1941 American League - Thornton Lee, Chicago White Sox
22-11, 2.37 ERA, 130 K
After 23 consecutive seasons of future Hall of Famers winning the American League retroactive Cy Young Award, Thornton Lee becomes the first non-Hall of Fame AL pitcher since fellow White Sox Eddie Cicotte received it in 1917. He had a fairly nondescript career as a good but unspectacular starter, but in 1941 he was the best pitcher in the league, even better than the winner the previous two seasons, Bob Feller. Feller had a good season, and was actually ranked third in MVP voting ahead of Lee's fourth place finish, but in my opinion Lee was the better pitcher. He led the AL in ERA (by 0.6 runs), complete games (30), ERA+ (174), and WHIP (1.165), and although his White Sox went absolutely nowhere in 1941, he was still the most effective pitcher in the league. He never came close to having as successful as a season in any other year though; he never won more than 15 games in a season other than in 1941, and although he pitched seven more seasons, he only once again pitched more than 127 innings in a season, and retired with a 117-124 record.
1941 National League - Whit Wyatt, Brooklyn Dodgers
22-10, 2.34 ERA, 176 K
This was a close call between Wyatt and Cincinnati's Elmer Riddle, but in the end I chose Wyatt, and so did the MVP voters in 1941, who ranked him third overall and first among pitchers. Wyatt's career was interesting in that he pitched better in his 30s than in his 20s. He was a below average pitcher for the first nine seasons of his career, posting a 26-43 record with a 5.22 ERA and an 88 ERA+ mostly as a relief pitcher. However, after spending the entire 1938 season in the minors, he re-emerged as a top-notch starter for the Dodgers, going 80-52 in his last seven seasons with a 2.97 ERA and 124 ERA+, and being selected as an All Star in each of his first four seasons upon his return to the majors. This was by far his best season though, when he led the Dodgers to the NL pennant while leading the league in wins, shutouts (7) and WHIP (1.058) and finishing second in both ERA and strikeouts. After 1941, he went on to pitch two more full seasons and finished his career in 1945 with a 106-95 record.
Showing posts with label Dodgers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dodgers. Show all posts
Friday, June 8, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
1930 Cy Young Awards
1930 American League - Lefty Grove, Philadelphia Athletics
28-5, 2.54 ERA, 209 K
For the third year a row and fourth in five years, Lefty Grove is the best pitcher in the American League. There was really little doubt about this one; he easily won the Triple Crown, and his ERA was over three quarters of a run better than anyone else, and he had an ERA+ of 185. He also had the league's best winning percentage, at .848, and along with starting 32 games, he also pitcher 18 in relief, leading the league in both games pitched (50), and even saves (9), although it wasn't an official statistic in 1930. Still, how many pitcher have ever won the "Quadruple Crown" (when you include saves)? Probably not many. Overall, it was another impressive year for Grove, but the best was yet to come for him.
1930 National League - Dazzy Vance, Brooklyn Robins
17-15, 2.61 ERA, 173 K
His win-loss record isn't terribly impressive, but Dazzy Vance, the 39 year old Hall of Famer and two-time Retroactive Cy Young Award winner was too good in 1930 to let that stand in his way. His ERA was substantially better than the league average; it was 1.26 runs lower than anyone else, and 2.36 runs lower than the league average, which was an astronomical 4.97; even in the 1900s and early 2000s ERAs were rarely that high. Vance also finished second in strikeouts, first in shutouts (4), WHIP (1.144), hits per 9 innings (8.385), ERA+ (189 to the runner-up's 125), and WAR (7.3). Overall, not a bad season for a 39-year-old pitcher in one of the most hitter-dominated years in baseball history.
28-5, 2.54 ERA, 209 K
For the third year a row and fourth in five years, Lefty Grove is the best pitcher in the American League. There was really little doubt about this one; he easily won the Triple Crown, and his ERA was over three quarters of a run better than anyone else, and he had an ERA+ of 185. He also had the league's best winning percentage, at .848, and along with starting 32 games, he also pitcher 18 in relief, leading the league in both games pitched (50), and even saves (9), although it wasn't an official statistic in 1930. Still, how many pitcher have ever won the "Quadruple Crown" (when you include saves)? Probably not many. Overall, it was another impressive year for Grove, but the best was yet to come for him.
1930 National League - Dazzy Vance, Brooklyn Robins
17-15, 2.61 ERA, 173 K
His win-loss record isn't terribly impressive, but Dazzy Vance, the 39 year old Hall of Famer and two-time Retroactive Cy Young Award winner was too good in 1930 to let that stand in his way. His ERA was substantially better than the league average; it was 1.26 runs lower than anyone else, and 2.36 runs lower than the league average, which was an astronomical 4.97; even in the 1900s and early 2000s ERAs were rarely that high. Vance also finished second in strikeouts, first in shutouts (4), WHIP (1.144), hits per 9 innings (8.385), ERA+ (189 to the runner-up's 125), and WAR (7.3). Overall, not a bad season for a 39-year-old pitcher in one of the most hitter-dominated years in baseball history.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
1928 Cy Young Awards
1928 American League - Lefty Grove, Philadelphia Athletics
24-8, 2.58 ERA, 183 K
Lefty Grove won for the second time, without a whole lot of competition. This time, he substantially improved his win-loss record, leading the league in wins, strikeouts, and finishing third in ERA. He also finished second in WHIP (1.116), hits per 9 innings (7.842), ERA+ (155) and shutouts (4), and first in WAR (6.3). Benefiting from a much improved lineup (they finished second in runs and batting average instead of second to last in 1926), Grove helped the A's win 98 games, and finished just 2.5 games behind the defending world champion Yankees. Interestingly though, Grove did not even place in the MVP voting, behind five other AL pitchers, all of whom had ERAs substantially higher than his.
1928 National League - Dazzy Vance, Brooklyn Robins
22-10, 2.09 ERA, 200 K
It's been a long time since ERAs have been below 2.00, but Dazzy Vance came pretty close in 1928. The 1924 winner was once again the best in the league, leading not just in ERA and ERA+ (192), but also in strikeouts, WHIP (1.063), hits per 9 innings (7.256), shutouts (4), and WAR (9.0). Interestingly though, he only finished third among pitchers in MVP voting; apparently ERA was not particularly important to voters back then, who seemed to favor pitchers with higher win totals. Still, Vance's 22 wins were third in the league, with the two leaders tied with 25. It was also the seventh and last consecutive season that he led the league in strikeouts, the most of any NL pitcher. Like Ray Kremer, the NL winner in the previous two seasons, Vance didn't play full-time in the majors until he was 31; he played just 11 games in the majors over the course of two seasons prior to that. In the end, he won 197 games and was elected to the Hall of Fame, but it's interesting to speculate how much better his career could've been if he had played in the majors earlier.
24-8, 2.58 ERA, 183 K
Lefty Grove won for the second time, without a whole lot of competition. This time, he substantially improved his win-loss record, leading the league in wins, strikeouts, and finishing third in ERA. He also finished second in WHIP (1.116), hits per 9 innings (7.842), ERA+ (155) and shutouts (4), and first in WAR (6.3). Benefiting from a much improved lineup (they finished second in runs and batting average instead of second to last in 1926), Grove helped the A's win 98 games, and finished just 2.5 games behind the defending world champion Yankees. Interestingly though, Grove did not even place in the MVP voting, behind five other AL pitchers, all of whom had ERAs substantially higher than his.
1928 National League - Dazzy Vance, Brooklyn Robins
22-10, 2.09 ERA, 200 K
It's been a long time since ERAs have been below 2.00, but Dazzy Vance came pretty close in 1928. The 1924 winner was once again the best in the league, leading not just in ERA and ERA+ (192), but also in strikeouts, WHIP (1.063), hits per 9 innings (7.256), shutouts (4), and WAR (9.0). Interestingly though, he only finished third among pitchers in MVP voting; apparently ERA was not particularly important to voters back then, who seemed to favor pitchers with higher win totals. Still, Vance's 22 wins were third in the league, with the two leaders tied with 25. It was also the seventh and last consecutive season that he led the league in strikeouts, the most of any NL pitcher. Like Ray Kremer, the NL winner in the previous two seasons, Vance didn't play full-time in the majors until he was 31; he played just 11 games in the majors over the course of two seasons prior to that. In the end, he won 197 games and was elected to the Hall of Fame, but it's interesting to speculate how much better his career could've been if he had played in the majors earlier.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
1924 Cy Young Awards
1924 American League - Walter Johnson, Washington Senators
23-7, 2.72 ERA, 158 K
It had been a while for Walter Johnson, who had not won the award, or had even a moderately spectacular season in five years, but he had one of his finest years in 1924 at the age of 36. At an age when most pitchers had since moved on to different careers, Walter Johnson won the Triple Crown and led the Senators to their first World Series title. It was his third Triple Crown, and the second time (along with 1913) that he won the MVP Award. In addition, it's the seventh time that I've chosen him for a Retroactive Cy Young, the same number of real Cy Young Awards that Roger Clemens has won. He led the league in many other categories too, including WHIP (1.116), hits per 9 innings (7.552), ERA+ (149), and shutouts (6). After 1924, Johnson played for three more seasons, and in 1936 was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of their first induction class. His 110 career shutouts are the most ever by a pitcher, his 417 wins are second only to Cy Young, his 3509 career strikeouts were first all-time for many years, and his ERA+ of 147 is fifth all-time.
1924 National League - Dazzy Vance, Brooklyn Robins
28-6, 2.16 ERA, 262 K
Walter Johnson won the Triple Crown in the AL, and fellow Hall of Famer Dazzy Vance easily did so in the NL, winning each category by a huge margin. He had 6 more wins than anyone else (he could've stopped pitching after August 23rd and still have led the league), an ERA lower than anyone else by over half a run, and nearly twice as many strikeouts. Vance had 262, followed by Burleigh Grimes's 135, and then Dolf Luque's 86. He also led in WHIP (1.022), hits per 9 innings (6.947 - nearly a hit lower than anyone else), ERA+ (174) and WAR (9.1 - twice that of any other pitcher). It was the third of seven consecutive seasons in which he led the NL in strikeouts, and he easily won the league MVP Award. Although he was certainly a great pitcher, 1924 was definitely his best, and without it, it's very unlikely he would've ever made it to the Hall of Fame.
23-7, 2.72 ERA, 158 K
It had been a while for Walter Johnson, who had not won the award, or had even a moderately spectacular season in five years, but he had one of his finest years in 1924 at the age of 36. At an age when most pitchers had since moved on to different careers, Walter Johnson won the Triple Crown and led the Senators to their first World Series title. It was his third Triple Crown, and the second time (along with 1913) that he won the MVP Award. In addition, it's the seventh time that I've chosen him for a Retroactive Cy Young, the same number of real Cy Young Awards that Roger Clemens has won. He led the league in many other categories too, including WHIP (1.116), hits per 9 innings (7.552), ERA+ (149), and shutouts (6). After 1924, Johnson played for three more seasons, and in 1936 was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of their first induction class. His 110 career shutouts are the most ever by a pitcher, his 417 wins are second only to Cy Young, his 3509 career strikeouts were first all-time for many years, and his ERA+ of 147 is fifth all-time.
1924 National League - Dazzy Vance, Brooklyn Robins
28-6, 2.16 ERA, 262 K
Walter Johnson won the Triple Crown in the AL, and fellow Hall of Famer Dazzy Vance easily did so in the NL, winning each category by a huge margin. He had 6 more wins than anyone else (he could've stopped pitching after August 23rd and still have led the league), an ERA lower than anyone else by over half a run, and nearly twice as many strikeouts. Vance had 262, followed by Burleigh Grimes's 135, and then Dolf Luque's 86. He also led in WHIP (1.022), hits per 9 innings (6.947 - nearly a hit lower than anyone else), ERA+ (174) and WAR (9.1 - twice that of any other pitcher). It was the third of seven consecutive seasons in which he led the NL in strikeouts, and he easily won the league MVP Award. Although he was certainly a great pitcher, 1924 was definitely his best, and without it, it's very unlikely he would've ever made it to the Hall of Fame.
1921 Cy Young Awards
1921 American League - Red Faber, Chicago White Sox
25-15, 2.48 ERA, 124 K
Pitchers' ERA's increased dramatically in 1920 because of the end of the Dead ball era, and they continued to rise in 1921. The league average ERA was 4.28, up from 2.77 just three years earlier. By way of comparison, the 2011 AL ERA was 4.08. Even with today's emphasis on power hitters and the use of the designated hitter, it's still not as bad for pitchers as it was back then. That make's Red Faber's 2.48 ERA (and 170 ERA+) even that much more significant; not only was it 1.80 runs lower than the league average, it was 0.52 runs lower than anyone else. No other AL pitcher finished the season with an ERA under 3.00. He was also third in wins, fourth in strikeouts, and led the league with a 1.149 WHIP, 7.975 hits per 9 innings, and a 9.9 WAR. Interestingly, one of the reasons for the sudden jump in offense was the banning of the spitball after the 1920 season. However, 17 pitchers, including Faber, were allowed to continue throwing it if it was considered to be their primary pitch, which helped him have such an advantage over other pitchers in the league. He was a member of the 1919 White Sox, but he did not participate in the fix to throw it, and played until 1933. He was elected to the hall of Fame in 1964.
1921 National League - Burleigh Grimes, Brooklyn Robins
22-13, 2.83 ERA, 136 K
There were no pitchers who had particular standout seasons in the National League in 1921, but Burleigh Grimes was the best overall; he won two thirds of the Triple Crown (finishing fifth in ERA) and leading the league in complete games (30) and WAR (6.1). Like Red Faber in the American League, Grimes owes some of his success to the fact that he was among those allowed to continue throwing the spitball. Also a Hall of Famer, Grimes was, of the 17 spitball pitchers grandfathered in, the last one to retire, in 1934. And nobody has thrown the spitball since. Just ask Gaylord Perry.
25-15, 2.48 ERA, 124 K
Pitchers' ERA's increased dramatically in 1920 because of the end of the Dead ball era, and they continued to rise in 1921. The league average ERA was 4.28, up from 2.77 just three years earlier. By way of comparison, the 2011 AL ERA was 4.08. Even with today's emphasis on power hitters and the use of the designated hitter, it's still not as bad for pitchers as it was back then. That make's Red Faber's 2.48 ERA (and 170 ERA+) even that much more significant; not only was it 1.80 runs lower than the league average, it was 0.52 runs lower than anyone else. No other AL pitcher finished the season with an ERA under 3.00. He was also third in wins, fourth in strikeouts, and led the league with a 1.149 WHIP, 7.975 hits per 9 innings, and a 9.9 WAR. Interestingly, one of the reasons for the sudden jump in offense was the banning of the spitball after the 1920 season. However, 17 pitchers, including Faber, were allowed to continue throwing it if it was considered to be their primary pitch, which helped him have such an advantage over other pitchers in the league. He was a member of the 1919 White Sox, but he did not participate in the fix to throw it, and played until 1933. He was elected to the hall of Fame in 1964.
1921 National League - Burleigh Grimes, Brooklyn Robins
22-13, 2.83 ERA, 136 K
There were no pitchers who had particular standout seasons in the National League in 1921, but Burleigh Grimes was the best overall; he won two thirds of the Triple Crown (finishing fifth in ERA) and leading the league in complete games (30) and WAR (6.1). Like Red Faber in the American League, Grimes owes some of his success to the fact that he was among those allowed to continue throwing the spitball. Also a Hall of Famer, Grimes was, of the 17 spitball pitchers grandfathered in, the last one to retire, in 1934. And nobody has thrown the spitball since. Just ask Gaylord Perry.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
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.
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