching for the World Series winning White Sox, White led the league in ERA, ERA+ (169), and WHIP (0.903), although he did so in "only" 219.1 innings, and had "only" 18 wins. However, there were no other pitchers who both pitched substantially more than White and had an ERA that wasn't substantially higher than White's. Although I will often give preference to the pitcher with a slightly higher ERA and substantially more innings pitched, there was nobody who fit that description this year. Interestingly though, despite the fairly low innings pitched figure, White had the second highest WAR in the league (5.6). Interestingly, the White Sox had the lowest batting average in the league, yet they still won the World Series, which says something about the quality of their pitchers, including White.
1906 National League - Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown, Chicago Cubs
26-6, 1.04 ERA, 144 K
The title of the best pitcher in the AL in 1906 might have been wide open, but there was no such problem in the NL, where future Hall of Famer Mordecai Brown put up one of the best pitching seasons ever. Brown, who acquired his nickname from a farm machinery accident when he was young (and has a given name even more interesting than his nickname - Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown), had been a successful pitcher in his previous three seasons, but 1906 was when his career really took off. Pitching three times as many shutouts as he had fingers on his pitching hand, Three Finger Brown actually worked his disability to his advantage; his missing fingers allowed him to give extra spin that a pitcher with a full set of fingers would not be able to do. His 1906 season was the first of four consecutive seasons with an ERA under 1.50, and his ERA of 1.04 in 1906 was by far the best in the league (by nearly half a run), and it remains the second-lowest in post-1893 baseball, and the lowest among any pitcher with over 250 innings pitched, in any time period. In addition, he led the league in ERA+ with an absurd figure of 253, meaning his ERA was more than 2.5 times the league average, and he also led in WHIP (.934), shutouts, and finished second in wins. With Brown's help, the Cubs reached the World Series in 1906, losing to the "Hitless Wonders" White Sox.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
1902 Cy Young Awards
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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.
Monday, February 27, 2012
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.
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.
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