It's June 4, 2019. (Well, not really. I'm writing this on October 21 but let's just pretend that it's June 4, 2019 because that's when this post is scheduled to be posted.) For most people it's just going to be another Tuesday, and it's probably going to be just another workday for me. However, this day carries a bit of historical significance, not because of anything that would happen today, but of what happened on this date ten years ago, on June 4, 2009. That's right, ten years has passed since the most historical moment that I had witnessed in a baseball field. Ten years has passed since Randall David Johnson joined 23 other members in the illustrious 300 win club. And I can't let this day go by without commemorating it in some way. Nine years ago I wrote up a set of six posts to celebrate the six-month and the one-year anniversary. Since the 10-year anniversary is a fairly significant anniversary, I've decided to come up with another series of posts to put this milestone in a historical perspective.
My posts nine years ago were done on a somewhat last-minute basis. It opened with a brief introduction of the 300-win club, then it delved into a simple biography of Randy Johnson. Following that, I told my personal story regarding watching the milestone, starting from my introduction to baseball in the mid-1990s to my growing fascination with the 300-win milestone in the mid-2000s. It included the days leading up to the game, as well as the day we went to the ballpark expecting a game but getting a rainout instead. And finally it included a play by play of the game itself. Since I wrote those five posts in five days, I didn't get into the amount of detail that I really wanted to, and I was so worn out that I decided to wait six months before writing about what had transpired on the first anniversary. After that I came back every June 4 and wrote some more about the milestone, from posting pictures from that day to posting pictures of the other 300 win members (including their graves) to posting the whole transcript of the MASN broadcast (including pre-game and post-game) to posting the perspectives of other people that were present.
Having dedicated so much of my time and effort over the past ten years I'm kind of running out of things to post. I've thought about just taking my original posts and adding to them, but that would seem kind of cheap. However, because this is mid-October I realized I could get more detail that I couldn't nine years ago. I could write more in-depth about the other members of the 300 win club. I could write more about the turbulent life and times of Randy Johnson. Heck, I can even write about the other games that happened on that date. And they can all be made ready to go online today. So here it is: the schedule of the 10th Anniversary Special of Randy Johnson's 300th Win
Part I: The 300 Win Club (you are here)
Part II: The Player
Part III: The Game
Part IV: The Other Games
Part V: The Future of the 300 Win Club
 |
| Or a More in-depth look of the other members of the 300 Win Club and their 300th Wins |
The 300-Win Club has been seen as one of baseball's three most illustrious milestones for the past sixty or seventy years, alongside 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. For the longest time entry into one of these milestone clubs meant a spot inside Baseball's Hall of Fame. (And for the most part that is still true, provided said player was not banned for betting or get suspected of performance enhancing drug use.) The 300-Win Club is the most exclusive of these milestone clubs, with only 24 members compared to 27 for 500 home runs and 31 for 3,000 hits. And yet the 300-win club has been under more scrutiny than any of the other milestone clubs. Critics contend that the 300-Win Club rewards pitchers that have pitched long enough but were rarely the best over pitchers that were among the best over pitchers that dominated the league but did not pitch long enough to record 300 wins. It's true that Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson and Pedro Martinez routinely appear near the top of lists of best pitchers, but never came close to 300 wins. However, that doesn't diminish the accomplishments of men like Pud Galvin, Early Wynn, or Don Sutton, men who may not have been among the best pitchers, but pitched long enough to get to 300 wins. One still has to be a great pitcher to average 15 wins over 20 seasons.
Other critics contend that modern usage of pitchers makes it much more difficult for starting pitchers to get a win. The increasing reliance of power bullpens decrease the amount of innings a starting pitcher can pitch, thereby putting the fate of the game as well as the win in the hands of the relievers. And that's not even getting into the "opener" phenomenon. Nevertheless, the death of the 300-win club was something that was discussed way back in 1941 when Lefty Grove reached 300 wins with nobody close on the horizon, and yet the club has doubled in size since then. The careers of 300-win pitchers have stretched from the early days of Major League Baseball to the past ten years. Assuming one of the pitchers still active gets to 300 wins, that leaves only a handful of seasons without an active 300 win pitcher, and most of them came in the infancy of professional baseball.
The more pressing criticism of the 300-win club is directed at the pitching win itself. There is increased recognition that the win is a team-based stat, that the starting pitching plays only a small part of the success or failure of a team in a particular game. There has been an increasingly vocal group of people calling for the end of the tyrannical win statistic. Nevertheless, the win has been a part of the game for well over 100 years. For better or worse, it has shaped the way we look at baseball, and has become a pitching counting stat that has remained constant throughout history, unlike strikeouts which have been a relatively recent phenomenon. While the influence of the pitching win has changed, there is no doubt that the 300-win club will remain pertinent for a long time to go.
With all of this hand-wringing about the pitching win statistic, it's worth looking at its history. The modern pitching rule (9.17) states that:
The official scorer shall credit as the winning pitcher that pitcher whose team assumes a lead while such pitcher is in the game, or during the inning on offense in which such pitcher is removed from the game, and does not relinquish such lead, unless such pitcher is a starting pitcher and Rule 9.17(b) applies.
If the pitcher whose team assumes a lead while such pitcher is in the game, or during the inning on offense in which such pitcher is removed from the game, and does not relinquish such lead, is a starting pitcher who has not completed
That's a lot to take in, but in other words, a starting pitcher has to pitch at least five innings and leave with the lead, and the lead is kept until the rest of the game then that starting pitcher can get the win. If a starting pitcher pitches at least five innings and leaves with the lead, but then a relief pitcher comes and gives up the lead, then the starter is left without a win. A reliever can get that win if the team retakes the lead that lasts to the end of the game. If a starting pitcher pitches four innings and has a lead, but then gets hurt, then he cannot get the win and the win would go to the most effective reliever, provided none of them give up a lead. So yes, when a bullpen pitches a greater percentage of innings, the win becomes much less pertinent.The official scorer shall not credit as the winning pitcher a relief pitcher who is ineffective in a brief appearance, when at least one succeeding relief pitcher pitches effectively in helping his team maintain its lead. In such a case, the official scorer shall credit as the winning pitcher the succeeding relief pitcher who was most effective, in the judgment of the official scorer.
- five innings of a game that lasts six or more innings on defense,
- or four innings of a game that lasts five innings on defense, then the official scorer shall credit as the winning pitcher the relief pitcher, if there is only one relief pitcher, or the relief pitcher who, in the official scorer’s judgment was the most effective, if there is more than one relief pitcher.
A look back at the early history of the game shows that the thought of giving the starting pitcher the win wasn't even a thing in the first decade of Major League Baseball. It wasn't until Henry Chadwick made that decision in 1884 that pitchers started getting wins. The rest of baseball thought it was preposterous that the pitcher should be the one to get credit for a team accomplishment. When his statistic didn't catch on, Chadwick decided to report on a pitcher's percentage of games won. It was fairly easy to identify the winning pitcher back then. There were no substitutions unless a player is hurt or if the substitute was already playing a different position, so a pitcher was expected to play the entire game. However, when baseball allowed for substitutions by non-starters in 1889 (and thus the advent of the relief pitcher), there started to be more disparities in assigning wins. However, that job fell to sportswriters like Chadwick who otherwise had nothing else to do.
Official scorers started tabulating wins and losses in 1903, a year after the truce between the American and National Leagues, which they reported to the league secretaries. In those early days there was no set rule on how to assign wins and losses. It was easy to do so when the pitchers threw complete games, but relief pitching was on the rise, and the method of assigning wins were left up to the scorers themselves. To throw more confusion into the mix, the individual leagues can overrule a scorer's decision, and each league played by their own rules. There were questions as to if wins can be assigned to pitchers that go fewer than five innings, or if losses can go to a starter pitcher that leaves runners on, or the reliever that allows them score. National League secretary issued a few rules clarifying these issues in 1916, and also forbade scorers to give the win to pitchers that have thrown less than five innings, unless they have a "commanding and winning lead." These rules did not apply in the American League, but scorers generally came to adopt those practices as well, especially after AL President Ban Johnson retired in 1927.
In the 1930s and 1940s, official scorers in both leagues began respecting the five-inning rule, with a few exceptions. There were a few cases when pitchers left with the lead before five innings were completed due to injuries and got rewarded with a win. There were a few times when teams that clinched pennants pulled their starters with the lead before five innings were completed and the starters were still rewarded with wins. There were a few moments when a relief pitcher was so dominant he got a win even though the starting pitcher left with a lead. And finally there was the "commanding and winning lead" exception, which was invoked a few times, although there was no actual rule dictating what was meant by a "commanding and winning lead." Then in 1950 the rulebook was adapted to its current iteration, and for the most part pitchers have to last at least five innings to get a win. There are still a few exceptions for weather-shortened games, but for the most part the win rule has been the same for the past 68 years.
Even though the assignment of wins has changed from the early days of professional baseball to the defined rules of today, the 300-win club has seen members from pretty much every major era in baseball history. For the rest of this post I'm going to be posting about the previous 23 members of the 300-win club as split up into six distinct eras. There will be a brief biography that is pretty much lifted from my 125th anniversary post a few years back, along with a detailed look at their 300th win (or the best estimate in those 19th century hurlers.).
The Pre-Modern Era (1871 - 1900)
History
The history of baseball had long been under debate, but from current understanding, baseball had been played in some way, shape or form dating back hundreds of years. References to baseball had been seen in texts dating back to 1744. The game as we know it today is generally credited to the New York Knickerbocker Club, who published a set of rules in 1845. Alexander Cartwright was the club secretary and was the one to have them printed, although evidence has come out that the rules were written by others and even then the Knickerbocker Rules may not have been the original set of rules. Still, the Knickerbocker Rule established the idea of fair and foul, batting orders, three out innings, and getting batters out by tagging them and not throwing at them. Even then, there are several elements of the game that are far different from today's game. The rules back then required teams to play to 21 runs. More importantly there was a requirement of pitchers to pitch the ball underhand like throwing a horseshoe. The early game was designed as an exercise in fielding and baserunning, and the pitcher was viewed as the least important member of the team.
No matter if the Knickerbocker Rules were the earliest set of rules to be written, it was the first set of rules to be codified and spread around once combined with rules other clubs have written. Baseball soon became a popular pasttime in the northeast the years before the Civil War. Certain teams attracted enough talent to draw paying crowds. The breakout of the Civil War led to a stop to these organized games, but helped bring about the spread of the game to all other parts of the country. In 1867 the National Association of Base Ball Players was formed to organize the best baseball clubs, although they still treated the teams as amateurs until they formed a professional category in 1869. The Cincinnati Red Stockings headed by Harry Wright became the first team to make the jump and start paying players' salaries. The Red Stockings were immensely popular and soon other teams did so as well. By 1871 there were enough professional clubs that they separated from the parent organization to form the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, now known as the National Association. While Major League Baseball does not recognize it as a major league, it was the first professional baseball league made up of the best baseball players in the countries. Even then the pitchers were just men to deliver the ball, but some players did start experimenting with more devious pitches, such as William "Candy" Cummings and his curveball and Al Spalding and his change of pace.
While the National Association were the first organized group of professional teams, they were plagued by some problems. Teams can play by just paying a $10 due and can create their own schedule. Several teams joined, but teams could drop out as easily before completing the schedule. More critically, there was only a nominal central leadership that was too weak to be able to enforce several rules. As a result the players were easily influenced by gamblers that often paid more than their parent clubs, and teams would openly raid other teams. This chaotic landscape was frustrating to William Hulbert, the president of the Chicago White Stockings, who decided to break off from the National Association and form the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs, enlisting the support of five other National Association teams, and they started play in 1876. While Hartford president Morgan Bulkeley was selected as League president, allegedly through the drawing of straws, Hulbert maintained disciplinary control. He made sure that a set schedule was create at the beginning of the season. He banned players that conspired with gamblers and made sure they would get permanent bans, and even expelled teams that refused to complete their schedules. He was instrumental in establishing the reserve clause to keep players from team jumping. With his focus set on establishing order, Hulbert had little time to dedicate his attention to the fact pitchers were starting to experiment more with overhand pitching.
Hulbert was critical in helping the National League survive its early years, but the stresses led to his early death at age 49 in 1882. However, while he helped bring prominence to the National League, he also made enemies with other teams, who found his cutthroat methods to be tyrannical. He had prohibited Sunday games and the selling of alcoholic beverages, and expelled the Cincinnati Reds from the National League (no relation to the current Reds), following earlier expulsions of teams from New York and Philadelphia. Not coincidentally, executives from these cities met in 1881 to form the American Association, the first competing league. They offered cheaper prices and the sale of alcohol. The American Association eventually gained enough prominence that the league champion would face the champion of the National League in a "World's Series." However, the American Association still played at a lower level than the National League team, as evidenced by the fact they won only one World's Series. Several prominent American Association teams eventually made the jump to the National League.
The players were also incensed by the reserve clause. While the reserve clause was crucial for the clubs to keep from losing their star players, they also diminished the earning power of the players, especially after owners realized they could use the reserve clause to suppress salaries. In 1885, John Montgomery Ward decided to do something about it. He was a star player who both played the infield and pitched, and was even the second player to throw a perfect game back in 1880, possibly by using an illegal overhand delivery. He was also a newly minted lawyer, having gone through law school in the off-season. He created the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players. The Brotherhood served as the first player's union and were aimed at gaining some rights back to the players. The National League owners met with the Brotherhood but refused to negotiate. In retaliation, the Brotherhood broke off and formed the nine-team Player's League in 1890. They attracted some of the best players from the National League and American Association. However, with three competing leagues at the same time the Player's League was unable to remain tenable financially and ended up folding after one year. The American Association would shut its door after one more year, leaving the National League as the sole Major League.
There was yet another Major League back in 1884. That year St. Louis millionaire Henry Lucas was such a big fan of baseball he formed his own baseball league named the Union Association with 11 other owners. He was able to sign all of the best players and his team dominated the standings. The league folded after one year.
Even with the establishment of professional leagues, there were still modifications to the rule. A lot of it came with the realm of pitching. Early on pitchers still had to pitch the ball underhand, and they threw from a flat box 45 feet away. This was extended to 50 feet in 1881, 55 feet in 1887, and finally to 60 feet 6 inches in 1893. That year the box was also replaced with a raised mound, and a pitching rubber was placed that the pitcher must maintain contact with during his windup. Pitchers were finally able to legally throw overhand in 1884 although that rule was rarely enforced even beforehand. Early on batters were highly encouraged to put the ball in play and it took nine balls to force a walk. This was eventually decreased to the current four in 1889. However, foul balls were not considered strikes until 1901 and hitters adept with the bat can extend their at-bat long enough to force the walk. There were some cosmetic changes as well. Early on home plate was a square instead of a pentagon, and fielders generally fielded without gloves, not because it was against the rules but because fielders that used gloves were seen as sissies. There was often only one umpire in a game, and the Player's League decision to use two in 1890 was seen as a revolution. Baseball rosters were generally limited to 12 to 15, and teams carried only two pitchers at most. Pitchers often had to work every other day and sometimes every day if the other moundsman was hurting. It was under these conditions that the earlier 300-game winners
The Near-Misses
As I explained earlier, the concept of the pitching win wasn't formulated back when the National League began in 1876. Even when the stat was created it was left largely to the sportswriters and the scorers. Pitchers were focused on helping the team win. As such, the fact that players mostly completed the games they started it was fairly easy for modern historians to go back and assign wins and losses to pitchers. They found the known 300-game winners that we will cover shortly, and they also found several players that flamed out or retired before they could get to the coveted mark, not that it was very coveted back in 1900. Case in point Bobby Mathews. He was a star pitcher for the New York National Association team. He was at 141 wins when the New York franchise was invited to join the National League. The New York team was one that was expelled for not completing their schedule, but Mathews jumped around and won 60 games with four teams in the National League. Then he signed with the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association and won 106 games. When all of the wins were tallied up, he had 297 wins. The official statisticians for Major League Baseball credit him with only 166 because they don't include his National Association wins, but for our intents and purposes we do, and he remains the pitcher closest to the 300-win mark that didn't get it. While Mathews was a star pitcher, the title of the best pitcher for the National Association goes to Albert Goodwill Spalding. Pitching for Boston he led the Association in wins every year. Then he jumped to Chicago in the National League and led the league in wins again. He won one game for the White Stockings in 1877, and gave up pitching to play on the field. Then he gave up playing to become an executive. He leaves behind a legacy that includes 252 wins as a pitcher (although only 48 were credited by Major League Baseball.
Tony Mullane was a popular pitcher that toiled mostly for Cincinnati in the American Association. At one point it was thought that he had passed the 300-win plateau. When the 300 win milestone was reached in 1941, the New York Times credited Mullane as one of the pitchers that had already joined the club. Alas, a more careful recalculation leaves Mullane with only 284 wins. What likely kept him from getting that elusive 300th win was a labor battle. Mullane was always looking for the highest bidder, and in 1883 he signed and played with the St. Louis Browns of the American Association. Henry Lucas of the Union Association was looking to sign Mullane for 1884, but the new Toledo Blue Stockings got Mullane instead. Browns owner Chris von der Ahe agreed to the signing, as he figured the Toledo team wouldn't last long. Mullane pitched in Toledo in 1884 but as expected the Toledo team was terrible and the franchise folded. Von der Ahe was looking forward to having Mullane back especially after getting a verbal agreement, but Mullane signed with the Cincinnati Reds instead. von der Ahe was not so generous this time, and went straight to the Association's governing body. The Association ruled that the Reds could keep Mullane, but that Mullane violated the agreement and suspended him for 1885. That year-long suspension kept him from getting to 300 wins, as he won 36 games in 1884 and 33 game in 1886. Mullane also openly admitted to hating blacks and crossing up Moses Fleetwood Walker, his catcher in Toledo just because Fleet was black. So he doesn't get any sympathy from me.
Jim McCormick was the ace of the Cleveland Blues, and in 1884 jumped to Cincinnati in the Union Association and won the Union Association's only ERA title. He won 30 games in 1886 after the Unions folded, but he was done after the 1887 season at the age of 30 with 265 wins. He reportedly left to raise his daughter as a single father after his wife died from tuberculosis. However, his final season was also his worst in the Majors. There have been fans trying to rally support for him to get into the Hall of Fame, for which he would be eminently qualified. Gus Weyhing got his start with the Philadelphia franchise in the American Association. He struggled mightily after the pitching rubber was moved to 60 feet and 6 inches, but he continued to pitch and lasted into the 1900s. He his career ended with 264 wins. Amos Rusie was one of the hardest throwers in the National League in the 1890s and led the league in strikeouts five times. He also burned out at the age of 27 in 1898 and retired with only 246 wins. Clark Griffith would make a name for himself as owner of the Washington franchise in the 20th century, but in the 19th century he was a star pitcher for the Chicago National League team. He would end his career with 237 wins. Tommy Bond led the league in wins in back to back seasons in 1877-1878 and still has the highest strikeout to walk ratio among retired pitchers, although it did come when it took nine balls for a walk. His career cratered after his age-24 season and his only remaining wins came in the Union Association, leaving him with 234. Charlie Buffinton was one of the early aces of the Boston Beaneaters in 1880s. He then went on to the Philadelphia Quakers and had a few good years. He was done at 31 with 233 wins. Will White still holds the all-time record for most outs recorded in a season with 2,040 (680 innings),. All of that pitching did a number on him and he had to switch to the American Association to keep his career afloat. He was done at 31 with 229 wins. Bob Caruthers was another star for the American Association, and his winning percentage of .688 remains one of the highest of all time. He was also done at the age of 28 with 218 wins. Silver King was a star with the American Association and had a good year with the Player's League, winning the only ERA title there. He tried to make the jump to the National League but never find the same success. He was done at age 29 with 203 wins. Jack Stivetts also got his start with the American Association, but he was able to pitch well in the National League even after the mound was moved back. He still got his last win at age 29, his 203rd.
Pud Galvin - September 4, 1888
365 wins
Born: December 25, 1856 in St. Louis, MO
Died: March 7, 1902 in Pittsburgh, PA
Height: 5'8" Weight: 190 lbs officially, but may have been as high as 250 lbs
Other Stats: 310 losses, 2.85 ERA, 107 ERA+, 6003.3 innings, 1807 strikeouts, 57 shutouts, 83.3 pitching bWAR, 36.5 pitching bWAA, 67.7 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1965
Teams: St. Louis Brown Stockings (NA) (1875), Buffalo Bisons (NL) (1879-1885), Pittsburgh Alleghenys (AA) (1885-1886), Pittsburgh Alleghenys / Pirates (NL) (1887-1889, 1891-1892), Pittsburgh Burghers (PL) (1890), St. Louis Cardinals (NL) (1892)
Wins: 4 (1875), 37 (1879), 20 (1880), 28 (1881), 28 (1882), 46 (1883), 46 (1884), 16 (1885), 29 (1886), 28 (1887), 23 (1888), 23 (1889), 12 (1890), 15 (1891), 10 (1892)
300 Win Game Final Score: Pittsburgh Alleghenys 5, Indianapolis Hoosiers 4
James Francis Galvin was one of baseball's earliest fireballers. His fastball was so fast that it reportedly turned batters into "pudding," which eventually led to the nickname of "Pud" by which he is best known. Galvin was a popular player among fans and teammates due to his genial nature, but never did get the acclaim awarded some of the other pitchers of his time. He toiled mostly for second division teams, and was never really in the spotlight. What really set Pud Galvin apart was his longevity. He was able to continue pitching long after most of his peers burned out. He made 688 starts, the most by any pitcher that played in the 19th century with their two-man rotations, and he still ranks second all time with his 646 complete games and his 6,003.3 innings pitched. This led to him claiming the title of becoming the winningest pitcher among those that pitched exclusively in the 19th century. Galvin's success can be contributed to him relying primarily on his fastball. His hands were so small that he couldn't throw breaking balls, which upset him early in his career but may have ultimately contributed to his longevity as he avoided the pitches that put strain on his arm. He was able to get by with his elite velocity as well as his pinpoint command. He also defended his position well, and had a solid pick-off move to nab unsuspecting runners. These factors combined with the early start to his career helped him to claim the title of the first man to reach 300 wins.
Galvin was born in St. Louis on Christmas Day in 1856, the son of Irish immigrants. He lived in the poorer section of town and early in his life he trained to become a steamfitter, a blue-collar job responsible for the installation of pipes. He threw the baseball in his free time, and had the ability to throw the sphere faster than most of his peers. Galvin pitched for a few semi-pro teams and as an 18-year-old he ultimately caught the eye of the St. Louis Brown Stockings, the local representative in the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players. The Brown Stockings needed somebody to fill in for pitcher George Bradley who was out with an injury. They felt the stocky teenager could do the trick. Galvin pitched well, and led the National Association with a 1.16 ERA that year, albeit in only eight games. He ceded to Bradley upon the older player's return. The National Association folded after that season after the top teams broke off to form the National League, but Galvin stayed behind and pitched for various minor league teams, starting in St. Louis. He jumped to Pittsburgh and then to Buffalo. The Buffalo team won the minor league crown in 1878, and made the jump to the National League in 1879. With that move Galvin's major league career really began.
Galvin was Buffalo's primary pitcher from 1879 to 1885, pitching in more than half of the team's games. He found out that the hitters and pitchers in the National League were much stronger than the ones in the International Association where he had pitched previously. He saw his runs allowed totals increase dramatically and his run support decrease dramatically. The Buffalo Bisons managed to finish third in 1879, but plummeted to a distant seventh in 1880. They improved somewhat in 1881 and 1882, but never really challenged for the pennant. Galvin's winning percentage also went through the ups and downs. He had a fair 37-27 record that first year, but lost more than he won in 1880 before rebounding in 1882 and 1883. The National League increased their schedules to 98 games in 1883 and then to 115 in 1884. Galvin's workload increased dramatically. He led the National League in games and innings pitched in 1883 as he won a career high 46 games. He was even better in 1884 as he matched his 46 wins in fewer games. He kept his earned run average below 2.00 while shutting out opponents 12 times. Almost 130 years later the website Baseball Reference created a formula to determine the amount of wins a pitcher contributed to over a pitcher of replacement level. Their formula showed Galvin's 1884 season was the best in a single season of all-time. However, writers in the 1880s didn't care about that and Galvin's performance was overshadowed by other pitchers, and Buffalo fell short of the pennant in both years. Galvin felt the effects of his workload in 1885 and his performance collapsed. The Bisons did the same, and the team sold Galvin to the Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the American Association in an attempt to stay afloat. It didn't work out.
Galvin's struggles continued in Pittsburgh and his season ended early due to a sore arm. He rested his arm that off-season, and hoped his arm healed enough to keep pitching in 1886. He ended up having a bounce-back year as he teamed up together with staff ace Ed Morris to keep the Alleghenys to make a late run for the American Association pennant after a slow start to begin the season. The Alleghenys ended up finishing second to the powerhouse St. Louis Browns. However, Kansas City Cowboys franchise folded after one season in the National League, and a spot opened up. The Alleghenys were invited to join the league. They accepted the invitation, and Galvin found himself back in the National League. Galvin held his own with an above-average ERA, but Morris struggled mightily and the Alleghenys found themselves in sixth place with a 55-69 record. Pittsburgh was hoping for a better result in 1888, but they stumbled out of the gate and found themselves back into sixth place by the end of May. Galvin in particular struggled and had a horrendous 5-17 record through mid-July. He had a successful August, but still lost more than he won when he and the team went into Indianapolis in early September.
The Alleghenys may have been out of the race, but they were at least in striking distance of a .500 record. Their opponents the Indianapolis Hoosiers were not quite as successful. The Hoosiers were once upon a time the St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association. They were owned by Henry Lucas who also presided over the outlaw league, and through some underhanded methods he was able to acquire the best talent, and the Maroons won the pennant with ease. The Union Association folded after the 1884 season, but the Maroons were invited to the National League. They had a rude awakening and struggled mightily against the tougher competition, finishing last in 1885 and sixth in 1886. Unable to keep the team afloat Lucas sold the team to John Brush, who would eventually become the owner of the Giants, but on this occasion was taking over for a floundering franchise. He moved the team to Indianapolis where they became the Hoosiers. They played their home games at Athletic Park, also known as Tinker Park, but their new environment didn't improve their play, and they were in dead last when the Alleghenys came to town. It was an uninspiring match-up between two teams that were all but mathematically eliminated from the pennant. The two teams played a double-header on September 3, with Galvin suffering a mortifying loss in the first game. Ed Morris picked the team up with a 10-inning win in the nightcap. The next day Galvin was given the ball again for an opportunity to redeem himself. His opponent was 26-year-old Henry Boyle, a native of Philadelphia who was the only player on the Hoosiers who was around for the glory days in the Union Association. He had pitched well in the National League and even led the league in ERA in 1886, but he was done in by poor fielding and even worse run support and found himself with more losses than he had wins.
Back in the 1880s the home teams were allowed to choose to hit first or second. Many times they chose to hit first just because they got the first whack at the baseball before it became deformed by that day's play. Indianapolis chose to hit first, and they got to Galvin in the first. Veterans Paul Hines and Jerry Denny led off the game with singles, and then Emmett Seery brought them both home with a double. It was not an auspicious beginning for the veteran hurler, but Galvin managed to get out of the inning without any further damage. The Alleghenys were able to cut the lead in half in their time at bat. Second baseman Pop Smith singled with two outs, and then stole second. He was followed by first baseman Jake Beckley. Beckley was a 20-year-old rookie from Hannibal, Missouri, but he was already dazzling the league with his strong bat, for which he would eventually gain the nickname "Eagle Eye." Beckley took Boyle's offering and lifted it beyond Indianapolis's outfielders and it went for a triple. He was only 90 feet from tying the game, but left fielder Abner Dalrymple made an out and Beckley was stranded at third. Pittsburgh got it done in the second with some help from the Hoosiers. Light-hitting utility man Al Maul was making a rare start in center field. He hit a ground ball towards second baseman Denny that the veteran couldn't handle cleanly, and Maul was safe at first. Denny made another error on a later play along with the normally sure-handed shortstop Jack Glasscock, and Maul found himself scoring the game-tying run without the benefit of a single base hit.
After two scoreless innings, the Hoosiers took the lead again in the fifth. Pitcher Boyle led off with a single. Hines doubled to put runners on second and third. Denny atoned for his error in the second with a sacrifice fly to score Boyle. Hines took third on the play, and scored with another sacrifice fly by Seery. The 1,400 Indianapolis faithfuls hoped Boyle could hold the lead, but it was not to be. Catcher George "Doggie" Miller singled, and he was followed by another single by right fielder John Coleman. Boyle then lost it. He uncorked two wild pitches his catcher George Myers couldn't handle, and Miller came around to score the Huge Run. Pop Smith made an out, but Beckley delivered with another hit and the game was tied. The game remained tied in the sixth, but in the seventh "Eagle Eye" delivered with his fourth hit of the game. Beckley ran for second, and in his haste Myers threw the ball into center field. Center fielder Hines struggled to find the ball, dark and misshapen after seven innings of play. By the time he got it back into the infield Beckley was home with the go-ahead run. Galvin didn't have any problems getting the last six outs and Pittsburgh won the game. It was a good comeback performance for Galvin. He had only one strikeout and allowed nine hits, but his fielders had his back with two double plays and held the Hoosiers to only four runs. He also contributed to the Pittsburgh offense with two hits. Hard luck loser Boyle had a magnificent day on the field with 11 assists, tied for the most by a pitcher in a single game, but he was done in by his team's five errors. It was the 18th time the Alleghenys won with Galvin on the mound, not that anybody cared at the time. 20th century researchers found that Galvin's teams won 278 times with him on the mound from 1879 to 1887. He also had four wins with the St. Louis Brown Stockings of the National Association in 1875, giving him 282 going into the 1888 season. That 18th win would put him right at 300, but there was no mention in the papers, who just commented on the Hoosiers' sloppy fielding and Beckley's strong day at the plate.
Galvin finished the 1888 season with a 23-25 record. He was struggling again in 1889, and in his efforts to rejuvenate his career he decided to become a guinea pig for a historic experiment. Charles Brown-Sequard was a famed neuro-physiologist who had accomplished much in his career. He studied patients suffering from paralysis and was the first to describe the symptoms seen in the hemisection of a spinal cord. Later in his life he became interested in the study of the new field of endocrinology, and proposed the existence of chemicals, now recognized as hormones, released into the blood with effects elsewhere in the body. He hypothesized that testicles secreted the chemicals for masculinity, and created an elixir made out of animal testicles that he proposed can be used to boost men's vitality. Galvin received this new miracle elixir on August 12, and two day later he tossed a shutout against the Boston Beaneaters. It was praised as an example of the success of Brown-Sequard's miracle potion, although Galvin still ended up with his weakest season with a then career-high 4.17 ERA. In 1890 Galvin made the jump to the outlaw Player's League and pitched for the Pittsburgh franchise, but his performance was even more mediocre. He returned to the Pittsburgh National League franchise, now called the Pirates because of their "pirating" a player from an American Association team. He pitched better, but he was the third-string starter and went only 15-14. He returned for another season in Pittsburgh in 1892, but on June 14 he was traded back to his hometown St. Louis Browns, once the crowning franchise in the American Association but was now trying to stay out of the National League cellar after joining the league following the demise of the AA. Galvin pitched decently for his new team, but made it into only 12 games as the team chose to give more starts to younger pitchers.
Galvin was ready to keep pitching, but teams were not interested. He was already somewhat on the stocky side during his career, but he was not good at keeping himself in shape and his weight had jumped to over 250 pounds. He pitched in the minor leagues as late as 1894, but he was never able to get back into the Major Leagues. Galvin returned to Pittsburgh after his career concluded. He tried his hands on various jobs. He was a National League umpire in 1895, but found the job to be excruciatingly thankless. He owned a saloon, but he had poor business sense and ended up bankrupt. He spent his later years in poverty, and died in 1902 of a condition known as "catarrh of the stomach," now thought to be gastritis. He was buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Pittsburgh. He exploits were forgotten for over 60 years after his death, but researchers studying eventually rediscovered his accomplishments, and he was voted into the Hall of Fame, and rightly recognized as the first man to win 300 games.
Tim Keefe - June 4, 1890
342 wins
Born: January 1, 1857 in Cambridge, MA
Died: April 23, 1933 in Cambridge, MA
Height: 5'10" Weight: 185 lbs
Other Stats: 225 losses, 2.63 ERA, 126 ERA+, 5049.6 innings, 2564 strikeouts, 57 shutouts, 88.8 pitching bWAR, 50.9 pitching bWAA, 76.5 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1964
Teams: Troy Trojans (NL) (1880 - 1882), New York Metropolitans (AA) (1883-1884), New York Gotham / Giants (NL) (1885-1889, 1891), New York Giants (PL) (1890), Philadelphia Phillies (NL) (1891-1893)
Wins: 6 (1880), 18 (1881), 17 (1882), 41 (1883), 37 (1884), 32 (1885), 42 (1886), 35 (1887), 35 (1888), 28 (1889), 17 (1890), 5 (1891), 19 (1892), 10 (1893)
300 Win Game Final Score: New York Giants 9, Boston Reds 4
Timothy John Keefe established himself as one of the top pitchers in the National League. He was highly intelligent possessed a keen mind for the game and was a consistent winner even without one of the top fastballs in the game. He was a strategist and always strove to find the upper hand in the battle between him and the batters he faced. He was one of the first pitchers to find success with changing speeds on his pitches, and through his devastating "slow ball" he became one of the most prolific strikeout pitchers in the 19th century. He led the league in strikeouts twice and had three 300-strikeout seasons. His 2,564 strikeouts were the most by any pitchers in the 19th century, and it was 15 years after he threw his last pitch before the record was broken. He also managed to keep his ERA better than 26% of the league average ERA despite throwing over 5,000 innings. He won acclaim with his fellow players for the way he carried himself in a gentlemanly manner both on and off the field. He received less acclaim for his role in the unsuccessful but important attempts to form a union and secure rights for players.
Keefe was born on New Year's Day in 1857 just outside Boston. While he was listed as being born in Cambridge as that was where his Irish immigrant parents lived, there is some evidence that he was actually born in the nearby town of Somerville. As a child he was interested in game of baseball. His father Patrick was a hard man who suffered a lot when he was fighting in the Civil War with the Union army. Several of his brothers (and Tim's uncles) died, and he was held as a prisoner of war for several years. When Patrick was finally freed he disproved of his young son wasting his time on such a childish endeavor. He preferred that young Timothy spend his time learning math and science and becoming an engineer, and would often resort to corporal punishment whenever he caught his son with a bat and ball. Timothy tried to follow in his father's footsteps as a carpenter, but the stress got to him and he eventually ran away from home to pursue his baseball dreams.
Keefe bounced around several different minor league franchises in 1878 and 1879, following them as they either relocated or folded. He was a successful pitcher and that made him an attractive target for teams needing pitchers. He pitched a couple of exhibition games against major league teams and caught the eyes of their managers. He eventually signed with the Troy Trojans in 1880. He pitched in 12 games and tossed 105 innings. He allowed only ten earned runs in those 105 innings, which works out to an ERA of 0.86, which still ranks as the best ERA by a qualifying pitcher. However, the Trojans were the smallest team in the National League and couldn't give Keefe much support, so he went 6-6. Keefe was hoping to take his successful year and sign with a bigger team that could give him support, but that was when he became aware of the horrors that was the reserve clause. Troy reserved its right on Keefe and he was forced to settle for a low salary. He became one of the first players to refuse to sign a contract a year later, but with no negotiating power he was forced to settle again. The Trojans were mediocre, and Keefe had a 41-59 record despite an above-average ERA. His final win with Troy came on September 28, 1882 against the last place Worcester Ruby Legs in front of only six paying customers, a dubious attendance record that stood for 132 years.
The Trojans were forced out of the National League after the 1882 season, allowing their former players to freely negotiate with other franchises of the National League and the American Association, which was entering its second year. Keefe was finally able to negotiate and signed a hefty salary with John Day, owner of both the new New York Gothams in the National League and the New York Metropolitans in the American Association. Keefe was assigned to the Metropolitans. Keefe was the ace, and he had himself a fantastic year. He pitched in 68 games and went 41-27 while leading the league with 359 strikeouts. A year later Keefe went 37-17 and helped the Metropolitans to the American Association pennant. He took part in the first World's Series between the AA champion and the NL champion. He pitched in Games 1 and 2, but lost to the Providence Grays in both games to lose the best of three match. Day quickly realized that Keefe was too good to waste on the American Association and transferred him to the National League team for the 1885 season. Instead of folding to stronger competition, Keefe excelled. He led the league with a 1.58 ERA and helped the team remain in the pennant race all year. They lost the pennant, but gained a new nickname: the Giants.
Keefe remained a formidable pitcher from 1886-1889, going 140-64 with a 2.67 ERA and 1046 strikeouts while helping to lead the Giants to pennant and World's Series titles in 1888 and 1889. He was the inspiration for the pitcher in Ernest Lawrence Thayer's poem "Casey at the Bat." He set an in-season record with 19 straight wins in 1888. However, he was getting tired of the reserve clause, which limited his ability to increase his salary despite his great success. He was teammates in New York with John Montgomery Ward, who taught him about the unfair practices by the owners. When Ward formed the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players in 1885, Keefe was there as treasurer-secretary. He continued to hold out for higher salaries, and after a bitter 1889 season he and Ward and the rest of the Brotherhood made plans to make a radical change in baseball.
The Players League was formed as an alternative to the National League and American Association in 1890. Keefe joined the New York Players League team, also known as the Giants, served on the Board of Directors of the new league, and he supplied the baseballs and uniforms for the Players League teams through the sporting goods business he started with former Metropolitans teammate Buck Becannon. He was banking on the fact that the Player's League would usher in a new utopia where players could earn what they deserve. They certainly had the best players, having attracted some of the best ones from the National League and the American Association. The Player's League Giants had numerous stars, including catcher William "Buck" Ewing, right fielder Jim O'Rourke, and first baseman Roger Connor, who held the all-time home run record for 23 years. Keefe shared pitching duties with Buck's brother John, Ed Crane, and Hank O'Day, who would come to make his name as an umpire. It was a formidable team, and one that Keefe and manager Ewing hope would bring a third straight title to New York.
June 4, 1890 was a hot day even in New York. The Giants were locked in a tight pennant race with the Boston Reds and Brooklyn Ward's Wonders, named after manager John Montgomery Ward. They were in third as they played a rubber match against the first-place Reds. The Reds had their own set of stars, including first baseman Dan Brouthers and the popular Michael "King" Kelly. The Giants were behind in the standings, but the game would be played on their home field Brotherhood Park, located conveniently next to the National League Giant's home Polo Grounds. Keefe was starting for New York. He was matched up against the 22-year-old Michael J. "Kid" Madden, a diminutive left-hander from Portland, Maine who was making only his third start for the Reds. The Giants also lucked out as Kelly took the day off. The Giants pounced on the youngster. He walked the leadoff man and center fielder George Gore. Ewing followed with a single. Connor hit a long fly ball to left field that looked like it may fall for a base hit, but left fielder Hardy Richardson was able to make the catch. Gore wisely tagged up and ran to third. O'Rourke hit another fly ball to score Gore. Madden had a chance to get out of the inning, but walked second baseman Danny Richardson. That brought up second baseman Mike Slattery. Slattery singled, which drove in both Ewing and Richardson to give the Giants a giant 3-0 lead. The Giants added to their lead in the third when Ewing led off with a single. An error by Boston catcher Morgan Murphy gave Ewing an extra base, and that allowed him to score with Roger Connor's single. That hit marked the end of the day for young Kid Madden.
Madden was replaced by another 22-year-old youngster, Addison Courtney Gumbert, better known as "Ad." Gumbert allowed a single in the fourth but kept the Giants from scoring. In the fifth Gore singled again for his second hit of the game. Ewing made an out, but Gumbert walked Connor. He got O'Rourke again, but with another chance to get out of the inning Danny Richardson singled to drive in Gore for another run. Meanwhile Keefe was pitching well. The Reds had singles in the first two innings, but Keefe limited the damage and allowed no runs through four. Shortstop Arthur Irwin doubled down the left field line in the fifth that looked like it may have been foul but was ruled fair by one of the two umpires. Keefe managed to get second baseman Joe Quinn to make an out, but up stepped the opposing pitcher Ad Gumbert. Gumbert was a fairly good hitter for a pitcher, and he slashed a ball deep into the outfield. Irwin raced around to score the run while Gumbert made it all the way to third with a triple. Keefe managed to leave him there. The Giants gave him three more runs in the sixth. Third baseman Gil Hatfield doubled. Keefe couldn't get him home, but George Gore picked him up with his third hit of the day. Ewing followed with a walk. Gumbert was able to get a grounder that he thought he can handle, but he ended up throwing the ball away allowing both Gore and Ewing to score. Boston also scored three in the sixth. Right fielder Harry Stovey started out with a single. Keefe walked the next batter, Billy Nash. Stovey was a daring baserunner who would end up leading the Players League in stolen bases. He stole third base, although on this occasion he tore a hole in his pants leading to a moment of amusement. Brouthers brought him home with a sacrifice. Up next was catcher Murphy. He hit a grounder towards shortstop Dan Shannon, making his first start with the Giants after being acquired from the Philadephia Player's League team. Shannon threw the ball away, and Murphy was safe at first. Keefe threw a wild pitch and the runners moved up. Irwin made an out, but Keefe wasn't so lucky with Joe Quinn. Quinn's single put two runs on the board for the Reds. Afterwards Keefe bore down and got out of the inning. He didn't allow any more hits in the seventh and the eighth. The Giants added another run in the ninth when Shannon made up for his error with a triple, then Hatfield followed with an RBI single. The Reds got two hits in the ninth, but Keefe shut them down. It was an error-filled game, with Keefe making four of the errors, but none of his errors figured in the scoring. The 1,533 fans at Brotherhood Park got to see a stirring 9-4 win to move the Giants closer to first. They also got to see Tim Keefe win his 300th game, but they did not realize it at the time.
The Giants may have won the game, but they ultimately lost the Players League pennant to the Reds. Keefe suffered a broken finger on his pitching hand that effectively ended his season. The season ended with very good baseball being played, but as the two leagues were in direct competition with each other most of the teams ended up in the red. The Players League teams may have been better off than the National League teams, especially in New York. The Players League Giants were competitive while the National League Giants faltered and failed. The financial backers of the Players League Giants betrayed their players when they negotiated a merger with their National League counterparts. A keystone franchise in the Players League was gone, and the Players League soon followed. Keefe was devastated financially as he had expected the Players League to last at least three years, and as the chief supplier of balls and uniforms he had to absorb a lot of the losses. Keefe went back to pitching for the Giants, but he was still struggling with the stresses of his finances and his broken finger. His ERA soared to 5.24 and the Giants cut ties with him on July 21. He spent a few weeks considering his options before signing with the Philadelphia Phillies. Keefe pitched better with Philadelphia, but the Phillies were not very good. He had one last strong season in 1892 when he went 19-16 with a 2.36 ERA. The Phillies improved but still finished fourth.
The 1893 season marked a transition. The pitching box 55 feet away from home plate was replaced by the pitching rubber 60 feet 6 inches from the plate. Keefe tried to get accustomed to the new pitching distance, but was unsuccessful. He pitched in 22 games and had a 10-7 record, but his ERA rose to 4.40, which would be the second highest of his career, even if it was still above average. He asked for his release from the Phillies in the August, thereby ending his 14-year career. He was the all-time leader in strikeouts, and while people didn't know it his 342 wins were only behind Galvin. Keefe was still trying to pay off debts suffered from the Players League failure. He worked as a National League umpire while coaching for Harvard in the off-season. He found the life as an umpire to be humiliating and resigned after 1896, preferring to umpire in minor leagues. He was hoping to last longer as a college baseball coach, but to his shock he was given the pink slip. Keefe retired to Cambridge and got into the real estate business while caring for his mother and unmarried sisters. Keefe would attend Red Sox games at Fenway Park and watched games in relative anonymity. He lived to be 76 before dying of heart failure in 1933. It would be another 31 years before his accomplishments were recognized with admittance to the Hall of Fame, but his legacy will live on.
Mickey Welch - August 11, 1890
307 wins
Born: July 4, 1859 in Brooklyn, NY
Died: July 30, 1941 in Concord, NH
Height: 5'8" Weight: 160 lbs
Other Stats: 210 losses, 2.71 ERA, 113 ERA+, 4802.0 innings, 1850 strikeouts, 41 shutouts, 63.6 pitching bWAR, 24.4 pitching bWAA, 58.6 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1973
Teams: Troy Trojans (NL) (1880 - 1882), New York Gothams / Giants (NL) (1883-1892)
Wins: 34 (1880), 21 (1881), 14 (1882), 25 (1883), 39 (1884), 44 (1885), 33 (1886), 22 (1887), 26 (1888), 27 (1889), 17 (1890), 5 (1891), 0 (1892)
300 Win Game Final Score: New York Giants 3, Brooklyn Bridegrooms 0
Michael Francis Welch was never blessed with a commanding fastball or event decent control. He was listed at an un-intimidating 5'8", a fact that Giants broadcasters joked about 117 years after his career ended. He was a jovial man who made friends with opposing hitters instead of striking fear in them. He still found ways to get hitters out consistently through constant tinkering with his pitches, eventually developing a devastating breaking pitch he called the "in-shoot" but is now more akin to the screwball. And he would study the hitters' tendencies and target their weaknesses. Welch went against the grain for most of his career. In an era where most players wore big, bushy mustaches, Welch chose to remain clean shaven. In an era where most players found ways to bend the rules, Welch was friendly and fair. In an era where players frequently caroused with women, Welch married his sweetheart and remained together for over 50 years. And in an era where players grumbled about their contracts and fought with avaricious owners, Welch made friends with them and had a strong working relationship with his employers. That closeness with the owners would eventually ostracize him from other players late in his career, but for most of the 1880s Smiling Mickey Welch was one of the best and most popular pitchers, and became the third man to win 300 games.
Mickey Welch was Christened Michael Francis Walsh when he was born on the Fourth of July 1859. He was the son of Irish immigrants living in the borough of Brooklyn. The family eventually took on the Scottish surname "Welch" to avoid discrimination against Irish immigrants that was rampant in the 1850s and 1860s. Michael would eventually adopt this last name, but he never forgot his Irish heritage. Brooklyn was the home of several top baseball teams and he picked up the game himself. He started his minor league career at the age of 18 when he pitched and played in the outfield with a minor league team in Poughkeepsie in 1877. He moved on to play Auburn and then to Holyoke, Massachusetts. While in Holyoke he caught the eye of manager Bob Ferguson, who managed an opposing team. Ferguson filed the youngster in his memory banks when he left Springfield to become the manager of the National League's Troy Trojans. The 1879 Trojans finished in dead last, and he was tasked with trying to improve the club for 1880. Ferguson remembered the diminutive pitcher with Holyoke, and convinced his owners to dump the existing pitchers and sign the little Irishman from Holyoke. Mickey Welch's Major League team was about to begin.
Welch was the primary pitcher for the Trojans in 1880. He pitched in all but seven of the team's 47 games through the end of July, a manageable workload as the team played no more than four games a week. Welch was fairly effective as he was 21-19 in those 40 games as the Trojans were in fifth place. Ferguson did not want to overwork his young ace and tried to find another starter that would take the load off, but the two he found were terrible and combined for a 1-6 record with a combined 7.69 ERA. In desperation he signed a young right-hander named Timothy Keefe. Keefe pitched wonderfully, and he would team up with Mickey Welch to become one of the most formidable pitching tandems in the 1880s. Welch finished the 1880 season as the primary pitcher as the Trojans ended up in fourth place. He took a backseat to Keefe in 1881 and 1882, but had a little bit more success in the win-loss column, as his 35-34 record outshone Keefe's 35-53. Keefe's 2.88 ERA was better than Welch's 3.01, but people only noticed the fact the Trojans lost more when Keefe was on the mound than Welch. The Trojans were handed their death sentence in the middle of the 1882 season, but they still had to finish out the year. Welch was given the ball in the team's final game, when he beat the Worcester Ruby Legs 10-7 in front of only 25 fans.
In the off-season Welch chose to remain in New York when he signed with John Day, who owned both the National League New York Gothams and American Association New York Metropolitans. Day wanted the Gothams to be the premiere franchise, so he assigned Welch to the Gothams along with former Troy teammates Buck Ewing and Roger Connor. Despite the star talent that also included John Montgomery Ward, acquired from the Providence Grays to serve as Welch's backup, the Gothams finished a disappointing sixth. Welch went 25-23 with an above-average 2.73 ERA. A year later the Gothams improved to fourth with Welch going 39-21, but had to watch as their American Association counterparts Metropolitans took the American Association crown. John Day was unhappy with the arrangement, and blamed the fact that there were no good starters to back up Mickey. He changed all that when he arranged for Tim Keefe and manager Jim Mutrie to be transferred from the Metropolitans to the Gothams
With Keefe and Welch back together, the Gothams became one of the best teams in the National League. Welch had his best year in 1885, going 44-11 with a 1.66 ERA while the Gothams were in the running for the pennant until October. The team's performance led manager Mutrie to dub the team "My Giants," a nickname which stuck. Welch had some arm and back problems that limited his effectiveness in 1886 and 1887 as the Giants slipped in the standings, but he was back at full strength in 1888. He pitched brilliantly, going 26-19 with a 1.93 ERA. His teammate Keefe was even better, going 35-12 with a 1.74 ERA. Together they helped the Giants to first place by the end of July, and they never looked back. A year later the Giants repeated as champions in a much tighter race as Welch contributed with 27 wins.
The 1889-90 off-season eventually became the winter of Welch's discontent. Welch had a good relationship with owner Day, but his teammates Ward and Keefe were busy planning to organize their own league, the Players League. When Day heard about the plans for the split, he offered handsome contracts to his players. While most players rejected this new contract, Welch wasted no time to accept. He had no qualms in admitting he was in it for the money. Welch was only two players to return to the National League Giants, who were noticeably weaker than in years past. Day did luck out in that the Indianapolis Hoosiers had folded after the 1889 season. He was able to sign several players, including shortstop Jack Glasscock and young fireballer Amos Rusie, along with the rookie outfielder Jesse Burkett who was under contract with the Hoosiers but never played in a game. Nevertheless, the Giants suffered in both the standings and the box office when the season started, having to compete with not only the Players League Giants but also three teams in Brooklyn.
In fact the Brooklyn Bridegrooms of the National League were in first place when they arrived in the Polo Grounds in mid-August. The Bridegrooms had made the jump from the American Association after taking the AA pennant in 1889. They had a powerful team that performed well in both pitching and offense. They claimed the first game when William H. "Adonis" Terry shut down the Giants on August 9. Terry had been a key starter for Brooklyn since they entered the American Association in 1884. By 1890 he was sharing pitching duties with Tom Lovett and Bob Caruthers, but when the two teams met again on August 11 it was Terry on the mound again. On the mound for New York was Smiling Mickey Welch. Welch was not the pitcher he once was, and had lost more than he won as pitching duties for the Giants had largely fallen on the young Amos Rusie, but Rusie had pitched on the 9th and manager Mutrie chose to send his veteran out for the middle game. The game was reasonably tight early on, and neither team had scored in the first five innings. The Giants had did a little bit more damage. Catcher Artie Clarke made it to third on a walk, a stolen base, and a sacrifice in the first, but he was stranded there. The Bridegrooms threatened in the fourth, when Welch lost his control and walked first baseman Dave Foutz and the pitcher Terry with two outs. Catcher Tom Daly grounded to third baseman Jerry Denny. Foutz was running on the play and made it to third. Denny managed to deke the runner by faking to throw to first. Foutz tried to scamper home but Denny threw him out easily.
The Giants finally came through in their half of the sixth inning. Catcher Clarke double to center with one out. Glasscock followed with a single that sent Clarke to third, but Brooklyn center fielder Patsy Donovan kept Clarke from scoring. Glasscock took second on the throw home. Next up was George McMillian, a Canadian making his Major League debut and playing right field. He had struck out in the first to end the threat, and this time in the sixth he struck out again and it seemed like Terry can get out of the inning. It was up to first baseman Lew Whistler to get the run in, which he did with an infield single to third. The Bridegrooms threatened in their half of the sixth when Foutz singled, stole second and made it to third on a throwing error. However, he was stranded. The Giants went to work again in the seventh. Left fielder Joe Hornung led off with a single, and third baseman Denny followed with another single. Welch came up with runners on first and second with no outs. He was a pretty good hitter in his career, and on this occasion he singled, although it was not deep enough to score the runner. Still, the Giants had the bases loaded and had their power hitter Mike Tiernan up to bat. Tiernan was the only player besides Welch to return to the National League Giants. The Giants were thankful he did as he had a fearsome swing that would help him lead the National League in home runs in 1890 and 1891. He did not get a home run in this case, but he did single to drive home Hornung and Denny. Clarke followed with a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third. Glasscock hit a grounder to Brooklyn third baseman George Pinkney. Welch thought he could sneak home on the throw to first, but Pinkney threw home instead, and Welch was thrown out like Foutz in the fourth. Nevertheless, the Giants had themselves a 3-0 lead.
The Bridegrooms put up another threat in the seventh. Welch continued to have difficulty with his control and walked Caruthers, playing left field in this game, as well as Patsy Donovan. Right fielder Bob Clark sacrificed to put runners on second and third, but second baseman Hub Collins made an out and the rally was over. In the eighth, Foutz doubled with one out, but he was tagged out on a grounder by Terry to third baseman Denny. Denny couldn't throw to first in time for the double play. Welch walked Daly for his seventh walk of the game, but shortstop Germany Smith struck out to end the eighth. The Bridegrooms had one last shot in the ninth. Donovan made it to first following an error by third baseman Denny. However, after an out by Clark, Denny made up for the error by catching the foul ball hit by Collins. The Giants had themselves a 3-0 lead. Only 904 fans made it to watch the thrilling game, not unusual. Welch overcame seven walks by limiting Brooklyn to three hits, and had the 40th shutout of his career.
The rest of the year was rough for Welch and the Giants. Welch sprained his leg in his next start and had to leave early. He came back and pitched a few games and didn't pitch all that badly, including a 1-0 shutout victory on August 29, but he pitched only once in September. The Giants limped to a sixth place finish in the standings and attendance. This was devastating for owner Day especially with all the money he invested. He called for a truce with his Players League counterparts, and negotiated a buyout with the Players League owners taking control of the franchise. Most of the stars from the Players League Giants returned to their National League counterpart including Welch's longtime friend Keefe. They were upset at the failure of the Players League, and were none too happy with their old friend Welch for sticking with the National League even as a member of the Brotherhood. Welch was also unhappy, although for an entirely different reason. He was only a shadow of his former self. He went only 5-7 while his ERA soared to a career high 4.28. He was under contract for 1892, but he got in only one game, on May 17 against the Baltimore Orioles. He allowed nine runs in five innings. The Giants rallied to give him a no-decision, but he was released shortly afterward and his Major League career was over.
Welch continued to toil in the minor leagues in cities where he used to play, in Troy and Holyoke. He struggled when the pitching rubber was moved to 60 feet 6 inches in 1893, even against minor league hitters. That convinced him to call it a career. He remained in Holyoke, where he became a member of the Elks Lodge. He also took in games in Boston, where he sometimes watched with his old friend and rotation mate Tim Keefe. He was also invited to return to his beloved Giants by manager John McGraw to serve as a ballpark attendant in Polo Grounds. Welch entertained baseball fans in the bleachers with his sunny personality and his endless supply of baseball stories. Welch served as a pallbearer at the funeral of his old friend Keefe in 1933. Two years later his beloved wife died as well. Welch remained active up to the 1941 season when he moved in with his grandson in Concord, New Hampshire. He had some pain in his left foot, and was diagnosed with gangrene. He eventually passed away on July 30 of that year, 51 years after he won his 300th game. By then the 300 win milestone was being celebrated, and Welch was recognized as one of one of the members. Despite this, it would take Welch another 22 years to gain Hall of Fame recognition. He would not be inducted until 1973, the last of the 19th century 300-game winners to be selected. Nevertheless for fans of 19th century players, Mickey and his Smiling legacy will live on.
Old Hoss Radbourn - May 14, 1891
309 wins
Born: December 11, 1854 in Rochester, NY
Died: February 5, 1897 in Bloomington, IL
Height: 5'9" Weight: 168 lbs
Other Stats: 194 losses, 2.68 ERA, 119 ERA+, 4527.3 innings, 1830 strikeouts, 35 shutouts, 73.1 pitching bWAR, 37.1 pitching bWAA, 71.3 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1939
Teams: Buffalo Bisons (NL) (1880), Providence Grays (NL) (1881-1885), Boston Beaneaters (NL) (1886-1889), Boston Reds (PL) (1890), Cincinnati Reds (NL) (1891)
Wins: 25 (1881), 33 (1882), 48 (1883), 59 (1884), 28 (1885), 27 (1886), 24 (1887), 7 (1888), 20 (1889), 27 (1890), 11 (1891)
300 Win Game Final Score: Cincinnati Reds 4, Brooklyn Grooms 0
While most of the accomplishments of 19th century pitchers became forgotten into the 20th century, there was one notable exception in Charles Gardner Radbourn. Even after his death in 1897 and the early years of the 20th century, Old Hoss Radbourn was celebrated as the king of the pitchers. He did not have the quickest fastball, nor did he have the sharpest curve. He just had the ability to put the ball where he knew the hitters won't make solid contact. He pitched with an easy, underhand motion even after most pitchers switched to pitching overhand. That helped him pitch day in and day out, which led to some of his greatest achievements, although it may also have ultimately shortened his career. While Radbourn could be sullen and intense, he was also filled with pride that kept him going even when others doubted him. This internal drive helped him reach the 300-win plateau even though he did not make his Major League until he was well past his 25th birthday.
Charles was born in Rochester, New York on December 11, 1854. His parents were immigrants from England. They moved west when Charlie was just an infant, to the state of Bloomington. Young Charlie enjoyed spending time in the great outdoors hunting and throwing. Bloomington was home to a semi-pro team, and Radbourn earned some money pitching for them in between his days in the slaughterhouse and as a brakeman on trains. He pitched in central Illinois for four seasons before signing with Dubuque in the Northwest League. He was fantastic as a pitcher and infielder, leading the team to the 1879 Northwest League pennant. His performance caught the eye of the National League's Buffalo Bisons. Buffalo expecting to pair him with Pud Galvin, but the rookie hurt his arm in spring training and never made it out to the pitcher's box. He returned to Bloomington, expecting his baseball career to be over, but his best friend convinced him to give baseball another try. Radbourn reported to Providence, and impressed fans and executives with his dizzying array of pitches. He burst onto the scene with a 25-11 record and led the league in won-loss percentage. The Grays finished the season in second place, although they were nine games behind the Chicago White Stockings. Radbourn was even better in 1882. He won 33 games and shared pitching duties with John Montgomery Ward. Radbourn had his premiere single-game performance on August 17 on the field. He homered off Detroit pitcher Stump Weidman in the bottom of the 18th in a scoreless game, and blasted a walk-off home run over the left field, his first Major League home run. Alas, after holding on to first place for much of the season, Providence faltered and fell to Chicago again. In 1883 Radbourn was even better, winning 48 games while doing the bulk of the pitching for the Grays. It didn't matter then but he had established a new benchmark for wins in a season. However, once again the Grays fell short of the pennant.
In 1884 the Grays got a new manager in Frank Bancroft, replacing Harry Wright who had gone to Philadelphia. Bancroft appreciated Radbourn's previous contributions, but Radbourn was almost 30, and his new manager wasn't sure if the team's former ace could withstand another season of pitching 600 innings. He promoted 21 year old Charlie Sweeney to be the primary pitcher. Radbourn was unhappy with the arrangement, but had no choice but to go along with it. He had suffered a lot in 1883 pitching 76 of the team's 98 games and was still having some arm pain. He smarted while the young Sweeney got all of the glory early on. When Sweeney himself suffered from arm pain in late June, Radbourn was asked to pitch in Sweeney's share of the games. He did so, but wanted Sweeney's share of the salary. The offer was refused, and Radbourn sulked. He pitched so poorly he found himself suspended in July. Sweeney was only just recovering. He left the team in the middle of a game, and unbeknownst to others was finalizing a contract with St. Louis of the Union Association. The Grays were at a crossroads. They were in the pennant race again but did not have any viable pitchers. However, Radbourn came to the rescue. He offered to pitch the rest of the season in exchange for Sweeney's salary and exemption from the reserve clause at the end of the season. Radbourn didn't quite pitch in all the remaining games, but he pitched in 41 of them and was brilliant. He won 18 straight and cruised to a 59-12 record. His ERA was 1.38. He started three games in the World's Series against the New York Metropolitans and allowed only an unearned run. It was a season unlike anybody had ever seen.
Radbourn chose to return to Providence for the 1885 season. He pitched well, finishing fifth with a 2.20 ERA. However, the Grays' offense and defense fell off and the team ended up fourth with a 53-57 record. Providence was already a small market, and the poor performance led them to fold after the 1885 season. Radbourn signed with the Boston Beaneaters, who had won the 1883 pennant over Providence but had fell on troubled times, finishing behind the Grays in 1885. Radbourn made a memorable debut in Boston, more for flipping off the cameraman in a picture on opening day than his loss to Mickey Welch and the Giants. His 27-31 left more to be desired as the Beaneaters finished sixth again. Radbourn went 51-50 with a below-average 3.90 ERA from 1887-1889, a sign he may have suffered from his excessive workload in 1883 and 1884. Radbourn fought with management, and did not hesitate to sign with the Boston Reds of the Players League. He had a tremendous year, leading the team with 27 wins and helping Boston to the Players League pennant. Alas, the league folded after one season.
Radbourn was not ready to call it quits. His manager with the Boston Reds was former Chicago superstar Michael J. "King" Kelly. Kelly was moving on to manage the brand new Cincinnati team in the American Association, lovingly dubbed the "Kelly's Killers." Kelly wanted his 1890 ace Radbourn to join the team, and paid him a personal visit in Bloomington. Radbourn agreed to a contract, but he was later contacted by Tom Loftus. Loftus was Rad's manager with Peoria back in 1878, and in 1891 he was due to serve his second year as manager of the National League Cincinnati Reds. Loftus offered a handsome contract, and Radbourn was signed. Kelly felt betrayed and pushed for Radbourn to be blacklisted by all American Association franchises, but Radbourn figured this would probably be his final season. He had a rude awakening in his first start on April 25. The Cleveland Spiders hammered him mercilessly in a 23-7 beating. He pitched slightly better in his next start, but by the time the Reds were finishing up a four game series against the Brooklyn Grooms in Cincinnati's League Park on May 14, the team was in dead last. The Grooms were coming off a year where they won the National League pennant. They changed their names from the Bridegrooms to simply the Grooms, and found themselves in a dead heat at the top of the standings. They didn't have any problems winning the first three games in the series against the Reds, and were hoping to make it a four-game sweep.
Brooklyn was starting George Hemming. Hemming was a youngster from Carrollton, Ohio who made his debut with Cleveland in the Players League the year before. He pitched in only three games and was frankly very terrible, and he found himself off the team. He connected with the Boston Reds where he looked up to his veteran teammate Old Hoss Radbourn. He had himself a decent year in Boston, and that led to a contract with Brooklyn once the Players League folded. Hemming defeated the Reds in the opening contest of the series on May 11, and he got the ball to finish off the sweep. He found himself pitching against his old teammate Radbourn, who the Reds tabbed to make the start. The Grooms were chomping at the bit, hoping to take their swings at the washed up old man that lost a game 23-7 less than a month earlier. However, Radbourn was on his game that day. He snapped some of his best curves in a long time, and the Grooms could only wave their bats helplessly at the veteran's offerings. And when they did put their bat on the ball, the ball was gobbled up by Cincinnati's dependable offense.
The Grooms were allowed to hit first. They almost scored a run in the first inning. With one out center fielder Mike Griffin beat out a ground ball that Cincinnati third baseman Arlie Latham couldn't handle. Griffin then took off for second. Catcher Bob Clark's throw beat the runner to the bag, but shortstop Germany Smith couldn't corral the throw and Griffin was safe. Radbourn struck out Brooklyn first baseman Dave Foutz, but Clark dropped the ball and had to throw Foutz out at first. Griffin took third on the play and looked to score the first run. Third baseman Oyster Burns lifted a ball to shallow right field. Cincinnati's divine second baseman Bid McPhee raced out and grabbed the ball before it could fall for a hit. The Reds batted in the bottom of the first and got the hits against Hemming. McPhee led off with a line drive to right that stayed just fair, and McPhee made it all the way to third with a triple. Latham followed up with a double to center that Griffin could only field on a hop, and McPhee came around with the first run. Right fielder Lefty Marr flew out, but with left fielder Bug Holliday at bat, a passed ball by Tom Kinslow sent Latham to third. Hemming unleashed a wild pitch that allowed Latham to score.
Cincinnati added to their lead in the second. First baseman Long John Reilly, one of four players with three cycles in his career, led off with a triple. He scored on catcher Clark's sacrifice fly. Radbourn came up next and lifted a long fly ball to right field. Brooklyn right fielder Tom Daly made a desperate attempt to catch the ball, but the ball got away from him. Radbourn motored all the way around to third, and he scored when Bid McPhee got his second hit, a single. That was the end of the scoring for the day, but there was still plenty of baseball left to play. Hemming settled down and allowed only three more runs. Griffin's single was the only Brooklyn hit for the first five innings. Catcher Kinslow and right fielder Con Daily both doubled, but neither of them were able to come around to score. The Grooms had their last best chance in the ninth. Second baseman Hub Collins led off with a single, only the fourth Brooklyn hit of the day. Griffin erased him with a force-out, but Cincinnati was unable to turn the double play. Dave Foutz was next. Radbourn had gone the whole game up to that point without walking a Brooklyn hitter, but he ended up putting Foutz on with a base on balls. When Burns flew out the Grooms were down to their last out. They were still ready to try a double steal, and Foutz took a long lead off first. Catcher Clark detected the ruse, and threw to first baseman Reilly. Foutz got himself in a rundown hoping that Griffin can run all the way from first before the last out is made, but Bid McPhee tagged him to end the game. Old Hoss Radbourn had brought back that old Providence magic to salvage a win. More importantly, it was his 300th career win.
The rest of the 1891 season was a series of ups and down for the veteran hurler, more down than up. He went on a three game losing streak in June but managed to pick himself up and throw a 4-0 shutout over the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 28. Still, he could tell the end was near. That shutout was the final win of his Major League career. He went on a four game losing streak, and in the end of August he asked for his release, thereby ending his Major League career. Radbourn was content to return to Bloomington with his beloved girlfriend Carrie L. Stanhope, whom he fell in love with back during his Providence days. Radbourn had brought a saloon called Radbourn's Place in 1888 and tended to it with his beloved Carrie. He also spent plenty of time hunting and fishing, something that he had enjoyed even as a child. However, after one year of being a businessman, Radbourn found that he was missing the competition that came with professional baseball. He got in touch with several managers, and ended up hammering out a deal with his old friend King Kelly. The King had forgiven Radbourn for reneging on his 1891 contract and signed the pitcher for the minor league team he managed in Allentown, Pennsylvania. That was when tragedy struck.
Radbourn went hunting with a friend in April 1894. He always prided himself on being a good shot, but on this occasion he stepped out from behind a tree just as his friend was firing his shotgun. Some of the shot struck Radbourn in the face. He lost sight in his left eye, and his face became pocketed and scarred. The effects on the prideful pitcher was devastating. Radbourn sold his saloon and kept to himself, allowing only Carrie to be around him. He had used alcohol moderately, but started drinking heavily after the accident. While the hunting accident was unfortunate, a more serious malady was building up inside him. Somewhere over the years Radbourn had picked up the Treponema pallidum bacterium, the infectious agent behind the disease syphilis. The spirochete can remain dormant for years, but eventually it can afflict the heart, the bones, or even the brain. In Radbourn's case it entered his brain. He suffered from paresis and seizures, and eventually passed away at the age of 42 in February 1897. The baseball world had lost one of its greatest pitchers. And yet the memory of his exploits on the mound continued to live on. When the Baseball Hall of Fame made their final selections before the grand dedication in 1939, the Hall recruited an Old Timers Committee to vote in some of the best players from the 19th century. They voted in a few great players such as Adrian C. "Cap" Anson and Buck Ewing. They also voted in some pitchers like Al Spalding and Charles Comiskey. Yet they voted in only one 19th century pitcher: Charles Gardner "Old Hoss" Radbourn.
John Clarkson - September 21, 1892
328 wins
Born: July 1, 1861 in Cambridge, MA
Died: February 4, 1909 in Belmont, MA
Height: 5'10" Weight: 155 lbs
Other Stats: 178 losses, 2.81 ERA, 133 ERA+, 4536.3 innings, 1978 strikeouts, 37 shutouts, 85.8 pitching bWAR, 48.1 pitching bWAA, 79.5 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1963
Teams: Worcester Ruby Legs (NL) (1882), Chicago White Stockings (NL) (1884-1887), Boston Beaneaters (NL) (1888-1892), Cleveland Spiders (NL) (1892-1894)
Wins: 1 (1882), 10 (1884), 53 (1885), 36 (1886), 38 (1887), 33 (1888), 49 (1889), 26 (1890), 33 (1891), 25 (1892), 16 (1893), 8 (1894)
300 Win Game Final Score: Cleveland Spiders 3, Pittsburgh Pirates 2
John Gibson Clarkson has one of the most tragic legacies of any player in the Hall of Fame. He has largely been forgotten by fans in the 21st century. Some of the more astute fans may know of Galvin, Keefe, and Welch for being the first three players to get 300 wins, and they know Radbourn for his magical 1884 season, but Clarkson does not ring a bell for all but the most hardened baseball fans. Clarkson was still a magician on the mound. He had great control of an assortment of pitches. Besides his fastball he could mix it up with multiple curveballs as well as a change-up. He knew hitters' weaknesses and aimed at those areas with his precise command. He also allegedly had a fragile ego. Legends state that Clarkson's pitching prowess would appear whenever he is complimented, but whenever he is criticized he would become a nervous wreck, losing all control and often refusing to pitch. The extent to which that is true is questionable, but Clarkson must have gotten enough compliments as he ranks as one of the best pitchers that toiled exclusively in the 19th century.
John Clarkson was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on July 1, 1861, as the first-born child of a Scottish father and an Irish mother. He would eventually have three younger brothers, two of whom would join him in the Major Leagues. Clarkson's father owned a prosperous jewelry business and that allowed young John to dedicate his time to sport and study. Young John became interested in baseball, and played in high school. He played for a couple of amateur teams in Boston upon graduation, and was the top player on the teams he played for, able to perform both with the arm and with the bat. One of the teams, the Boston Beacons, was good enough to play exhibition games against Major League franchises. In 1882 the Beacons faced the Worcester Ruby Legs in an exhibition game. The Ruby Legs were on hard times, having finished last in 1881. Manager Freeman Brown felt the Beacons' youngster could help the team in the upcoming season, and signed Clarkson to a contract. Clarkson made his debut against Bobby Mathews and the Boston Red Stockings. Clarkson struggled in the box, but had a couple of hits and had his first win. He went on to get crushed by Old Hoss Radbourn and the Providence Grays, as well as Tim Keefe and the Troy Trojans. After three games Clarkson was 1-2. He had some shoulder pain, and drew his release. He went back to Cambridge and worked in his father's shop while attending business school.
In 1883, Clarkson signed with the Saginaw franchise in the minor league Northwestern League and played mostly as a utility player. He had middling results when manager Arthur Whitney put Clarkson on the mound, and Clarkson was impressive. He came back to Saginaw in 1884 and put up dazzling numbers. However, the Saginaw team folded and Clarkson became a free agent. He was heavily recruited, but he ultimately chose to sign with the Chicago White Stockings. The White Stockings were perennial pennant contenders, but was having a down year in 1884. Clarkson pitched very well for his new team, going 10-3 with a 2.14 ERA. That was only a preview of what turned out to be a marvelous 1885 season. Clarkson threw in 70 of Chicago's 112 games, and he went 53-16 with a 1.85 ERA. His 53 wins were second all-time to Radbourn's 59 wins from a year earlier. He had some trouble with the long ball, allowing 21, but he shut out the opponent in 10 of his 53 wins. The White Stockings emerged triumphant in a closely contested pennant race with the New York Giants. Clarkson pitched very well again in 1886 and 1887. He went 36-17 in the former season as the White Stockings won another pennant. He led the National League with 38 wins in the latter year, although Chicago only finished third.
Clarkson had been Chicago's best pitcher for three years, but he was getting homesick and wanted to get traded closer to home. Chicago president Al Spalding was wanting to unload salary and was more than willing to comply, but at the right price. The parties went back and forth and it seemed that Clarkson may have to stay in Chicago against his will. At last Boston gave in to Spalding's asking price of $10,000, Clarkson would be a Beaneater. Clarkson had a decent year in 1888, but Boston finished fourth. Clarkson knew he could do better in 1889, and he did just that, going 49-19 with a league-leading 2.73 ERA. He had a chance to be the first pitcher to win 50 games twice in his career starting against the Pittsburgh Alleghenys in the final game of the season with the pennant on the line, but Clarkson faltered and the pennant was lost. The Players League revolution had happened in that off-season. His old friend and catcher King Kelly played a major role in setting up the Boston club. Kelly tried to get Clarkson to sign, but Clarkson declined. In fact Clarkson was communicating with Boston owner Arthur Soden to raise his salary while trying to convince several teammates to stay in the National League. Clarkson was more than happy to comply, but his former friends saw this as a betrayal. Clarkson was expelled from the Brotherhood. Clarkson pitched well in the National League, but the Beaneaters slipped to fifth, while Clarkson watched his former teammates win the Players League pennant. The Players League folded and several players returned to the Beaneaters. Several players harbored some resentment towards Clarkson, but he pitched well and helped Boston to another pennant. He got off to a slow start in 1892, but was in the midst of turning it around when he was shockingly handed his release. Many felt Soden wanted to drop Clarkson's expensive contract, using the slow start as an excuse.
Clarkson was out of work for only a week before he found another job. He was signed by Frank Robison, the principal owner of the Cleveland Spiders. The Spiders had on their hand an impressive young pitcher, and needed a veteran presence to stabilize the team. The 1892 season was the first in over a decade without a competing league, and so the top two teams got to compete in the championship series. Cleveland was mired in fifth at the time, and welcomed this additional help. Clarkson gave the team a boost, and had 13 wins by the time the Pittsburgh Pirates pulled into League Park for a three-game series on September 19. The Pirates were mired in sixth place, a position where they would stay for the rest of the season, while the Spiders were in a closely contested battle with the Brooklyn Grooms for second place and a spot in the Championship Series against the Boston Beaneaters, way ahead in first. The Spiders won the first match, led by their young pitching ace. The next day Nig Cuppy lost a close match, and Cleveland found themselves in third place, half a game behind Brooklyn. Manager Patsy Tabeau tabbed his veteran John Clarkson to start the rubber match. Pittsburgh went with a veteran of their own, Willliam H. "Adonis" Terry. Terry's long tenure with the Brooklyn Grooms ended earlier in the year. He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles franchise, who made the jump from the American Association after the Association closed. He pitched in only one game in Baltimore before getting traded to Pittsburgh. He was fairly successful with his new team, but the team was not going anywhere.
The skies were dark and cloudy when the game began. The pitchers took advantage of the decreased visibility and stifled the opposition. Neither team had much going in terms of base-runners, and it seemed most of them came on via the bases on balls. Terry in particular was pitching his best game in a long while. Several members of the Cleveland Spiders went down on strikes, and through five innings Terry had not given up a hit. Cleveland was hitting first in this game, and Clarkson seemed like he would end Terry's no-hitter in the sixth when he hit a ground ball to deep short. Shortstop Frank Shugart fielded the ball, and his throw beat Clarkson by the narrowest of margins. Up next was second baseman Cupid Childs. Childs was a devil on the basepaths, and had a knack of drawing bases on balls from opposing hurlers. On this occasion he lifted a Terry offering to deep right field. Childs stumbled while rounding the bases, and Pittsburgh right fielder Patsy Donovan felt he could cut the baserunner off at third. However, his throw was off-line, and Childs came around to score the game's first run. Clarkson continued to stifle the Pirates' bats. He had allowed only one hit through seven innings. Second baseman Lou Bierbauer led off the Pittsburgh eighth. Two years earlier Bierbauer jumped from Philadelphia in the American Association to the Players League. When the Players League folded Philadelphia hoped they can get Bierbauer back, but Pittsburgh came and signed the coveted player. This inspired the Pittsburgh team to become known as the Pirates. He led off with a drag bunt that Clarkson couldn't handle as it went for a bunt single. Shortstop Shugart sacrificed Bierbauer to second, but then the pitcher Terry flied to right. Up next was center fielder Joe Kelley, another Cambridge native who would become a Hall of Fame outfielder, but at this point was just a nervous rookie trying to make good. He came through with a single to right that sent Bierbauer racing home with the tying run.
At this time the skies were getting darker even though it was still in the afternoon, and umpire John Gaffney was getting ready to call the game. The crowd serenaded the field with boos while the Spiders players argued incessantly with the umpire until he decided to let the game go on. Cleveland made the most of this extra opportunity. Childs worked Adonis Terry for a walk. Cleveland left fielder Jesse Burkett followed with a sacrifice bunt that put the go-ahead run on second, but Terry ended up walking the Spiders third baseman George Stacey Davis. Up at the plate was hometown hero Ed McKean, who played shortstop for Cleveland back when they were still the Cleveland Blues of the American Association before making the jump to the National League in 1889. McKean lined a single to center field to score Childs, only the second hit Terry allowed. Davis went to third, and McKean made it to second on the throw home. First baseman Jake Virtue followed with a sacrifice fly to score Davis and make it a 3-1 game. Terry walked center fielder Jimmy McAleer for the third walk of the inning and his fifth of the game, but struck out right fielder Jack O'Connor to end the inning. Clarkson got two quick outs in the Pittsburgh half of the ninth, but the Pirates' hulking first baseman Jake Beckley lifted a fly ball to right center. Center fielder McAleer and second baseman Childs converged on the ball, but nobody called it and the two men collided while the ball landed safely between them. Beckley was able to get to second on the play. While Clarkson worked to left fielder Mike Smith, Beckley stole third. Cleveland catcher Chief Zimmer played back, but that gave Beckley enough room to race home with the Huge Run. It was a sore miscalculation, but Smith grounded out to shortstop McKean to end the game. Pittsburgh manager Al Buckenberger protested the game on account of the weather, but the protest was denied. Nobody knew it at the time, but this was Clarkson's 300th win. It also gave Terry the dubious distinction of being the losing pitcher in two 300-win games, having lost in Welch's milestone two years earlier.
Clarkson and Spiders both ended the season strong, and Cleveland secured the chance to play the championship series against Boston. They were embarrassed by Clarkson's old team, but Clarkson still felt strong enough to come back in 1893. The 1893 was defined by adjustment of the pitching distance from 55 to 60 feet. Clarkson found the adjustment to be more difficult than he had imagined. His ERA increased dramatically relative to the rest of the National League, and his strikeout totals cratered. He signed a contract to come back in 1894, but in the off-season he suffered a trauma that would seriously affect his mental state. He went on a camping trip with Charlie Bennet, his friend and former battery mate in Boston. Bennett was one of the players Clarkson convinced to stay with the Beaneaters. On the way Bennett got off to talk with a friend while the train was stopped. When the train started moving again Bennett tried to push himself back on, but he slipped and fell under the train. His legs were crushed by the wheels and had to be amputated. Even though Bennett survived, Clarkson was highly affected by the accident. He reported to Cleveland, but he clashed with teammates and lost more than he won. Cleveland tried giving the former superstar a new beginning by trading him to the Baltimore Orioles, in the running for the 1894 National League pennant, but Clarkson chose to retire to Bay City, Michigan, where he had settled with his wife.
Clarkson initially seemed to be doing well. He brought a few businesses including a cigar store. His brother Arthur "Dad" Clarkson came to help out. Clarkson attempted to start an independent minor league franchise, but could never get it affiliated with an actual league. Still, things seemed like they were going well on the surface. However, Clarkson was drinking heavily and suffered from severe depression with paranoid thoughts. He gave no thought to the present, speaking only of his baseball career. His family had him committed to a mental institution in Michigan. He spent the rest of his life at various psychiatric hospitals, getting furloughed only briefly to spend time with his family in Massachusetts. He never returned to the calm and quiet gentleman with a light sense of humor that he was during his playing days. Clarkson was staying with his family in late January 1909 when he developed a cough. He was admitted to the hospital and was found to have pneumonia. This was 20 years before antibiotics were in use, and Clarkson was treated mostly palliatively. He died on February 4, 1909 at the age of 47. He was buried in the Cambridge Cemetery, where his good friend Tim Keefe would be laid to rest 24 years later. Clarkson would gain admission into the Hall of Fame over 50 years after his death. Yet even after getting into the Hall of Fame, Clarkson's name is often forgotten, even if his fantastic statistics speak for themselves.
Kid Nichols - June 13, 1900
362 wins
Born: September 14, 1869 in Madison, WI
Died: April 11, 1953 in Kansas City, MO
Height: 5'10" Weight: 175 lbs
Other Stats: 208 losses, 2.96 ERA, 140 ERA+, 5067.3 innings, 1881 strikeouts, 48 shutouts, 116.6 pitching bWAR, 74.0 pitching bWAA, 95.5 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1949
Teams: Boston Beaneaters (NL) (1890-1901), St. Louis Cardinals (NL) (1904-1905), Philadelphia Phillies (NL) (1905-1906)
Wins: 27 (1890), 30 (1891), 35 (1892), 34 (1893), 32 (1894), 26 (1895), 30 (1896), 31 (1897), 31 (1898), 21 (1899), 13 (1900), 19 (1901), 21 (1904), 11 (1905), 0 (1906)
300 Win Game Final Score: Boston Beaneaters 1, Pittsburgh Pirates 0
1893 was a turbulent year for pitching. Pitchers that had long enjoyed the freedom of working in the pitcher's box 50 to 55 feet away from home plate were now restricted to a pitching rubber 60 feet 6 inches away from home. Many older pitching greats had difficulty adjusting and were forced to retire. Charles Augustus Nichols was young and talented enough that not only was he able to adjust, he became one of the game's best pitchers in the final decade of the 19th century. He made the most of his overhand delivery to perfect a dominant fastball that he can deliver with precision and accuracy. He also used several windups and changes of speed to throw off the hitter's timing. These skills made him the best pitcher that most modern fans have not heard of, and allowed him to set a pair of records that will never be broken.
Nichols was born to a family of baseball players in Madison, Wisconsin in September 1869. He had multiple brothers that played baseball on amateur teams in the Madison area. Young Charles took in everything he could from his brothers. He was still a pre-teen when he moved with his family to the Kansas City area. Kansas City was home to some of the most talented amateur clubs in the country, and even hosted a few major league teams when Charles was a teenager. He was still a teenager when he began playing professionally with the Kansas City Cowboys of the minor league Western League, having missed the major league version by a year. Nichols performed admirably, even though his youth earned him the nickname of "Kid." However, when the Cowboys joined the American Association a year later Nichols was left off the roster. He went on to pitch for other minor league teams in Memphis, his hometown Kansas City, and Omaha. His manager in Omaha was Frank Selee, and under his leadership the team would win the Western Association in 1889. Selee was a mentor to the young man, and would eventually change the course of his baseball career. After the 1889 season came to a close, Selee was hired to manage the historic Boston Beaneaters franchise. As Nichols was a minor league player he had the ability to choose between multiple Major League teams. Selee actively recruited the youngster, and Nichols became a Beaneater in 1890.
Nichols was only 20 when he came to Boston, paired with the veteran John Clarkson. There was a sense of tension, as there was some animosity between members of the Beaneaters and the Boston Reds of the Players League. The two teams played in different leagues, but competed for the hearts of the baseball-crazed city of Boston. Nichols arrived too late to understand the bitter dispute between the National League and Players League. He just went out and had a fantastic year. He was the primary pitcher over the older Clarkson, and allowed far fewer runs in more innings. He pitched seven shutouts, and more than held his own for such a young player. In fact 125 years later the website Baseball Reference considered him the best player in all of the National League that year. Alas, the Beaneaters only finished fifth. Nichols kept it up a year later. He continued to form a dynamic duo with Clarkson, and the two pitchers combined for 63 of Boston's 87 wins, and he also came in and pitched well in a few games in release. Boston won the pennant in a close race, and were the default champions, as the winners of the financially struggling American Association did not choose to challenge the Beaneaters in the World's Series. The American Association would fold a year later.
Boston would trade Clarkson a year later, leaving Nichols as the undisputed ace of the Beaneaters. He went on to have a fine year, winning 35 of the 51 games where he was the starting pitcher. The Beaneaters cruised to the pennant, and then dominated the new Championship Series against the second place Cleveland Spiders. 1893 would see the change in the pitcher's box to the pitcher's rubber. The pitchers really suffered as the hitters went to town. Runs per game jumped from 5.10 in 1892 to 6.57, while the ERA went up similarly from 3.28 to 4.66. Nichols's fellow pitchers Jack Stivetts and Harry Staley saw their ERAs soar and their innings pitched plummet. Nichols's number went down as well, as his ERA went from 2.84 to 3.52 and his strikeout totals fall from 192 to 94. However, he remained a rock. He started 44 games and relieved in eight more. Boston won over 30 of the games he pitched, and they captured their second straight pennant by a large margin. The offensive boom continued into 1894 as the runs per game jumped to over 7. Nichols saw his ERA soar to a career high 4.75. However, he continued to anchor the Boston rotation, and the team once again won over 30 of the games he's started. However, a weak September cost Boston a fourth straight pennant. The Kid had a down year in 1895. Boston plummeted to sixth, and the streak of the team winning at least 30 games in which he pitched ended at five. However, he came back in a big way in 1896. He finished the season with an ERA below 3.00 for the first time since 1892, and once again the Beaneaters won over 30 games in which he's pitched. The team finished fourth after a slow start, but they knew they could do some damage. Under Nichols's leadership, the Beaneaters won back to back pennants in 1897 and 1898. He pitched in over 45 games, and the team won over 31 games in each of them. Modern researchers realized Nichols would be credited with at least 30 wins all but one year from 1891 to 1898, which still stands as the record. Nichols was likely more happy about Boston's five pennants.
Nichols's performance dipped slightly in 1899 and Boston fell well short of the pennant. 1900 would be even worse. Nichols made three starts in April and pitched poorly as the Beaneaters fell to last place. He suffered elbow pain after the third game and was mend for well over a month. Nichols didn't make his return until June 7 during which Boston was still in the second division. Players and fans back in 1900 probably did not realize that Nichols had accrued 298 wins in his career, but they were likely well aware that Boston's former ace had yet to pitch the Beaneaters to a victory. With Boston at 16-19 a win was sorely needed. Thankfully Nichols held the Chicago Orphans to just four runs, while the Beaneater bats knocked around Chicago pitcher Jack Taylor and cruised to a 13-4 victory. Five days later, the Beaneaters were hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates in the middle game of a three game series at the South End Grounds. They won three of four since the 7th, and a win over the Pirates can move them into a tie for third. Kid Nichols put his arm to the test one more time, while the Pirates were going with their top pitcher, Charles Louis Phillippe, named Deacon due to his humble nature. Phillippe was born in rural Virginia, but grew up in the plains of what would become South Dakota. He was pretty good with semi-pro teams, and moved on to professional teams further east. At least he signed with the Louisville Colonels in the National League in 1899. He was almost 27, but was fantastic, throwing a no-hitter against the New York Giants while going 21-17. Unfortunately the National League contracted after the 1899 season, and Louisville was ticketed for elimination. When Colonels owner Barney Dreyfuss heard about this, he purchased a share in the Pittsburgh Pirates. At the end of the season he traded four unknown players to Louisville for his 14 biggest stars with the Colonels, including Phillippe.
The Pirates were allowed to hit first, but Nichols took care of them in short fashion. Sliding Billy Hamilton led off the game for Boston, and hit a sharp grounder up the left field line, but Pittsburgh third baseman Jimmy Williams fielded the ball and threw out the speedy Beaneater. Jimmy Collins followed with a single, and advanced to second on a groundnut. Chick Stahl followed with a drive into right field. Pirates right fielder Johannes Peter "Hans" Wagner made a sensational diving catch to rob Stahl and keep Boston from scoring. Wagner then led off the second with a walk. He tested the arm of Beaneaters catcher Boileryard Clarke, but the backstop's throw beat the bow-legged Dutchman. Phillippe had little trouble getting through the second inning, and led off the third with Pittsburgh's first hit. Nichols kept him stranded by retiring the next three batters. The Deacon went into the bottom of the third by retiring Clarke and Nichols. He then faced off with Sliding Billy for the second time. Hamilton was 34, but still a threat with his speed. Nobody was even thinking about a home run. Even though the fences at South End Grounds were only 250 feet from home plate in left field and 255 feet in right, Hamilton was hardly known for his power. He had hit only 36 home runs in his career, and was looking for his first in the new century. However, Phillippe let loose a pitch he would like to have back, as Billy swung with all his might and hit it the opposite field. It landed over the fence just a few feet fair.
Billy Hamilton's unlikely home run gave Nichols and the Beaneaters an early 1-0 lead, and the Pirates were quite aggressive at trying to tie the game. Pittsburgh shortstop Ginger Beaumont singled, but was overzealous in taking the extra base and was thrown out. Left fielder Tom O'Brien led off the fifth with a single, but he was forced as well. Meanwhile Boston tried to add to the run, but was unsuccessful. In the sixth, Beaneaters third baseman Jimmy Collins walked, then first baseman Shad Berry tried to bunt the runner over. Phillippe fielded the ball and threw to his first baseman Duff Cooley, but Cooley dropped the ball and both Boston runners were safe. Stahl was successful in his bunt attempt, and the Beaneaters had runners on second and third with one out. However, Boston shortstop Herman Long hit a ball to Pittsburgh's Williams, who tagged Collins the lead runner. Then Beaneaters right fielder Buck Freeman forced Long at second, and the quest for an insurance run came up empty. Nichols had no trouble disposing of Pittsburgh in the seventh, and Boston went right back to work. Clarke and Nichols both singled with one out, but Hamilton hit a grounder to Pirates shortstop Bones Ely, who started a double play as Billy was too peeved to run out the grounder. Nichols made up for it by retiring the side in order in the eighth. The Beaneaters had one more time to get another run. First baseman Barry hit a long fly to right with one out. He was sure he had the hit, but Wagner came out of nowhere to make his second great running grab of the game. Stahl, the victim of the first one, singled, but he could go no further. Nevertheless, Kid Nichols was just three outs from his second win of the season, and the 300th of his career. Cooley struck out, one of Nichols's two strikeout victims of the day. Then Pittsburgh second baseman Claude Ritchey hit a grounder to Collins. The best fielding third baseman of his day fielded it with ease. Ginger Beaumont was the Pirates' last hope, but he lifted a short fly that shortstop Hamilton was able to catch with ease. It was a strong game played in a crisp 96 minutes, and Nichols and Boston ended up on top 1-0.
The 1900 Beaneaters were able to salvage their season and finished fourth, but they lost more games than they won in the games that Nichols pitched in for the first time. 1901 saw the establishment of the American League as a Major League, and several clubs were hit hard by players jumping to the new league, and the Beaneaters were no exception. Several of Nichols's teammates made the jump to the American League franchise in Boston, including three of their most valuable position players in Jimmy Collins, Buck Freeman, and Chick Stahl, as well as pitchers Ted Lewis and Nig Cuppy. The 1901 Beaneaters finished fifth, but Nichols made it through the season without getting injured. During that off-season the owners of the Western League gave Kid an offer he couldn't refuse. The Western League had a team in Kansas City in 1901, but in 1902 that team transferred to the American Association, which had replaced the old Major League. The Western League wanted to put a new team in Kansas City, and wanted Nichols to be player-manager. Nichols couldn't pass a chance to go back to his hometown, and asked for his release from Boston. He led the Kansas City Blue Stockings to the Western League pennant in 1902, and was doing well in 1903, but Kansas City couldn't support two minor league teams, and the Western League team folded.
Nichols was able to find work when the Robison brothers, owners of the St. Louis Cardinals franchise, offered him the job as player manager for their team. Nichols didn't miss a beat. He shared pitching duties with former Orphans starter Jack Taylor. Taylor made most of the starts, but Nichols held his own, with a career-best 2.02 ERA. The Cardinals finished 5th with a 75-79 record, but that was still a 23.5 game improvement over the year before. Both Nichols and the Cardinals stumbled off to a rough start in 1905 and was relieved of his duties first as manager, and then as a player. He was placed on waivers and was picked up by the Philadelphia Phillies. He finished the season strong, but struggled in 1906 while suffering from pleurisy. He retired halfway through the season. After retirement, Nichols turned his attention to another sport: bowling. He won several bowling tournaments and owned a bowling alley. He came back to pitch for a few minor league and semi-pro teams, and also coached several youths in Kansas City, including one by the name of Charles Dillon Stengel. Nichols outlived several of his contemporaries and his beloved wife Jane, and was still living when he was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1949. A few years later he was found to have a cancerous tumor in his neck. By the time it was fully worked up the cancer had spread, and it would eventually kill him in April 1953. He had lived a full life and left behind several legacies, including his status as one of baseball's greatest pitchers.
The Dead Ball Era (1901 - 1920)
History
With the dissolution of the Players League in 1890 and American Association in 1891, that left the National League as the only Major League in the game for ten seasons. However, there were other professional teams spread throughout the country. Those teams made various efforts to coalesce into leagues and organizations, but they never seemed to stick. In 1893 a group of teams from the Midwest made another attempt and formed the Western League. They elected as President Byron Bancroft "Ban" Johnson, a newspaper editor who had a dominant personality. He saw that other leagues had failed because they did not form a particular identity. He also saw the National League had created a rough and tumble identity full of blatant cheating. Johnson ran a tight ship and fined players for profanity or umpire baiting. The Western League became a success. When National League profits started falling in 1899, Ban Johnson saw an opening. He reorganized as the American League and began redistributing his franchises into key cities where the National League did not have a foothold. In 1901, they took the next step and declared themselves a Major League. And to support their Major League status, they began signing star players from the National League due to the promises of higher salaries. This went on unabated for two years, when the National League finally agreed to recognize the American League's status as a major league in hopes the pirating of players would stop. Part of the agreement would be the reinstatement of a championship series between the National League and American League clubs: the World Series. And unlike the 1880s when the National League dominated the American Association teams, the American League won the first World Series with the Boston Americans beating the Pittsburgh Pirates. The so-called "Modern Era" of baseball had begun.
By 1901 most of the major league rules were set. The pitching box 55 feet away had been replaced by the pitching rubber 60 feet away back in 1893. That had led to an increased reliance on overhand pitching, but was also the last major rule change for 20 years. One thing that didn't change was the use of a ball with a rubber core. This rubber ball didn't travel far when struck and the same ball was generally used the entire game. Teams would often play in massive ballparks where the distance to center field could be upwards of 500 feet. These factors combined to lower the level of offense. Hitters learned to adapt by making contact and learning to hit the ball to all fields away from defenders. In 1911 Spalding made headlines by replacing the rubber core with a cork center surrounded by rubber. There was a noticeable increase in runs scored and in home runs, although hitters continued to play more to contact than driving the ball out of the park. Pitchers also had their disposal ways to mutilate the ball. They would use various methods to scuff the ball, or simply spit on it. These methods would serve to affect the flight of the ball and make it spin in various ways, and none of it was against the existing rules.
While players were lured to the fledgling American League with higher salaries, once the American League became established the wages stagnated and often times went down. That led to some more grumblings among the baseball players who felt they were being exploited. A man by the name of John T. Powers recognized this, and he wanted to get his foot into the door in professional baseball. He tried starting an independent leagues in 1912 but those efforts were largely futile. He had more success in 1913 as he organized a group of teams to play a full season. His vision was also held by James A. Gilmore, and when Powers had to resign due to stress Gilmore took over. With Gilmore at its helm, he declared the Federal Leagues a Major League. Backed by multi-millionaires, Federal League teams began actively recruiting players with the promise of higher salaries and no reserve clause. It was open warfare much as the Union Association had been back in 1884. They managed to sign almost 60 American or National League players for their first season in 1914. By 1915 the Federal League owners brought up an anti-trust lawsuit against the existing leagues. The lawsuit languished on the desk of federal judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Without a ruling and with three leagues operating at the same time, the profits began to diminish. The Federal Leagues suffered more losses and blinked first. They agreed to be brought out by the existing leagues, and the players from the Feds were allowed to be reinstated. The status quo had returned.
Gambling and the throwing of games had largely been stemmed through the efforts of baseball leadership since the time William Hulbert banned several members of the Louisville National League team in 1877. There were some whispers about others but nothing was conclusively proven. In 1919 the Chicago White Sox faced the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. The White Sox was trying to win their second Series in three seasons. However, they were also very unhappy. White Sox owner Charles Comiskey was notoriously penny pinching, and paid his players less than the league average. He allegedly wouldn't even pay enough to have the players' uniforms laundered, which led them to get the nickname "Black Sox" because their uniforms were so dirty. Still, the White Sox were the heavily favored team heading into the Series, and more than a few eyebrows were raised when the Reds won five games to three. However there were rumors for both of the previous World Series and nothing came out of them. In this case, credible evidence slowly came out of players meeting with gamblers before the series. Eight players were implicated, and the incident would forever change the leadership of baseball.
Since the American and National Leagues made peace in 1903, baseball was run by a National Commission, which was composed of the president of each of the leagues as well as a commission president. The Commission would decide on rules and fines. However, the Commission was often dominated by American League president Ban Johnson, as the National League president changed hands four times during that span, and Commission president Garry Herrmann was focused more on his role as the Reds General Manager. The shocking news of the Black Sox scandal seemed to take the peace between the two leagues to a breaking point. There were rumors that the National League was trying to convince some of the American League teams to jump ship. Ultimately it was decided to appoint one man to take leadership of the Commission and leave the league president to running their own leagues. This Commissioner would have unilateral power to decide on fines and suspensions. The man the owners elected as the first Commissioner was federal judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the man who helped the National Commission by delaying the Federal League ruling. One of Landis's first acts as Commissioner was to permanently ban the players involved in the Black Sox scandal.
Other major changes happened in 1920. There were increased grumblings over the methods of defacement of baseballs making it difficult to see the ball, especially in the days before lights. This issue came to head when New York's Carl Mays struck popular Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman in the head with a ball. Chapman's skull was fractured and that led to hemorrhage in the brain. He would die the next day. Chapman's death would lead to changes including more frequent replacement of baseballs, and the spitball and other similar types of pitches were banned, and only a few pitchers designated by teams as reliant on those pitches were allowed to legally throw them. This took away an important tool for pitchers to use.
The final death knell for the dead ball era came in form of a rotund southpaw from Baltimore. George Herman Ruth was signed by the Boston Red Sox from the minor league Baltimore Orioles to be a left-handed pitcher. He was known as "Jack Dunn's Babe" and the nickname stuck, at least part of it did. Ruth was a strong pitcher and helped lead Boston to pennants in 1915, 1916, and 1918. He was also an extraordinarily strong hitter for a pitcher, and would have led the team in slugging every year from 1915-1917 if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. The Red Sox started allowing him to play in the outfield on days he was not pitching in 1918 and ended up leading the lead in home runs with 11. The cork baseball was already in use for almost ten years, and Jack Dunn's Babe realized he did not have to slash the ball for a single or a double. He could take aim at those distant fences. He ended up establishing a new record for home runs in 1919 with 29. As great as Ruth was on the field, he was also a headache off of it, and the Red Sox ended up selling Ruth to the sad-sack New York Yankees, a team that had money but never mounted much of a threat, finishing in the first division only seven times in 17 season. Playing in the Polo Grounds with its 258-foot right field line, Ruth went to town. He obliterated his home run record with 54, and the Yankees outdrew every other team in the majors by 370,000. He would usher in a new age of baseball. The Dead-Ball Era was dead.
The Near-Misses
Pitching was king in the first 20 years of the 20th century, but heavy workloads and unhealthy lifestyles still claimed many an arm before pitchers can get to the exalted 300-win mark, not that it was a goal. Vic Willis was an ace initially for the Boston Beaneaters then moved on to the Pittsburgh Pirates and won 89 games in four seasons there. He was the winningest pitcher to throw primarily in the first 20 years of the 20th century that failed to make 300 wins. He retired with 249. Iron Joe McGinnity was one of the two aces for the New York Giants in the 1900s. He was a tireless worker who frequently pitched over 300 innings and even topped 400 innings on two occasions. His workload eventually caught up to him and he was done with 246 wins, although he pitched in the minors for another decade. Jack Powell pitched for the hard luck St. Louis Browns teams with one successful year with the New York Highlanders in between. He retired with 245 wins and a losing record. Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown was one of the top pitchers in 1900s. He was involved in a farm accident that led to the loss of one finger and the mutilation of another, but that gave him one of the best curveballs in the game. His 2.06 ERA is still one of the best all-time, but his career ended with 239 wins.
George Mullin was the ace for the Detroit Tigers in the early years of the 20th century. He made the jump to the Federal League where his career petered out at 228 wins. Hooks Dauss took over as the Tigers ace with Mullin's defection, and had a nice career, but his own career ended with 223 wins. Charles Albert Bender was a full blooded Chippewa Indian that was one of the aces for Connnie Mack's Championship Philadelphia Athletics in the 1900s and early 1910s. He had only 212 wins when his career ended, even after attempting a comeback at age 41. Eddie Cicotte was the ace pitcher for the White Sox after a successful career with the Red Sox. He was allegedly promised a bonus if he won 30 games in 1919, but was benched when he got his 29th win. Some say that was one of the driving point in him joining in the conspiracy to throw the Series. He lost the first and fourth games but came back to win game 7 when there was doubt whether the gamblers would pay off. He came back and had another strong year in 1920 to get him to 209 wins, but when Landis found out about the treachery Cicotte was banned with the rest of his teammates. Al Orth was another pitcher who was a strong hitter. His career ended with 204 wins. Rube Marquard was a strong pitcher for the New York Giants and won 19 straight games in 1912. He hung around but only managed 201 wins.
Some of this era's best pitchers never even reached 200 wins. Happy Jack Chesbro was the star spitballer for the New York Highlanders, the old name for the Yankees. He established a modern record with 41 wins in 1904. However, he also famously lost the pennant for New York with a walk-off hit by pitch with the bases loaded. He would retire with 198 wins. Big Ed Walsh was another star spitballer in the 1900s. He won 40 games in 1908, and his 1.82 ERA is the lowest of all time. He struggle with injuries after turning 31, and he would retire with 195 wins. Rube Waddell was a lovable fellow who famously loved toys, fire trucks, planes, and eating crackers in bed. He was also a fearsome fireballer who was the first to strike out 300 batters in under 400 innings. He also loved to drink and drank himself out of baseball at age 34 with 193 wins. Addie Joss was a strong pitcher for the Cleveland Naps. His career came to a premature end when he died of tubercular meningitis in 1911. He won 160 games in nine seasons, but he was given a rare exemption to be elected to the Hall of Fame with under ten seasons.
Cy Young - July 3, 1901
511 wins
Born: March 29, 1867 in Gilmer, OH
Died: November 4, 1955 in Newcomerstown, OH
Height: 6'2" Weight: 210 lbs
Other Stats: 316 losses, 2.63 ERA, 138 ERA+, 7356.0 innings, 2803 strikeouts, 76 shutouts, 170.0 pitching bWAR, 105.6 pitching bWAA, 123.6 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1937
Teams: Cleveland Spiders (NL) (1890-1898), St. Louis Perfectos / Cardinals (NL) (1899-1900), Boston Americans / Red Sox (AL) (1901-1908), Cleveland Naps (AL) (1909-1911), Boston Rustlers (NL) (1911)
Wins: 9 (1890), 27 (1891), 36 (1892), 34 (1893), 26 (1894), 35 (1895), 28 (1896), 21 (1897), 25 (1898), 26 (1899), 19 (1900), 33 (1901), 32 (1902), 28 (1903), 26 (1904), 18 (1905), 13 (1906), 21 (1907), 21 (1908), 19 (1909), 7 (1910), 7 (1911)
300 Win Game Final Score: Boston Americans 9, Baltimore Orioles 1
It's not often that a player whose last game came over 100 years ago remains familiar to the baseball fans today, but it's also not often that a player's name becomes attached to one of baseball's major awards. Denton True Young is one player who checks both boxes, and it's safe to say that nobody in baseball history had a career quite like him. Young was a fastballer whose pitches were so speedy that he picked up the nickname "Cyclone" which was eventually shortened to "Cy." And once he lost some of the bite on his fastball, he was able to develop devastating breaking balls to keep his career going. Young's career stretched between some of the biggest changes in professional baseball. He got his start in 1890 during the Players League revolt and when there was still a pitcher's box located 55 feet from home plate. By the time his career ended in 1911, he was pitching with the new cork-centered ball rather than the old rubber-centered ball. Along the way he survived the move to the 60.5 feet pitching rubber, adapted the use of a glove, played a major role in the ascension of the American League, and played in both the early 19th century Championship Series and the modern World Series. Along the way his rubber arm allowed him to start and complete more games, pitch more innings, and gotten more wins than any other pitcher in history. His 511 wins were 94 more than any other pitcher in history, an accomplishment so impressive that a year after he died, a new award was created in his honor to celebrate the best pitchers in baseball. And that has allowed his name to live on.
Young "Dent" certainly wasn't expecting baseball immortality when he was growing up in rural Ohio. He was born in March 1867 in Gilmore, a farming community located a few miles east of Newcomerstown. Young dropped out of school at a young age to work on his family's farm, but his father encouraged him and his brother to play baseball. Young Denton honed his arm strength and command by throwing stone at squirrels and other animals. He joined semi-pro teams as a teenager, but he certainly wasn't thinking about Major League glory. He didn't join a professional team until he signed with a minor league team at Canton, Ohio at the age of 23. He impressed veterans with his blazing fastball, and caught the eye of the Cleveland Spiders. The Spiders had lost several players to the Players League, including their top pitchers. They needed a fresh arm and figured the local boy would do the trick. Young came up and dominated Cap Anson's Chicago Colts in his first Major League start and his career was under way. Young quickly rose to become the most dependable member on the Spiders staff. He pitched the bulk of innings for the mediocre Spiders team in 1891, then had a monster year in 1892. He threw nine shutouts and finished with an ERA of 1.93. The Spiders won more than 30 games in which he pitched, and he led them from a fifth place finish in 1891 to second place. He pitched in the Championship Series between the National League's top two teams against the Beaneaters.
The new pitching distance in 1893 led Young's ERA to jump almost a run and a half, to 3.36, but he still ranked as one of the best pitchers in baseball. That ERA still ranked third amidst the offensive explosion, and the Spiders still won over 30 of the games he's pitched as the Cleveland remained competitive all year. The offensive onslaught continued into 1894, and Young saw his ERA continue to rise, to a career high 3.94 that nevertheless still ranked fourth in the league. The Spiders hitting didn't quite have the same burst, and they fell short of winning 30 of Cy's starts. Young and the Spiders bounced back in 1895. Young cut his ERA back down to 3.26 while both starting and pitching from the bullpen. The Spiders offense picked up the slack. Once again they won more than 30 of Cy's starts, and they finished second. Once again the Spiders pitched in the Championship Series, now called the Temple Cup, and they beat the Orioles. Cy continued to pitch solid baseball from 1896-1898, leading them to another Temple Cup appearance in 1896. He had his crowning achievement with the Spiders in 1897 when he pitched a nine-inning no-hit game. After a solid 1898 when he brought his ERA down below 3.00, the Robison brothers who owned the Spiders brought up the St. Louis Browns. They renamed them the Perfectos and transferred all of the best players from Cleveland, including Young. Young had his usual great performance in 1899. He had more wins by himself than his old decimated team, who went an embarrassing 20-134 and would be contracted after the season.
1900 was a difficult year for Cy Young. He suffered a rib injury in June that left him out of commission for almost a month. He suffered a lot of tough losses as the teams. By then win totals were being published, and publications like the Sporting News reported that Young had won 20 games, but after the season it was revealed he won only 19, ending his streak at nine. At that time Young had pitched in over 500 games and over 4,000 innings. His fastball wasn't as terrifying as it had been in years past. He thought he might be close to the end of his career. In the 1900 off-season the American League declared themselves a Major League, and the AL owners were snapping up National League stars to give them an air of legitimacy. Young was heavily courted by the owner of the Boston Americans, who had signed Cy's longtime battery-mate and good friend Lou Criger. He took his time to come a decision, but finally signed at the end of March.
Boston owner Charlie Somers hoped that Young would retain enough of his former talents that fans would come out to watch the man who had been called the king of all pitchers. Young gave him much more than he bargained for. He shook off a somewhat rough first month of May before embarking on a seven game winning streak in June. He may have put on some weight from his glory days in Cleveland, but his fastball was as quick as ever, and he paired it with precise command. By the time June turned into July, Cy Young had the Boston Americans in the thick of the American League pennant race. The Americans started July with a five game series against the Baltimore Orioles with two games on the road and three games at home. The Baltimore Orioles had been one of the best teams in the National League, winning three straight pennants from 1894 to 1896 through their hard-nosed play. They never had the attendance worthy of their record, and ended up getting contracted after the 1899 season. When American League president Ban Johnson planned his new Major League, he invited longtime Orioles third baseman and manager John McGraw to come revive the Baltimore Orioles in the new league, with McGraw as manager. McGraw accepted, and the Orioles were reborn as an American League team. He brought along a few of his players from the 1899 Orioles team, and when the big series in July came around they were right behind Boston in the standings. The two teams split the first two games in Baltimore, then traveled north to Boston to play in the Americans' brand new ballpark the Huntington Avenue Grounds. McGraw picked Harry Howell to start this crucial game. Howell was a Brooklyn native who pitched for McGraw in 1899. He spent 1900 back in Brooklyn before being one of the players invited back to the new Orioles. He was still trying to find his footing, but had won his last three starts. Young would be going for Boston.
Baltimore hit first and had a threat going when left fielder Turkey Mike Donlin and second baseman Jimmy Williams singled with one out. The next batter was right fielder Cy Seymour, who hit a grounder to Boston third baseman Jimmy Collins, one of the best defenders in the game. He forced Donlin at third, then threw to first for the double play. Boston then went to work on dismantling Howell. Center fielder Chick Stahl singled with one out, and after another out first baseman Buck Freeman singled. Howell walked the next batter, right fielder Charlie Hemphill, to load the bases. That brought up shortstop Freddy Parent, who singled to score two runs. The Orioles opened the second with a single, this time by center fielder Jim Jackson, but he was erased with another double play. The Orioles finally got a run off Young in the third, when pitcher Howell doubled, and then scored when shortstop Parent made an error on Donlin's grounder. Turkey Mike tried to get to second on the error, but he was thrown out to end the rally. After this wasted opportunity, the Americans started pulling away. In the fourth second baseman Hobe Ferris singled. He stole second, and then went to third when catcher Lou Criger bunted for a single. Howell then threw a wild pitch to advance both runners, including Ferris with the third run. Criger went to third on an out by Young, then scored on a single by left fielder Tommy Dowd. Right fielder Hemphill tripled to lead off the Boston fifth and scored on a Ferris groundout. Chick Stahl singled in the sixth with one out, then went to third on a single by Freeman. After Freeman stole second, Hemphill singled. Stahl scored easily, but Freeman was caught down at the plate trying to score.
With this the Orioles were down 6-1. McGraw was certainly not ready to give up. The fiery competitiveness that defined him as a manager was already present when he was merely a player manager. In the sixth and then in the eighth innings he led off with singles and both times he stole second. And both times he watched as Cy Young calmly strand him at second. After the threat was erased for the second time, Boston put a stamp on the victory in the eighth by hitting for the cycle in one inning. Chick Stahl led off with a triple, and scored when Jimmy Collins doubled. Buck Freeman hit a long drive to right, and as Baltimore left fielder Seymour struggled to get the ball back into the infield, Freeman raced around for an inside the park home run. Freddy Parent singled to complete the team cycle. He didn't come out to score, but after that barrage the Americans had a 9-1 lead, and the win was a mere formality. Young had no trouble completing his utter domination of the Orioles. The Orioles had their opportunities to score runs, with eight hits off of the crusty old veteran, but they never strung more than two in an inning as they only got the one run. It didn't really matter as the Americans battered Harry Howell for 16 hits with their nine runs. It was a sharply played game as it helped get Cy his 14th win of the season, as well as his 300th in his career, although it was neither known nor celebrated. Cy Young went on to have himself a great season, as he finished with a 1.62 ERA that was the lowest in the league as well as 33 wins. Alas, the Americans fell just short of the pennant. Young would have another great year in 1902. His ERA was a mere 2.15, and he had a second straight season with at least 30 wins. After the 1902 season the two leagues declared a truce, and as part of that truce the two league champions would meet for a World Series.
Cy Young came into the 1903 season with a sense of purpose. He had terrific seasons in 1901 and 1902, but watched as his team finished second and then third. The teams were bunched closely together early on, but Boston took over first place in June, and other than a week in June where they slipped to second they spent most of the rest of the season adding to their lead. They ended up winning the pennant by 14 games. Young was the star of the show. He didn't quite win 30 games again, but his 28 wins still led the league, and his Boston Americans got to face the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first World Series. He lost the first game, but won his next two as the Americans topped the Pirates for the Series win. 1904 was another great year for Cy, and it also featured his crowning achievement. On May 5, 1904 he faced the Philadelphia Athletics. He went through the game without allowing a single baserunner. It was only the third perfect game in baseball history. He also won his 400th game that year, although once again that milestone was not celebrated. The Americans won a second straight pennant, but the New York Giants, now led by old Orioles manager John McGraw, refused to play, likely because he was still smarting over the 9-1 shellacking three years earlier.
Young had his ERA below 2.00 every year from 1904 through 1908 with the exception of 1906. His ERA soar to 3.19 and fell below league average for the first time in his career. He also won only 13 games. Nobody could explain how 1906 became such a terrible season, especially after he went back to being terrific. He even threw his third no-hitter in 1908. After that season, Cy wanted to return closer to his home in Cleveland. Boston was happy to comply and shipped the 41-year-old to the Cleveland Naps in the American League. Young had one more great year in 1909, but he started slipping in 1910. His weight was finally catching up to him as he made only 20 starts, but not before he won his 500th game. He was even worse in 1911 and the Naps released him. He was picked up again by Boston, this time the Boston Rustlers in the National League. While legends stated he decided to retire after losing to a raw rookie in Philadelphia, he actually wanted to come back as a 45-year-old in 1912. Alas his innings finally caught up to him, and a sore arm kept him from making a comeback. He retired to his farm, where he stayed until his wife passed away in 1933. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1939, then made appearances around the country. He was still able to work before dying of a heart attack at 88 in 1955. It had been 54 years since his 300th win, and his memory remains alive over 60 years later.
Christy Mathewson - July 5, 1912
373 wins
Born: August 12, 1880 in Factoryville, PA
Died: October 7, 1925 in Saranac Lake, NY
Height: 6'1" Weight: 195 lbs
Other Stats: 188 losses, 2.13 ERA, 135 ERA+, 4788.6 innings, 2507 strikeouts, 79 shutouts, 97.7 pitching bWAR, 60.5 pitching bWAA, 86.3 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1936
Teams: New York Giants (NL) (1900-1916), Cincinnati Reds (NL) (1916)
Wins: 0 (1900), 20 (1901), 14 (1902), 30 (1903), 33 (1904), 31 (1905), 22 (1906), 24 (1907), 37 (1908), 25 (1909), 27 (1910), 26 (1911), 23 (1912), 25 (1913), 24 (1914), 8 (1915), 4 (1916)
300 Win Game Final Score: New York Giants 6, Brooklyn Dodgers 1
Baseball players during the early days were seen as a lower life form. They were uneducated rubes who drank too much and lived uncouth lifestyles. While there were popular players, there lacked a real superstar that can appeal to folks that were not baseball fans. They finally found one in the first decade of the 20th century in the form of Christopher Mathewson. He was a handsome and wholesome young man who read the Bible and whose only vice was that he occasionally placed bets on checkers games. He also had some arrogance, but that was warranted due to his tremendous success on the mound. In addition to his overpowering fastball and his pinpoint precision, Mathewson mastered a reverse curveball that he called a "fadeaway." While the pitch is now called a screwball, nobody was going to get away calling Mathewson screwy. He was a college educated player, having gone to Bucknell, and was well known as a championship checkers player. He wrote books as well as read books, and his baseball knowledge was unparalleled. Moreover, he pitched for the greatest team in the biggest city in the country. All of these came together to make Christy Mathewson baseball's first superstar.
Baseball's future superstar was born in August 1880 in a small town in Northeast Pennsylvania. His father was a Civil War veteran and a farmer. Young Mathewson became interested in baseball at an early age, and had the advantage of being larger than all the other neighborhood kids. As a high school student he played for semi-pro teams. It was at one of these semi-pro teams that a teammate taught him the fadeaway. Mathewson went on to Bucknell, located in Lewisburg 100 miles southwest of Factoryville. He played baseball and basketball, but was most accomplished as a football player. He served as class president, and was active in multiple extracurricular activities. He signed with professional minor league clubs in the summer break. He didn't pitch well with a team in Taunton, Massachusetts in 1899, but excelled in Norfolk in 1900. He pitched so well that Major League teams came asking about him. He chose to sign with the Giants, who would finish last in 1900, but the Giants used him sparingly and gave him only one start, which he lost. His contract was sent back to Norfolk after the season, which disappointed him. However, the Giants weren't ready to give up on the young right-hander. The Cincinnati Reds drafted him in the off-season, and then promptly traded him to New York in exchange for washed up fireballer Amos Rusie. It turned out the Giants wanted Mathewson without having to pay the posting fee to Norfolk.
With a fresh new start and pitching regularly, Mathewson showed he can succeed in the big leagues. He was the best pitcher on the team with a sparkling 2.41 ERA. However, the rest of the pitching was not so good and the Giants finished seventh. The Giants were floundering again in 1902, and Mathewson was struggling to find his footing. Giants ownership replaced manager Horace Fogel with John McGraw, who resigned from his job as the Baltimore Orioles manager after one too many conflicts with American League president Ban Johnson. McGraw put his faith in Mathewson, and Mathewson went on a tear. He won 13 of his games after the hiring, and tossed eight shutouts. It was during these early years that Mathewson started getting comparison to Frank Merriwell, the all-American student athlete who excelled in sports and solved mysteries who had been appearing on the Tip Top Weekly magazine since 1896. Mathewson also received the nickname "Big Six," because his speed and reliability was like the Number Six fire engine. Mathewson came into his own in 1903, as it started a three-year streak of over 30 wins. He led the Giants to the pennant in 1904, although the team refused to play the American League pennant winners the Boston Americans, and then duplicated the feat in 1905, a year in which he led the National League with a phenomenal 1.28 ERA. This time the Giants played in the World Series, and Mathewson stepped up to the occasion with three complete game shutout victories over the Philadelphia Athletics.
After two seasons that were great but not exceptional, "Matty" had his best season in 1908. He pitched in 56 games, including 12 in relief, and had 37 wins. His ERA was a shining 1.43, and he had an astonishing 11 shutouts. Alas the season soon became known for one of the most controversial pennant races. The Giants were in a close race with the Cubs and the Pirates. On September 23 the Giants faced the Cubs with the two teams tied in the standings. Mathewson was on the mound for the Giants, and the game was tied 1-1 when Al Bridwell thought he hit a walk-off single, but rookie Fred Merkle did not run to second either because he felt he didn't need to or because he wanted to escape the onrushing crowd. Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers saw this and asked for the ball and tagged second with it. Umpire Hank O'Day called the runner out, and declared the game a tie. The two teams finished out the season and were still tied. Mathewson was called on to face the Cubs in the tie-breaker game. He pitched valiantly, but he was outpitched by the Cubs ace Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown. It was a devastating loss, made even more so with a personal tragedy at home. To Mathewson's credit he pitched well in 1909 when he posted a 1.14 ERA as well as 1910 and 1911. The Giants lost the pennants in the first two years, but they won it in 1911. The Giants faced the Athletics again in a rematch from 1905, but the A's prevailed in six. The big blow was John Baker's game-tying home run off of Mathewson in the ninth inning Game 3, after which he gained the nickname "Home Run" Baker.
Christy Mathewson was still ready for a big year in 1912. He was working on a book where he explained his pitching philosophy and told stories from his career, and it would go into print in the middle of the 1912 season. He was also ready to put the 1911 World Series behind him and strive for another pennant and another chance at a World Series title. Both he and the Giants went off on a fantastic start. The Giants had taken over first place by the middle of May, and their lead was already in the double digits heading into July, while Mathewson already had won 10 games. The Brooklyn franchise came into the Giants' home field Polo Grounds for five games in three days, including double-headers on July 3 and 4. There was once upon a time when the Brooklyn team was the best in the National League, but now they were trying to stay away from last place while struggling to come up with a stable nickname. They had been known as the Grays, the Bridegrooms, the Grooms, the Superbas, and they were in the second year of being known as the Dodgers, after the "trolley dodgers" that defined the borough. The Giants swept the first double-header, but lost both games on the Fourth of July to end a 16 game losing streak. Mathewson took the loss in the first game. He was back on the mound a day later has he tried to get a win before the teams would travel to Brooklyn for one game. The Dodgers went with Eros Bolivar Barger, a youngster from Kentucky who had the nickname "Cy," not because he reminded anybody of a cyclone, but because he reminded people of a "Cyrus," or a young man. He had stepped into the Dodgers rotation in June, but found himself getting hit hard, with an ERA close to 5.00.
The Dodgers were feeling fairly confident going into the game as they had beaten New York the day before. Dodgers second baseman Herb Moran led off with a single in the first, but right fielder Hub Northern hit a line drive to left. Giants left fielder Snodgrass made the catch, then caught Moran too far from first for the double play. Then it was time for Cy Barger to face the Giants. It got off to an inauspicious start as he walked left fielder Snodgrass. He the then faced Giants center fielder Beals Becker. Becker had some power, and he showed it by crushing a ball into the right field seats. After one out, right fielder Red Murray hit a single to right. Barger was able to get a second out, but Murray went to second on the play. This extra base became crucial after catcher Chief Meyers singled to drive in the run. Shortstop Art Fletcher had another single, and that was enough for Dodgers manager Bill Dahlen. He went to the mound and summoned rookie Maury Kent. Kent was a rookie from Iowa who started out in the rotation, but had been pitching out of the bullpen for the past month. Kent was able to get the third out to limit the damage at three. The Dodgers still couldn't get anything done against Mathewson, then Matty led off the second inning with a single. He then surprised everybody in the ballpark by taking off towards second. He beat the throw for his second stolen base in a week. The next two Giants couldn't advance the baserunner, and then the unfortunate first baseman Fred Merkle took a walk. Up came right fielder Murray, who would end up leading the Giants with 20 triples in 1912. He didn't get a triple, but he did double to score Mathewson and Merkle to give the Giants a 5-0 lead.
The Dodgers continued their efforts to hit Matty like they did the day before. They did come close in the fourth. Brooklyn right fielder Northen reached on an error by first baseman Merkle. After a force-out and a flyout left fielder Zack Wheat singled to left to put runners on the corner, but there were two outs and Mathewson had no trouble getting the third out. The Dodgers finally came through in the fifth. Shortstop Bert Tooley beat out an infield single, then went to second when catcher Otto Miller followed with another single. The Brooklyn pitcher forced his battery-mate, allowing Tooley to advance to third. And then when center fielder Moran forced Kent, Tooley came around to score a run. It was not a very efficient way to score a run, and Matty ended the inning with the next batter. After this both pitchers started to throw effectively. The Dodgers got a hit in the sixth and another in the eighth, but neither of them were able to score a run. The Giants found themselves hitless from the fourth to the seventh when they had a single, but that runner was stranded. At last the Giants got to Kent again in the eighth. Chief Meyers singled, and shortstop Fletcher followed with another. Meyers went to third when second baseman Heinie Groh forced Fletcher. McGraw used this opportunity to attempt a double steal / steal of home. The Dodgers weren't fooled and Meyers looked like he'd be a dead duck. However, Brooklyn second baseman John Hummel flubbed the throw to catcher Miller and Meyers found himself safe with the run. The Dodgers went down without a fight in the ninth, and the Giants made up for the Fourth of July embarrassment. It was a game of defenses as neither pitcher had a single strikeout. The whole game was finished in 84 minutes, but that was enough for what turned out to be Mathewson's 300th win. There were some that felt it may have been his 301st, but researchers in the 1940s uncovered a missing win from ten years earlier, and that would make this quick game the milestone, not that anybody was celebrating it at the time.
The Giants did end up winning the pennant in 1912, with Mathewson winning 23 games, and their opponents would be the team that McGraw didn't want to play eight years earlier: the Boston team now known as the Red Sox. It was a hard fought series, one that captured the attention of baseball fans around the country. Mathewson had started the second game of the series, but that game ended in a tie in the 11th inning after being called for darkness. He lost Game Five in a hard fought battle to put the Giants on the brink of defeat, but they pulled out wins in the next two game. Mathewson got the ball for the deciding game. The game was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation. The Giants took the lead in the 10th when Merkle singled home Red Murray, but Mathewson became unnerved by an error by sure-handed center fielder Snodgrass and eventually the tying and winning runs came around to score. Mathewson was at the wrong end of history once again. Mathewson had another great year in 1913 to send the Giants to another World Series, but they were unable to solve the pitching of the Philadelphia Athletics, and the Giants lost three straight World Series.
Mathewson had what seemed like a great season on the surface in 1914, with 24 wins, but he led the league in earned runs and home runs and his ERA to 3.00, which may seem respectable now but was actually below average. He sank to only eight wins in 1915 while the Giants finished last, and in 1916 he was barely able to pitch at all. Mathewson knew the end was near, and asked his McGraw to trade him to a team where he can manage. Matty was traded back to the Reds where he assumed the managerial role. He spent most of the year in the dugout, but he did come back to pitch one more game against the Cubs, when he finally beat his old nemesis Brown. Mathewson continued to manage the Reds in 1917, but he also continued to suffer personal tragedies, as his brother Henry, who had pitched briefly with the Giants ten years earlier, died of tuberculosis. A year later he was commissioned into World War I, where legends state he suffered from exposure to gas during a training exercise. Whether or not that was true, Mathewson was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1921. He went to the Saranac Lake sanitarium and battled the illness. He felt well enough to serve as president of the Boston Braves in 1923. However, the mycobacterium infection returned in full force and Mathewson went back to Saranac Lake. He continued to deteriorate, and he passed away in October 1925. A decade later he would be honored as one of the first five Hall of Fame inductees, but he is the only one of the five who was deceased. Nevertheless fans of a certain age would never forget baseball's first superstar.
Eddie Plank - September 11, 1915
326 wins
Born: August 31, 1875 in Gettysburg, PA
Died: February 24, 1926 in Gettysburg, PA
Height: 5'11" Weight: 175 lbs
Other Stats: 194 losses, 2.35 ERA, 122 ERA+, 4495.6 innings, 2246 strikeouts, 69 shutouts, 88.2 pitching bWAR, 48.6 pitching bWAA, 71.2 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1946
Teams: Phildelphia Athletics (AL) (1901-1914), St. Louis Terriers (FL) (1915), St. Louis Browns (AL) (1916-1917)
Wins: 17 (1901), 20 (1902), 23 (1903), 26 (1904), 24 (1905), 19 (1906), 24 (1907), 14 (1908), 19 (1909), 16 (1910), 23 (1911), 26 (1912), 18 (1913), 15 (1914), 21 (1915), 16 (1916), 5 (1917)
300 Win Game Final Score: St. Louis Terriers 12, Newark Pepper 5
Edward Stewart Plank was probably the most frustrating player to watch in the first two decades of the 20th century. He had a set of rituals when he was on the mound between pitches. He would dawdle and toy around with his uniforms. He would frequently ask for new baseballs. He would talk to himself. Fans would avoid his starts like the plague because it would mean staying at the ballpark for far too long. Players would get frustrated with his endless compulsions. And Plank was not a very interesting pitcher. He did not have an overpowering fastball, and he didn't strike out very many batters. He didn't even have tremendous control of his pitches. He was frequently among the league leaders in hit by pitches. He had a bizarre delivery where he threw across his body. And to top it off he threw left-handed in an era when there was considerable bias against left-handers. Yet there was nobody more dependable than "Gettysburg Eddie." He took the ball time and time again, and he showed a special knack in getting hitters out. Even though he was never the ace on his own teams, he still concluded his career as one of the best pitchers in baseball history.
Plank was born in Gettysburg a little more than a dozen years after the bloody Civil War battle. His parents were farmers, and young Plank spent most of his days working on the farm. He didn't get exposed to baseball until he was a teenager. He didn't have anybody to tutor him in the art of pitching early on, so he threw the way he thought best. It led to some control problems, but he didn't have much ambition of pitching outside Gettysburg. Young Eddie was still attending prep school when he caught the eye of the pitching coach for Gettysburg College, Frank Foreman. Foreman had pitched in the Majors with the Union Association, American Association, and the National League. In 1901 he would become teammates with Cy Young on the Boston Americans. At this time he was waiting for another contract and was serving as a college pitching coach, a common profession for many pitchers in the off-season. He was intrigued by the sleepy-eyed local southpaw, and started tutoring the youngster. Plank soon developed tremendous control, and even pitched a few games for Gettysburg College. He caught the attention of a minor league team, but the team folded before he had a chance to report. Foreman still believed Plank had a future in baseball, so he told his good friend Connie Mack about the youngster. Mack had become the owner and manager of the Philadelphia Athletics in the new American League, and he was on the lookout for pitching. He invited Plank to Philadelphia, and threw him into the scrum. Plank held his own, and became the best pitcher on the team as the A's finished fourth.
In 1902 Mack installed Plank as the primary pitcher on the Athletics. He also installed George Edward "Rube" Waddell, another screwy southpaw, to serve as Plank's rotation mate. The reticent Plank with his delays on the mound was the complete opposite of the gregarious Waddell and his blazing fastball, but together they formed the best one-two punch in the American League, and the A's finished first. Plank outperformed Waddell in terms of wins and innings pitched in 1903, but Rube captured all the attention with his 302 strikeouts as the A's finished in a distant second in the race to play the first modern World Series. That year saw the debut of another strong starter in Charles Albert "Chief" Bender, but Waddell and Plank were still the mainstays. The duo had another fantastic season in 1904, but the A's finished in fifth. Waddell was the star of the show in 1905, but Plank contributed with another Steady Eddie season in 1905, and the A's won the pennant and a chance to play in the World Series against the New York Giants. Plank pitched well, allowing only three earned runs in his two starts, but his opponents Iron Joe McGinnity and Christy Mathewson didn't allow any, as the A's lost the Series in five. Plank dealt with some arm trouble that limited him to only 25 starts in 1906, but he came back as strong as ever a year later. The A's were in the running for the pennant all year, but finished second to the Detroit Tigers in a hard-fought pennant race, a stretch in which Waddell lost the trust of manager Mack.
Plank was well past his 30th birthday upon Waddell's departure, and couldn't sustain the same workload as he had during his glory days. Nevertheless, he still served as a key rotation piece, making his scheduled starts and coming out of the bullpen when necessary. The A's became somewhat of a dynasty from 1910-1914. After finishing a close second in 1909, they won four of the five pennants, losing only in 1912. Plank won 98 games during that five year span, but was overshadowed by other teammates that pitched the bulk of the innings. A sore arm kept Plank out of the 1910 World Series, which the A's won. He was healthy in 1911, and was given the opportunity to lose out the series in Game 5, but he lost on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the 10th. He was able to close out the 1913 Series by outpitching Giants superstar Christy Mathewson. He pitched in Game 2 of the 1914 Series and allowed only a run in the 9th in a 1-0 defeat as the A's were swept by the Miracle Braves. After the 1914 Series, Plank was considering retiring back to his beloved hometown of Gettysburg. He had been a very useful starter for Connie Mack, and as researchers realized later he had won 284 games in 14 seasons. He was also turning 40, and was feeling like his workload had decreased. He asked Mack for his release, which was granted.
Mack figured Plank probably wouldn't really retire. Somehow he had gotten word that Plank had meetings with teams from the brand new outlaw league the Federal Leagues. The Federal Leagues was designed to allow wealthy entrepreneurs to get into the baseball business. They were quite successful in attracting big league talent, and their wealthy owners built them brand new ballparks, such as the beautiful one in Chicago commissioned by Chicago Whales (also known as Chi-Feds) owner Charles Weeghman. Even though Mack knew the Feds were trying to get their hands on his southpaw, he was trying to cut expenses, and let Plank walk. Plank signed with the Federal League's St. Louis Terriers a little more than a month later. The Terriers had been the last place team in 1914, but they were busy trying to improve. Besides Plank, they also acquired a brand new infield. The quality of play in the Federal League wasn't quite at the American League level, and Plank found himself off to a solid start. He was 15-8 with a 1.94 ERA by the end of August. The balance of competition was also strong. The Terriers were in first place at the end of June, but by August they were in fifth. They clawed back to second by the time the Newark Peppers came to town. The Peppers were the pennant winning Indianapolis Hoosiers in 1914, but had moved to New Jersey to take advantage of the larger metropolitan area. The two teams were to play a six game series in the Terrier's home park of Handlan's Park. A solid showing by either team can turn the turn the tide in such a tight league.
Game two of the series was played on September 11. Plank was tabbed to start for St. Louis. Newark went with another Major League veteran Ed Ruelbach. Reulbach was a fantastic pitcher with the Chicago Cubs during their glory days in the 1900s. Later research found that he went 60-15 with a 1.82 ERA during Chicago's three straight pennants in 1906-1908. He played in the 1910 World Series against Plank's A's, but made only one relief appearance and was terrible. He spent 1914 with the Brooklyn Robins, named after their manager Wilbert Robinson, and was 11-18 despite an above average ERA. He was hoping to revive his career in Newark, and was doing well for the most part. However, the Terriers did their best to remind Big Ed of Brooklyn. St. Louis right fielder Jack Tobin tripled to left. He was followed by second baseman Bobby Vaughn who executed the suicide squeeze. The Peppers came back to tie when Newark left fielder Al Scheer walked on a full count. Plank was never good at throwing to first, and he balked to send Scheer to second. First baseman Emil Huhn doubled in the run to tie the game. The tie didn't last long. In the second St. Louis first baseman Babe Borton tripled for his first hit. Catcher Grover Hartley hit a grounder to shortstop Jimmy Esmond, but Esmond threw the ball away and Borton walked home. The Terriers blew the game open in the third. Vaughn and Terriers left fielder Ward Miller both singled. Barton then struck a mighty blow for his second triple of the game to drive in both runners, then scored on a single by third baseman Art Kores. That was enough for Newark manager Bill McKechnie. He replaced Ruelbach with young George Kaiserling. Kores greeted the new pitcher by stealing second, then scored on Hartley's single.
The Peppers got another run off Plank in the fourth. Scheer walked for the second time, then went to second when third baseman Kores couldn't handle the grounder by second baseman Frank LaPorte. Huhn drove in Scheer for the second run, but that was all the Peppers got off Plank. After that the Terriers continued their domination over Newark pitching. Harry Billiard was on the mound in the sixth. Bobby Vaughn hit a triple. Billiard carefully pitched to left fielder Miller and center fielder Armando Marsans, one of the first players to come from Cuba, and walked both batters to load the bases. Next up was first baseman Barton who already had two triples. He only singled this time but that was enough to score Vaughn and Miller. Marsans would score on Kores's second single. Billiard was clearly rattled and walked catcher Hartley. Shortstop Ernie Johnson hit into a double play, but Kores scored to make it 10-2. McKechnie left Billiard in to pitch the seventh. Jack Tobin beat out a bunt single, then went to second on a groundout. He stole third, and once again Billiard walked Miller and Marsans. Babe Barton came up again, and he was hoping for another addition to his big day. He got his wish with a single that drove in Tobin. Billiard walked Hartley to force in the Terriers' 12th run of the day. Harry Moran had to relieve Billiard, and that was all the scoring the Terriers got for the day. With a 12-2 lead, St. Louis manager Fielder Jones gave 40-year-old Plank the ninth inning off. He pinch-hit for Plank in the eighth, and brought in Ed Willett for the ninth. Willett was once a solid pitcher on Tigers team that won pennants in 1908 and 1909, but now he was doing mop-up work, and the Peppers took advantage. First baseman Huhn and backup catcher Gil Whitehouse both singled, and they both scored when right fielder Vin Campbell tripled. Campbell scored on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Ted Reed. With the bases empty Willett got shortstop Esmond out to end the slugfest. Both teams had over ten hits, with St. Louis's 16 outnumbering Newark's 11. More crucial was the fact that most of St. Louis's hits came with runners on base. Babe Barton was the big star, with four hits and a walk. More importantly this game put the Terriers just one game behind the Pittsburgh Rebels for the league lead.
Plank continued to pitch well down the stretch as the Terriers went into a bitter battle for the pennant. The Terriers actually ended the season in a tie for the best record with Charles Weeghman's Chicago Whales. However, the league executives awarded the pennant to Chicago because Chicago had played two fewer games, and that gave them a slightly higher percentage point. Plank did well in his one season in the Federal Leagues. He won 21 games, and his 2.08 ERA ranked second in the league, the best showing in his career. The Federal Leagues were hoping to extend their lifespan by challenging the antitrust exemptions of the existing Major Leagues, but the lawsuit never got anywhere. The owners of the Federal Leagues eventually felt the financial crunch and folded. Most of the teams were brought up by, however the owners of the Terriers and the Whales were allowed to buy the St. Louis Browns of the AL and the Chicago Cubs of the NL respectively. St. Louis owner Phil Ball brought over several of his players from the Terriers, including Eddie Plank. The Browns were one of the worst teams in the American League in 1915, but with the influx of the old Terriers players, they improved their record by 16 games. Plank did well in his return to the American League with a 2.33 ERA. However, he barely won more games than he lost. Plank returned to the Browns in 1917. He was fantastic when he pitched, posting a 1.79 ERA. However, the Browns had taken a large step back, finishing last in runs in the American League. Plank's record sank to 5-6. Plank was known as a hypochondriac in his career, but he missed extra time in 1917, and he retired in August.
Plank returned to his farm in Gettysburg. However, the Browns still had control over Plank's 1918 contract, and they threw him in with teammate Del Pratt in a trade to the New York Yankees. Plank had no intention of reporting to a second division team like the Yankees. He chose to stay at home in Pennsylvania, although he did come back to pitch for an industrial team. Plank retired for good at the end of the year. He went home to his farm, and also spent time giving tours on the battlefields of Gettysburg. He married late in his career, and became a father at the age of 40. He became well known in his hometown, not necessarily for his former baseball career, but because of his presence in the community. He lived a reasonably happy life, but it ended all too soon. Plank woke up one day in February 1926 partially paralyzed. He was diagnosed with a stroke. He quickly went into a coma, and died two days later. Twenty years later Plank would finally be memorialized with a spot in Baseball's Hall of Fame, a fitting honor for the longtime ace of the Athletics and the first left-hander to win 300 games.
Walter Johnson - May 14, 1920
417 wins
Born: November 6, 1887 in Humboldt, KS
Died: December 10, 1946 in Washington DC
Height: 6'1" Weight: 200 lbs
Other Stats: 279 losses, 2.17 ERA, 147 ERA+, 5914.3 innings, 3509 strikeouts, 110 shutouts, 152.6 pitching bWAR, 97.6 pitching bWAA, 127.3 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1936
Teams: Washington Senators (AL) (1907-1927)
Wins: 5 (1907), 14 (1908), 13 (1909), 25 (1910), 25 (1911), 33 (1912), 36 (1913), 28 (1914), 27 (1915), 25 (1916), 23 (1917), 23 (1918), 20 (1919), 8 (1920), 17 (1921), 15 (1922), 17 (1923), 23 (1924), 20 (1925), 15 (1926), 5 (1927)
300 Win Game Final Score: Washington Senators 9, Detroit Tigers 8
Walter Perry Johnson came into the major leagues as a hayseed from the west, pitching for the hopeless Washington Senators. He would leave it 20 years later as one of the most celebrated and most respected hurlers to ever take the mound. For two decades he terrorized batters with his fearsome fastball, and his pinpoint command led him to be virtually unhittable. He almost single-handedly turned the Washington team from "last in the American League" to a pennant contender. He struck out batters at a rate not seen in baseball at the time, and towered above the strikeout list when he retired. He was a proven winner in spite of playing for a team that struggled to provide him with run support. He also possessed a genuine kindness and modesty that allowed him to make friends with some of the most bitter competitors. And when all was said and done, the "Big Train" has a legitimate case for the title of the best pitcher of all time.
Johnson was born in 1887 in the farmlands of southeast Kansas in a small town called Humboldt. His parents were farmers, and Johnson built up his strength doing the hard labor required to keep a farm running, never having much contact with baseball. When Johnson was a teenager a drought led to the farm shutting down. The family moved out to sunny California, where young Walter was first exposed to the game of baseball in the California sandlots. He was such an effective pitcher he was soon playing against adults. The balmy California weather allowed Johnson to play baseball all year, and he played alongside players with professional experience. These teammates got him into the professional ranks, first at a minor league team in Tacoma, and then at a semipro team in Weiser, Idaho. Johnson was tearing up the hopeless Idaho hitters, and his legend started getting passed around the country. They caught the attention of Joe Cantillon, manager of the Washington Nationals, also known as the Washington Senators. The Senators were one of the worst teams in the American League, finishing last or second to last every year from 1903 to 1911. He needed more pitching, and sent catcher Cliff Blankenship to sign the youngster. Johnson was reluctant, but finally did once his parents gave their blessing.
Walter Johnson made his debut on August 2, 1907 against the Detroit Tigers, who were on their way to the pennant. The Tigers hitters, led by the fiery Tyrus Raymond Cobb, laughed at the young teenage hayseed. Yet the laughter quickly went away when Johnson started firing fastballs after fastballs. The Tigers managed to win the game but they were impressed by the rookie's speed and poise. Johnson posted a very impressive 1.88 ERA in his rookie season, but the Senators won far more than they lost with him on the mound. Walter Johnson went home to California in the off-season, but developed an infection behind his ear that kept him out of the game until June 1908. The public somewhat forgot about the young fireballer, but that would change when the Senators traveled to New York to play the New York Highlanders on Labor Day Weekend. Manager Cantillon asked his young pitcher if he can pitch three games. Johnson went out and threw three shutouts in four days. Even though the Highlanders were on their way to a last place finish, Johnson's feat still dazzled the baseball world. He ended the season with a .500 record, but with a 1.65 ERA. 1909 was a rough season for Walter. His ERA went up to 2.22, which was still above league average, but with the Senators weak hitting, he still lost 25 games.
After three years in the Majors, Johnson was 32-48 despite a solid 1.94 ERA, and the American League was starting doubt whether or not Walter Johnson would ever develop into a top flight starter. Johnson himself had no doubts. He was about to go on one of the best peaks by any pitcher on this side of Sandy Koufax. The Senators would finish in seventh again in 1910, but Johnson was not about to get dragged down by his team. He put up a 1.36 ERA in 370 innings. He won 25 games, more than twice as much as any other pitchers, and struck out over 300. His ERA went up in 1911, but it was still below 2.00, and he won 25 games once again. Johnson was even better in 1912. He pitched in 50 of the Senator's 152 games, lowered his ERA to 1.39, and struck out 300 again. He won 33 games, including 16 in a row at one point, and the Senators finally finished in the first division. 1913 would be Johnson's magnum opus. He won his first ten games of the season, and had a 1.09 ERA going into the last day of the season, when they played the Boston Red Sox. Both teams were eliminated, and decided to have fun rather than play the game seriously. Johnson came in relief and faced two batters, both of whom got hits then came around to score. Nobody thought much about it at the time, but that did increase his ERA to 1.14, which would become significant 55 years later. He still won the pitching Triple Crown with 36 wins and 243 strikeouts. He was also named the league's Chalmers Award, the 1910s equivalent of the MVP. Johnson continued to be the dominant pitcher in the rest of the 1910s. He would win over 20 games every year from 1910 to 1919, and led the league in strikeouts every year from 1912 to 1919. He proved to be loyal to Washington, rejecting a deal from the Federal League to stay with the Senators. He won the respect of baseball fans for his fair play, even refusing to pitch far inside to "brush back" hitters. With Johnson at the helm, the Senators became respectable, winning more than they lost that decade.
1920 would be a difficult for the man the fans dubbed the Big Train. He developed a cold during spring training, and when he recovered he found he developed a sore arm. He still pitched Opening Day, but was hit hard in a loss. He pitched only sparingly through mid-May, and was not scheduled to start the final game of a home series against the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers had sunken to last place, but they had won the first game of the series before two straight rainouts. Tom Zachary started the game for Washington while the Tigers went with John Glaiser, a Texan who was making his first and only start in the Major Leagues. Johnson watched from the bench as his teammates battered the young rookie in the first. First baseman Joe Judge led off with a walk, and then stole second. He was erased in a rundown on a grounder by center fielder Sam Rice, but stalled long enough for Rice to make it to second. Glaiser walked right fielder Braggo Roth, and then second baseman Bucky Harris emptied the bases with a double. Bucky stole third, and then after third baseman Frank Ellerbe walked, Harris stole home on a daring double steal. Glaiser walked one more but mercilessly got out of the inning.
Zachary was still somewhat new to this starting business as well. He was making only his 13th start after pitching mostly out of the bullpen. He ran into trouble in the second. Detroit first baseman Harry Heilmann and third baseman Sammy Hale both singled. Heilmann stole third, and then catcher Oscar Stanage lifted a fly ball to Washington left fielder Clyde Milan. Milan fired to Senators catcher Patsy Gharrity, but Gharrity couldn't hold on to the ball and Heilmann scored. In the Detroit fourth left fielder Bobby Veach doubled. Heilmann came up for the second time and bunted Veach to third. Zachary walked Tigers right fielder Ira Flagstead, and then Stanage doubled to drive in both runners to tie the game. Zachary got out of the inning with no further damage, but when the Tigers came up in the fifth they were facing a new pitcher in Eric Erickson, nicknamed "Olaf" due to his Swedish heritage. Erickson got the job done in the fifth, then watched as the Senators got through to Glaiser again in their half of the inning. Milan and Rice both singled, and then Glaiser walked Braggo Roth for the second time, his fifth walk. Second baseman Harris tried a squeeze play, but the Tigers managed to get the force at home. Third baseman Ellerbe and shortstop Red Shannon both singled to drive in two runs, and Harris scored from third on a sacrifice fly by catcher Gharrity. The Washington fans at Griffith Stadium were hoping Olaf could hold the lead through the sixth, but he couldn't. Right fielder Flagstead beat out an infield single, and then stole second on a strikeout. Erickson ran into control problems of his old, walking catcher Stanage and pinch hitter Chick Shorten. By this time Washington manager Clark Griffith had his ace to head to the bullpen to warm up. When Erickson walked Detroit second baseman Ralph Young, the Swede's time on the mound was up.
Walter Johnson came into the game in a tough situation. The bases were loaded with only one out, and he was trying to protect a two-run lead. The Tigers didn't make it easy as shortstop Donie Bush bunted for a squeeze. Johnson fielded the ball but everybody was safe, and pinch runner Babe Pinelli came in with the Huge Run. Up next was Detroit's legendary center fielder Ty Cobb. Cobb was the only player left who had played in Johnson's first game in 1907. The two had become close friends, but Cobb still wanted to win at all cost. On this occasion he singled to center to drive in Shorten with the tying run, then Young and Bush came around to score to give Detroit a two-run lead when center fielder Rice bobbled the ball. Johnson settled down afterwards, and didn't allow another run. Still, Detroit had the lead, and the Senators couldn't score against reliever Red Oldham in the bottom of the sixth. Oldham tried to duplicate that success in the seventh, but Braggo Roth led off with his third walk. Harris struck out, but then Ellerbe singled for his second hit of the game. Shannon hit an easy double play grounder to Detroit third baseman Bob Jones, but after getting the force second baseman Young threw the ball away. Roth scored the Huge Run and Shannon motored around to second. Oldham walked Gharrity, and up stepped Walter Johnson. Johnson may have been a pitcher, but he could hold his own with the bat. Oldham found out the hard way as Johnson lined a single to drive in Shannon and the game was tied. This time it was Detroit manager Hughie Jennings's turn to make the long walk and hand the ball to his ace George August "Hooks" Dauss. Dauss was a 30 year old veteran, and had won 21 games in 1919 and 128 in his career. He ended the seventh and had no trouble in the eighth, allowing only a walk to Milan. The ninth was a different story. The bottom of the order in Ellerbe, Shannon, and Johnson all singled to load the bases. Up stepped Joe Judge, who hadn't done much since his leadoff walk. This time, he drove a ball over the head of Ty Cobb. Cobb had no chance of catching the ball, and watched Ellerbe come home with the winning run. It was the end of a wild game. Johnson had the win in relief, allowing the tying then go-ahead runs to score for Detroit, but then held the Tigers scoreless while driving in the tying run and playing a role in the ninth inning rally. Nobody knew or cared at the time that it was his 300th career win.
Johnson was shut down after July, but not before he had one more shining moment with his first no-hitter that was an error away from a perfect game. He was good but not great from 1921-1923. He did record his 3,000th strikeout in 1923. Johnson went into 1924 thinking he'd pitch one more season before retiring. He ended up having a fantastic year, winning a second pitching Triple Crown with 23 wins, 2.72 ERA, and 158 strikeouts. He shut out the White Sox on May 23 for his 100th career shutout, a mark nobody else has reached in Major League Baseball history. This time the Senators had a solid supporting cast, and Washington shocked the baseball world by winning the pennant. Johnson finally got to pitch in a World Series, but he lost games one and five to the Giants. He started Game 7 on the bench, but just like he did three years earlier he came on in relief hoping to win the game. He threw four scoreless innings, and Washington would eventually win in the bottom of the 12th. A rejuvenated Johnson decided to come back in 1925. He won 20 games as Washington won a second straight pennant. This time the Senators weren't so fortunate. Johnson was fantastic in winning games one and four against the Pirates. He started Game 7 but his defense faltered behind him and the Senators lost the game and the series. Johnson won his 400th game on April 27, 1926, a mark that was surely not celebrated. He had his leg shattered in spring training in 1927. He managed to come back, but he wasn't the same when he returned. His ERA was below average for the first time in his career. He knew then it was time to retire.
Walter Johnson didn't stay away from the game for long. He went into managing, first in the minors, and then with the Senators starting in 1929. After a disappointing first season, he led the team to over 90 wins from 1930-1932. The Senators won the pennant in 1933, but Johnson had moved on to Cleveland. He was only a year out from managing when he was one of five men to be voted into the brand new Hall of Fame. He would join the induction ceremony three years later. It was supposed to be a happy time, but in reality his was mourning the death of his infant daughter in 1921 and his beloved wife Hazel on 1930. He still remained active, working on a farm in Maryland and tried politics. He served in the Montgomery County government and ran for a House seat, but he was defeated. In 1946 Johnson started feeling numbness in his left arm. He was eventually diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. He had palliative treatment that kept him going for a few months, but he would pass away in December. In his stead he passes behind a legacy of greatness that few pitchers would ever match.
The Pre-Integration Era (1921 - 1946)
History
The changes enacted in the 1920 season including the elimination of the spitball and other trick pitches were instrumental helping boost the offense in the 1920s. The runs per game in the National League went from 3.65 in 1919 to 3.97 in 1920 to 4.59 in 1921, a mark that was not seen since the introduction of the cork ball a decade earlier. The American League saw a similar rise, from 4.10 in 1919 to 4.76 in 1920 and 5.11 in 1921. Babe Ruth continued to be the cream of the crop in terms of home runs, blasting 59 in 1921 and a record 60 in 1927. Other sluggers started to join in on the action. Chicago shortstop Rogers Hornsby homered 42 times in 1922. Some of the older contact hitters, most notably Ty Cobb of Detroit, started bemoaning the increased reliance of the long ball. Yet even they had seen a boost, as Cobb and Hornsby along with Harry Heilmann and George Sisler combined to hit .400 seven times between 1920 and 1925. Not coincidentally, the pitchers started to suffer. The congregate National League ERA went from 2.91 in 1919 to 3.13 in 1920 to 3.78 in 1921. Similarly, the American League ERA jumped from 3.22 to 3.78 to 4.28. There were fluctuations in the offense level, but for the most part the game favored the hitters more than the pitchers. It culminated in an out-of-this-world 1930 season when there were 5.68 runs scored per game in the National League and the league as a whole hit .303/.360/.448, all 20th century records.
While offenses were breaking records and pitchers were getting hit hard, baseball continued to evolve as the country evolved around them. Americans prospered as well as offenses in the Roaring Twenties as most of the citizens enjoyed a period of relative wealth. However, all of that came to a crashing halt with the great stock market crash of 1929. While offenses remained high, the same thing could not be said for the rest of the country as they spiraled into the Great Depression. With the public caring more about their next meal than the next pennant race, the average attendance took a hit. Executives had to come up with ways to maintain public interest. This led to a period of some degree of innovation. The development of lighting systems allowed for night baseball and the chance for workers to attend games after long workdays. Executives also began to embrace radio, once thought to detract from ticket sales, but soon became a way to generate interest in the teams.
One method to generate interest that was never considered was the signing of dark-skinned players. This was less than 100 years after the end of the Civil War, and much of the country still viewed blacks as a lesser race. There were a few African Americans that played in organized baseball in the 19th century, most notably Tony Mullane's old catcher Moses Fleetwood Walker with the Toledo Blue Stockings in 1884. The presence of the dark-skinned players drew the ire of their opponents, most notably Adrian C. "Cap" Anson of the Chicago National League team. The major and minor leagues soon agreed not to sign any more black players. No African American players appeared in major league games since Moses Walker and his brother Weldy in 1884 for 70 years, and blacks soon disappeared from the minor leagues as well. This agreement persisted into the 20th century and was upheld by Commissioner Landis on numerous occasions. Yet there were still plenty of talented African American players that were not given a fair chance. They eventually formed their own independent teams and played against each other and exhibition games. There was soon an effort to organize, and in 1920 a group led by Andrew "Rube" Foster organized the black teams into the Negro National Leagues. The Negro League teams featured several innovations that predated the white Major Leagues, such as the development of night baseball led by the Kansas City Monarch's benevolent white owner J.L. Wilkinson, but more importantly had dynamic players that frequent outplayed the whites in exhibition games. The Negro National League disbanded following the death of Foster, but a new Negro National League was created in 1933 and they were later joined by the Negro American Leagues. With Major Leagues suffering from the Great Depression, the Negro Leagues was going through somewhat of a renaissance.
All of that came to a screeching halt on December 7, 1941. War had been brewing in Europe and Asia since 1933, and America had largely stayed away from the conflict. This had changed with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the declaration of war by America. A world war had disrupted baseball in the past. American's involvement in the Great War led to a reduced season in 1918, and disrupted the careers of several star players. A few bit players even died either in combat or from the Spanish flu that ravaged the world. However, baseball largely went on unaffected. However, with this new world war and combat on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides, there was question as to whether or not baseball can continue. President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the green light to continue play, but rosters were depleted as players were drafted or enlisted. The war finally ended in 1945, but it cost numerous players several years from their prime. It also led to a significant change in the question of blacks in baseball.
The Near-Misses
The heightened offense as well as the interruption of the war led to a glut of pitchers that came close but never did get to the exalted 300-win plateau. Charles "Red" Ruffing was a middling pitcher for the Red Sox before re-inventing himself as a star pitcher with the Yankees in the 1930s. He missed two seasons due to war service, then came back and won 15 games in three season. He would retire with 273 wins. Burleigh Grimes was the last of the spitballers grandfathered in. He had great success with the Brooklyn Robins and the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1920s, and then held on to his age 40 season in 1934. His career ended with 270 wins. Eppa Rixey was plucked from the grounds at the University of Virginia to pitch effectively for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was traded to Cincinnati where he lasted long enough to become the winningest National League left-hander with 266 wins, a record that he would hold for 25 years. Ted Lyons toiled for the Chicago White Sox team long after the Black Sox scandal had sent them to the second division. Many sportswriters felt that he could have won 400 games if he pitched for a team like the Yankees. As it is he still won 260 games even after missing three years in the military. Urban "Red" Faber predated Lyons as the White Sox ace. He had missed the 1919 Series due to injury. He was another spitballer who was grandfathered in. He would retire in 1933, a year before Grimes with 254 wins. Carl Hubbell was viewed as the premiere pitcher in baseball in the 1930s. Utilizing his famous screwball he led the league in wins three times, and had an All-Star game for the ages in 1934 when he struck out Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin, all Hall of Famers, in succession. Alas, the screwball took a toll on his arm and his career ended with 253 wins.
Jack Quinn was a Slovakian-born pitcher that was noted for pitching well past his 40th birthday. He won 11 games at 45 in 1929 and still had an above-average ERA at 48 in 1932. Alas, he did not get his start until he was 25 and he only managed 247 wins in his career. The Yankees dominated in the 1920s. They won six of the American League pennants, and captured titles in 1923, 1927, and 1928. The pitching stars on those teams were Herb Pennock and Waite Hoyt, both of whom acquired from the Boston Red Sox. They had tremendous success in New York, but couldn't quite duplicate with other teams. Pennock ended his career with 241 wins, while Hoyt had 237. Sad Sam Jones was also pilfered from Boston and placed in the Yankees rotations in the early 1920. He won 21 games in 1923, but sadly his career also never had the same success after leaving New York. He would have 229 wins in his career. Paul Derringer was a star pitcher with the Cincinnati Reds, leading them back to prominence following the fallout of 1919 and another title in 1940. He would end up with 223 wins. Mel Harder was the ace of the Indians before the debut of another pitcher. He would eventually become more famous for being a pitching coach, but not before collecting 223 wins.
Earl Whitehill had a few good years in Detroit before joining Washington in 1933 and helping them to a pennant. He would win 218 games in his career. "Fat" Freddie Fitzimmons was a serviceable pitcher for the New York Giants in the 1920s and 1930s before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers and becoming somewhat a folk hero for the Bums. He still managed 217 wins in his career. Wilbur Cooper remains the winningest pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, as he won 202 of his 216 games with the Bucs. Stan Coveleski played a key role in helping the Indians to the World Series title in 1920 following the tragic death of Ray Chapman. He had another good year with the pennant-winning Senators in 1925 and had 215 wins in his career. Bobo Newsom was a colorful character whose career stretched from 1929 to 1952. He pitched for a grand total of nine teams and while he posted an above-average ERA he still had a losing 211-222 record. Jesse Haines was a popular hurler for the St. Louis Cardinals and played a huge role in them coming out from under the shadows of the Browns. He would win 210 games with his knuckle-curve. Carl Mays came under a lot of heat for the death of Ray Chapman. He soldiered on and had a few more good years with the Yankees and the Reds. He would end up with 207 wins. Hal Newhouser was the best pitcher during the war years, getting declared 4F due to a mitral valve prolapse. He won back to back MVP awards as ace of the Tigers while most players were away, then had several great years once they returned. He ended his career in Cleveland with 207 wins. Charlie Root is unfortunately saddled with giving up Ruth's legendary "Called" Home Run. He was still a serviceable pitcher for the Cubs and had 201 wins. George Uhle took over as ace of the Indians following Coveleski's departure. He ended up with exactly 200 wins.
A few of the top pitchers in this era never even got to 200 wins. Charles Arthur "Dazzy" Vance was 31 before he finally got a fair shake in the Majors with the Brooklyn Robins. He went on to became a strikeout pitcher the likes of which baseball had never seen. He led the league in strikeouts seven straight years, and while his strikeout totals seem piddling in today's game, the degree to which he led the league is unprecedented even to this day. In 1924 Vance struck out 262 batters. Only one other pitcher even had 100, Grimes with 135. Alas his late start meant he could never have a long career, and it would end with 197. Wes Ferrell was best known for his potent bat, but he also won 20 games or more five times. He would win 193 games in his career. Lefty Gomez was the colorful ace of the Yankees in their dynasty in the 1930s. He won the Pitching Triple Crown twice in 1934 and 1937. Alas, he faded quickly and he retired with only 189 wins. Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was the ace and spiritual leader of the St. Louis Cardinals teams in the 1930s better known as the "Gashouse Gang." He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games when he did so helping the team win the World Series in 1934. Alas, a broken toe suffered in the 1936 All-Star game led him to change his pitching motion, which led to arm troubles that ended his career with only 150 wins, halfway to 300.
And then there were all of the great Negro League pitchers, men like Satchel Paige, Martin Dihigo, Leon Day, Hilton Smith, Bullet Joe Rogan, Smokey Joe Williams, Ray Brown, Andy Cooper, Jose Mendez, Dick Redding. If they were good enough to get Negro League Players out, then they surely would have been good enough to get Major League hitters out, and possibly win 300 games.
Pete Alexander - September 20, 1924
373 wins
Born: February 26, 1887 in Elba, NE
Died: November 4, 1950 in St. Paul, NE
Height: 6'1" Weight: 185 lbs
Other Stats: 208 losses, 2.56 ERA, 136 ERA+, 5190.0 innings, 2198 strikeouts, 90 shutouts, 117.1 pitching bWAR, 77.0 pitching bWAA, 94.9 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1938
Teams: Philadelphia Phillies (NL) (1911-1917, 1930), Chicago Cubs (NL) (1918-1926), St. Louis Cardinals (NL) (1926-1929)
Wins: 28 (1911), 19 (1912), 22 (1913), 27 (1914), 31 (1915), 33 (1916), 30 (1917), 2 (1918), 16 (1919), 27 (1920), 15 (1921), 16 (1922), 22 (1923), 12 (1924), 15 (1925), 12 (1926), 21 (1927), 16 (1928), 9 (1929), 0 (1930)
300 Win Game Final Score: Chicago Cubs 7, New York Giants 3 (12 innings)
In the annals of baseball history, there had been few players tortured by more demons than Grover Cleveland Alexander. He suffered from alcoholism as he battled epileptic seizures as well as a condition that is now analogous to post-traumatic stress disorder. He had a turbulent relationship with the woman he loved. And yet in between all of the trauma and the sadness, Alexander was the premiere pitcher in the National League. He possessed pinpoint control that allowed him to throw pitches where hitters had little chances of reaching. He had a deadly curveball that allowed him to succeed despite the lack of an overpowering fastball. And he had remarkable endurance, allowing him to pitch inning after inning well after his 40th birthday. With such solid qualities Alexander remains one of the best pitchers in baseball history long after his retirement.
Alexander was born to a family of farmers in central Nebraska in February 1887. His parents had high hopes for their son and named him after the sitting president, Grover Cleveland. Young "Dode" had no real ambition to be president. He spent his days working on the farm. His chores helped develop his wrist and his control. Alexander joined a semipro team with a telephone company after high school to play ball, and gained enough recognition that the minor league team in Galesburg, Illinois signed him in 1909. He did very well, but an accident on the field would turn his career and his life around. Alexander was a runner on first, and was trying to break up the double play. He succeeded, but the throw pegged him right between the eyes. He lost consciousness, and when he woke up over 24 hours later he had severe double vision. The vision persisted to the end of the season, and was still present into the next spring. Galesburg gave up on him and sent him to Indianapolis, who in turn passed him on to Syracuse. By the time Alexander reported to Syracuse his double vision had cleared up. He wound up with a terrific season, although he would suffer from epileptic seizures the rest of his life.
The Philadelphia Phillies had their eyes on a pitcher in Syracuse. That pitcher was George Chalmers, and they successfully drafted both Chalmers and his teammate in September. They had some reservations on the teammate given his haggard look and unimpressive physique, and told him to come back in spring training. Alexander impressed the Phillies in spring training 1911 and made the team. He lost his first start in heartbreaking fashion, but then tore off a seven game winning streak. He won a one-hit 1-0 shutout victory over Cy Young and the Boston Rustlers on September 7. When the season ended he had the most wins in the league with 28, and also threw 31 complete games and seven shutouts. He was second in the league with 227 strikeouts, and fifth with a 2.57 ERA. It remains the most impressive season by a rookie pitcher in modern baseball history. Alexander continued to pitch well in 1912-14. He won a combined 68 games in those years, leading the league with 27 in 1914. He led the league in strikeouts in 1912 and 1914, and in shutouts in 1913. However, the best finish by the Phillies in those years came in 1913 when they finished in second, 12.5 games behind the Giants.
In 1915 the Phillies hired a new manager, Pat Moran, who was a backup catcher during Alexander's rookie year. Moran had vouched for Grover in 1911, and now he was going to help the ace get to the next level. Alexander responded well to his leadership, and had the best season in his career up to that point. He won the Pitching Triple Crown, leading the league with 31 wins, a career high 241 strikeouts, and a career low 1.22 ERA. More importantly, the Phillies won the first pennant in their history, dating back to the 1880s. They faced the Red Sox in the World Series that year, and Alexander got the Phillies out to a great start, winning Game 1. Alas, Philadelphia lost the next four, each by a margin of only one run. Alexander had started and lost Game 3 on a walk-off. Alexander bounced back and won the Pitching Triple Crown two more times in 1916 and 1917. 1916 also featured his most impressive record when he tossed 16 shutouts, a mark that may never be approached. From 1915-17, Alexander had gone 94-35 with 1.54 ERA and 608 strikeouts. He also picked up a new nickname, "Alkali Pete," and he fell in love with a woman from his hometown of St. Paul, Nebraska.
Alas, the good days wouldn't last for Pete Alexander. America entered World War I in 1917, and while baseball was allowed to continue, players were not exempt from the draft. The Philadelphia front office had an inkling Alexander may get drafted, and traded their ace along with his batterymate Bill Killefer to the Chicago Cubs. Alexander got off to a good start with Chicago, but he ended up getting drafted. He got married before getting shipped off to the Western Front. Alexander was kept awake from constant bombardment, which led to some hearing loss, and he suffered a shrapnel injury on his right ear. To deal with the constant barrage Alexander picked up a coping strategy that would considerably affect his career and life. He had some alcohol before the war, but started drinking heavily in Europe, and he continued drinking afterward. He resumed his Major League career in 1919 and got off to a difficult start, but he turned things around and finished with a league-leading 1.72 ERA. Alexander had a tremendous season in 1920, winning his record fourth Pitching Triple Crown with 27 wins, 173 strikeouts, and a 1.91 ERA. He put up more pedestrian numbers from 1921-1923. His ERA rose to 3.39 and he totaled only 53 wins and 197 strikeouts during those three years.
Alexander and the Cubs both hoped that 1924 would be a good bounce-back season. His old catcher and good friend Bill Killefer was now the Cubs manager, and gave Old Pete whatever it took for him to succeed, and for a while it seemed to be working. Through the end of June he had nine wins against just three losses, and his ERA was 3.01. Then disaster struck. Alexander was hit in the wrist by a line drive during practice, and the injury kept him out of commission for two whole months. He was feeling marginally better when he was tabbed for the start against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds on September 20. The Giants were trying to hold off the Brooklyn Robins and Pittsburgh Pirates to win their fourth consecutive pennant, while the Cubs were mired in fifth place. Manager John McGraw sent Virgil Barnes to face off against the grizzled old veteran.
The Cubs struck first. Chicago third baseman Bernie Friberg singled in the second. He was forced by left fielder Denver Grigsby, but superstar catcher Gabby Hartnett lined a triple to right field. Grigsby was able to score easily. The lead was short-lived, as in the bottom of the third New York second baseman Frank Frisch singled. Right fielder Ross Youngs hit a bouncer to second that he was able to beat out. Center fielder George "High Pockets" Kelly lined a single, and Frisch raced around to score from second. The Giants threatened in the fifth with the same cast of future Hall of Famers. Frisch and Youngs were on first and third respectively after a forceout and a hit. This time Alexander was able to get Kelly to hit into a double play. The Cubs took the lead in the sixth. Shortstop Sparky Adams led off with a single and went to second on a sacrifice. Second baseman George Grantham followed with a single. Kelly tried to rush the throw from center, but in his haste he missed the ball and Adams scored easily, and Grantham was able to make it all the way to third. He tried to score on a grounder by Chicago right fielder Howie Fitzgerald, making his Major League debut, but Giants shortstop Travis "Stonewall" Jackson threw him out at home. Chicago got their third run anyways in the seventh with their help from their pitcher. The Cubs loaded the bases on singles by Grigsby and Hartnett and first baseman Hooks Cotter, the latter on a drag bunt. Alexander went to hit for himself, because that was the way teams did things in 1924. He had never been a very strong hitter, but on this occasion he hit a grounder down the third base line that scored Grisgby. Alas, the Cubs left the bases loaded.
After reliever Claude Jonnard kept the Cubs from scoring in the eighth, the Giants began their comeback. High Pockets singled and advanced to second. He tried to advance to third on first baseman Bill Terry's grounder to the pitcher, but Old Pete deftly nabbed the runner. Alas, the Giants got a runner to third anyways when left fielder Hack Wilson singled, and then Terry was able to score on a grounder by Jackson. Alexander got catcher Hank Gowdy for the third out, and the game went to the ninth with the Cubs still ahead 3-2. Pinch-hitter Jack Bentley singled, but his pinch-runner Hugh McQuillan was erased on a forceout by right fielder Jimmy O'Connell, batting for third baseman Fred Lindstrom. O'Connell went to second on a groundout by Frisch, yet Alexander was one out away from sending the Giants home with a loss. He got Youngs to hit a ground ball towards second base, but then watched in horror as second baseman Grantham allowed the ball go between his legs, and O'Connell sped home with the tying run. The Giants had a chance to win, but Alexander was able to get Terry out to send the game into extra innings.
There was a lot of excitement in the extra innings. The Cubs mounted a two out rally against the Giants' new reliever Rosy Ryan on a single by Fitzgerald and walks to Friberg and Grigsby, but Hartnett failed in his attempt to get his fourth hit and flew to center. In the bottom of the tenth Grantham made an amazing play on a sharply-hit grounder by Bill Terry to atone for the error he had made an inning earlier. Hack Wilson doubled, but Alexander was able to strand him on second. The Cubs were quiet in the 11th. In the bottom of the inning Frank Frisch reached on an error by shortstop Adams. He stole second, and catcher Hartnett threw the ball away. The Fordham Flash got up and tried to score, but center fielder Cliff Heathcote made a beautiful throw to nab Frisch at home. Frisch injured his hand and had to leave the game. Giants manager McGraw had to reconfigure his defenders, and put pitcher Art Nehf in right. To make matters worse McGraw had already pinch-hit for pitcher Ryan. Now he had to go to his bullpen. He called on Ernie Maun, a young Texan making only his 21st appearance. Heathcote greeted the rookie with a single. Grantham sacrificed, and then Fitzgerald lined a single to score the go-ahead run. Friberg also singled, and the runners went to second and third when center fielder O'Connell fumbled the ball. Grigsby grounded to first, and first baseman Terry tried to nab Fitzgerald coming in from third, but the runner was safe. Hartnett got his fourth hit to score Friberg, and McGraw had enough. He replaced Maun with Harry Baldwin. Baldwin allowed a single to Cotter to drive home Grigsby, but got the last two outs. Armed with a comfortable four run lead, Alexander was able to get the last three outs to give the Cubs the win. He had pitched all 12 innings, allowing 15 hits but held the Giants to three runs.
Alexander pitched decently in 1925, but he was struggling more and more to control himself with the bottle. Killefer was canned in 1926 and replaced with a neophyte manager named Joe McCarthy. McCarthy opposed Alexander's constant drinking. Old Pete didn't care what the rookie manager felt, since McCarthy had never played in the Majors and was two years younger than he was, but in the end the manager got his way. The Cubs put Old Pete on waivers. He was claimed by the St. Louis Cardinals, and that set the stage for his crowning achievement. Player manager Rogers Hornsby tolerated Alexander's drinking, and Alexander rewarded this by helping the Cardinals to the pennant. They faced the powerhouse New York Yankees in the World Series, but Alexander had little problem setting the Bombers down in games two and six. Jesse Haines was starting Game 7 and had a 3-2 lead, but he ran into trouble in the seventh, loading the bases. Hornsby called on Alexander. Alexander was napping, although he claimed he was sober, but he strolled in and struck Yankees rookie Tony Lazzeri. Alexander got through a scoreless eighth before walking Babe Ruth with two outs in the ninth. As he prepared to face Bob Meusel, Ruth started to steal second. Catcher Bob O'Farrell had no problems throwing out the lumbering slugger to give the Cardinals the title.
Alexander found his footing in St. Louis and had one more great year and another good year in 1927 and 1928. He pitched in another World Series against the Yankees in 1928 and the Bombers got their revenge. Either Alexander's age or drinking got to him in 1929 and he stumbled to a 9-8 record. He still thought he had passed Christy Mathewson for the National League in wins. He was traded back to the Phillies for 1930, but he was hit hard and was released. Alexander tried to hang around and spent a few years with the semipro House of David team, but soon he was out of baseball. His wife had divorced him in 1929 due to his drinking, but they reconciled and remarried once he entered sanitariums, but Alexander was never able to maintain his sobriety, and they eventually divorced again. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1938 and inducted in 1939. By then he was working as a sideshow attraction in flea circuses, telling stories about his baseball career. He suffered from numerous health problems, including a heart attack and ear cancer, which led to an ear amputation. He also found out Mathewson had an extra win due to a clerical error. He was living in a hotel in 1950 when he was invited to the World Series by the Yankees of all teams instead of the Phillies. He made the appearance, then returned to Nebraska. He died in his hotel room less than a month later. It was a tragic end to a tragic life, but for 20 seasons, Alexander found triumph on the mound.
Lefty Grove - July 25, 1941
300 wins
Born: March 6, 1900 in Lonaconing, MD
Died: May 22, 1975 in Norwalk, OH
Height: 6'3" Weight: 190 lbs
Other Stats: 141 losses, 3.06 ERA, 148 ERA+, 3940.6 innings, 2266 strikeouts, 35 shutouts, 112.5 pitching bWAR, 71.9 pitching bWAA, 85.8 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1947
Teams: Philadelphia Athletics (AL) (1925-1933), Boston Red Sox (AL) (1934-1941)
Wins: 10 (1925), 13 (1926), 20 (1927), 24 (1928), 20 (1929), 28 (1930), 31 (1931), 25 (1932), 24 (1933), 8 (1934), 20 (1935), 17 (1936), 17 (1937), 14 (1938), 15 (1939), 7 (1940), 7 (1941)
300 Win Game Final Score: Boston Red Sox 10, Cleveland Indians 6
There had never been a pitcher who had hated losing more than Robert Moses Grove. His fiery locker room tantrums became the stuff of legends. Thankfully for his teammates, he didn't do much losing in his career, with a .680 career winning percentage that is one of the highest in baseball. He helped his team as a starter, but was also more than willing to come out of the bullpen to help the team win, leading all 300-game winners in both relief appearances (159) and saves (54). He possessed a fearsome fastball which he used to terrify hitters once he overcame some early control problems. Even after he lost his fastball due to a devastating arm injury in the middle of his career, he was still able to re-invent himself as a control artist, and completed the rest of a long journey to 300 career wins.
Grove was born a few months after the turn of the century in a small mining town in western Maryland. His father and brothers were miners, spending days on end digging coal and iron out of dangerous tunnels, but Grove wanted no part in following in his father's footsteps. He performed odd jobs around the mines, and practiced the game of baseball with nobody around. He did not join an organized team until his late teens, but he dazzled the semipro players with his rapid speed. He was so impressive a minor league team from nearby Martinsburg, West Virginia snatched him up. Another team had its eyes on the young southpaw. The Baltimore Orioles were a dynasty in the National League in the 1890s, but were contracted after 1899. They were replaced by a Baltimore Orioles team in the American League, but they too shut down in favor of a franchise in New York. A new Baltimore Orioles team opened up a year later, and they became a powerhouse upon the arrival of Jack Dunn as manager and later owner. Dunn negotiated with Martinsburg, and eventually bought him for enough money so the West Virginia field can buy a new fence.
Grove became a sensation with the Orioles. He won 108 games with them in five seasons from 1920 to 1924. Unfortunately for him the Orioles played in the minor leagues. Major League teams did desperately want the young left-hander, but Dunn held out. At last Connie Mack offered $100,600 to Dunn prior to the 1925 season, and Grove became a Philadelphia Athletic. Mack probably remembered his left-handed aces from a generation ago, but initially Grove was more Rube Waddell than Eddie Plank. He had terrorizing speed, leading the American League in strikeouts that first year, but he also led the league in walks. His ERA was below average, and his record stood at a pitiful 10-12. People were calling Grove a "lemon," or a failed investment. Grove was determined to prove them wrong. He went back to Maryland in the off-season and worked on his control. He was also paired with catcher Cy Perkins, who encouraged the hot-headed lefty to slow down his motion. That led to an immediate improvement in Grove's performance. He led the league in strikeouts again in 1926, and this time he also led the league in ERA, with a 2.51 mark. He still walked 101 batters, but it was 30 fewer in 61 more innings than the year before. Grove continued to show improvement in 1927 and 1928. He won 20 games for the first time, although his ERA creeped up to 3.19, and a year later he won 24 games. Alas, the A's finished behind the Yankees both years.
Grove was determined to push the A's ahead. In a season dominated by offense, Grove still led the league in ERA mark and led the league in strikeouts for the fifth straight year. He won 20 games as the A's won 104 and took home the pennant. Grove pitched out of the bullpen in the World Series as the A's topped the Cubs 4-1. A year later he bettered his marks with a 2.54 ERA, a career high 209 strikeouts, and an astounding 28 wins. The A's won another pennant, and repeated as champions with Grove primarily pitching in the rotation this time. 1931 would serve as Grove's magnum opus. He lowered his ERA to a remarkable 2.06 when the league average was 4.38. He led the league in strikeouts for the seventh straight year, and won 31 games, the last time a 300-game winner won 30 games. He also threw his most famous tantrum on August 23 when a misplay by backup outfielder Jimmy Moore led to a 1-0 loss against the hapless St. Louis Browns that ended a 16-game winning streak. Nevertheless, Grove won a second straight Pitching Triple Crown and the A's won a third straight pennant. Grove pitched well against the St. Louis Cardinals, and won Game 6 to force a deciding game, but had to watch on the bench as teammate George Earnshaw dropped Game 7.
Grove pitched well in 1932 and 1933, leading the league in ERA the former year and in wins the latter, but after 1933 Connie Mack was feeling the effects of the Great Depression. Even though he had a winning team he wasn't drawing enough to make up for expenses, and traded away all his stars. Grove went to the Boston Red Sox. He suffered from a sore arm and pitched in only 22 games and put up an embarrassing 6.50 ERA when he did pitch. He built his back arm in his off-season, and honed his curve, which had become much more effective after he was unable to throw the same fastball as he did five years earlier. He had a terrific bounceback year in 1935, leading the league in ERA, and doing the same a year later. Grove helped Boston compete for the pennant in 1938 and 1939, the eighth and ninth times he led the league in ERA, but they finished no higher than second.
By 1940 Grove's performance was already starting to decline. However, by this time pitching wins and losses were being tracked with regularity, and the sportswriters of the time were already starting to tout the 300 game winners. Grove had 286 wins going into 1940, but he labored to a 7-6 record, and still remained seven wins from the celebrated 300-win mark. Thankfully, the Red Sox had a powerful lineup that included player-manager Joe Cronin, second baseman Bobby Doerr, former A's teammate Jimmie Foxx, and a cocky 22-year-old left fielder named Theodore Samuel Williams. The hot hitting offense helped Grove get three wins through the end of May. He got his 299th win on July 3, but failed in his first two attempts at the 300th win on the road. His third attempt would be back at Fenway Park against the second place Cleveland Indians. While Grove was making the start for the Red Sox in the first game of a three-game set, the Indians countered with Joe Krakauskas, a youngster from Canada recalled from AA Syracuse earlier in the month.
The Indians were not a team known for their offense. They would finish last in the American League in runs in 1941. However, the Cleveland offense got to Grove first in the top of the second. The Indians loaded the bases on a single by right fielder Jeff Heath, a double by third baseman Ken Keltner, and a walk to first baseman Hal Trotsky. Grove used every bit of his 22 years of professional experience to hold the Indians to one run, on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Oscar Grimes. Things got worst in the third. Shortstop Lou Boudreau singled, then stole second. Center fielder Larry Rosenthal hit an infield single to put runners at the corner. Left fielder Gee Walker and Heath both singled to drive in the two runners. Walker was thrown out trying to get to second on his single, but that was little consolation as Heath stole second then Keltner doubled to drive him in. Through three innings the Red Sox had not gotten a single hit and the only baserunners came via walks. That would change in the fourth when Boston shortstop-manager Cronin reached on an error by first baseman Trotsky. Ted Williams singled his manager to second, and then Foxx walked to load the bases. Krakauskas then walked third baseman Jim Tabor. Even though the Indians held a 4-1 lead, manager Roger Peckinpaugh couldn't handle the Canuck's lack of control any longer, and replaced him with Mel Harder. The 31-year-old veteran got Bobby Doerr to hit a foul pop up to the catcher, but Boston catcher Johnny Peacock singled to drive in a run, and the bases were still loaded. Grove had a chance to help his own cause, but flied to left field, and center fielder Dom "Brother of Joe" DiMaggio grounded out.
It didn't take long for Boston to tie the game. After a much-needed one-two-three inning by Grove in the fifth, right fielder Lou Finney reached on a drag bunt. Cronin lined to third, but up stepped the cocky left-fielder Ted Williams. He had come into the game hitting .397, and increased it to .399 with his fourth inning single. This time he raised it to .402 with a long home run to left, and the game was tied. The game wouldn't be tied for long, but sadly it would be the Indians that scored. Grove faced Boudreau again with one out, and Handsome Lou blasted it out for a go-ahead home run over the Left Field Wall. One batter later Gee Walker lined a shot off the same Wall. He motored all the way around to third, then when third baseman Tabor couldn't handle the throw from the Kid left fielder, Walker was able to trot home. Thankfully for Grove there was nobody else on base, and the deficit remained at two. In the bottom of the inning the two men involved in the Gee Walker play came back to tie the game. Williams, who was stuck with the error, walked to lead off. Then after "Double X" popped out, Jim Tabor homered over the Wall. The Red Sox tried to take the lead that inning when catcher Peacock singled with two outs. That was the end of the day for Harder as he was replaced by Al Milnar, a native of Cleveland who won 18 games the year earlier. Lefty was allowed to hit for himself, and he almost gave himself a lead with a double to left. Peacock came racing around and tried to score, but cut-off man Boudreau threw the ball to catcher Desautels who tagged out his counterpart.
While the failure to get the go-ahead run was disappointing, Boston would soon have another chance. Grove set the Indians down one-two-three in the eighth, then DiMaggio led off with a walk. Finney sacrificed him to second, but then lefty Milnar intentionally walked Cronin to pitch to the left-handed Kid. The questionable decision worked out as Williams popped out to drop his average back to .400, but Milnar still had to contend with James Emory Foxx. Foxx debuted in Philadelphia the same year that Grove did, then came to Boston two years after his buddy. He was a powerful hitter who had already blasted 515 home runs. This time Foxx lifted a fly ball off the center field wall. The two runs scored easily while Foxx went to third. A single would score Foxx, but Jim Tabor decided that wouldn't be good enough. He hit his second home run of the game to give Grove a 10-6 advantage. Grove didn't need that much. He got the Indians one-two-three in the ninth, and when Lou Boudreau flied to Dom DiMaggio for the final out, there was bedlam in Boston. The Red Sox had come out on top of this back-and-forth game, and Grove finally had 300 in spite of losing five of his prime years to the minors.
Lefty Grove had labored to get that elusive 300th win, but he felt energized by the milestone and according to the New York Times he felt he could get another 300 wins. As it turned out he had a lot of trouble even getting to 301. He was pounded for six runs in each of his next three starts against the dregs of the American League the Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators. He allowed only five runs against another bottom feeder the St. Louis Browns, but they all came in the first as he couldn't get out of the inning. He didn't allow a run in his last start in August, but he only got one out before leaving the game due to a strained back. His back kept him out of commission for a month. He didn't come back until the last game of the season in the second game of a double-header against his old team the Athletics. That game has become best known for Ted Williams going two for three and completing his remarkable season with a .406 batting average. Less known was the fact that Grove started the game but only lasted one inning when he allowed three runs, while a 22 year old rookie named Fred Caligiuri allowed but one run to the Boston Bombers. The only Boston run came on a home run by backup catcher Frankie Pytlak.
It was an ignominious end to a tremendous career. Grove decided to retire back to his hometown of Lonaconing, Maryland after the season. The announcement coincided with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but Grove didn't particularly care. The competitive fire that drove him to excel in baseball had burned out. The only contact Grove had with the game was whenever he decided to coach youth baseball, who saw him as a kindly old coach rather than the fire-breathing hurler that most American League players remembered of him. He also operated a bowling alley and served as a police chief. He did get recognition fairly early on for his remarkable career. He got into the Hall of Fame in 1947, the first time in five years the Base Ball Writers Association of America voted anybody in, following Rogers Hornsby in 1942. It was such a tremendous honor for Grove that he didn't even care that he was outpolled by Carl Hubbell, who had 47 fewer wins. He got even more commendation in 1969. That year the baseball world celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first professional team by selecting the all-time team. Lefty beat out Sandy Koufax, Eddie Plank, and other southpaws for the title of the best left-handed pitcher. By then he was living in Ohio an hour west of Cleveland, where he had lived following the death of his wife. Grove would pass away himself in 1975 of a heart attack. His body may have been gone, but his legacy as the most intense and one of the best pitchers of all time lives on.
The Post-Integration Era (1947 - 1968)
History
The baseball world suffered a shocking blow on November 25, 1944 when Commissioner Landis died only a month after suffering a heart attack. While many mourned the man that was believed to have saved baseball following the Black Sox scandal, others saw it as an opportunity. The owners elected Kentucky senator Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler to succeed Landis, although he would not assume the position until October 1945. During that time Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey and wannabe owner Bill Veeck made efforts to integrate baseball. Rickey was long celebrated for the creation of the farm system and affiliated minor league teams while as a general manager with the Cardinals. Now with the Dodgers, Rickey remembered his experiences as a student coach with the Ohio Wesleyan and the injustices suffered by his classmate Charles Thomas, an African American. Veeck was a World War II and the son of the former president of the Chicago Cubs. Veeck had watched Negro League games as a youngster, and he knew the black players could play just as well if not better than the whites. He had planned to buy the Philadelphia Phillies in 1942. He later wrote that he wanted to can all the Phillies players and fill the team with Negro League stars. He tipped Landis of his intentions, and needless to say his efforts to purchase the Phillies phailed.
40 years later after playing with Charles Thomas, Branch Rickey took the first steps to integrate baseball. He met with several players and discussed with them the implications of being an African American in professional baseball, along with the racial taunts they would get. One player that caught his eye was Jackie Robinson, a former track and football star with UCLA who served in the Army. He was court-martialed for insubordination for refusing to move to the back of the bus, but was acquitted and received an honorable discharge. He was playing for the Kansas City Monarchs when Rickey called. After a grueling meeting where Rickey tested Jackie's guts, he agreed to sign Jackie for the 1946 season. Jackie would play with the Montreal Royals in 1946. Jackie played in Montreal with Johnny Wright, another black player signed by Rickey. Jackie was a sensation, hitting .349/.468/.462, and showing that he could contribute to a Major League team. Rickey was willing to take the next step, but he had to get the okay from the new Commissioner. Chandler gave Branch Rickey his blessing, explaining that if African Americans were brave enough to fight and die for the country in World War II, then they would be good enough to play Major League Baseball. So on April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson forever changed baseball when debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Bill Veeck was eventually able to secure a team of his own, the Cleveland Indians, in 1946. He didn't fire everybody and replace them with Negro League stars like he wanted to with the Phillies, but he took it upon himself to integrate the American League. Having seen Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey take the first steps in integration, Veeck set out to find a player of his own. His search brought him to Larry Doby of the Newark Eagles. Doby seemed to have the talent and the temperament to succeed in the Major Leagues. Veeck negotiated with Eagles owner Effa Manley, and offered her compensation for Doby. Doby signed his contract with the Indians on July 2, and made his Major League debut just three days later.
The presence of African American players significantly changed the landscape of baseball. They consistently proved that they could play along with the Major Leaguers, and in fact several teams found themselves getting better with the addition of the blacks. The Brooklyn Dodgers became perennial contenders, winning pennants in 1947 and then again in 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, and 1956, winning their first title in 1955 with a team that included Jackie, catcher Roy Campanella, and pitcher Don Newcombe. The Cleveland Indians, armed with Doby and Negro League legend Satchel Paige took home the 1948 pennant and later won the World Series. They won the pennant again in 1954 with Doby and second baseman Bobby Avila. The Giants won the pennant in 1951 with the addition of outfielders Monte Irvin and Willie Mays. The Milwaukee Braves won back to back pennants in 1957 and 1958 led by outfielder Hank Aaron. And one of the star players for the World Series winning 1960 Pirates was the dark-skinned Puerto Rican outfielder Roberto Clemente. It was a whole new ballgame.
Besides the increased presence of integration, the 1950s soon saw a new development, the westward expansion of teams. The Boston Braves were the descendants of the Boston Beaneaters of the 1890s, but they found themselves mostly stuck in second division and hemorrhaging money, especially playing in the shadows of the Boston Red Sox. They became the first team to relocate west, when they traveled to Milwaukee. The Philadelphia Athletics were also losing money especially after longtime owner Connie Mack stepped aside and let his sons run the team. They ended up selling to Arnold Johnson, who moved them to Kansas City, home to many teams during the National League and American Association. The St. Louis Browns, unable to survive in the Cardinals' shadow after decades of losing, relocated themselves to Baltimore, a rare instance of a team moving east. However, the biggest transition was with the two New York rivals, the Dodgers and the Giants. California had started out as a republic annexed from Mexico to become the second biggest state in the nation, but due to their location on the Pacific coast and the inconvenience of travel, Major League Baseball never made it out to California. However, with the City of New York unwilling to grant a new ballpark to replace the aging Ebbets Field, owner Walter O'Malley made the fateful decision to move the Dodgers to Los Angeles. More crucially, they convinced Horace Stoneham and the Giants to make the move with them, settling in San Francisco. Baseball truly has become America's game.
Baseball was going through their own version of manifest destiny during this time. The spread of baseball's popularity had drawn other enterprising owners to try to get a piece of the action. In 1946 the Mexican League began trying to become legitimate. They tried to lure players over with massive salaries, which was the same tactic that the Union Association and the Federal League had attempted 60 and 30 years prior. A few players made the jump, but Happy Chandler stemmed the flow by threatening bans for any player that made the jump. The Mexican League threat was eventually extinguished, especially after players that made the jump saw the poorer conditions in Mexico.
A more serious threat came in 1959, and it came in the form of the Continental League. Even with the relocation of teams there remained 16 teams in 15 Major League cities. New York had gone from having three teams to only one, and it was the one everybody hated. Attorney William Shea proposed the idea of creating a third Major League, one that would apply for admission through the Commisioner's Office, and place eight teams in eight cities when they begin play in 1961. They located prospective owners who would pay the fees to start the team and build ballparks. And to top it off they elected a revered baseball man as league president: former Dodgers GM Branch Rickey. This new league terrified the existing leagues, and they finally agreed to expansion teams. Expansion teams would be placed in Washington DC (to replace the old Senators that moved to Minnesota), Houston, Los Angeles, and New York. The threat of the Continental League had ended.
Baseball enjoyed great popularity in the 1960s. The addition of two new expansion teams in the American League and the expansion of the baseball schedule to 162 games (from 154) in 1961 led to another offensive explosion, one that culminated in Roger Maris of the Yankees breaking the record held by the great Babe Ruth with 61 home runs. However, by the late 1960s the pitchers took over once again. Part of it may have been from the umpires calling larger strike zones, but others may have been from the development of more breaking pitches. The runs per game and ERA started creeping downward as 1960s progressed, until 1968 when runs per game total of 3.43 in the NL was the lowest in 60 years and 3.41 in the AL was the lowest in league history. Only one hitter in the AL hit over .300 while five had ERAs below 2.00. (The ratio was five and two in the NL.) Panicked executives lowered the mound and told umpires to call a smaller strike zone. Pitchers would never dominate quite like they did ever again.
The Near-Misses
Even with the pitching exploits of 1968, the majority of the seasons in the post-integration era was tilted in favor of the offense. As a result few pitchers were able to achieve stout win totals. However, the star pitchers managed to shine like they hadn't before. Robin Roberts was the winningest pitcher of the era to miss out on 300 wins. He won 20 games six times with the Philadelphia Phillies topped by 28 in 1952. However, all of that early workload came back to haunt him in his 30s. He was never quite the same and he ended up with 286 wins. Bob Feller was a star when he broke into the Cleveland rotation as a high school student in 1936. He became the first pitcher to strike out his age in a game, and became a fireballing ace for the Indians. He was the first player to enlist following the Pearl Harbor bombings, and missed three and a half years from his prime. He went 26-15 and struck out 348 in his first year back in 1946, but outside of that season he never had the same success as he did before the war. He ended his career with 266 wins and surely over 34 wins left on the table from 1942-1945. Bob Gibson was a tremendous athlete who also played basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters. He found most of his success with the Cardinals, as he combined intimidation with pinpoint control to become a top-flight pitcher. He posted a 1.12 ERA in 1968, and became the first pitcher since Walter Johnson to reach 3,000 strikeouts. Alas, his career ended with 251 wins.
Juan Marichal was an import from the Dominican Republic and became one of the first great Hispanic pitchers. He was largely overshadowed during his time with the Giants but still managed six seasons with 20 wins and three with 25. He was the all-time leader in wins among Hispanic pitchers when he retired with 243. Whitey Ford was the ace of the Yankees during their glory years of the 1950s and 1960s. He was allowed to pitch only against first division teams early on his career, and never posted awe-inspiring win totals until the latter half, but his 236-106 record gave him a winning percentage of 69.0%, still third all-time. Jim Bunning was an intelligent pitcher for the Tigers and later the Phillies. He threw a no-hitter in both leagues with one of them being a perfect game, and later became a Senator out of Kentucky just like Commissioner Chandler. He retired with 224 wins. Billy Pierce was an ace for the White Sox in the 1950s. He then moved on to the Giants and had a few good years there. He would end up with 21 wins. Don Drysdale was a star pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was an intimidating presence who had the finesse to put up 58 and 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in 1968. His career ended shortly after that with only 209 wins. Milt Pappas was a solid starter for the Baltimore Orioles. He then went on to the Chicago Cubs where he almost threw a perfect game. He would also win 209 games in his career. Bob Lemon was an infielder in the Indians system who converted to the mound. He found success both on the mound and with the bat, and had 207 wins. Lew Burdette was a key member of the Braves when they won the World Series in 1957, winning three games against the Yankees. He had a few other good years and had 203 wins, even with an ERA below league average.
And then there's Sandy Koufax, the man overwhelmingly believed to be the best pitcher in the history of the game bar none. He is the pitcher most often brought up by critics as evidence of the uselessness of the 300-win club. Koufax was studying to be an architect while playing baseball and basketball. He was highly recruited by Major League scouts and finally signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The terms were high enough that the Dodgers were required to keep Koufax on the Major League roster for all of the 1955 season. In the early days Koufax had difficulty controlling his speedy fastball. His ERA was still above average, but he was never a consistent winner. During spring training in 1961, catcher Norm Sherry told Koufax to relax more and throw less hard. While it seemed paradoxical, Koufax found that it worked wonders. He won 18 games and was named an All-Star for the first time. In 1962 his performance went to another level. He led the league in ERA with 2.54, even if he had to miss significant time due to an arm issue. From 1963-1966 he won 25 games three times, and his ERA was below 2.00 three times. He threw three no-hitters, including a perfect game, to go with the one he threw in 1962. He led the Dodgers to World Series titles in 1963 and 1965, and the pennant in 1966. He became a hero for all Jews when he declined to pitch on Yom Kippur which happened during the 1965 World Series. He was the toast of the town in the city of stars. And then it was all over. Koufax had started having pain in his left elbow and it was found to be arthritis. The pain soon bothered him significantly. He needed capsaicin cream, anti-inflammatories, and steroid shots just to be able to pitch. Rather than risk permanent damage, Koufax announced his retire following the 1966 season. He leaves behind a legacy that led him to be the most popular choice for the best pitcher of all-time, but it also gave him only 165 wins, 129 of which came in the six years between 1961-1966.
Warren Spahn - August 11, 1961
363 wins
Born: April 23, 1921 in Buffalo, NY
Died: November 24, 2003 in Broken Arrow, OK
Height: 6'0" Weight: 172 lbs
Other Stats: 245 losses, 3.09 ERA, 119 ERA+, 5243.6 innings, 2583 strikeouts, 63 shutouts, 92.6 pitching bWAR, 41.1 pitching bWAA, 75.6 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1973
Teams: Boston / Milwaukee Braves (NL) (1942, 1946-1964), New York Mets (NL) (1965), San Francisco Giants (NL) (1965)
Wins: 0 (1942), 8 (1946), 21 (1947), 15 (1948), 21 (1949), 21 (1950), 22 (1951), 14 (1952), 23 (1953), 21 (1954), 17 (1955), 20 (1956), 21 (1957), 22 (1958), 21 (1959), 21 (1960), 21 (1961), 18 (1962), 23 (1963), 6 (1964), 7 (1965)
300 Win Game Final Score: Milwaukee Braves 2, Chicago Cubs 1
Warren Edward Spahn is noted to have coined the saying "hitting is timing, pitching is upsetting timing." It was an adage that he lived by as he established himself as one of the most consistent winners in baseball history. He survived World War II to become an ace for the Boston and later Milwaukee Braves. He frustrated hitters for 20 seasons with his high leg kick as well as his exception control. He was a thinking man's pitcher who targeted a hitter's weakness. He was always willing to develop new pitches, and that allowed him to succeed without an overpowering fastball. He was a kind-hearted teammate who mentored younger players no matter their skin color. Baseball had to tear the uniform from his back, but by the time he retired no left-handers had more wins than he did.
Spahn was named after the sitting president Warren G. Harding when he was born in Buffalo in 1921. His father didn't have any designs for young Warren to become a lawyer or a politician. Instead he trained the youngster to be a baseball player, specifically a pitcher. His father was the one that taught Warren his fluid motion that he was able to repeat thousands of times over 20 years. He was also taught the importance of control. Young Warren dreamed of being a first baseman, and played the position all through his childhood. His infield dreams died when he reached high school and lost the job to another player, but his countless hours of practice with his father paid off. He became a star in high school, and attracted the attention of a scout for the Boston Bees, as the Braves were called in 1940. Spahn signed a professional contract and entered the farm system, as revolutionized by Branch Rickey in the 1920s. Spahn dealt with some injuries early on, but impressed the club with his numbers, and he received a big league call-up in 1942. He pitched in only two games before getting sent down, reportedly because he refused to hit the Dodgers' Pee Wee Reese as ordered by his manager Casey Stengel. He was called back up in September, but wasn't much better.
Spahn enlisted in the Army that off-season. He trained to be a combat engineer in Oklahoma, where he would meet the woman who would become his wife. Spahn played baseball like most other ballplayers did in 1944, but he got the order to ship out to France in November. Spahn saw combat in the Battle of the Bulge and was grazed by bullets. In March 1945 his unit was sent to repair the Ludendorff Bridge in Remagen, one of the few the Germans hadn't destroyed. Spahn was just leaving the bridge one day when it collapsed behind him, killing 28 soldiers. When the war ended he had earned a promotion to a lieutenant as well as a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. No player was more commended in the War. By the time he got back from his service in June 1946, baseball no longer seemed like a life or death proposition. By the time he got his first win on July 14, 1946, Spahn was already 25 years old. Still, he had a relatively successful first season, going 8-5 with an above-average 2.94 ERA. He was even better in 1947 when he won 21 games with a 2.33 ERA. He sank to only 15 wins in 1948 as his ERA rose to 3.71, but he teamed with fellow pitcher Johnny Sain to reverse decades of futility to win their first pennant in 34 years, inspiring a memorable poem "Spahn and Sain pray for rain" in the process. Alas, the Braves lost the Series to the Indians despite Spahn's relief in in Game 5.
From 1947 through 1963, it became more unusual to see Warren Spahn without 20 wins than with it. He had won only 15 as he was distracted by his wife's pregnancy in 1948. The 1952 club had been decimated by years of poor management and Spahn went 14-19 despite a solid 2.98 ERA. He had a rough patch in May and June of 1955 that limited him to 17 wins despite a solid finish. And in 1962 he had a four game losing streak in June when he finished with 18 at age 41. He got to 20 wins in the other years, a grand total of 13 times, his lucky number. Along the way, Spahn led the league in strikeouts four straight times from 1949-1953. He led the league in ERA three times, including a career low of 2.10 in 1953. And he led the league in wins eight times. The Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953, and Spahn had his most successful year, with 23 wins to go with his career low ERA. He did it even when suffering from a knee injury that he didn't reveal to the team. The Braves were popular in Milwaukee, and even more so when Spahn teamed up with a solid cast of young hitters to return the Braves to contention. They lost the pennant on the final day in 1956 in a heartbreaking loss with Spahn on the mound, but came back to win it in a year later. Spahn had gone 21-11 and won the Cy Young award. While friend and rotation mate Lew Burdette got the publicity with three wins in the Braves' seven-game victory over the Yankees, Spahn contributed with a 10-inning win in Game 5. The Braves won the pennant again a year later behind Spahn's 22 wins and Burdette's 20. Spahn contributed with two wins in the World Series rematch, but missed his chance for a third win that would have clinched the title in Game 6, and the Yankees would win in Game 7. The Braves tied the Dodgers at the end of the regular season in 1959, but lost both games in the best-of-three playoffs with Spahn only able to come out of the bullpen.
Spahn was still going strong into the 1960s. He threw a no-hitter at age 39 in 1960 in a game where he struck out 15, and added one more in 1961. In both of those games he was two walks away from a perfect game. Yet Spahn had set his sights on something bigger in 1961. He went into the season with 288 wins. It had been 20 years since Lefty Grove had gotten to 300 wins. With such a lengthy gap between 300-game winners, there was much talk in the interim as to whether or not the 300-win club was dead, but Spahn knew that it would only be a matter of time before he gets there, and he was hoping it would happen that year. The season started out somewhat rocky for Spahn. He had the no-hitter in April, but after that he seemed to alternate wins and losses. He had a losing record at 10-12 at the end of July to put him at 298 wins. He won his first start in August against the Giants in San Francisco, and that set the stage for a showdown with the Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee County Stadium a week later. Unlike previous attempts at 300 wins, this one drew tremendous attention, as 40,775 fans packed the ballpark, the largest crowd the Braves had in the 1961 season, and the most since September 1959. The Cubs were in seventh place, but Spahn knew he couldn't underestimate them, not with their group of young hitters, three of whom would eventually go into the Hall of Fame. His mound opponent was Jack Curtis, a southpaw from South Carolina who was making his 17th career start.
Curtis had a 4.75 ERA going into the game, but he stifled the Braves offense. The Braves did get some runners in the first with a single by center fielder Gino Cimoli and a walk by right fielder Henry Aaron, but Curtis was able to get out of the inning with no damage. The Braves would threaten again in the bottom of the fourth when Aaron singled with one out. He stole second after which Curtis walked first baseman Joe Adcock. It was a prime opportunity to do some damage and get Spahn some runs, but then left fielder Frank Thomas grounded into a 6-4-3 double play and Curtis was out of the inning. Up to that point the only damage done against Spahn was a walk by the opposing pitcher in the third and a single by right fielder George Altman in the fourth. Spahn got into some trouble in the fifth. Shortstop Jerry Kindall legged out an infield single with one out. Catcher Dick Bertell hit a ground ball back to Spahn who threw to short to try to get the double play, but Kindall beat the throw and there was a runner in scoring position. This time Spahn made sure to strike out his counterpart Curtis, and a groundout ended the inning. The Braves led off the fifth with rookie catcher Joe Torre. Torre lined a ball to Cubs left fielder Billy Williams, but Williams dropped the ball, and Torre made it all the way to second on the error. Shortstop Roy McMillan was next. He singled to put runners at the corners with no outs. Spahn had been a decent hitter over his career, and gave himself the lead with a sacrifice fly. However, McMillan was thrown out trying to advance to second, and the inning ended once Cimoli flew out.
The Cubs didn't give Spahn much of a chance to enjoy the lead. Second baseman Don Zimmer led off the sixth with a single. He was forced by third baseman Ron Santo. Spahn was able to get Altman to pop out, but Cubs left fielder Williams singled to put runners on first and second. First baseman Andre Rodgers followed with another single, and Santo scored the tying run. The game continued, with each pitcher allowing a baserunner but not a run. Braves third baseman Eddie Mathews singled in the bottom of the sixth, but he was picked off and tagged out in a rundown. Cubs center fielder Al Heist reached on an error by Braves second baseman Frank Bolling in the top of the seventh, but he was caught stealing and tagged out in a rundown. Braves left fielder Thomas singled in the bottom of the seventh, but was stranded when the next two batters flew out to center and struck out. Cubs second baseman Zimmer singled in the top of the eighth and went into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, but he too was stranded when the next two batters flew to center and grounded out. It was getting late, and the Braves were running out of time to take the lead before extra innings. Gino Cimoli decided to take things into his own hand. Batting with one out in the bottom of the eighth, he homered to left to give the Braves a 2-1 lead. Now all Spahn had to do was get three outs in the ninth. He struck out Rodgers, then got Kindall to line out to center. Up next was Ernie Banks, usually the Cubs shortstop but was pinch hitting for catcher Bertell. He hit a grounder to Braves third baseman Mathews, but Mathews launched an air ball that flew over the head of first baseman Adcock and Banks was safe at first. The Cubs sent another pinch hitter, Jim McAnany, to hit for pitcher Curtis. McAnany was an oft-injured outfielder, but there were thoughts that as a right hander he'd fare better than the lefty pitcher Curtis. Alas, McAnany flew to right fielder Aaron, and Spahn's 300th win was finally in the books. He was the 13th player to reach that milestone, once again his lucky number, and the first in 20 years. It was a tense back and forth affair, and one where Spahn felt fortunate he was able to come out on top.
Spahn followed up the milestone victory by going 9-1 in his last 12 starts to give him his 12th 20-win season. He also led the league in ERA. He struggled in 1962 and couldn't get to 20 wins, but he came back in a big way in 1963. He brought his ERA down to 2.60, his lowest since the 2.10 mark ten years earlier, and also won 23 games. His best game was one where he didn't even win. Facing the Giants in San Francisco on July 2, Spahn traded zeroes with Giants ace Juan Marichal for 15 innings. He kept his defense busy, getting only two strikeouts, but the Giants weren't able to score a run until Willie Mays hit a walk-off home run into the night in the bottom of the 16th. Spahn had given up a home run for Mays's first hit 12 years earlier, and he liked to joke that if he had gotten Mays out then the National League would be rid of him. While Spahn didn't show any immediate effects from the marathon game, throwing a complete game shutout against the Houston Colt .45s in his next start, he began struggling in 1964. His record fell to 6-13 and his ERA rose to 5.29, higher than any season other than 1942. That essentially marked the end of his tenure with the Braves. He was sold to the hapless New York Mets that off-season, where he was reunited with his first manager Casey Stengel. He had a record of 4-12 into July that was worse than even the Mets', and they dropped him. He was picked up by the Giants where he won three more games with an above average ERA, but that was the end of his Major League career.
Spahn was not ready to go quietly into the night. He pitched in the Mexican League in 1966 and then went to play for the AAA Tulsa Oilers in 1967 as a player-coach, although the latter was mostly as a publicity stunt. He retired for good after that year and went into full-time coaching. His two extra years in the minors ended up delaying his eligibility for the Hall of Fame, as the Hall of Fame determined eligibility by their last year in professional ball back then, but he was voted in upon his first year of eligibility in 1973. He continued to coach, but always looked forward to spending his off-seasons in the small town of Hartshorne, Oklahoma, where he had moved after getting married. He owned a cattle ranch there and lived comfortably. He retired from coaching in 1978, but lost his beloved wife shortly afterward. Nevertheless he continued to live on and watched as eight more pitchers get to 300 wins before he passed away in 2003. Nevertheless, he still holds the record for wins by a left-hander as well as wins by a post-war pitcher, and his legacy of sustained excellence will continue to inspire others for years to come.
Early Wynn - July 13, 1963
300 wins
Born: January 6, 1920 in Hartford, AL
Died: April 4, 1999 in Venice, FL
Height: 6'0" Weight: 190 lbs
Other Stats: 244 losses, 3.54 ERA, 107 ERA+, 4564.0 innings, 2334 strikeouts, 49 shutouts, 52.0 pitching bWAR, 17.0 pitching bWAA, 49.8 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1972
Teams: Washington Senators (AL) (1939, 1941-1944, 1946-1948), Cleveland Indians (AL) (1949-1957, 1963), Chicago White Sox (AL) (1958-1962)
Wins: 0 (1939), 3 (1941), 10 (1942), 18 (1943), 8 (1944), 8 (1946), 17 (1947), 8 (1948), 11 (1949), 18 (1950), 20 (1951), 23 (1952), 17 (1953), 23 (1954), 17 (1955), 20 (1956), 14 (1957), 14 (1958), 22 (1959), 13 (1960), 8 (1961), 7 (1962), 1 (1963)
300 Win Game Final Score: Cleveland Indians 7, Kansas City Athletics 4
Throughout baseball history there were few pitchers that were meaner or nastier than Early Wynn Jr. While "Gus" was amiable off the field, he would glare and snarl ferociously at hitters. They were his mortal enemy, and it was his job to keep them from taking away from his success. He had an assortment of breaking balls and off-speed pitches, but he was never afraid to use his fastball to assert his dominance over hitters by brushing them back. He always joked that he would throw at his mother if she crowded the plate. Wynn also possessed a determination that allowed him to continue even in the face of adversity. He pitched most of his career with gouty arthritis. This tenacity allowed Wynn to reach the blessed land of 300 wins.
Early Wynn Jr. was born to Early Wynn Sr. in 1920 in the southern Alabama town of Hartford. Wynn Sr. didn't work on a farm, but Wynn Jr. helped out on the many cotton farms. He played football and baseball in high school, but focused on baseball after a leg injury. He was only 17 when he went for an open tryout with the Washington Senators. He looked like a hayseed in his overalls, but he impressed scout Clyde Milan, who knew a thing or two about fastballs as he was Walter Johnson's best friend, and signed with Washington. Wynn was assigned to the Washington farm system, where he spent 1937 with Class D Sanford. He did well enough that he was brought up to Class B Charlotte. He was miserable in 1938 but improved enough in 1939 that he was a September call-up to the big leagues, but he pitched miserably and found himself back in Charlotte in 1940. He moved up another level to Class A Springfield in 1941, and he was given a second look in 1941. He pitched very well, going 3-1 with a 1.58 ERA, and he was in the Majors to stay. He struggled in 1942, but the Senators were near the bottom of a depleted league. He lost his wife in a car accident that off-season, but he was able to post his best season amidst his grief, winning 18 games with a 2.91 ERA and pushing the Senators to a second place finish. Things came crashing down in 1944 as the Senators fell to last and Wynn fell to 8-17. Wynn had been exempt from military service due to him caring for a young child, but joined the Army after the 1944 season and spent 1945 and part of 1946 serving in the Philippines.
Wynn made his return to Washington and had some more up and down season. He had his worst season in 1948 when he went 8-19 with a pitiful 5.82 ERA, but he had caught the eye of Indians owner Bill Veeck. He tried multiple times to trade for Wynn, and finally got his man that off-season. One of Veeck's first tasks for Wynn was to work with pitching coach Mel Harder. At that time Wynn had been getting by with his fastball and his intimidation, but he didn't have a breaking ball nor did he have a change-up. Harder taught him a curveball and a slider. Wynn also tinkered with a knuckleball that he used sometimes in games as a substitute for a change-up. He had shown some improvement in 1949, and by 1950 he had rose to become among the top pitchers in the game. He went 18-8 that year with a league leading 3.20 ERA. Wynn soon became an important piece of the game's best rotation in the 1950s, teaming up with Bob Feller and Bob Lemon, both of whom made the Hall of Fame, as well as Mike Garcia and later Herb Score. The Indians became perennial pennant contenders, although they had a hard time breaking through against the hated Yankees. Wynn won 20 games in 1951 and 23 games in 1952 as Cleveland finished in second both years. The Indians finally broke through with the 1954 pennant with an American League record 111 wins, Wynn was responsible for 23 of them. The Indians were heavily favored against the New York Giants in the World Series, but the Indians lost Game 1 in a game Lemon started, a game best known for Willie Mays's catch and Dusty Rhodes's home run, and Wynn lost Game 2. The Indians ended up getting swept as their vaunted rotation fell apart.
The Indians went back to being also-rans. Wynn had another 20 win season in 1956 with a career low 2.72 ERA. A year later he led the league in strikeouts for the first time with a career high 184, but he faltered to a 14-17 record with a below-average ERA as Cleveland fell to sixth. The Indians traded him to the Chicago White Sox that off-season, where he was reunited with his old Indians manager Al Lopez. He had a very similar season in 1958, with a below-average ERA, 14 wins, and leading the league in strikeouts. He bounced back in a big way in 1959. He brought his ERA down by almost a run, and won 22 games. The White Sox beat his former team for the pennant, and Wynn had another chance to pitch in a World Series. He threw seven shutout innings in a Game 1 victory. He pitched poorly in Game 4 in a no-decision, but he still had a chance to push the Series to a seventh game in Game 6. Alas, he struggled and that ended his World Series dreams. He was still awarded with a Cy Young award. He had two more good seasons in 1960 and 1961, but the latter season was cut short when he suffered from gout in his arm. Gout was a debilitating inflammatory condition where white blood cells attack uric acid crystals that had deposited in joints. Wynn had started suffering from them in 1950, a period that coincided with his best years in Cleveland.
Wynn was holed up convalescing when Warren Spahn won his 300th game on August 11, 1961. Wynn had made it his goal to win 300 games as well, and in fact he had led Spahn in victories until the 1960 season. He had 292 wins going into 1962 and was determined to reach the milestone before the end of the year. However, the pain from the gout had sapped his fastball, and he had to rely largely on the pitches Harder had taught him. He struggled through the season, but got his 299th win on September 8. He had three more starts before the end of the season. Alas, he pitched terribly in each of those starts and remained stuck at 299. Wynn was hoping to get the chance to get the milestone in 1963, but he was shocked when the White Sox handed him his release at the end of the season, figuring he did not have much left to help them compete. They did invite him to spring training, but he wound up getting cut. Fearing that he would remain stuck at 299, he continued to work out while waiting for a team to sign him. Finally, his old team the Cleveland Indians came to his rescue. They signed him on June 21, then threw him into a game against the team that dumped him, the White Sox. Wynn pitched well, but the Indians couldn't score a run, and Wynn wound up with a loss. He also failed in his next two starts and one relief appearance. On July 13 the sixth-place Indians were at the Kansas City Municipal Stadium to play the eighth-place Kansas City Athletics in a double-header following a rainout the night before. Wynn was tabbed to start the nightcap after the Indians' lost the first game. Kansas City started the fun-loving Polish-born Moe Drabowsky, who was having a fantastic year with a 3.07 ERA despite an 0-6 record.
The Indians got on the scoreboard first. In the second inning, Drabowsky walked Indians catcher John Romano and right fielder Al Luplow. Second baseman Larry Brown followed with a single to give Cleveland and Early Wynn a 1-0 lead. Wynn couldn't add to that lead by striking out. Wynn almost gave up the lead in the bottom of the second, walking A's right fielder George Alusik, catcher Charlie Lau, and third baseman Ed Charles. The last of those walks pushed him past former teammate Bob Feller for the all-time lead in walks. Thankfully, Alusik was caught stealing, and Wynn got a pop-up then struck out A's first baseman Ken "Hawk" Harrelson. The humiliated Alusik blasted a home run in the fourth to tie the game at 1. Wynn had always been able to help himself with the bat, and he did so in this game when he led off the fifth inning with a single. After a flyout, shortstop and former Athletic Dick Howser singled as well. Drabwosky got the second out, but then walked third baseman Max Alvis to load the bases. First baseman Joe Adcock followed with a single to score Wynn and Howser, and the Indians had the lead again. Drabowsky was replaced by reliever Dale Willis following another walk to Romano. Luplow followed with another single to score Adcock and Alvis. However, Romano was thrown out at home to end the inning. Armed with a 5-1 lead, Wynn went to work on the A's in the fifth. He was greeted with a single by Hawk Harrelson. Pinch hitter Gino Cimoli followed in the pitcher's spot and he singled as well before getting replaced by pinch-runner Tony La Russa. Center fielder Jose Tartabull singled as well and the bases loaded. Wynn worked very carefully and got shortstop Wayne Causey to pop up, but second baseman Jerry Lumpe drilled a long fly ball to right, and the bases were cleared. Lumpe tried to stretch the double into a triple, but cut-off man Adcock's throw to third was on the money, and Lumpe was erased to keep the score at 5-4. In the top of the sixth Wynn was replaced by pinch hitter Woodie Held. Held doubled off new pitcher Bill Fischer, and left fielder Tito Francona singled, but Held had to hold at third. Dick Howser grounded into a double play.
Wynn's roommate Jerry Walker came in to relieve Wynn. He got into some trouble when Ed Charles singled with one out, then after a groundout Harrelson walked. Walker struck out pinch hitter Norm Siebern. The Indians got a much-needed insurance run when center fielder Willie Kirkland reached on an error by A's first baseman Harrelson. Kirkland stole second, but reliever Pete Lovrich got the next two hitters out. Catcher Romano came through again for his pitcher with an RBI single. Luplow followed with another single, but Romano was thrown out at second. The A's threatened again in the eighth. Charlie Lau doubled with one out, then Ed Charles walked again. Walker picked off Charles from first, then went ahead to strike out left fielder Chuck Essegian. The Indians got more breathing room in the top of the ninth when Kirkland tripled. Third baseman Alvis hit a fly ball but too shallow to score the run. First baseman Adcock had no such problems and Kirkland raced home for the seventh run. Only three more outs stood between Early Wynn and his 300th win. Wynn remained in the clubhouse sitting in his rocking chair instead of watching the game. Harrelson led off with a single, but then Walker induced three popups. The last was hit by Wayne Causey, who popped in foul territory behind home plate. Catcher Romano turned around and made the catch, and the game was won. Early Wynn has finally joined the vaunted ranks of pitchers that have achieved their 300th victory. It was true that he got the win in his worst start of the season, where he threw a mere five innings and allowed four runs, but he didn't care.
With 300 wins in hand, Early Wynn immediately set his sights at a more pressing goal: 301 wins, which would allow him to pass Lefty Grove on the all-time list. However, now that Wynn has gotten the 300th victory, manager Birdie Tibbetts did not give the 43-year-old many opportunities to get another win. He made only one more start, this one also against the Kansas City Athletics on July 27 in Cleveland. He allowed two runs in four and 1/3 innings, but the Indians didn't score the winning run until the bottom of the ninth, and he ended up with a no decision. He came out of bullpen in each of his remaining 14 appearances. He certainly had a few opportunities to win a few of those games, but wins as relief pitchers are largely dependent on runs scored by the team, and none of them had worked out. Wynn would come back to the Indians in 1964, but this time as a pitching coach. He had retired as a player, figuring he had already achieved his most significant accomplishment in baseball. He served as coach for the Indians and later the Twins, and managed in the minor leagues in the Twins system, imparting his wisdom with future generations of players. He came up for Hall of Fame consideration for the first time in 1969, but he only received 27% of the vote. He would not be voted in until four years later, a fact that disappointed him, as he truly felt for a long time that he would be the last of the 300 game winners. This turned out not to be true as other pitchers achieved the milestone ten years and more after his Hall of Fame induction.
By then Early Wynn did not necessarily care. He had got his 300 wins and has moved on with his life. He served as a broadcaster for his old team the Chicago White Sox as well as the Toronto Blue Jays. He had also shaken off his hayseed reputation and made some wise real estate decisions, and at certain points he owned a restaurant and a bowling alley. He and his wife was able to live comfortably in the Gulf Coast of Florida, where they had resided since the mid-1950s. Wynn had gotten remarried before getting shipped off to the Philippines for World War II, and he was close to celebrating his 50th anniversary when his wife passed away. His health started to deteriorate after his wife's passing as well, as he had suffered a few strokes and also had a heart problem. He had to move into an assisted living center, and it was there that he suffered another series of strokes, and he passed away in April 1999. The numbers show that Early Wynn may not have been as dominant as his other fellow 300 game winners, but the perseverance that he had displayed in pushing through until he got the milestone victory is something worth celebrating.
The Two Division Era (1969 - 1993)
History
By the time the pitchers dominated the hitters in the "Year of the Pitcher," plans were already being made for another round of expansion, with the addition of two more teams in each leagues. Teams would be added in Kansas City, which had seen the departure of their Athletics to Oakland, Seattle, San Diego, and Montreal, to mark the expansion of the game outside the United States. These new additions would result in 12 teams in each league, making it slightly more difficult to balance a schedule. The teams would be split up into four divisions, two in each league, and the two division champs would meet in a League Championship Series to decide the pennant and the chance to go for the World Series title. The expansion happened for the 1969 season, and in a surprising result the New York Mets not only won the National League East, but also topped the Braves, now in Atlanta, and then the Baltimore Orioles to win the World Series title, the first by an expansion team.
The 1969 season also saw an uptick in offense levels with the lowered mounds and the smaller strike zones. It was not back to the level of the 1950s much less the 1920s and 1930s, but more along the line of the mid-1960s. The increased levels of offense stayed in 1970, but began to go down again in 1971 and 1972. The American League in particular was hit harder, as their runs / game of 3.47 in 1972 was almost at 1968 levels. The American League leadership was not okay with that. One of the ideas brought up to combat the offensive slump in 1968 was the addition of a "designated pinch hitter" to hit for the pitcher. Major League Baseball ultimately decided to abandon the idea, but it went into practice in the minor leagues. The American League opted to revisit the "designated hitter" idea following the 1972 crisis, and the AL owners voted to adapt it on a trial basis. The offense jumped back up to the early 1960s level, and the AL owners decided to keep the DH. The National League rejected the rule, and this remains the primary difference between leagues.
1972 was also a significant year in baseball because it marked the beginning of baseball's Labor Wars. The ownership group was used to lording it over the players, who were helpless to force any concessions. Owners had complete control over players through the reserve clause, and forced players to agree to their terms using the threat of being blackballed. Early efforts to hold out for a higher contract invariably failed. The players had tried to band together in the past, beginning with the Brotherhood in 1885. They also formed the Players Protective Association in 1900, the Fraternity in 1912, and the American Player Guild in 1946. They got some concessions that helped thwart outlaw leagues, but players were still under the oppression of the reserve clause. An organization was started again in the 1950s, but it really didn't do much and players were left to fend for themselves.
Things changed when the organization, now called the Major League Baseball Players Association, hired Marvin Miller, an economist and negotiator for the United Steel Workers of America. He met with the players and explained their rights, and negotiated the first Collective Bargaining Agreement in 1968. Salaries started to go up and players won right to arbitration to settle disputes. They also agreed to the creation of a pension plan. However, in negotiating the 1972 CBA, the owners refused to increase the pension plan payments. The players voted to go on strike for the first time, thus delaying the start of the season. The owners eventually gave in, and players also got a chance to include salary disputes in arbitration cases.
The Players Association next took aim at the hated reserve clause. They had tried to go to the courts on the issue. The St. Louis Cardinals had traded their veteran outfielder Curt Flood to the Philadelphia Phillies. Flood opposed the trade and wrote to Commissioner Bowie Kuhn asking to be released from his contract. Kuhn cited the reserve clause and denied the claim. Flood filed suit against Major League Baseball, then Flood sat out the 1970 season and did not play against until the Phillies traded him in 1971. The case was brought in front of the district court, who ruled in favor of baseball. The case made it all the way to the Supreme Court on appeals, where the Court also ruled in favor of MLB in 1972.
With the US courts unable to intercede, Marvin Miller decided to turn to another avenue, arbitration. He had used arbitration to secure free agency for one player, Jim "Catfish" Hunter. Hunter had signed a 1974 contract that included a clause stating payments be made to a life insurance annuity. Finley refused to pay, and Hunter filed for a breach of contract. Arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled in favor of Hunter and nullified the contract, making him a free agent. Miller was planning on relying on Seitz to strike down the reserve clause once and for all. The reserve clause stipulated that the team had reserved their rights to the player for one year after the season. Miller went looking for volunteers to play a season without signing a new contract, playing out only the "reserve year," and then made the argument that since the year where their rights were reserved was up they would become free agents. He finally found two willing participants in Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally. They both played the 1975 season without signing a new contract, then filed for free agency. The owners argued that the reserve clause would renew every year. The case went in front of the arbitrator Seitz, and in a landmark decision Seitz ruled in favor of the players. The reserve clause was dead.
Free agency marked a new era in the relationship between players and owners. Owners hated having their players leave as free agents, but were more than happy to pay exorbitantly for rights to the best players. There was an agreement that players cannot file for free agency until after they had played six years, but they were soon embroiled in more disagreements with how teams would be compensated for losing players. Owners wanted a system where teams losing a free agent can draft a player from the team that signed them, essentially making it a trade. The players were bitterly opposed to that system. This culminated in a strike that started midway through the 1981 season. They finally negotiated a satisfactory solution before the end of the season. The strike ended up splitting the season in half, and led to three rounds of playoffs for the first time.
The owners seethed at losing to the players at the bargaining table. They forced Bowie Kuhn out and replaced him with Peter Ueberroth, who was also the head organizer for the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. Ueberroth challenged the owners for their two-faced behavior, hating free agents and yet paying money to sign them. The owners agreed with their new commissioner, and when players went into free agency expecting huge paydays they would up with no new offers, and often had to sign with their original teams. The MLBPA filed grievances, and the arbitrators ruled in favor of the players, leading to owners have to pay damages of over $100 million and further damaging the relationship between players and owners.
Around this time players were also getting involved with something far more sinister: drugs. Players have long been hanging out with drugs. Players throughout baseball history have been known to indulge in tobacco and alcohol. Later amphetamines were rampant throughout the sport as players tried to find ways to get through a difficult season. A few players dabbled in other drugs, such as Dock Ellis claiming he pitched a no-hitter while high on LSD. Several players soon became mixed up in another drug that was big in the 1980s, cocaine. Cocaine was a stimulant that gave users a significant euphoric high to go along with a physical high, but often left them lethargic with a strong craving to use more. In 1985 players were called to testify before a grand jury in Pittsburgh over their suppliers. This was a major black eye for baseball, and several players were suspended, although their suspensions were later commuted. After the cocaine scandal a more significant drug issue was highly suspected within baseball clubhouses, but most of that was left to secrets and whispers.
There were several other rounds of expansion following the expansion of 1969. The American League added two more teams in 1977, with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners, the latter of which replaced the Seattle Pilots from 1969 who was sold to Milwaukee car salesman Bud Selig who moved them to Milwaukee where they became the Brewers to fill the emptiness in his life when the Milwaukee Braves left to go to Atlanta. In 1993 the National League followed suit by adding two more teams in Denver and Miami. This gave Selig, now the acting commissioner, the excuse to make a further change to the organization of baseball. There would now be three divisions, and the playoffs would consist of the three division leaders as well as a Wild Card team that was the second place team with the best record. The new system would go into effect in 1994, but little did baseball know things were brewing under the surface that would burst to the surface that year.
The Near-Misses
The division era featured not just labor wars and a small increase in offense. It also led to a revolution in medical diagnostics, fitness training and nutrition, and the pitchers saw tremendous benefit. It extended their careers and allowed them to post win totals not seen since the dead-ball era. Six players that excelled in the 1970s wound up with 300 wins, and numerous others came close. Tommy John was a star southpaw for the White Sox and the Dodgers. He had 124 wins in 12 seasons when he suffered a catastrophic arm injury in the middle of a game in 1974. Dodgers team physician Frank Jobe diagnosed him with a torn ulnar collateral ligament. After rest and rehab failed to get John back in the game, Jobe proposed a radical surgical procedure where a ligament would be removed from his wrist and inserted it into the elbow. John worked through a difficult rehab process, but came back stronger than ever in 1976. He won 164 more games in the rest of his career, putting him at 288 wins. Bert Blyleven was a Dutch curveballer who had to deal with low run support instead of a medical emergency. Despite a successful career where he struck out 3,701 batters and recorded 60 shutouts, he won only 287 wins, and that kept him out of the Hall of Fame for over a decade. Ferguson Jenkins didn't have to wait that long. He was the Cubs and Texas Rangers ace with pinpoint control. He also struck out 3,000 batters amd did so while walking less than 1,000. He would retire with 284 wins and was voted into the Hall in his third year of eligibility. Jim Kaat was a dynamic fielder and won 16 Gold Gloves. He was also a pretty good pitcher who won 283 games in his career. Jim Palmer was the ace of the Baltimore Orioles and helped them to three straight pennants from 1969-1971, and also won three Cy Young awards. He attempted a comeback after getting voted into the Hall of Fame, but that fell short and he ended with 268 wins. Jack Morris was the so-called ace of three teams that won the World Series. He pitched a 10-inning 1-0 shutout in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, and won more games in the 1980s than any other pitchers. He would finish with 254.
Dennis Martinez came from war-torn Nicaragua and overcome a problem with alcohol to throw a perfect game, lead the league in ERA, and take over the title of winningest Latin American player, which he held for 20 years. He had 245 wins in his career. Frank Tanana debuted as a flame-throwing southpaw with the California Angels. He suffered an arm injury and remade himself into a finesse lefty and lasted long enough to get 240 wins. Luis Tiant was a big-time winner for the Cleveland Indians, and then became a big-time winner for the Boston Red Sox. He would win 229 games in his career. Besides being a free agent milestone, Jim "Catfish" Hunter was also a dependable starter for the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees. He won five World Series title and had five 20-win seasons en route to 224 in his career. Jerry Koosman debuted on the Mets and shared a rookie card with a 300-game winner. He fashioned together a solid career for himself, one that saw him win 222 games. Joe Niekro was the younger brother of a 300-game winner. He tried to get out of his older brother's shadow, and succeeded for the most part, winning 221 games. Jerry Reuss had a few good years in Houston and Pittsburgh in the 1970s, then went to the Dodgers and became a consistent presence in the 1980s. He would end his career with 220 wins.
Mickey Lolich was known for being a successful pitcher despite being fat. He was a hero in the 1968 World Series where he won three games. In 1971 he won 25 games and struck out 300, but still didn't win the Cy Young. He would end his career with 217 wins. Charlie Hough toiled as a knuckleballing reliever for over a decade before getting acquired by the hapless Texas Rangers. They converted him to a starter and he became one of their most consistent pitchers. He kept his knuckleball and pitched until he was 46, after which he retired with 216 wins. Jim Perry was the older brother of a 300-game winner. Even though he was overshadowed by his younger sibling, he still had a solid career where he won 215 games. Rick Reuschel was a solid starter with the Cubs in the 1970s, but suffered from injuries and seemed to disappear. He came back stronger than ever in the late 1980s and managed to bring his win total to 214. Bob Welch was a consistent presence in the Dodgers rotation in the early 1980s. He was then traded to the Athletics where he became the last pitcher to win 25 games in a season when he won 27 in 1990. His career came to a close shortly afterward with 211 wins. Vida Blue was the top lefty with the Oakland Athletics and won both Cy Young and MVP in 1971. He lost his effectiveness when he had to burn his favorite cap, but still managed 209 wins in his career. Orel Hershiser dazzled with the Dodgers in 1988 when he broke Drysdale's consecutive scoreless innings record. He had several other great years and ended his career with 204 wins.
Even with the extended careers, there were several other top pitchers that failed to get 200 wins. Dennis Eckersley was a serviceable starter for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs. He had 151 wins when his hometown Athletics traded for him. Manager Tony La Russa transitioned him to the bullpen against his will, but he soon became a top closer. He had 390 saves, but only got his win totals to 197. Dwight Gooden burst out onto the scene with the Dodgers in the mid-1980s. His 1985 season still ranks as the best pitching season after 1968. He then succumbed to drugs and arm injuries, and only had 194 wins by the time he was done. Dave Stieb was a solid and consistent starter for the Blue Jays north of the border. He had back problems that forced him out of the game for five years before making a comeback in 1998 and winning his 176th career game. Fernando Valenzuela was a sensation when he debuted with the Dodgers in 1981, winning Cy Young and Rookie of the Year. He had several more great years, but he fell off a cliff after age 30 and only had 173 wins. Dave Stewart was the ace of the Oakland Athletics team that won three straight pennants from 1988-1990. He won 20 games four years in a row. However, he was somewhat of a late bloomer and only managed 168 wins in his career. Bret Saberhagen won two Cy Young awards with the Kansas City Royals. He was also notorious for pitching poorly in even number years. He suffered from serious injuries in the 1990s and he only managed 167 wins by the time he was done.
Gaylord Perry - May 6, 1982
314 wins
Born: September 15, 1938 in Williamston, NC
Home: Spruce Pine, NC
Height: 6'4" Weight: 205 lbs
Other Stats: 265 losses, 3.11 ERA, 117 ERA+, 5350.0 innings, 3534 strikeouts, 53 shutouts, 93.4 pitching bWAR, 45.3 pitching bWAA, 71.5 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1991
Teams: San Franciso Giants (NL) (1962-1971), Cleveland Indians (AL) (1972-1975), Texas Rangers (AL) (1975-1977, 1980), San Diego Padres (NL) (1978-1979), New York Yankees (AL) (1980), Atlanta Braves (NL) (1981), Seattle Mariners (AL) (1982-1983), Kansas City Royals (AL) (1983)
Wins: 3 (1962), 1 (1963), 12 (1964), 8 (1965), 21 (1966), 15 (1967), 16 (1968), 19 (1969), 23 (1970), 16 (1971), 24 (1972), 19 (1973), 21 (1974), 18 (1975), 15 (1976), 15 (1977), 21 (1978), 12 (1979), 10 (1980), 8 (1981), 10 (1982), 7 (1983)
300 Win Game Final Score: Seattle Mariners 7, New York Yankees 3
Gaylord Jackson Perry was like a puppetmaster on the mound. He toyed with the hitter's psyche with a set of carefully coordinated actions before every pitch. He made them question whether or not he would throw them the most infamous pitch, the spitball, which he readily admitted to using in a highly publicized autobiography midway through his career. He claimed to have given up the practice, but teams continued trying to catch him in the act. All the meanwhile he was getting beleaguered hitters out with his lively fastball and hard slider. Perry was able to keep pitching long after his general managers felt he was over the hill, and got back to the blessed land of 300 wins after loud proclamations of the milestone's demise.
Perry was born to a family of farmers in the town of Williamston in east North Carolina. His father had played baseball in his youth, and he practiced baseball with young Gaylord and his older brother James in between chores. Gaylord excelled at sports in high school, playing football and basketball as well as baseball. He played in the infield while his brother pitched, then took over once James signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians. Gaylord hoped to join his brother in Cleveland, but the Indians thought one Perry was enough, and Gaylord signed with the San Francisco Giants instead. Perry moved up the minor league system slowly but surely. He spent the entire 1961 season in AAA Tacoma Washington, then made the Giants out of spring training in 1962. He struggled in his role as spot starter / reliever, and spent plenty of time going back and forth between San Francisco and Tacoma.
Perry went into the 1964 season trying to find a solid spot in the rotation. He worked with pitching coach Larry Jansen to develop a slider, Jansen's key pitch during his Giants career. He also got tutoring from new teammate Bob Shaw about how to covertly throw a pitch that had been illegal since 1920. Perry opened the season in the bullpen, but he turned in tremendous performance on May 31 against the New York Mets. He went into the game in the 13th inning, and decided to try the new pitch he learned from Shaw. He was tremendous, striking out nine while scattering seven hits. He ended up pitching 10 innings, the equivalent of a start, without allowing a run. The Giants finally took a lead in the 23rd, and Gaylord came away with the victory. With his new weapons in hand Perry finally entered the rotation in August, and finished the season on a solid note. The 1965 season was a rough one as he took a step back as he dealt with attitude problems and eventually found himself back out of the rotation, but he bounced back with a solid season year in 1966. He won 12 of his first 13 decisions, and he cracked both the 20-win and the 200-strikeout milestones for the first time.
Perry became the Giants' most valuable pitcher from 1967 to 1971. His record was 89-71, which wasn't quite as good as his All-Star teammate Juan Marichal, who went 91-51, but Perry pitched 168 more innings, and had 137 more strikeouts. His ERA was also lower 2.71 to 2.81. Perry did have a lot of personal achievements during this period. He threw a 1-0 no-hitter against Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals on September 17, 1968. He hit his first Major League home run on July 20, 1969, shortly after Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon. And he finished second in Cy Young voting in 1970 when he went 23-13 with a 3.20 ERA, although his brother won bragging rights by winning the American League award that year. He pitched in the post-season for the first and only time in 1971, going 1-1 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLCS. Perry also started facing scrutiny for his spitball usage, being harassed by umpires and opposing managers, although he denied any wrongdoing at the time. Perry's tenure with the Giants ended after the 1971 season. Management traded the 32-year-old Perry to the Cleveland Indians, his original team of choice, for their young fireballer Sudden Sam McDowell. Perry continued to be checked by umpires and managers in his new league, but he flourished, going 24-16 with a 1.92 ERA, and winning the Cy Young award. After a down year in 1973 where he spent more times getting strip searched than winning ballgames, Perry decided to answer the question of the illegal pitch. He published the book Me and the Spitter, where he documented how he learned the pitch from Bob Shaw, and the situations where he's used it. He claimed at the end that his spitballing days were over, although no managers believed him.
Perry had a tremendous bounce-back year in 1974, winning 21 games and posting a 2.51 ERA. He struggled in 1975, as his Indians teammate Frank Robinson was named manager, and the two were bickering as soon as Robinson joined Cleveland the year before. The Indians decided that Perry was more expendable, and traded him to the sorry Texas Rangers. The Rangers manager was Billy Martin who was one of Perry's most vicious critics, but welcomed Gaylord with open arms, as Perry rebounded. Perry became a key part of the rotation in 1976 and 1977, helping them to 94 wins and a second place finish in the latter year. Perry would be turning 40 in 1978, and the Rangers felt that they needed to cut costs and go younger. They traded him back to the National League, this time with the San Diego Padres. Perry excelled in southern California. He went 21-6 and had a 2.73 ERA, and helped the Padres to the franchise's first winning record. Gaylord engineered a trade back to Texas in 1980, but he couldn't tolerate the performance of the younger Rangers players. He was traded to the New York Yankees where he was mostly mediocre.
Perry became a free agent in 1981, and signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves, the closest team to his North Carolina hometown. He was at 289 wins, and was hoping that with a solid season he can get to the cherished 300-win milestone. It had been 18 years since Early Wynn won his 300th game, and Perry was hoping to silence all the critics saying the milestone is dead. He got off to a decent start, winning 5 games by June 2, but then the strike lopped two months off the season. He struggled to regain his footing in the second half, and ended the season with 297 wins. The Braves released him shortly after the World Series. Perry hoped to latch on with a team to get those final three wins. His old Rangers GM Dan O'Brien, now the general manager of the Seattle Mariners, came to the rescue and signed the 43-year-old to a contract in March. Perry joined the team as the fourth starter and won two games in April. He returned to the on May 6 Kingdome to try for the milestone. His opponents were the New York Yankees, the victims of his 299th win. The Yankees were the 1981 American League pennant winners, but now found themselves in a tie for fourth place. The Mariners were in fifth place, but the game attracted tremendous attention, given the 19-year layoff. He even got a call from President Ronald Reagan before the game.
Perry got into some trouble in the top of the first. Center fielder Jerry Mumphrey lined a triple to right-center field with two outs. However, Perry was able to get a lazy popup from first baseman John Mayberry, just acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays the day before. The Yankees sent soft-tossing Doyle Alexander to try to stop history. Alexander was a 31-year-old big-money free agent with 107 career wins who had previously pitched in New York in 1976. He suffered a late start to his season, but had pitched well in Perry's 299th win game. He started out well, getting two quick outs before allowing a double to Mariners left fielder Bruce Bochte. However, like Perry before him Alexander was able to get out of the inning. The Yankees got Perry in a jam in the third. Second baseman Willie Randolph hit a one-out grounder towards Seattle third baseman Manny Castillo. Castillo rushed a throw that flew over the head of first baseman Jim Maler, and Randolph easily made it to third. Right fielder Ken Griffey Sr. followed with a single, but Randolph was held at third. Still, with one out and runners on the corners the Yankees had a prime opportunity, but then Mumphrey grounded into a 6-4-3 double play and the opportunity was wasted.
The 1982 Mariners were a very young team, but they rallied behind their elderly teammate in the third. First baseman Maler led off with a high fly ball that fell for a triple. He scored easily with the first run when catcher Terry "Bud" Bulling with a grounder that ricocheted off of Alexander's glove and into center field for a single. Second baseman Julio Cruz went up trying to bunt Bulling to second to manufacture another run, but then Yankees catcher Rick Cerone hesitated before hurrying a throw that second baseman Randolph couldn't handle, and the two Mariner baserunners went to second and third. Third baseman Castillo was next, and he made up for his error with a lazy fly that landed for a single. Bulling scored, and Julio Cruz went to third. Castillo would advance to second on the throw home. Alexander seemed to get things under control by getting the next two batters, but then shortstop Todd Cruz singled and both runners scored to give Seattle a 4-0 lead. Then Todd Cruz scored when right fielder Al Cowens hit the second triple of the inning. Alexander was able to get out of the inning, but he was so upset he punched a wall, breaking a bone in his knuckle. He would wind up getting replaced with left-hander Rudy May.
Armed with a five-run lead, Perry was cruising until the sixth. He got right fielder Griffey to hit the ball straight into the ground. Home plate umpire Ken Kaiser the ball fair. Catcher Bulling picked up the ball, then threw it to Maler to get the second out, or so he thought. Third base umpire George Maloney overruled Kaiser and called it a foul ball. Griffey was given another chance, and he hit Perry's next pitch over the right field wall for a home run. The Kingdome crowd serenaded Griffey with boos as he rounded the bases. Rudy May had been keeping the Mariners in check, but they broke out in the seventh. Bulling led off with a double to left, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Julio Cruz hit a fly ball too shallow to score the run, but Manny Castillo got the job done with a double. Bochte followed with a single to score Castillo, but was thrown out trying to go to second. Still the Mariners stretched their lead to six runs, but it would not last long.
Perry got into some trouble in the eighth. Willie Randolph grounded out to short for the second out, but was inexplicably ruled safe by first base umpire Bill Haller. Perry followed with singles to Griffey, and Mumphrey and the bases were loaded. Perry struck out Mayberry to finally get the second out, but left fielder Dave Winfield and designated hitter Oscar Gamble both had infield hits, and all of a sudden it was 7-3. Perry mercifully ended the inning on a fly ball by third baseman Roy Smalley. Even with his eighth inning troubles, Perry was allowed to come out to go for the complete game. He had much less trouble on the last three outs, with Randolph grounding to Julio Cruz for the final out. Baseball finally had another 300-game winner.
Perry was celebrated all over the country for his tremendous milestone. However, once the novelty of the milestone win wore off, things returned to normal. Teams were still trying to catch him in the act of throwing a spitball. After over a decade of futility, he was finally caught in the act. In a game against the Boston Red Sox on August 23 Perry received a warning, and then was finally ejected by home plate umpire Dave Phillips after a questionable pitch to Boston center fielder Rick Miller. It was his first and only ejection for throwing an illegal pitch. The Mariners still wound up with their best record in their first decade in the American League with Perry contributing a league-average season while going 10-12. Perry got a contract extension for the 1983 season, but both Perry and the Mariners got off to a much rougher start. He was 3-10 at the end of June and the Mariners were in dead last when they released their ancient player. Perry wouldn't be out of a job for a very long time. He signed with the Kansas City Royals less than two weeks after his release from Seattle. He pitched decently, but his most notorious moment didn't come with him on the mound. On August 18 teammate George Brett had hit a go-ahead home run against the Yankees of all teams, but was called out due to excess pine tar on the bat. While Brett was arguing with the umpires, Perry grabbed the bat and ran out to the clubhouse. He earned himself an ejection for his stunt. By then he had passed Walter Johnson's record 3,509 strikeouts, although two other pitchers had beaten him to the record. He ended his tenure with the Royals 4-4 with a roughly league average ERA.
Perry would retire after the 1983 season. He went home to North Carolina to his farm, but the farm went under shortly afterwards. Instead he went back into baseball, getting a job at Limestone College in South Carolina. He also suffered from personal loss when his beloved wife was killed in a car accident in 1987. He met his second wife who worked for Limestone College and was married a few years later. He fell just short of the Hall of Fame when the voters first came to decide on his case in 1989. His voting percentage crept up in 1990 until he finally got to the requisite 75% on his third year on the ballot. It was a sign that voters were willing to overlook the controversies regarding the spitball given his status as one of the best pitchers of all time. Gaylord Perry now spends his time making public appearances around the country or relaxing at his home in North Carolina. He still wouldn't give a definitive answer over whether or not he threw the spitball in the second half of his career, but it was a peaceful conclusion for what was often times a turbulent career.
Steve Carlton - September 23, 1983
329 wins
Born: December 22, 1944 in Miami, FL
Home: Durango, CO
Height: 6'4" Weight: 210 lbs
Other Stats: 244 losses, 3.22 ERA, 115 ERA+, 5217.6 innings, 4136 strikeouts, 55 shutouts, 84.4 pitching bWAR, 40.0 pitching bWAA, 72.4 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1994
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals (NL) (1965-1971), Philadelphia Phillies (NL) (1972-1986), San Francisco Giants (NL) (1986), Chicago White Sox (AL) (1986), Cleveland Indians (AL) (1987), Minnesota Twins (AL) (1987-1988)
Wins: 0 (1965), 3 (1966), 14 (1967), 13 (1968), 17 (1969), 10 (1970), 20 (1971), 27 (1972), 13 (1973), 16 (1974), 15 (1975), 20 (1976), 23 (1977), 16 (1978), 18 (1979), 24 (1980), 13 (1981), 23 (1982), 15 (1983), 13 (1984), 1 (1985), 9 (1986), 6 (1987), 0 (1988)
300 Win Game Final Score: Philadelphia Phillies 6, St. Louis Cardinals 2
Steven Norman Carlton rode a hard-breaking slider to become the premiere left-handed pitcher of his generation. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies from the depths of irrelevancy to become a perennial contender in the National League. Carlton was an early proponent of an intense work-out regimen, and readily practiced Eastern teachings and practices. These allowed him to pitch well into his 40s. While he spent more than half of his career declining to speak to the media, but his work on the mound spoke for itself, as he became one of the most decorated pitchers of all time.
Carlton was born in Miami in the closing months of World War II. Miami was already a bustling urban center, but it was located not too far from the Everglades, where young Steve liked to hunt wild animals in the wilderness. He honed his control throwing rocks at the animals he was hunting. Carlton was a star athlete in high school, excelling in football and basketball, but he soon quit the other sports to focus on his baseball career. He was also exposed to the Eastern philosophies during this time, particularly Hinduism, and began the practice of meditation, which he would take with him throughout his career. Carlton caught the eyes of a scout from the St. Lois Cardinals, and signed with them shortly after the 1963 season ended. He advanced three levels in 1964, and made it onto the big league team in 1965. He posted an excellent 2.52 ERA, but found himself in AAA Tulsa in 1966. He bade his time, and was soon called on to pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the Hall of Fame Game in Cooperstown. He struck out 10 and recorded a complete game victory. While that didn't count on the official record books, he was quickly back in the Majors and recorded a win for real two weeks later.
Carlton was in the Major Leagues for good in 1967. He was in the rotation, where he had a chance to learn from the great Bob Gibson. Gibson had a reputation of an intimidator, and Carlton took that to heart. He also formed a special bond with another player who would play a big role in his success in the big leagues, catcher Tim McCarver. Carlton got a chance to pitch in the World Series in his first two full seasons. He pitched well against the Boston Red Sox in 1967 Series but lost, although the Cardinals won the Series behind Gibson. He came out from the bullpen in 1968, although he struggled and the Cardinals lost the Series. He went to Japan with a group of MLB All-Stars that off-season, and decided to try out a pitch he learned from Gibson, the slider. He found some success, then unleashed it to the Majors in 1969. He had a fantastic year, even with the lowering of the mound. He had his highlight in September when he struck out 19 Mets to tie the Major League record for strikeouts in a nine inning game. Even though he got a loss in the game, he still went 17-11 with a 2.17 ERA.
Carlton struggled in 1970, falling to 10-19 while his ERA jumped by a run and a half. Some observers noted he had stopped throwing his slider. He came back in 1971, and reached the 20 win plateau for the first time. With such success he asked for a $25,000 raise. The Cardinals offered only $20,000, pointing out that while he did double his win totals, his ERA essentially hadn't changed. Since this was in the days before salary arbitration, Carlton did the only thing players could back then and held out. The Cardinals responded by trading him to the lowly Philadelphia Phillies. The trade was unpopular, especially to fans in Philadelphia as they lost their popular ace Rick Wise. However, Carlton turned their boos into cheers when he had a historic season. Incorporating the slider back into his arsenal, Carlton went 27-10 for a team that went 59-97, and also put up a 1.97 ERA and had 310 strikeouts. It was a season for the ages and Carlton won the Cy Young unanimously.
Carlton's performance took a step back in the next three years. He went from winning 20 games in 1972 to losing 20 in 1973. He also established a policy of not talking to the media, annoyed by how quotes were taken out of context and distracting from his pitching. 1976 would prove to be a pivotal year for Carlton. The Phillies hired Gus Hoefling as trainer. Hoefling was also well versed in Eastern philosophies, and together they developed a rigorous workout regimen that focused on mental focus as well as physical training. Carlton was also reunited with catcher McCarver, who was reacquired in a trade in 1975. He won 20 games again, and more importantly helped the Phillies to the NL East title. He had a better year in 1977 when he won 23 games and another Cy Young award, as the Phillies went to the playoffs yet again. They had a third straight post-season appearance in 1978, but the Phillies lost all three series, with Carlton going 1-2 with an ERA of 5.53. Carlton knew he could do better and lead the Phillies to their first World Series title. It didn't happen in 1979, but in 1980 he went out and had a year that would be a career year for most pitchers. He went 24-9 with a 2.34 ERA and 286 strikeouts, good for his third Cy Young title. More importantly, the Phillies went back to the playoffs. This time they knocked off the Houston Astros in a hard-fought series, and went on the face the Kansas City Royals. There was no way the Phillies would lose to an expansion team, and knocked them off in six games, with Carlton winning the clincher. Carlton would pitch well the next two seasons, winning an unprecedented fourth Cy Young title in 1982.
The 1982 Phillies ultimately finished in second, three games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. Carlton wanted another chance to go for another title. More importantly on a personal level, he stood just 15 wins away from the magical mountain of 300 wins. He got off to a hot start in 1983, but the Phillies had trouble getting things going offensively, and Carlton never strayed more than four games away from a .500 record. Still, by August it seemed likely that he would get the wins needed to reach the milestone. Steve surprised the media by suggesting that he would give a press conference after the 300th win. However, the Phillies were in the running for the division, while Carlton went into a four-game losing streak, and he withdrew the interview offer. He went back to winning, and got his 299th win on September 18. His first attempt at 300 would happen against his former team the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, the team that beat them in the NL East the year earlier. The Phillies held a slim lead in first, while the Cardinals were hanging on by a thread in fourth, with an elimination number of 2. Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog put their season's last hope on Joaquin Andujar, the fiery Dominican right-hander who had a tremendous year in 1982 going 15-10 with a 2.47 ERA, but who struggled in 1983 to a 6-15 record and an ERA over 4.00.
Both Andujar and Carlton allowed a single in the first inning, but neither opportunity resulted in a run, with Carlton striking out shortstop Ozzie Smith and first baseman George Hendrick. Phillies left fielder Gary "Sarge" Matthews led off with a double in the top of the second inning. It seemed like it would go to waste as Andujar got the next two batters. Shortstop Ivan de Jesus kept the inning going with an infield single, but Sarge had to hold at third. Steve Carlton was next with a chance to give himself the lead. He had been a decent hitter once upon a time, but now found himself hitting below the Mendoza Line without a single RBI. He the job done this time, lining a single through the right field hole to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. They weren't able to add to the lead, but Carlton set the Cardinals down in the second, striking out Cardinals right fielder David Green. Philadelphia first baseman Len Matuszek led off the third with a single. Their superstar third baseman Mike Schmidt followed with what looked like would be a double play grounder, but he barely beat the throw to first. Right fielder Joe Lefebvre kept the inning alive with a single to move Schmidt to second. Sarge struck out, but center fielder Greg Gross hit a bloop single to drive in Schmidt. Carlton got out of a third inning jam when catcher Glenn Brummer singled then was bunted to second by pitcher Andujar. He struck out Cardinals left fielder Lonnie Smith, but then walked his non-relative Ozzie. He got out of the inning with a groundout. The Cardinals finally got to him in the fourth. First baseman George Hendrick led off with a single. Then Green lined a home run to left that just stayed within the foul pole, and the game was tied. Carlton got out of the inning by striking out third baseman Jimmy Sexton and pitcher Andujar.
The game wouldn't be tied for very long. Mike Schmidt beat out an infield single with one out, and Lefebvre followed with a single again. With Sarge Matthews at bat, Schmidt and Lefebvre executed a double steal. Catcher Brummer almost threw the ball away but he was rescued by second baseman Bill Lyons who reached up and grabbed the errant throw. It was too late to get the runners, but he kept Schmidt at third. The run scored anyways when Matthews singled. Andujar threw three pitches to Gross that were called balls. Andujar has had several close pitches go against his way, and now with the team down 3-2 he began fuming on the mound. Cardinals manager Herzog came out to calm the pitcher down, but after the mound meeting he started squawking at home plate umpire Jim Quick and was ejected. Andujar wound up walking Gross to load the bases, then catcher Bo Diaz hit a two-run single to make it 5-2. That was the end of Andujar's night, earning an ejection of his own while he was at it. He was replaced by Jeff Lahti. Lahti got them out of the fifth, but the Phillies scored off him in the sixth with doubles by their duo of future Hall of Fame infielders: second baseman Joe Morgan and third baseman Mike Schmidt.
With the lead secured, Carlton began mowing down Cardinals. He struck out center fielder Willie McGee in the fifth, then third baseman Sexton and second baseman Lyons in the sixth. He got Glenn Brummer swinging in the seventh, becoming the first pitcher in baseball history to record 3,700 strikeouts. Ozzie Smith tagged him for a triple to lead off the eighth, but he struck out McGee and Hendrick, and then got David Green to hit a grounder back to himself. With the Phillies in the midst of a pennant race, manager Paul Owens chose to rest Carlton in the ninth, and sent Al Holland out to pitch the ninth. "Mr T" had evolved into a relief ace and set a new Phillies record with 23 saves. It was not a save situation given the Phillies' four-run lead, but he was still up to the task. He got Sexton to pop to short, then struck out Lyons. Glenn Brummer singled to keep the game alive. The Cardinals sent Ken Oberkfell to pinch hit for reliever Dave Von Ohlen, but Holland struck him out and the game was over. The defending champions had been knocked out of the pennant race. More importantly, Steve Carlton had his 300th win.
During the milestone celebration, there was some speculation that Carlton can become the third pitcher with 400 wins. After all, he was only 38 years old, and he wanted to pitch until his mid-40s. He was still pitching well, as he led the league in strikeouts, and posted an ERA of 3.11 not much different from his 1982 ERA. He was still staying strong with his intense workout regimen. Things started out well. The Phillies won the division, and Carlton helped them top the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS with two wins, although the Phillies lost the World Series to the Baltimore Orioles. He went on to a solid 13-7 season in 1984. And then the bottom fell out. He injured his shoulder in 1985, and that limited him to only 16 starts, during which he only had one win. And then he was terrible upon his return in 1986. His ERA well over 6.00 when the Phillies released him in June. He latched on with the San Francisco Giants, where he pitched enough to get his 4,000th career strikeout, but he was still fairly miserable, and he was released again in August. Carlton declared his retirement with his release from the Giants, but he reversed course and signed with the Chicago White Sox a week later. He was fairly decent in his ten starts in Chicago, putting up an above average 3.69 ERA, but they chose not to re-sign him for 1987. He signed with the Cleveland Indians before the start of the season, but once again he was terrible, with an ERA above 5.00. He was traded again to the Minnesota Twins, but he even worse, with an ERA above 6.00. The Twins did make it to the post-season, but he was left off of the playoff roster. He Twins released him in the off-season before signing him to another contract. He made one start with three relief appearances and allowed 18 earned runs in less than ten innings. Naturally the Twins released him. Steve Carlton kept trying to get back with a team in 1989, but with no takers, his Major League career was done. Carlton retired to Colorado still believing he could get Major League hitters out, but he kept to his private life.
Carlton had gone 29-45 since his milestone 300th victory. He did pitch until he was 43, but rather than getting his 400th win, his career ended with 329 wins. It was not quite 400 wins, but it was still within the top ten when he retired. Despite his silence with the media, he was voted in the Hall of Fame with an overwhelming 95.6% margin, only the seventh player to crack the 95% barrier. He finally broke his media silence before retreating back into the mountains of Southeastern Colorado. He still makes occasional public appearances, but Carlton remains an intensely private individual who would prefer to let his performance on the mound speak for himself. And fans were okay with that.
Tom Seaver - August 4, 1985
George Thomas Seaver311 wins
Born: November 17, 1944 in Fresno, CA
Home: Calistoga, CA
Height: 6'1" Weight: 195 lbs
Other Stats: 205 losses, 2.86 ERA, 127 ERA+, 4783.0 innings, 3640 strikeouts, 61 shutouts, 106.3 pitching bWAR, 65.5 pitching bWAA, 84.8 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1992
Teams: New York Mets (NL) (1967-1977, 1983), Cincinnati Reds (NL) (1977-1982), Chicago White Sox (AL) (1984-1986), Boston Red Sox (AL) (1986)
Wins: 16 (1967), 16 (1968), 25 (1969), 18 (1970), 20 (1971), 21 (1972), 19 (1973), 11 (1974), 22 (1975), 14 (1976), 21 (1977), 16 (1978), 16 (1979), 10 (1980), 14 (1981), 5 (1982), 9 (1983), 15 (1984), 16 (1985), 7 (1986)
300 Win Game Final Score: Chicago White Sox 4, New York Yankees 1
The New York Mets spent more than half a decade getting battered around in the National League, but George Thomas Seaver virtually single-handedly took them out of the basement and into contention. While he had pitched for other teams, his name remains synonymous with the Mets. He was a fiery competitor who had intelligence not often seen on a baseball field. He approached pitching with the precision of a scientist as well as the eye of an artist, allowing him to throw his throw his fastball and breaking ball with pinpoint command, making it possible for him to take a rightful spot as one of the top pitchers of all time.
Seaver was born in Fresno, California in late 1944. His father was an avid sportsman and encouraged athletic participation. Young Seaver did just that, joining the Little Leagues and playing ball all through high school. He already gained a reputation of being a student of the game as a teenager. He played baseball for a community college after high school and caught the eye of Rod Dedeaux, the baseball coach for the University of Southern California. Before Dedeaux would be willing to give Seaver a scholarship, he asked the youngster to go up to Alaska and play collegiate summer ball. Seaver went to Fairbanks and pitched well enough to earn the scholarship. He was terrific with the Trojans, and was drafted with the Los Angeles Dodgers, although he did not sign. In January 1966 he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the secondary draft for players that didn't sign. He signed a $51,500 contract, but it was voided by Commissioner William Eckert as USC had already played two exhibition games marking the start of their season. However, because he signed a professional contract the NCAA would not let him return to USC. Seaver's father threatened a lawsuit, so Eckert ruled that any team willing to match the Braves contract could enter a drawing for the rights to the young pitcher. Three teams wanted in. Eckert put their names in a hat, and drew the name of the New York Mets.
The Mets were the dregs of the National League since their inception in 1962. Seaver still spent 1966 in AAA Jacksonville before making his Major League debut a year later. He was an instant sensation, going 16-13 with a 2.76 ERA for a team that still lost 100 games. He was named the Rookie of the Year. He won 16 games again a year later, but he had already changed the tone of the clubhouse, and they improved their record by 12 games. 1969 would be a magical year for Seaver and the Mets. After a rough start Seaver went on a roll. He was two outs away from a perfect game against the Chicago Cubs on July 8 before allowing a hit to backup outfielder Jim Qualls. He won six straight starts in September, as the Mets rolled to 100 wins and the NL East title. Seaver himself got credit for a quarter of those wins. He won the first game of the first ever NLCS against the Braves before the Mets swept. He lost Game 1 of the World Series against the powerhouse Baltimore Orioles, but came back to win Game 4 in 10 innings. The Miracle Mets would win the title the next game. Seaver would be named the Cy Young for his tremendous season.
Seaver would remain one of the best pitchers in the game from 1970 to 1973, when he went 78-44 with a 2.38 ERA and 1072 strikeouts. He led the league in ERA three times including a 1.76 mark in 1971, and also in strikeouts three times. He struck out 10 consecutive batters on his way to 19 on April 22, 1970. He won his second Cy Young award in 1973 when he went 19-10 with a 2.08 ERA, as the Mets went to their second World Series. Seaver faltered in 1974 as he dealt with shoulder and hip pain, but he saw an osteopathic physician who performed manipulation on him, allowing him to finish the season strong, then win a third Cy Young award in 1975. The 1975 season would also be the first season of free agency and Seaver wanted a multi-year contract. The Mets gave him a three year deal, but made it incentive-based. Seaver pitched well in 1976 but won only 14 games. Seaver wanted to renegotiate the deal after watching lesser pitchers sign richer deals. Mets chairman M. Donald Grant initially refused, but he relented after Seaver got off to a good start. However, once Seaver read a grating column by Dick Young of the New York Daily News that involved his wife Nancy, Seaver demanded a trade, and he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds.
Seaver kept his stats up with the Reds. He finished the 1977 season going 14-3 with a 2.34 ERA, then went 56-30 with a 3.04 ERA from 1978 to 1981. He threw a no-hitter against the Cardinals on June 16, 1978 to make up for his near-no-no nine years earlier. He pitched in the post-season as the Reds won the NL West in 1979. He led the league in wins in the strike-shortened 1981 season. However, the sight of Seaver in a Reds uniform was galling to most baseball fans. By 1982 the Mets were under new leadership, and they wanted to make things right. Seaver had gone through his worst season in 1982, going 5-13 with an ERA above 5.5 while suffering from shoulder pain. Nevertheless the Mets traded for him, and he had a good rebound year, shaving almost two runs from the ERA. The Mets chose not to place Seaver on the 40-man roster when the year ended. However, under the rules of the time teams losing certain free agents could draft unprotected players from any team. And on January 1984, Mets fans had their hearts broken again when Seaver was drafted by the Chicago White Sox.
Seaver was surely disappointed to be leaving New York again, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from trying to be the best on the mound, especially since he was joining a team that won the American League West in 1983. The 1984 White Sox fell to a distant fifth place, but Seaver performed well, winning 15 games. That put him at 288 wins, a fact that was surely not lost to him as he entered the 1985 season. He felt recovered from his shoulder woes from 1982, and he showed it by getting off to a hot start when the season was under way. He beat the Boston Red Sox for his 299th win on July 30. His next start and his first attempt at 300 would be at his old stomping grounds, somewhat. He would be facing the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium, less than 20 miles from Shea Stadium. The Yankees were in second trying to catch the Toronto Blue Jays, who held a 9.5 game lead. The Yankees didn't exactly appreciate the intrusion, as Seaver would be starting on the day the team was honoring their longtime broadcaster and shortstop Phil Rizzuto. They gave the task of denying history to Joe Cowley, a 26-year-old signed from the Atlanta Braves who had become a serviceable starter.
Cowley struggled with his control in the top of the first inning, but the White Sox couldn't take advantage. Left fielder Rudy Law led off with a single. However, he got a little too eager to test the arm of Yankees backup catcher Ron Hassey, and wound up getting picked off at first. Cowley then walked second baseman Bryan Little, and right fielder Harold Baines followed with a single to right. Little tried to go from first to third, but Yankees right fielder Dave Winfield had a cannon of an arm and Little was a dead duck at third. First baseman Greg Walker was the second walk of the inning, but catcher Carlton Fisk struck out, and the two base-running mistakes really loomed large. They had another chance in the second when designated hitter Oscar Gamble walked, then third baseman Tim Hulett singled. However, rookie shortstop Ozzie Guillen grounded into a double play. In the third, Law got his second single. Once again he tried to test the arm of Hassey. Hassey made him pay by throwing him out at second on a pitchout. Seaver didn't have much trouble in the first two innings, allowing only a harmless two-out single to New York's first baseman and MVP candidate Don Mattingly. However, the Yankees nicked him in the third. Third baseman Mike Pagliarulo led off with a single on an 0-2 count. Seaver got the next two batters out with Pagliarulo advancing to second. However, instead of getting out of the inning, designated hitter Ken Griffey Sr. singled to score Pagliarulo for the first run. The Yankees almost got another run in the fifth. Third baseman Hulett made a tough stop on a grounder by Winfield, but made a bad throw to allow Winfield to reach. Winfield advanced to second and then third on groundouts before Seaver hit second baseman Willie Randolph on the hand with a pitch. Pagliarulo was called out on the strikes to end the threat.
The White Sox had runners on in every inning through the fifth but had no runs to show for it. Greg Walker led off the sixth by living up to his namesake and walking. Carlton Fisk hit a grounder toward shortstop Meacham that forced Walker, but Fisk barely beat out the double play. Oscar Gamble followed with a single, and 38-year-old Fisk motored around to third to put runners at the corner, and that was the end of Cowley's day. Martin brought in reliever Brian Fisher, a rookie with an ERA of 2.33 and 45 strikeouts in 58 innings. The move backfired when Hulett doubled to right. Fisk scored the tying run while Gamble made it to third. Rookie Guillen followed with a single that popped out of right fielder Winfield's glove. Hulett had to stay at second, but Gamble raced home with the go-ahead run. The next batter, center fielder Luis Salazar, forced Guillen, but Law walked to load the bases. Little singled past Mattingly and Randolph to score two runs to make it 4-1. Baines followed with a single, but Yankees left fielder Dan Pasqua threw out Law trying to score and the inning was over. White Sox manager Tony La Russa couldn't believe it, and got into an extended argument with home plate umpire Derryl Cousins, but all he got was an ejection.
Still, Seaver had gotten the lead, and he responded by getting the Yankees in order in the sixth and seventh. However, in the eighth the smooth turned rough. Shortstop Meacham led off with a single. Seaver got the next two batters on a strikeout and a forceout, but then Mattingly got his second hit and all of a sudden the tying run was at the plate in the form of the Yankees' hulking right fielder Dave Winfield. Winfield had 16 home runs, and a 17th would tie the game. Winfield worked the count full, but Seaver threw a sinking fastball. Winfield swung over the pitch, and the Yankees rally was over. After Neil Allen shut down the White Sox, Seaver came out to work the bottom of the ninth. The Yankees wouldn't make it easy. Left fielder Pasqua led off with a single. Seaver would come back to strike out Hassey and Baines made a jumping catch on a fly ball by Randolph to make it two outs. Yet Pagliarulo walked on four pitches, and that brought up pinch hitter Don Baylor with the tying run. Pitching coach Dave Duncan came out to give Seaver a breather, then Seaver got Baylor to swing on the first pitch. He lifted a fly ball to Rudy Law, and Tom Seaver's 300th win was finally in hand.
With the milestone secure, Seaver went on to finish strong and put up his best numbers since the strike-shortened season in 1981. He had accomplished just about everything that he could have wanted, but he still wasn't ready to call it a career just yet. He came back in 1986, but as both he and the White Sox got off to a rough start, Chicago was ready to trade the veteran. Seaver had requested that he be traded to a team closer to his home in Connecticut. The White Sox respected that wish, and traded him to the Boston Red Sox, who had a large lead on top of the American League East. The Red Sox had a solid young nucleus of young pitchers, and Seaver was looking forward to serve as a mentor to them. He pitched decently and had an above-average ERA, but his record was only 5-7 despite Boston's offensive firepower. He tore the cartilage in his right knee in mid-September, and could not pitch in the post-season after they successfully clinched the American League East title. He still traveled with the team, and watched as the Red Sox advanced past the California Angels in the ALCS to face none other than his old team the New York Mets in the World Series. He had the best seat in the house as the Mets made their stunning comeback in Game 6, and then topple the Red Sox in Game 7 for their first title since the Miracle Mets in 1969.
Seaver tried to come back with the Mets in 1987 once his knee healed, but he could not throw the ball like he once did and decided to call it a career. He went into broadcasting, which he had done during the post-season when he was an active player. He came up for the Hall of Fame in 1992, and the Baseball Writers Association of America voted him in by an overwhelming margin: 98.84%. Of the five writers that didn't vote for him, three sent in blank ballots to protest Pete Rose being ineligible. One had just had heart surgery and he missed seeing Seaver's name on the ballot. And one was just being a dick. Seaver didn't care. He was in the Hall of Fame, and that was justification for the quality of his career. He dabbled in several other industries in years after his Hall of Fame induction, including public relations work, but he finally found his true post-baseball calling. Seaver moved back to California in the late 1990s and purchased a plot of land in Napa Valley in northern California, and started growing grapes to open a vineyard. He was slowed down by a bout of Lyme disease, but he continued to remain active in tending to his grapes. Seaver has come full circle. He worked in the raisin business as a youngster and is now in the wine business, but in between he had one of the best baseball careers of all time.
Phil Niekro - October 6, 1985
318 wins
Born: April 1, 1939 in Blaine, OH
Home: Flowery Branch, GA
Height: 6'1" Weight: 180 lbs
Other Stats: 274 losses, 3.35 ERA, 115 ERA+, 5404.0 innings, 3342 strikeouts, 45 shutouts, 97.2 pitching bWAR, 50.8 pitching bWAA, 75.3 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1997
Teams: Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (NL) (1964-1983, 1987), New York Yankees (AL) (1984-1985), Cleveland Indians (AL) (1986-1987), Toronto Blue Jays (AL) (1987)
Wins: 0 (1964), 2 (1965), 4 (1966), 11 (1967), 14 (1968), 23 (1969), 12 (1970), 15 (1971), 16 (1972), 13 (1973), 20 (1974), 15 (1975), 17 (1976), 16 (1977), 19 (1978), 21 (1979), 15 (1980), 7 (1981), 17 (1982), 11 (1983), 16 (1984), 16 (1985), 11 (1986), 7 (1987)
300 Win Game Final Score: New York Yankees 8, Toronto Blue Jays 0
Knuckleball pitchers have long been seen somewhat as second class citizens. Their pitches don't have the velocity that teams love, and their fluttering pitches are hard to catch. Knuckleballers have had some success throughout the years, but none of them had been more successful than Philip Henry Niekro Jr. He threw his dancing pitches for 24 seasons and put up statistics nobody ever thought was possible from a knuckleball pitcher: 5,000 innings, 3,000 strikeouts, and 300 wins. He spent his best years toiling for a team that often finished in the second division, but remained classy and humble, and proved to be not just the best knuckleball pitcher of all time, but one of the best pitchers of all time.
Philip Henry Niekro Jr. was born in Blaine, Ohio next to the West Virginia border. His father was a coal miner who played baseball with his mine's team. One of his teammates was a former minor leaguer who taught Philip Sr. the knuckleball. When Philip Jr was born his father passed along the pitch to young Phil and later his younger brother Joseph. Phil would throw to his best friend, future Basketball Hall of Famer John Havlicek. Niekro played basketball with Havlicek in high school, but he soon found his niche on the diamond. He wanted to go into professional baseball, but nobody was interested in a knuckleballer. He finally went to a tryout held by the Milwaukee Braves, who signed him to a small contract. Niekro struggled in his first minor league stint in Wellsville, New York and was on the verge of getting released, but he got a second chance with McCook, Nebraska and pitched well enough to keep his baseball hopes alive. He pitched primarily out of the bullpen over his next three minor league seasons before spending 1963 in the Army.
Niekro made his first big league camp during spring training of 1964, and despite the yearlong layoff he showed enough talent to make the Major League roster. He pitched ten games out of the bullpen before getting sent back to AAA Denver to be a starting pitcher. He made the team in 1965, but spent almost all of it in the bullpen, making only one start. He did get his first win in relief in May, at the age of 26. He did the same in 1966, only it was in Atlanta instead of Milwaukee. Niekro began to wonder if he would ever stick in the Majors. After starting in the bullpen in 1967, Niekro was finally given the chance to start. Paired with the eccentric catcher Bob Uecker, Niekro became a rousing success. He pitched 207 innings in 20 starts and 26 relief appearances, and led the National League with a 1.87 ERA. He also had a momentous Fourth of July when he started against and beat his younger brother Joe who had also made the Major Leagues. After another successful year in 1968, Niekro would take it another level in 1969. The Braves had become also-rans in the 1960s following their back to back pennants in 1957-58. Things would be different in 1969. They got off to a hot start, and took first place in the brand new National League West division. Niekro was their ace, posting a 23-13 record with a 2.56 ERA. Niekro got a chance to take the ball in Game 1 of the brand new NLCS, but he pitched poorly and the Braves got swept out of the playoffs.
Niekro struggled in 1970 as the Braves fell back to second division. He improved in 1971-73, going 44-36 despite a sparkling 3.11 ERA. Niekro had the best individual game of his career on August 5, 1973, pitching a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres. Two days later he was reunited with his brother when the Braves acquired Joe Niekro from the Detroit Tigers. With Joe at his side, Phil had a spectacular year in 1974. He would make 39 starts and throw over 300 innings. He would post a 2.38 ERA, second in the league, and he led the National League with 20 wins. Alas, the Braves would sell Joe to the Houston Astros, and Phil's performance would suffer somewhat. Prior to the 1977 season, Braves manager Dave Bristol asked Niekro if he would be willing to take on the bulk of pitching duties. Niekro was up to the task, and he made 43 starts, the most by any National League since World War I. His results were somewhat lacking, as he put up a 4.03 ERA that was still above average and went 16-20. He still led the league in strikeouts. Bristol was let go at the end of the season, and after one game managed by owner Ted Turner, the Braves went into a lookout for a new manager. Niekro was hoping to be selected, but Braves ownership went with Bobby Cox instead. Cox kept up Niekro's heavy workload, and Niekro was up to the task. He improved his ERA to 2.88 in 1978 and went 19-18, then he had a historic year in 1979. He led the league with 21 wins, and also led the league with 20 losses, becoming the first pitcher to lead the league in both categories.
Niekro eventually went back to a more normal workload. Cox was fired after the 1981 season and Niekro put his name up for consideration, but the Braves hired Joe Torre instead. Torre got the Braves off on a hot start, led by exciting young players such as Dale Murphy and Bob Horner. Niekro got in on the action, and went 17-4 as the Braves won the division for the first time in 13 years, with Niekro pitching the clincher. Alas, the Braves were swept by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Braves couldn't capitalize on their success and finished second in 1983. Niekro went 11-10 with a below-average ERA. The Braves pushed for Niekro to retire. He refused, and his Braves career ended unceremoniously with an unconditional release.
Niekro did not remain without a job for very long. He signed with the New York Yankees three months after his release, and joined the Yankees rotation for the 1984 season. He had a solid comeback year, posting a 3.09 ERA that was his best in six seasons, and won 16 games. That put him at 284. With another 16 wins he would entered the vaunted 300-win club. However, that wouldn't be easy. Niekro struggled in comparison to 1984, as his ERA remained above 4.00 for most of the season. However, the Yankees were able to supply him with offense and he was able to get his share of wins. He had 294 wins when he was in the opposing dugout while Tom Seaver won his 300th. He won his 299th on September 8, but failed in his first four attempts. His final attempt would be on the last day of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays at Exhibition Stadium. It was somewhat of a bittersweet day. The Blue Jays had eliminated the Yankees and clinched the division the day before. And his beloved father Philip Sr. was in intensive care. He also knew that the Blue Jays would be starting a lineup of backup players while they rested their regulars for the post-season. That was evidenced in the Blue Jays starter, a September call-up by the name of John Cerutti who was making his first Major League start.
The Yankees gave the young pitcher a rude welcome. Center fielder Rickey Henderson flied out, but then first baseman Don Mattingly hit a grounder that struck the edge of the artificial turf and bounced over the head of Toronto's rookie first baseman Cecil Fielder. Cerutti got right fielder Dave Winfield to ground out for the second out, but then designated hitter Don Baylor walked. Third baseman Andre Robertson hit a ground ball up the middle. Toronto second baseman Damaso Garcia, one of the few Toronto regulars in the game, made a nice stop, but threw low to Fielder for an error, loading the bases. Second baseman Willie Randolph was hit by a pitch, and that brought home Mattingly with the game's first run. Left fielder Henry Cotto lined a single, and two runs scampered home. Cerutti threw a wild pitch to catcher Butch Wynegar to advance the runners before issuing a walk. He finally got shortstop Bobby Meacham to fly to center fielder Ron Shepherd, and the Blue Jays were mercifully out of the inning.
Phil Niekro had a three run lead, but he had also allowed at least three runs in each of his four previous attempts at 300. He decided to change things up. He threw two fastballs and a curveball to Toronto second baseman Garcia, and got him to fly to center. He then used the same combination plus an eephus pitch to strike out left fielder Rick Leach, getting a generous called strike from home plate umpire Larry McCoy. Then he did the same to right fielder and Rule 5 draft pick Lou Thornton. As Niekro walked off the mound, he decided to see how far he can go without throwing the knuckleball.
The Yankees added to the lead in the fifth. Cerutti had settled down after the disastrous first inning, allowing only a walk to Willie Randolph in the third. His day ended after the fourth, and Jim Acker was brought in for the fifth. Acker had been solid coming out of the bullpen, but he allowed a single to Don Mattingly to lead off the inning. Acker got the next two men, but came to face Mike Pagliarulo pinch-hitting for third baseman Robertson. Pags drove a 1-0 fastball over the right field wall to extend the Yankees lead to 5-0. Randolph followed with a walk and stole second, but he could advance no further. The Yankees continued to tack on runs. Bill Caudill had come in to pitch in the eighth. He walked Randolph, and then Cotto blasted a ball into the headwind coming from left field for his first career home run, and the Yankees led 7-0. Steve Davis came in to pitch the ninth, and he got to face Don Mattingly to lead off. Mattingly already had three hits in the game. He made it four hits with a home run off of the beleaguered young rookie.
The rest of the Yankees made outs, and that set things up for the bottom of the ninth. Niekro was still on the mound to not just complete the game, but also possibly throw a shutout. His efforts to mix pitches had frustrated the young Blue Jays. He had allowed three hits and three walks, but nobody had come around to score. He got Leach to hit a grounder back to himself, and Thornton popped up to Wynegar in foul territory. With one more out to go, Blue Jays manager Bobby Cox sent their regular shortstop Tony Fernandez in to bat for Cecil Fielder. Niekro threw a fastball that Fernandez lined to left center for a double. After a called strike to Jeff Burroughs, Phil's brother Joe came out with a conference. The Yankees had acquired Joe in a trade two weeks earlier. Nobody at the time knew what the meeting was about, but Phil revealed later that Joe told him Phil Sr. had woken from his coma and was moved out of intensive care. Phil Jr. knew what he needed to do to for Burroughs. After mixing fastballs and curveballs all game, he went back to his bread and butter pitch, the knuckleball, in honor of his beloved father. The first knuckler was outside, but the second was a called strike, and Burroughs fouled one back. With the count 1-2, Niekro threw one curving outside. Burroughs waved and missed. Not only had he completed the shutout, the 45th of his career, and at age 46 becoming the oldest pitcher to throw one, but he had also completed the long journey to win number 300.
Niekro relished his milestone, but he was also not ready to call it a career. He became a free agent after the season, but opted to sign again with the New York Yankees. The Yankees wanted some younger pitchers to make up for their near-miss in 1985 and released Niekro in spring training. The Cleveland Indians picked him up and inserted him into the rotation. Joe was still pitching for the New York Yankees, and the Niekros set their sights on another milestone. Jim and Gaylord Perry had won 215 and 314 games respectively, and their combined total of 539 wins were the most by a pair of brothers, far surpassing the Clarkson brothers' 385. The Niekros were at 504, with Phil at 300 and Joe at 204. Phil posted a decent season in 1986, picking up 11 wins while posting an ERA that was just below league average. Joe went 9-10 for the Yankees to leave the Niekros five wins short. The Indians were willing to extend Phil's contract, and the Yankees did the same for Joe. The 1987 Indians were a team full of young players with tremendous potential, so much so that when the season began Sports Illustrated put them on the cover of their baseball preview issue and called them the "best team in the American League." It was not to be as the Indians finished with the worst record in the American League, a pitiful 61-101. Niekro had a brutal year, but it was not without its moments. On April 9 the Indians dominated the Blue Jays 14-3. Niekro pitched five innings for the win, and then fellow 300-game winner Steve Carlton pitched four for the save. It was the first time a pitcher with 300 wins saved the game for another 300-game winner. And then on June 1 Phil beat the Detroit Tigers to tie Gaylord Perry with his 314th win. Joe had 216, one more than Jim Perry, and the brotherly record was theirs.
With the Indians hopelessly out of the race, Cleveland traded Niekro to the Blue Jays of all teams in early August. The Blue Jays were in the pennant race and felt Niekro could help them, but after three hopeless starts they thought better of it and released him. Braves general manager Bobby Cox, who was manager of the 1985 Blue Jays, signed Niekro for one last hurrah. He was not sharp, allowing five runs in three innings, but it allowed him to retire with the team that he spent so many years with. Niekro remained busy after his retirement. He made some waves when agreeing to manage the Colorado Silver Bullets, an all-woman baseball team. He was finally elected to the Hall of Fame after falling short four times, just like he did for his most cherished milestone. He spends his days tutoring prospective knuckleballers. The knuckleball is still not thrown very commonly, but in his legendary career Phil Niekro showed it is more than just a trick pitch.
Don Sutton - June 18, 1986
324 wins
Born: April 2, 1945 in Clio, AL
Home: Rancho Mirage, CA
Height: 6'1" Weight: 185 lbs
Other Stats: 256 losses, 3.26 ERA, 108 ERA+, 5282.3 innings, 3574 strikeouts, 58 shutouts, 68.6 pitching bWAR, 23.3 pitching bWAA, 50.5 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1998
Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) (1966-1980, 1988), Houston Astros (NL) (1981-1982), Milwaukee Brewers (AL) (1982-1984), Oakland Athletics (AL) (1985), California Angels (AL) (1985-1987)
Wins: 12 (1966), 11 (1967), 11 (1968), 17 (1969), 15 (1970), 17 (1971), 19 (1972), 18 (1973), 19 (1974), 15 (1975), 21 (1976), 14 (1977), 15 (1978), 12 (1979), 13 (1980), 11 (1981), 17 (1982), 8 (1983), 14 (1984), 15 (1985), 15 (1986), 11 (1987), 3 (1988)
300 Win Game Final Score: California Angels 5, Texas Rangers 1
There had been few pitcher more dependable than Donald Howard Sutton. He took the ball every time for seasons up on seasons, almost never missing time due to injuries. He did not have the most flashy repertoire such as an overpowering fastball or a knee-buckling curveball, but he threw several above-average pitches, and got the job done more often than not. His outspoken nature led to some controversy during his career and he found himself traded multiple times. There was strong suspicion he doctored the ball with regularity, but when his career wrapped up he had found himself with statistics that put him among the all-time greats, such as 3,000 strikeouts and of course 300 wins.
Sutton was born in the small town of Clio located in southwestern Alabama. His parents were teenage sharecroppers, and when Sutton was young they moved to Pensacola on the Florida panhandle. Sutton was into baseball, and early on he set a goal for himself to make the Major Leagues, win 300 games, and get into the Hall of Fame. He took pitching lessons from his Little League coach, a former minor league pitcher. He had a successful high school career, but when no teams came calling after graduation, he went on to collegiate ball. He ultimately caught the eye of a scout with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who inked him to a contract in September 1964. Prior to leaving for his baseball career, his father told him to never let anybody outwork him. He took the lesson to heart. He dominated in both levels of the minor leagues, and by 1966 he found himself in the Dodgers rotation alongside future Hall of Famers such as Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. He had achieved one of his goals. He held his own with a 12-12 record and a 2.99 ERA. He didn't pick up a single Rookie of the Year vote nor did he pitch in the World Series that year, but he knew his Major League career was up and running.
The Dodgers went through some major changes in the late 1960s, with Koufax retiring after 1966 and Drysdale doing the same after 1969. Sutton had some growing pains, going 54-61 with a below-average 3.56 ERA between 1967 and 1970, but by 1971 he was the top pitcher of a contending team. He went 54-31 from 1971 to 1973 and posted an ERA of 2.35. 1974 would be a breakthrough year for the Dodgers, as they captured the NL West title. Sutton's ERA took a hit, but he still won 19 games. More importantly was how he pitched in the post-season. He beat the Pittsburgh Pirates twice in the NLCS, and then beat Vida Blue and the Oakland Athletics in Game 2 of the World Series. Unfortunately that was the only World Series game the Dodgers would win as they dropped the Series in five games. Los Angeles went back to being bridesmaids in 1975 and 1976, but Sutton did post his first 20 win season in the latter year.
Longtime Dodgers manager Walter Alston retired near the end of the 1976 season, and he was replaced by former Dodgers pitcher and longtime coach Tommy Lasorda. Sutton did not always see eye to eye with Lasorda. He did not like the manager's showboating, nor did he appreciate the transition to a five man rotation. Still the Dodgers won the NL West. They beat the Philadelphia Phillies in four with Sutton contributing a win in Game 2, and then he won Game 5 of the World Series against the Yankees, but the Yankees won the title in Game 6 behind Reggie Jackson's three home runs. 1978 would be a contentious year for Sutton. He had long been suspected of defacing baseballs, an action as forbidden as spitballs. He denied the allegations, but was finally ejected by Doug Harvey after being caught with a scuffed ball on July 14. Sutton claimed the ball was already scuffed, and escaped a suspension when he threatened a lawsuit. A month later he made some comments about teammate Steve Garvey being a phony. Garvey confronted him about the comments, and the two ended up scuffling on the ground. The Dodgers made the playoffs again, but Sutton pitched poorly, losing all three of his starts with a 7.13 ERA. With all the bad vibe, Sutton was allowed to leave as a free agent after 1980 despite leading the league with a 2.20 ERA.
Thus began the journeyman portion of Don Sutton's career. He signed a four year contract with the Houston Astros, an up and coming franchise that won the NL West in 1980. He pitched well for them in the season split by the strike. He helped the Astros win the second half division title, but a fracture of his kneecap ended his season before the playoffs, where he watched as the Dodgers beat the Astros in the division series before going on to win the World Series. He was having another solid year in 1982 when he surprised management by asking for a trade. He wanted to go to a team in Southern California like the California Angels, but he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers instead. The Brewers were in a pennant race, and he helped them clinch the AL East with a win over the Baltimore Orioles on the last day of the season. He pitched well in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Angels of all teams and Milwaukee clinched the pennant, but he pitched poorly in the World Series and the Brewers lost in seven. He had two mediocre years in Milwaukee before asking for another trade, but he was sent to the Oakland Athletics. Sutton threatened retirement, but finally decided to report since he was at 280 wins, close to his second goal. He won 13 games with a below-average ERA in Oakland, but the A's fell out of the race, and he finally realized his dream by getting traded to the Angels.
It was too late for Sutton to get to 300 wins in 1985, but the Angels were in the playoff hunt, and Sutton could help them into the post-season while also putting himself in prime position to get the milestone in 1986. He won his first two games to put him at 295 wins, but the Angels lost his last three starts. The most damaging one was his final start, against their AL West competitors the Kansas City Royals. The two teams were tied before the game, which the Angels lost 4-1. The Royals would clinch two days later. Nevertheless Sutton felt good about the Angels chances in 1986, and even better about his chance to get 300. However, Sutton got off to a rough start in 1986. He went winless in April as his ERA soared above 10.00. It was still above 5.00 after he threw a complete game shutout against the White Sox for his 299th win on June 9. His first attempt at 300 was against his 1985 nemesis the Royals. They foiled him again when he left with a 5-4 lead but reliever Terry "Fat Tub of Goo" Forster allowed an inherited runner to score. Sutton's next scheduled start was on the road in Kansas City, but Angels manager Gene Mauch gave him the option to start at home in Anaheim Stadium against the Texas Rangers on three and a half days rest. The Rangers were off to a surprising start a year after losing 99 games, and were in first place over the Angels. However, they had lost the first two games of the three-game series, including one where starter Charlie Hough took a no-hitter and shutout to the bottom of the ninth. Sutton didn't waste any time saying yes.
Sutton had done well against the Rangers since coming to the American League, going 4-1 with a 2.61 ERA in seven starts against the pitiful franchise. He showed that in the top of the first, getting three outs on three fly balls on six pitches. The Rangers were starting Jose Guzman, a 23-year-old youngster out of Puerto Rico who was 6-6 with an ERA below 4.00. Guzman showed some nerves when he walked leadoff man and center fielder Gary Pettis on five pitches. The Angels first baseman and superstar rookie Wally Joyner followed with an opposite-field single, sending Pettis to third. The veteran left fielder Brian Downing hit a slow grounder to shorts, but the Rangers were only able to get the force at second as Pettis came around to give Sutton an early lead. Designated hitter Reggie Jackson followed with a single to put runners on the corners again. Guzman walked right fielder Ruppert Jones to load the bases. Third baseman Doug DeCines hit a foul pop-up that Rangers left fielder Gary Ward was able to corral and Guzman had a chance to end the inning with no further damage. However, he threw a lazy breaking ball to second baseman Rob Wilfong that Wilfong was able to line to center field. Two runs came around to score and Sutton had a 3-0 lead to work with.
Sutton kept the Rangers in check now that he had a lead. A single by rookie right fielder Ruben Sierra was the Rangers' only baserunner through the first six innings. Meanwhile the Angels tried adding insurance runs against Guzman. Downing led off the third with a single, then stole second after Reggie flied to center. Ruppert Jones walked for the second time, then DeCinces grounded a single to right. Downing came racing around and was waved home by Angels third base coach Moose Stubing. However, Rangers right fielder Sierra threw a strike to catcher Geno Petralli, and DeCinces was out by a mile. In the fourth, Angels shortstop Dick Schofield reached on a fielding error by his Rangers counterpart Scott Fletcher. Catcher Bob Boone appeared to get hit in the hand with a pitch while trying to bunt, but home plate umpire Jim Evans ruled that it hit the bat, making it a foul ball. Boone followed with a double play, which hurt when Gary Pettis singled. Pettis was able to steal second, but was stranded there. The Angels were finally able to put the fourth run on the board when Ruppert Jones hit a solo home run to the empty left field seats.
Don Sutton had been cruising along retiring 15 straight batters since Sierra's single in the second, but with two outs in the seventh he made a mistake to the Rangers rookie designated hitter / slugger Pete Incaviglia. Inky hit it to left center field, and all of a sudden the Rangers were on the board. That was all they were able to get in the seventh, as third baseman Larry Parrish, returning from an injury, struck out. The Angels were quickly able to get the run back. Downing homered with two outs in the seventh, and it was 5-1 Angels. That marked the end of the day for Guzman, as he was replaced with rookie flamethrower Mitch Williams. Williams got the last out in the seventh, but the Angels would have one more chance against the man who would be called Wild Thing in the eighth. Doug DeCinces walked with one out. Wilfong followed with a long fly ball to right field. It would have bounced off the fence, but a fan reached over and grabbed the ball. The umpires saw this and declared it a grand rule double, and DeCinces had to hold at third. Rangers manager Bobby Valentine ordered a walk to shortstop Schofield, after which catcher Boone grounded into his second double play. Still, Sutton had a four-run lead to work with in the ninth. He got two fly ball outs, and then struck out Rangers left fielder Ward on a check swing. Sutton had completed the second of his Major League goals, and all but assured him of getting the third. He had joined the pantheon of greats with 300 wins.
With the pressure of the milestone out of the way, Sutton can focus on the more pressing order of business: helping the California Angels back into the post-season. He continued to whittle down his ERA as he went 10-6 with a 2.98 ERA to finish out the regular season. The Angels traded first place with the Rangers over the next three weeks, but California took over first place for good on July 7 and never looked back. The only question soon became how big of a lead they would have at the end. They cruised to the AL West title with a five game lead and that their return to the post-season for the first time since 1982, the year they lost to Don Sutton and the Brewers. This time Sutton was pitching for the Angels as they faced the Boston Red Sox. Sutton got the start in Game 4. He pitched well, allowing one run in six and 1/3 innings, but the Angels were unable to score any runs until the ninth before going on to win in the 11th to give them a 3-1 series lead. The Angels had a chance to clinch the pennant, but lost in Game 5 on Dave Henderson's two-out, two-run home run then his sacrifice fly against Donnie Moore. The Angels then lost the next two games with Sutton coming in for a mop-up relief role in Game 7 with the game already out of hand.
Sutton came back for the Angels in 1987, but this time he did not have a stretch of quality starts as he ended the season 11-11 with a below average 4.70 ERA. The Angels fell to sixth, and they handed Sutton his release at the end of the season. Sutton was able to reunite with his original team: the Los Angeles Dodgers. Homecoming wasn't necessarily sweet for the seasoned veteran. His 3.92 ERA in 16 starts seemed decent, but it was well below average in the National League in 1988, and his record was an uninspiring 3-6. He missed over a month due to a back injury, the first time in his entire career that he suffered the indignity of being on the disabled list. He made one more start after his reinstatement, but he was informed of his release the next day. Sutton watched back at home as the Dodgers went on to claim the NL West, the pennant, and the World Series. Sutton took his vast knowledge of baseball and entered the broadcast booth, starting out with the Dodgers before moving on to the Atlanta Braves, where he got to witness some of the greatest starting pitching since the Dodgers starters in the 1960s. He finally achieved his ultimate baseball goal with his Hall of Fame induction in 1998. It was a sign that while Don Sutton did not have an overpowering career, but his consistency for over 20 years helped him claim a spot as one of the best pitchers of all time.
Nolan Ryan - July 31, 1990
324 wins
Born: January 31, 1947 in Refugio, TX
Home: Georgetown, TX
Height: 6'2" Weight: 170 lbs
Other Stats: 292 losses, 3.19 ERA, 112 ERA+, 5386 innings, 5714 strikeouts, 61 shutouts, 84.1 pitching bWAR, 35.4 pitching bWAA, 62.5 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 1999
Teams: New York Mets (NL) (1966, 1968-1971), California Angels (AL) (1972-1979), Houston Astros (NL) (1980-1988), Texas Rangers (AL) (1989-1993)
Wins: 0 (1966), 6 (1968), 6 (1969), 7 (1970), 10 (1971), 19 (1972), 21 (1973), 22 (1974), 14 (1975), 17 (1976), 19 (1977), 10 (1978), 16 (1979), 11 (1980), 11 (1981), 16 (1982), 14 (1983), 12 (1984), 10 (1985), 12 (1986), 8 (1987), 12 (1988), 16 (1989), 13 (1990), 12 (1991), 5 (1992), 5 (1993)
300 Win Game Final Score: Texas Rangers 11, Milwaukee Brewers 3
There had never been a pitcher quite like Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. He was able to throw a record breaking fastball from his teenager years until well past his 40th birthday, and also possessed a frightening curveball that kept hitters whiffing for a record 27 seasons. Along the way he had set records that may never be broken such as 5,714 strikeouts and his seven no-hitters. He did gain some critics in his career that scoffed at his unwillingness to give in to hitters which led to a record-breaking walk total, nor did he have elite run prevention. Yet in the end Nolan Ryan was still able to put his stamp on the game and establish himself as one of the top pitchers of all time.
Nolan was born in January 1947 in the tiny south Texas town of Refugio. His father Lynn Nolan Ryan Sr. worked for an oil company, and moved to Alvin outside Houston when Lynn Jr. was still a baby. Lynn Sr. also took a job as a newspaper distributor for the Houston Post. When Lynn Jr. became old enough his father recruited him to help fold and deliver newspapers. He did this all through high school, and it instilled in him a strong work ethic, and built up his arm. His fastball was already legendary in high school. His speed intrigued scouts, but his control issues also made them wary. He had a believer in New York Mets scout Red Murff, who pitched with Warren Spahn. Murff convinced the Mets to draft Ryan in baseball's first draft. Ryan had two strong seasons in the minors, and earned a September callup in 1966. Ryan's development was cut short with an arm injury in 1967, but it improved with rest and rehabilitation, during which he joined the Army reserves and gotten married. He was back in the majors in 1968. He started out in the rotation, but missed time due to his Army obligations that forced him to go to training exercises. He found it hard to get into a rhythm. He did form a bond with teammate Tom Seaver. Ryan spent most of 1969 in the bullpen. His performance was middling, but he stepped up in the playoffs, posting a relief win in the clinching game of the NLCS, then getting a key save in Game 2 of the World Series. He had two more mediocre years in New York, and Ryan was included in a four-player package sent to the California Angels for shortstop Jim Fregosi.
While most fans criticize the Mets for the lopsided deal, Ryan considered it the best thing that happened to him. He would no longer have to worry about being demoted to the bullpen, and he would be getting more quality instruction from coaches. With his Army obligations completed he wouldn't have to worry about disruptions. Ryan would also become one of the first players to embrace weight training to build up arm and leg strength. He blossomed in 1972, going 19-16 with a 2.28 ERA, striking out 329 hitters. 1973 would be a landmark year. He went 21-16 with a 2.87 ERA despite facing the brand new designated hitter. He threw two no-hitters. Yet he would reserve his finest achievement for the last game of the season, when he gutted out an 11 inning start and struck out 16, giving him a record 383, one more than his idol Sandy Koufax had in 1965. Ryan would record a third 300-strikeout season in 1974 and won a career-high 22 games, including his third no-hitter on September 28. 1975 was somewhat a down year as he suffered from elbow pain, but he was able to get his fourth no-hitter on June 1, also the 100th win of his career.
Ryan bounced back with two tremendous seasons in 1976-77 when he broke the 300 strikeout barrier, then led the league in 1978-79. However, he only went 62-61. With his contract up the Angels general manager Buzzie Bavasi let him go. Other teams weren't scared off by his win-loss record, including his hometown Houston Astros. The Astros blessed him with the first $1 million/year contract. He rewarded them by helping them to a NL West title in 1980, and then another post-season appearance in 1981. He led the league in ERA in 1981, and on September 26 he would throw his fifth no-hitter, breaking another record of his idol Koufax. The rest of his Astros tenure was filled with highlights and lowlights. He became the first pitcher to break Walter Johnson's career strikeout total of 3,509 in April 1983, then recorded his 4,000th strikeout in 1985. He helped the Astros to another division title in 1986, although the Astros lost a heartbreaker to his original team the Mets. He also led the league in ERA for the second time in 1987. However, he was placed on a strict pitch count that year and didn't record a complete game all year. His run support also dried up and he went 8-16.
After a middling 1988 season when Ryan went 12-11 with a below-average 3.52 ERA, the Astros offered him a sizeable pay cut. Owner John McMullen thought that the pitcher who would be turning 42 in 1989 wouldn't attract much hot stove attention. He was wrong. Several teams had lucrative offers, including his old team the Angels and a team in Japan. However, Ryan decided on one team: the Texas Rangers. The Rangers had been pitiful since their entrance as the Washington Senators. They had little history to be proud of, and felt Nolan Ryan can give them instant credibility. Ryan was also welcoming a chance to stay in Texas. It was a match made in heaven. The Rangers improved their record by 13 games and their attendance by 500,000. Ryan went 16-10 with a 3.20 ERA, and also struck out 300 for the sixth time. His highlight came on August 22 when he struck out Rickey Henderson for his 5,000th career strikeout.
When Ryan signed his contract with the Rangers, the team made sure to include a team option for the 1990 season. Nolan wasn't so sure about it at the time, but after a year like the one he had in 1989, Nolan was glad it was present. Not only did he have a dominant year, but his 16 wins put him at 289, within striking distance of 300. Ryan won his first four starts in April, but went winless in May. Even worse, he went on the disabled list due to back pain. He came back after three weeks, and shocked the baseball world by no-hitting the defending champion Oakland A's on June 11, proving he can still bring it. He would be going for number 300 at the end of July. Ryan failed in his first attempt in Texas against the New York Yankees. His next start would be against the Milwaukee Brewers in Milwaukee County Stadium. Some 51,500 fans crowded the old ballpark. The Brewers sent Chris Bosio to the mound. Bosio was a solid young right-hander who was excellent in 1989, but had struggled in 1990 and hadn't won since May 20.
Ryan was as good as advertised in the first, striking out the Brewers' future Hall of Fame first baseman Paul Molitor and then their exciting young third baseman Gary Sheffield. The Brewers got a run in the third. Molitor hit a two-out single, then future Hall of Fame center fielder Robin Yount hit a long fly ball over the head of Rangers right fielder Ruben Sierra. Molitor scored easily with Yount going to third. Veteran designated hitter Dave "Cobra" Parker singled to lead off the fourth, but he was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double by Rangers left fielder Pete Incaviglia. It came back to haunt the Brewers when Gantner singled after left fielder Greg Vaughn struck out.
Chris Bosio was cruising up to that point. He had thrown four perfect innings, and the Brewers had given him a 1-0 lead. The Rangers made sure that it wouldn't last. Right fielder Sierra led off with a single to center for the Rangers first baserunner, then designated hitter Harold Baines followed with another single. Bosio walked left fielder Incavigilia, and the bases were loaded. Catcher Geno Petralli hit a fly ball to deep right field, and not only did Sierra score easily to tie the game, but Baines was also able to tag and advance to third. Third baseman Steve Buechele lined a single to left and Baines jogged home with the go-ahead run. Rangers center fielder Gary Pettis flied to center field, and Bosio could have gotten out of the inning, but rookie shortstop Huson lined a pitch to left. Brewers right fielder Mike Felder dove for it, but couldn't make the play and two runs scored with Huson reaching third with a triple. the Rangers had a 4-0 lead.
That was all the Rangers would get in the fifth, but Ryan was able to bear down now that he was pitching with a lead. Catcher Charlie O'Brien reached on an error by third baseman Buechele, but Ryan was able to strand him by striking out future Hall of Famers Molitor and Yount. First baseman Rafael Palmeiro led off the Rangers sixth with a triple to left. He tried to score when a pitch that got away from catcher O'Brien, but the ball ricocheted back to O'Brien, who tossed it to Bosio to nab Palmeiro trying to score from third. After that the batter Sierra doubled to right. That was the end of the day for Bosio. Paul Mirabella came in, and got Baines to ground out. Sierra went to third on the play, after which he scored on left fielder Incaviglia's single. Ryan continued to deal, striking out Vaughn in the sixth, then O'Brien and shortstop Billy Spiers in the seventh. He stood six outs from 300 wins. Yet Molitor led off the eighth with a single. Yount hit a grounder to second baseman Julio Franco that should have been a double play, but Franco booted the ball. After a pop-up, Dave Parker hit another ground ball to Franco, but it bounced off of Franco's glove into the outfield, and Molitor scored. To Franco's dismay it was also ruled an error. Ryan got the second out, but then Gantner singled to score Yount and it was now 5-3. Ryan had thrown 146 pitches. Rangers manager Bobby Valentine had to replace Ryan with reliever Brad Arnsberg, who was able to get the last out.
The Rangers felt deflated letting their star down, but Pete Incaviglia led off with a home run to left field, and the Rangers weren't done. Geno Petralli followed with a walk, and Mirabella was replaced by Mark Knudson. Steve Buechele bunted, and ran to first with no play. Gary Pettis followed with another bunt that Knudson fielded, but made a bad throw, and the bases were loaded. The Rangers sent up switch-hitting pinch hitter Jack Daugherty. The Brewers took Knudson out for lefty Tony Fossas, but it didn't matter as Daugherty singled to drive in a run. Up next was Julio Franco. Franco was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Indians the day before the Nolan Ryan signing. He had supplied tremendous offense to go with decent defense, but the two errors in the eighth weighed heavily on him. He had a chance to redeem himself with the bases loaded and no outs, took advantage of it. He hit Fossas's first pitch to deep left center field for a spirit-crushing grand slam. The Rangers had an 11-3 lead, and it didn't matter that Fossas got the next three batters. Arnsberg got the first two outs on groundouts, the latter on an unusual play where shortstop Spiers tried to jump over the pitcher. Molitor singled for his third hit, but then Robin Yount hit a fly ball to center, and Nolan Ryan had achieved the 300 win milestone.
Ryan may have reached a rare milestone, but he knew he had to go back to work, and he was on the exercise bike continuing his workout hours after the game. He was spectacular in the rest of the 1990 season, contributing with a 2.89 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 84 innings. However, the offense wasn't always there, and his record of 2-5 belied how well he pitched. Still, it was an easy decision for the Rangers to bring Nolan Ryan back in 1991. Ryan was not feeling well on May 1, 1991. His back was sore, and his legs were sore too. He was wild during his pre-game warm-up and told pitching coach Tom House to get a reliever ready. He then went out and had his most dominant game as a Ranger, striking out 16 Toronto Blue Jays while getting his unprecedented seventh no-hitter. The fact that it came at home made it extra sweet. Ryan would finish the season with an excellent 2.91 ERA despite missing time due to injuries. He continued to pitch into 1992 and 1993. His last two seasons were largely devoid of highlights, but there was one that stood out. In a game against the White Sox on August 4, 1993, he hit third baseman Robin Ventura with a pitch. Ventura charged the mound, but Ryan put the younger player in a headlock and threw a few punches. It was a rallying moment for the team, but the end would come a month and a half later. Pitching against the Seattle Mariners, he would load the bases, then allow a grand slam to Dann Howitt. Then while pitching to Dave Magadan, Ryan would feel the ulnar collateral ligament snap. It would be the last pitch he threw, ending a career with unbreakable records such as 5,714 strikeouts, 2,795 walks, and seven no-hitters.
Nolan Ryan remained active even after retiring as a player. He continued to be a cattle rancher, and also went into banking. He was honored in 1999 when he was voted into the Hall of Fame with the second highest voting percentage behind his old mentor Tom Seaver. Later that year he received the most votes for a spot on the All-Century team. He would remain active in baseball. He formed an ownership group with his sons to own several minor league team. Then in 2008, he was named the president of his old team the Texas Rangers, the first Hall of Famer to be named president of a Major Major League baseball team since fellow 300-game winner Christy Mathewson over 80 years earlier. Under his leadership the Rangers put forth a focus on developing young pitchers. They were purchased by a new ownership group that kept them in Texas then won back to back pennants in 2010 and 2011, although they lost the World Series both times because of course they did. He was eventually forced out of the position, but even then, his legacy within baseball is forever secure.
The Wild Card Era (1994 - Present)
History
Major League Baseball was gearing for a historic year in 1994. For one thing it was the first year with the new Wild Card system. Furthermore, several players made strong headway at approaching one of the most famous single-season records, Roger Maris's 61 home runs from 1961. The Montreal Expos shed decades of heartache and became the best team in baseball. The Texas Rangers were in first despite a losing record. Amidst all the excitement tensions were brewing. The Collective Bargaining Agreement signed in 1990 was ending, and the owners and Player's Association were negotiating the new one. The owners were still smarting over their losses in the labor disputes over the year and their humiliating arbitration defeat due to their collusion. They had forced out commissioner Fay Vincent two years earlier and had installed Brewers owner Bud Selig as acting commissioner, and Selig was a strong proponent of installing a salary cap, citing the lack of competitive balance due to differences in payroll. They wanted to eliminate salary arbitration and gave the original team the first opportunity to re-sign free agents. To show the players they were serious they withheld a payment into the pension plan.
The players were not willing to accept the proposals, and the pension plan payment cancellation caused them to dig their heels in even more. They voted to strike, and the strike began on August 12, 1994. Any thoughts that the two sides would come to an agreement before the end of the season ended when the September 9 deadline imposed by Selig to resume the season came and went. There would be no post-season. The two sides remained in deadlock going into 1995. Congress and even President Clinton tried to intervene but to no avail. With spring of 1995 coming up the owners threatened to use replacement players, who were untested rookies or players long out of baseball. However, even owners were divided as far as the use of replacement players. The strike finally ended when the National Labor Relations Board ruled in favor of a complaint made by the players, and Judge Sonia Sotomayor upheld that ruling and forced a return to the 1990 CBA while a new one could be negotiated. The 232-day nightmare had finally ended.
Even though baseball was back, the public had lost faith in the sport. Much of the ire was directed at the players, whom fans felt were spoiled millionaires. While the owners were spared of most of the anger, they felt the effects of the decreased attendance. They needed something good to get fans back into the game. One of it came in August with Cal Ripken Jr. breaking Lou Gehrig's "unbreakable" record of 2,130 consecutive games played. The addition of the division series, previously used only in the 1981 split season, also generated some excitement. But they ultimately found what really got fans excited was offense, particularly the home run. And the 1996 season saw a boost in the number of home runs hit, as 4962 home runs were hit in 4632 games, a ratio of 1.09 home runs per game that eclipsed the 1.01 from 1995 or 1.03 in 1994. Some felt this increase was due to the construction of smaller ballparks. The expansion into Denver where the thinner air meant less air resistance vividly demonstrated the magnitude of ballpark effects. Others felt that the balls were wound tighter to give them more recoil. And then there was another more sinister explanation, one that both owners and fans turned a blind eye toward.
At any rate, the home run explosion continued into the late 1990s. The 50-home run club was reached only ten times from 1944-1994. And all of a sudden it was reached 11 times from 1995-1999, beginning with Albert Belle hitting 50 to Ken Griffey Jr. hitting 56 in 1997 and in 1998. Other less heralded players reached the mark, such as Brady Anderson in 1996 and Greg Vaughn 1998. But the two titans were Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. McGwire was a power-hitting first baseman for the Oakland Athletics who hit 49 home runs as a rookie in 1987. His power dropped off as he dealt with foot injuries, but he came back stronger than ever. He blasted 52 home runs in 1996, then hit 58 in 1997, a year where he was traded to the Cardinals. There was a firm belief heading into the 1998 season that he can finally pass Maris's record of 61. McGwire got off to a strong start and had 37 by the All-Star break. Initially it was thought that Seattle's idol Griffey would join him in the Maris chase. Instead they got an unexpected contender in Sosa, the Cubs outfielder from the Dominican that seemingly came out of nowhere to hit 40 in 1996. Together they chased each other and they both got their 62nd home run in September. When the dust cleared Sosa had 66 home runs while McGwire had 70.
It was an impressive showing, and one that they proved wasn't a fluke when they both passed 62 again a year later. McGwire was forced into retirement in 2001, and that year featured a new contender on the race to be the top home run hitter: Barry Lamar Bonds. Bonds was the son of longtime outfielder Bobby Bonds. He came up with the Pittsburgh Pirates and proved to be a complete player, hitting for average and power, and was a daring baserunner in addition to being an exceptional fielder. He won two MVPs in 1990 and 1992, and added a third after signing with the San Francisco Giants in 1993. He continued to play well in the late 1990s, but saw all of the attention go to less talented players like McGwire and Sosa. He knew this was not acceptable. He hit .306/.440/.688 with 49 home runs in 2000, finishing behind Sosa for the home run crown. He made sure not to finish second again. He burst out of the gate with 11 home runs in April, a respectable number but behind Arizona outfielder Luis Gonzalez. However, he seemed to get stronger as the season went on. He blasted 17 in May and 11 in June to put him at 39 by the All-Star break. He stalled in July, hitting only six, but then finished strong, hitting 28 in the last two months to give him an awe-inspiring 73 home runs.
Barry Bonds's 73 home runs in 2001 was a bit of a surprise to the baseball world, who thought it was strange Bonds could raise his career high home run totals by 24 to break an exalted record. Whispers started swirling about the use of unsavory methods to increase the home run totals, specifically that of performance enhancing drugs: steroids and human growth hormones. These PEDs had been in public awareness since Ben Johnson tested positive for stanozolol after winning a gold medal in the 1988 Summer Olympics, but reports of steroid use in athletes date back to the 1950s. There were some rumors in baseball about steroid use, especially surrounding the Bash Brothers in Oakland of McGwire and Jose Canseco in the late 80s, but the only drug use that was made public was that of amphetamines. The whispers were still strong enough that steroids were officially placed on the banned list in 1991, but the Players Association vehemently resisted any testing efforts. Associated Press writer Steve Wilstein had noticed a bottle of androstenedione in McGwire's locker during the 1998 home run chase and wrote on it, but andro was legal in baseball at the time and the only person criticized for the affair was Wilstein for his invasion of privacy.
The lid was finally opened in 2002 with an expose by Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci who interviewed former Astros and Padres third baseman Ken Caminiti. Caminiti revealed that he took steroids to help with a shoulder injury, and said that at least half of Major League Baseball players were using steroids, although nobody else came clean at the time. A year later the US Anti-Doping Agency received a tip that the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) was being sold to athletes. They launched an investigation and found that BALCO was selling a new form of steroid as well as modafanil, a non-amphetamine stimulant. They tested and subpoenaed dozens of athletes, including baseball stars Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield and Barry Bonds. Giambi openly admitted to using steroids and HGH. Sheffield said he got a substance known as "the cream" he thought was corticosteroids, but found out later it was anabolic steroids. Bonds denied any knowledge of use and only used what his trainer gave him. The Verducci article and BALCO investigation convinced Major League Baseball and MLBPA to start testing. They began with an anonymous urine test in 2003, and if there were more than 5% of positives then random testing would begin with suspensions for positive tests in 2005. There were 104 positive tests, almost 10%, and that led to a new beginning in baseball.
2005 marked the first year of steroid tests. Before the season started Congress organizing panel investigating steroid use and summoned several players including McGwire, Sosa, Canseco, Orioles first baseman Rafael Palmeiro, and Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. Canseco, who wrote a tell-all book about steroid use, was the only player to openly admit to use. McGwire used the fifth amendment while others repeated their denials of steroid use. Later in the season the first batch of players were announced to have positive tests. While most players were fringe players trying to hang on, there was one huge name in Rafael Palmeiro, the future Hall of Famer who got his 3,000th hit in that 2005 season. He continued to deny use, blaming it on a tainted B12 shot. Early in 2006, Selig hired former Senator George Mitchell to launch an investigation into steroid use. Most players refused to cooperative and so much of the information was gleaned from trainers and other clubhouse personnel. The Mitchell Report was published in 2007 and revealed several huge names, including former MVPs and even a 300-game winner. Even after the Mitchell Report there continued to be positive tests. Another health clinic was implicated in the distribution of steroids and HGH and included big names such as 2011 MVP Ryan Braun, 2011 ALCS MVP Nelson Cruz, and three-time MVP Alex Rodriguez, who had admitted to steroid use three years earlier.
While the public's image of steroid users featured hulking sluggers with bulging muscles, the plurality of players that tested positive or were brought up in the Mitchell Report were pitchers. It does somewhat make sense. With offense on the rise from factors that may have nothing to do with steroids, pitchers have to adapt to be able to get batters out. One factor that helped swing the advantage back towards the pitcher was an increased reliance of velocity. Velocity has been a valued commodity dating back to the 19th century, as faster pitches are more likely to get swings and misses and more strikeouts. For most of baseball history only a select few were able to elevate their pitches into the 90s. However, by the 21st century a higher percentage of pitchers were able to throw into the upper 90s and 100s. That was paired with the hitters' tendencies to swing for the fences, and the combination led to a dramatic increase in strikeout totals.
Another factor that helped pitchers was the increase role of analytics, or the use of quantifiable data to aid in decision making. Baseball has long attempted to use numbers to make observations. That led to the statistics fans all know and love such as batting average, hits, and of course pitcher wins. However, researchers in the 1970s learned to be able to dig deeper into stats, to look at the existing stats and synthesize them into further information that can be used in determining everything from player evaluation to defensive positioning. New technologies were developed to take a closer look at certain aspects of the game. Soon pitchers were able to throw a pitch and find out how much spin rate the ball had. Data was gathered to determine umpire's tendencies, and proved certain catchers were able to get more called strikes by the way they caught the ball. Pitchers were able to use these new information to reverse the pendulum and led to a clear dip in offense in the early to mid-2010s. Hitters tried to combat these by using different ways to adjust their swings to optimize launch angles, and the runs per game totals normalized even with the increased strikeouts and depressed batting averages. Baseball is a constantly evolving game, and it will continue to do so as time goes on and both hitters and pitchers try to establish a new medium.
The Near-Misses
Since the 1990s, starting pitchers have seen a steady decrease in their amount of innings pitched as their average velocity went up. The rise of the five-man rotation in the 1980s gave pitchers more rest between starts. Pitchers were also allowed to throw fewer innings as managers became more focused on pitch counts. There were doubts as to whether any pitchers can post impressive win totals under these circumstances, but as we shall see there were still pitchers that were able to crack the 300-win plateau and others that came close. Mike Mussina was the ace for the Baltimore Orioles in the 1990s, and then signed a free agent deal with the New York Yankees in 2001 and had several good years in the Bronx. He won 19 games twice, but never won 20 until his 18th season in 2008. That got him to 270, but he chose to retire instead of going on a protracted chased for 300 wins. Jamie Moyer had only one fewer win with 269, but it took him 25 seasons and a much more convoluted journey. He was 34-54 in 1992 when he was released by the Cubs. He chose to make the grind and worked his way up to the minors to revive his career with the Orioles. He then became a solid member of the Mariners rotation, and won a World Series with the Phillies. He had Tommy John surgery at age 47, then came back to win two more games at 49. Andy Pettitte was a big game pitcher for the New York Yankees. He helped lead the Yankees to five World Series titles, and helped the Astros to a pennant during a three-year stint in Houston. He was also a big winner in the regular season and had 256 wins.
David Wells was a rotund southpaw who looked more like a biker than a pitcher. He still possessed tremendous command, and that helped him become an important contributor to World Series winning teams in Toronto and New York. He threw a perfect game and pitched until he was 44 when he retired with 239 games. Tim Hudson was one of the Big Three pitchers with the Oakland Athletics in the early 2000s. He remained a consistent winner when he went to the Atlanta Braves, and not even Tommy John surgery was able to stop him. He ended his career with 222 wins. Pedro Martinez was an undersized right-hander from the Dominican with a big heart. He reached peaks that rivaled that of Sandy Koufax. He won three Cy Young awards and helped the Red Sox to their first World Series in 86 years. His body broke down prematurely and he ended up with 219 wins. Kenny Rogers made the transition from the bullpen to the rotation, and he became a key part of the Texas Rangers, with whom he threw a perfect game in 1994. He helped the Detroit Tigers to a pennant in 2006, then retired with 219 wins. Curt Schilling broke out with the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1990s, then became a rotation stalwart for World Series winning teams in Arizona and Boston. He ended up with over 3,000 strikeouts and 216 wins.
Mark Buehrle was a consistent workhorse for the Chicago White Sox for most of the 2000s. He helped them break an 88-year World Series drought, and also threw a perfect game. He was still pitching effectively when he ultimately decided to retire with 214 wins. John Smoltz was a key part of the Best Rotation of All Time in Atlanta during the 1990s. He suffered an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery in 2000, but came back as an elite closer before transitioning back to the rotation where he reached 3,000 strikeouts and got 213 wins. Kevin Brown toiled in relative obscurity in Texas and Miami as he posted amazing numbers including 21 wins in 1992 and a 1.89 ERA in 1996. He signed a huge contract that overshadowed his performance, and his career ended in the midst of steroid accusations with 211 wins. Roy Halladay had to re-invent himself as a pitcher following a disastrous 2000 season with the Toronto Blue Jays. He managed just that and became a lethal artist. He won a Cy Young in Toronto then did the same with the Philadelphia Phillies. His career came to a sudden halt in 2013 when he had 203 wins, then he lost his life as well four years later. Chuck Finley was a left-handed ace for the Angels when they had somewhat of a identity crisis. He had several great years and retired with 200 wins. Tim Wakefield was a converted infielder who rode his knuckleball to become one of the most prominent pitchers in Boston Red Sox history. He huffed and puffed his way to 200 wins.
Like in previous years, there were several other great pitchers that never did get to 200 wins. David Cone was a Kansas City native who the Royals traded to the New York Mets, with whom he became a fearsome All-Star. They got him back and he won a Cy Young in his hometown, but they let him get away to Toronto where he won a World Series ring, then to New York where he won four. A hip problem cut short his career and he retired with 194 wins. Cliff Lee was a strong pitcher with the Cleveland Indians where he won a Cy Young. He went on to the Phillies were he helped them to another pennant. After a year in Seattle and Texas where helped the latter to a pennant, he returned to Philadelphia to form another super-rotation. An elbow injury stalled his career with only 143 wins. Johan Santana was plucked from the Astros by the Minnesota Twins in the Rule Five draft. After a few rough seasons he perfected his change-up and became the best pitcher in baseball over a span of five or so seasons. He suffered a shoulder injury that cut short his career, but not before he threw the first no-hitter in New York Mets history. He ended up with 139 wins. Tim Lincecum overcame his small stature and his unconventional delivery to become a legitimate fireballer and won back to back Cy Young awards. Unfortunately his mechanics caught up to him and his career is effectively over with 110 wins.
And then there are the numerous pitchers that are still active that still have a chance to get to 300 wins. It's likely most of them will fall short, but I will be discussing them in more depth in Part V.
Roger Clemens - June 13, 2003
354 wins
Born: August 4, 1962 in Dayton, OH
Home: Houston, TX
Height: 6'4" Weight: 205 lbs
Other Stats: 184 losses, 3.12 ERA, 143 ERA+, 4916.6 innings, 4672 strikeouts, 46 shutouts, 139.0 pitching bWAR, 94.2 pitching bWAA, 102.8 JAWS
Hall of Fame: Never
Teams: Boston Red Sox (AL) (1984-1996), Toronto Blue Jays (AL) (1997-1998), New York Yankees (AL) (1999-2003, 2007), Houston Astros (NL) (2004-2006)
Wins: 9 (1984), 7 (1985), 24 (1986), 20 (1987), 18 (1988), 17 (1989), 21 (1990), 18 (1991), 18 (1992), 11 (1993), 9 (1994), 10 (1995), 10 (1996), 21 (1997), 20 (1998), 14 (1999), 13 (2000), 20 (2001), 13 (2002), 17 (2003), 18 (2004), 13 (2005), 7 (2006), 6 (2007)
300 Win Game Final Score: New York Yankees 6, St. Louis Cardinals 2
There have been few pitchers with the success that William Roger Clemens had enjoyed during his career, but there had been even fewer that had the controversies he's been involved in. He came up as a flamethrower and set some strikeout records with a dynamic fastball, and maintained his dominance by adapting a devastating split-fingered fastball. He was never afraid to throw inside and made enemies. He won more accolades than any other pitcher, but he was later scorned for being a face of the steroid scandal. His legacy is besmirched, but from a purely statistical standpoint he is one of the top pitchers of all time.
Despite his Texas persona, Clemens was born in Dayton, Ohio. He was raised largely by a single mother, from whom he drew inspiration. Clemens pitched well in high school in Houston, but went undrafted, forcing him to go into college ball. He pitched a year at San Jacinto Junior College, and showed enough promise to get drafted in the 12th round by the New York Mets, the same as idol Nolan Ryan 16 years earlier. Clemens passed because he had gotten a scholarship offer from his first choice school in Austin. He helped the Longhorns to back to back College World Series appearances, winning it all in 1983. He was also selected in the first round by the Boston Red Sox.
Clemens dominated in the minors, where he gained the reputation of being a headhunter. He was in the majors by May 1984, but continued to have some consistency problems in his first two seasons. He went down in 1985 with shoulder surgery, but came back strong in 1986, winning his first 14 decisions. His fourth start would be the stuff of legends. He struck out 20 Mariners to set a new record for a nine inning game. Clemens went on to post a 24-4 record and led the league with a 2.48 ERA. The Red Sox won the AL East, then the pennant with Clemens winning Game 7. He gave them a chance to win the World Series in Game 6 against the New York Mets, but Boston blew it, then lost Game 7. Nevertheless, Clemens was awarded the Cy Young and MVP. He won a second straight Cy in 1987, and was very good again in 1988, leading the league in strikeouts.
After a merely-very-good season in 1989, Clemens had a terrific 1990 season. He went 21-6, and finished with an ERA below 2.00. He had another chance at the post-season, but was trying to avoid a sweep in Game 4, when he started cursing at home plate umpire Terry Cooney, earning an ejection and a five-game suspension. Then he finished second in Cy Young voting to the A's Bob Welch, who won 27 games despite an ERA over a run higher. He served his suspension, then went on to have another terrific season in 1991, leading the league in ERA and strikeouts and finally his third Cy Young. After another excellent year in 1992, Clemens went 40-39 from 1993-1996, with a 3.77 ERA. It was somewhat misleading as he was dominant in 1994 before the strike. And he also perfected a split-fingered fastball that helped him lead the AL in strikeouts in 1996, a season when he recorded his second 20-strikeout game. Still, Boston general manager Dan Duquette proclaimed that Clemens was in the "twilight of his career."
Clemens had no shortage of suitors. The New York Yankees wanted him badly, but he opted to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays were trying to recapture their glory of 1992-93 and Clemens did his part. He had one of the best seasons of his career in 1997. He went 21-7 record with a league leading 2.05 ERA and 292 strikeouts, winning the Pitching Triple Crown for the first time, and his record-tying fourth Cy Young. However, the Blue Jays fell to last place. Clemens had a somewhat inconsistent start to the 1998 season, but he improved immediately upon the hiring of Brian McNamee as coach, and won a second straight Pitching Triple Crown, and a record-breaking fifth Cy Young. The Blue Jays was only able to finish third in a tough AL East division. Clemens demanded a trade, and the Yankees finally got their man.
Clemens had a somewhat difficult time adjusting to the bright lights of New York. He was inconsistent and missed time due to a hamstring strain. He finished with a career-worst 4.60 ERA, but made up for it with an impressive performance in the post-season. He won the clinching game of the Division Series over the Texas Rangers before a clunker in the ALCS against his old team, but the Yankees won the pennant. He was given the ball in Game 4 of the World Series against the Atlanta Braves with a chance for the sweep. He shut down the Braves and was finally a champion. To top it off he was also named a member of the All-Century club. Clemens win another title in 2000, but not without its controversies. Mets catcher Mike Piazza had always teed off Clemens, and Clemens hit him in the head in June. He overcame a rough start to finish 13-8 with a 3.70 ERA that ranked second in the league, thanks to the hiring of trainer McNamee. The Yankees would face the Mets in the World Series, and Clemens would start Game 2. He faced Piazza in the first, and shattered Piazza's bat. Clemens diligently fielded the bat shard, then disgustedly threw it to the first base side where Piazza was running to first. Clemens claimed he thought it was the ball, but still received a fine, but not after he shut down the Mets. Clemens turned in another fine performance in 2001, going 20-3 despite a good-but-not-great 3.51 ERA. He helped to the Yankees to a third straight pennant, but the Yankees could not get the job done. He still won his sixth Cy Young award.
Clemens stood 20 wins from becoming the first pitcher in a dozen years to reach 300, but his performance faltered in 2002 and he only won 13. Even worse, the Yankees fell to the Wild Card Anaheim Angels in the division. Clemens was determined to help the Yankees get further, and if he can get the seven wins to 300 then all the better. Clemens won his first four decisions, and had his 299th win by May 21, and had a chance to get his 300th at home against his old team the Red Sox. Unfortunately, Boston clobbered him, and he took his quest on the road. He suffered a no-decision in Detroit, and a loss in Chicago in an interleague game against the Chicago Cubs where he left with the lead. Clemens had three failed attempts. Only Early Wynn and Phil Niekro required more appearances to get to 300. By his next start, the Yankees were barely clinging on to first place over the Boston Red Sox. They had actually fallen to second two days earlier when six Houston Astros pitchers combined to no-hit them. Clemens wanted to get the milestone out of the way so the team can focus on winning the division. He'd have to do it in on Friday the 13th under rainy weather in another interleague game, against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals were in third, but they had a lethal lineup.
One silver lining to the protracted quest for 300 wins is that Clemens got close to another milestone: 4,000 strikeouts. Only 300-game winners Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton had reached the milestone. Clemens had 3,996 going into the game, and put himself at the precipice of history by striking out second baseman Miguel Cairo, right fielder J.D. Drew, and first baseman Albert Pujols in the first. The Cardinals were starting Jason Simontacchi, a former Kansas City Royals farmhand who had pitched well with the Italian national team in the 2000 Olympics. He signed with the Minnesota Twins before latching on with the Cardinals. He was good for the division winning Cardinals in 2002, but was struggling in 2003, with an ERA above 6.00. He was trying to turn things around and maintain his spot in the rotation. The Yankees didn't make it easy for the youngster. Shortstop Derek Jeter singled with one out. After first baseman Jason Giambi flied out, catcher Jorge Posada gave Clemens a 1-0 lead with a double off the wall. The Yankees' lead didn't last long as Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds led off the second with a game-tying home run. Third baseman Scott Rolen followed with a long double of the wall. Clemens was still one strikeout from 4,000 and would have to do it out of the stretch. The next batter was shortstop Edgar Renteria, the former World Series hero with the Florida Marlins and who had struck out only 18 times in 274 plate appearances in 2003. Clemens got to two strikes quickly, but home plate umpire Gary Darling refused to give a called strike three. Finally, on the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Renteria swung at a high fastball and missed. Clemens had his 4,000th career strikeout. He came off the high to strike out designated hitter Tino Martinez, a former Yankee teammate, as well as catcher Mike Matheny.
The 4,000th strikeout was nice, but Clemens had another more pressing milestone to reach. The Yankees did their part, as rookie center fielder and Japanese import Hideki "Godzilla" Matsui drove a ball to right field in the bottom of the second for a go-ahead home run. Clemens got in trouble in the third when second baseman Cairo singled, then after a strikeout of Drew, Albert Pujols walked to bring up Edmonds. This time Edmonds lifted a harmless fly ball to Yankees left fielder Juan Rivera. Clemens wasn't so lucky in the fourth. Third baseman Rolen led off with a first-pitch single. Shortstop Renteria got revenge for being the 4,000th strikeout victim by grounding a single up the middle. Rolen ran all the way to third, and former Yankee Tino Martinez came up in a huge spot: runners on the corners with no outs. This time Tino hit a sacrifice fly and the score was tied. Even worse, left fielder Juan Rivera threw home, allowing Renteria to advance to second. Clemens struck out Matheny and got a groundout to end the inning, but the damage was done. The Yankees had Clemens's back this time. Designated hitter and former Ranger Ruben Sierra homered to right in the bottom of inning to give the Yankees another lead. The Cardinals got some runners on in the fifth with a one-out walk to Drew and a single by Pujols, but Clemens struck out two dangerous hitters in Edmonds and Rolen to end the threat.
The game progressed into the seventh. Clemens got the first two batters out. However, with the Cardinals coming up for the fourth time through the lineup and Clemens at 120 pitches, Yankees manager Joe Torre decided it would be better for the lefty Chris Hammond to face the left-handed J.D. Drew. This move backfired when Drew singled on a bunt, then Pujols followed with another single to put the tying run in scoring position. Thankfully, Hammond got Jim Edmonds to ground out to end the threat. The Yankees provided some breathing room in the seventh. Sierra singled, then right fielder Raul Mondesi hit a long home run to make it 5-2. That would be the score going into the ninth, as Antonio Osuna got the hold in the eighth. The ninth would go to the Yankees’ future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera. Rivera struck out pinch hitter Orlando Palmeiro, then got left fielder Robinson to ground to himself, then Miguel Cairo grounded to first. Giambi fielded the ball, then took two steps to touch first, and the game was over. Roger Clemens had impressively gotten two milestones in one night: 4,000 strikeouts and 300 wins!
Clemens pitched well after the milestone and finished with 17 wins, while the Yankees held off the Red Sox to win the AL East. Clemens won two games in the division series and the ALCS over the Twins and the Red Sox. The game against the Red Sox was especially explosive. It featured the famous benches-clearing event where Yankees coach Don Zimmer charged Boston starter Pedro Martinez. The series was tied at three to force a Game 7. Clemens started the deciding game but he was ineffective. The Yankees still came back against Pedro, and then won the pennant on Aaron Boone’s home run. Clemens pitched well in his World Series start against the Florida Marlins, but got a no-decision as the Yankees dropped in six. Clemens had said all year he would retire after the season, but he surprised many when he decided to sign with the Houston Astros shortly after Yankees teammate Andy Pettitte signed. Pettitte was hurt almost all year, but Clemens had a strong season, going 18-4 with a 2.98 ERA and striking out over a batter an inning. He helped the Astros to the wild card, and helped them get to Game 7 of the NLCS against none other than the Cardinals, but he faltered in the deciding game. He came back a year later and was stronger in the regular season, posting a 1.87 ERA even if his record was only 13-8. The Astros advanced further in the post-season, winning the pennant over the Cardinals. Clemens’s shining moment came in the division series when he came in relief in the 16th in Game 4 against the Atlanta Braves, and pitched three shutout innings before the Astros clinched the game and the series in the 18th.
Clemens had one more year in Houston and one more year in New York, but his entire life and his legacy would be thrown upside down in 2007. The Mitchell Report was released that December, and Clemens figured prominently, as former trainer McNamee discussed how he injected Clemens with steroids from 1998 through 2001. Clemens was incensed. He went in front of 60 Minutes, and then in front of Congress denying steroid use. The Justice Department pursued a criminal trial against Clemens for perjury. The first trial was a mistrial, and Clemens was acquitted of all counts in the second trial in 2012. Even then, his reputation was shot. He failed to even get 40% in his first shot at the Hall of Fame. He’s made a few professional appearances including with the Sugar Land Skeeters in independent league in 2012, and with the Kansas Stars in the National Baseball Congress World Series four years later. Yet he had made no indication of a Major League comeback. It is unlikely that any Major League teams would choose to sign a 54-year-old pariah like Clemens. Even so, steroids or no, the numbers he had put up in his 24 years in the Majors rank among the best of all time.
Greg Maddux - August 7, 2004
355 wins
Born: April 14, 1966 in San Angelo, TX
Home: Las Vegas, NV
Height: 6'0" Weight: 170 lbs
Other Stats: 227 losses, 3.16 ERA, 132 ERA+, 5008.3 innings, 3371 strikeouts, 35 shutouts, 104.9 pitching bWAR, 65.3 pitching bWAA, 81.5 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 2014
Teams: Chicago Cubs (NL) (1986-1992, 2004-2006), Atlanta Braves (NL) (1993-2003), Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) (2006, 2008), San Diego Padres (NL) (2007-2008)
Wins: 2 (1986), 6 (1987), 18 (1988), 19 (1989), 15 (1990), 15 (1991), 20 (1992), 20 (1993), 16 (1994), 19 (1995), 15 (1996), 19 (1997), 18 (1998), 19 (1999), 19 (2000), 17 (2001), 16 (2002), 16 (2003), 16 (2004), 13 (2005), 15 (2006), 14 (2007), 8 (2008)
300 Win Game Final Score: Chicago Cubs 8, San Francisco Giants 4
Gregory Alan Maddux looked more like an accountant than a Major League Baseball pitcher, yet nobody has had the success that he had in the 1990s. He was never blessed with overpowering velocity, but he had the ability for tremendous movement and changes in speed. He had pinpoint control, and an extraordinary knowledge about the game and its intricacies. He was very cerebral, and yet possessed a raging competitive fire. That led him to pitch effectively even after his fastball went from average to below average, and solidified his place as one of the game's greatest pitchers.
Maddux was born in San Angelo, Texas. His father was in the Air Force, and early on young Gregory lived the itinerant life that came from being in a military family. He spent a lot of time in Spain where he started playing baseball with his older brother Michael. Greg was ten when his family settled in Las Vegas. Maddux found a mentor in Vegas in Ralph Medar, who taught young Greg the importance of movement and location. He was also a star at Valley High. He expected to go to the University of Arizona, but those plans changed when the Chicago Cubs picked him in the second round. He chose to go pro, and was able to finish out the minor league season in the rookie leagues. He impressed his managers with his approach, and jumped from AA to the Majors in 1986. His first appearance was as a pinch-runner in a suspended game against the Houston Astros. He was stranded at second, then pitched and allowed a go-head home run. He did better in his first start, beating the Cincinnati Reds, then beat the Philadelphia Phillies and his brother Mike.
Maddux struggled in the Majors in 1987 and was sent to AAA Iowa for a time, but he impressed his big league teammates with his poise and courage. He broke out with 18 wins in 1988, then improved on that in 1989 with 19, and the Cubs won the division when most analysts picked them to finish last. Alas, Maddux was terrible in the NLCS against the San Francisco Giants. He followed that with two relatively down seasons, including a stretch of 13 starts in 1990 where he couldn't even buy a win, but he won 15 games and took home the Gold Glove both years. He went back to being fantastic in 1992, finishing at 20-11 with a 2.18 ERA. He was rewarded with his first Cy Young award. Maddux became a free agent after the season after failing to agree on a contract extension with the Cubs. The New York Yankees gave him the best offer, but he chose to sign with the Atlanta Braves for less money. He reasoned that the Braves were closer to contention.
Maddux was joining a team that had won the last two pennants. He was somewhat snake-bitten early on in 1993 with a 8-8 record in the first half despite an ERA below 3.00. The Giants were also far behind the San Francisco Giants in the NL West. Both Maddux and the Giants heated up in the second half and they won the division. Their hopes for a World Series fell short as the Braves lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS. However, Maddux was awarded his second straight Cy Young for his 20-10 record and a league leading 2.36 ERA. Maddux was fashioning his best season in 1994, with a 16-6 record with a 1.56 ERA in a league-leading 202 innings, but the season screeched to a halt with the strike. He still won his third straight Cy Young award. When the season resumed Maddux continued where he left off. He was 19-2 and his ERA was just a smidgen higher at 1.63. The Braves took the division with ease, and then powered through the first two rounds of the playoffs. They faced the powerhouse Cleveland Indians who had gone 100-44. Maddux shut them down in Game 1, but couldn't do the same with a chance to clinch. The Braves still won the next game. Maddux won an unprecedented fourth straight Cy Young award for his magical year where he established himself as one of the best of all time.
Maddux had a more pedestrian season in 1996, but the Braves still made it to the World Series, where they faced the team he spurned, the New York Yankees. Maddux shut them down in Game 2, but watched as the Yankees took three straight in Atlanta. He started Game 6 to stave off elimination, but was unsuccessful. Maddux had two more tremendous years in 1997-98, going 37-13 with a 2.21 ERA, but the Braves lost in the NLCS both years. Maddux struggled in 1999 when his ERA jumped to 3.57, his highest since 1987, but won 19 games, then pitched well in the post-season as the Braves won another pennant. This time the Braves couldn't even put up a fight against the Yankees, going down in four straight.
As the 20th century went into the 21st, Maddux remained a stalwart in the Braves rotation. From 2000-2002 he went 52-26 with a 2.90 ERA, tremendous considering the offensive landscape. In 2001 he made a run for the Major League record for innings pitched without a walk, finishing at 72 and 1/3, twelve innings short of Bill Fischer. However, he didn't pitch well in the post-season, going 1-3 with a 5.19 ERA while the Braves won only one series. Maddux's contract would expire in 2002. He opted to return to Atlanta in 2003, but it would be rough. He lost his first three starts as his ERA climbed above 11. It would stay above 4.00 most of the year before settling at 3.96. Maddux would miss out on the Gold Glove that year, ending a streak of 13 straight. He did set a new record by claiming his 16th straight season with at least 15 wins, breaking Cy Young's record of 15.
Maddux became a free agent after the 2003 season. The bitter feelings between Maddux and the Cubs during their bitter divorce 12 years earlier had dissipated, and he signed to return to the team where it all began. The Cubs had come off a season had beaten Maddux's Braves in the division series, then took a 3-2 lead in the NLCS against the Florida Marlins before losing Games 6 and 7 disastrously. The Cubs still had a solid cast of young starters, and they felt Maddux's veteran presence can push them over the edge. Maddux was also 11 wins away from 300, and another 15-win season can push him past it. Maddux struggled in April once again, but settled down and won his 299th on July 27. He failed in his first attempt at 300 in Wrigley Field. His next start would be at SBC Park in sunny San Francisco against the Giants. The Cubs were in second and the Giants in third, but the Cubs held the Wild Card spot with San Francisco two games behind. The Giants were starting Brad Hennessey, a 24-year-old from Ohio making his Major League debut. Hennessey had been a first round draft pick, but he had missed all of 2002 due to a non-cancerous tumor on his back.
Hennessey was impressive in the first inning. He allowed a single to the Cubs' newly-acquired shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, but got out of the inning with a strikeout of Chicago's dangerous right fielder Sammy Sosa. Maddux wasn't quite so impressive. Giants second baseman Ray Durham lined a ball off the right center field wall for a triple. Maddux struck out right fielder Ricky Ledee, but then walked first baseman J.T. Snow to put runners at the corner. Up next was left fielder Barry Bonds. Bonds was putting together a monster year where he would set single season records for walks, on-base percentage, and on-base plus slugging percentage. Bonds hit a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Durham. Third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo followed with a double to left, but Snow had to hold up at third. Maddux was able to prevent further damage when left fielder Moises Alou made a running catch of catcher A.J. Pierzynski's fly ball. The Giants got Hennessey in to trouble, but he was able to escape it. Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee grounded a ball to Giants third baseman Alfonzo, who threw the ball into the dugout for a two-base error. Second baseman Todd Walker walked before Hennessey got out of the inning, finishing it off with a strikeout of Maddux. In the third, Garciaparra hit a grounder to Giants shortstop Deivi Cruz that Cruz dropped for an error. Nomar stole second, but the rookie stranded him there, striking out Sosa for a second time.
Meanwhile the Giants added two more runs in the third. Snow blooped a single with one out, and Maddux walked Bonds. Alfonzo followed with single to score Snow, but the Cubs were able to catch Bonds trying to get to third. Pierzynski blasted a double to deep left deep enough to score Alfonzo for a 3-0 lead. The Cubs finally got to Brad Hennessey in the fourth. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez blooped a broken-bat double that stayed fair by a foot, then first baseman Lee singled to put runners at the corners. Todd Walker followed with a double to score both runners. The Cubs were finally able to take the lead in the fifth. Garciaparra led off with his second hit, a double. Hennessey got the next two outs and there was hopes the youngster can get out of it. However, Third baseman Ramirez singled to score Garciaparra and tied the game. Then Derrek Lee doubled off the right field wall, and Ramirez scored to give Maddux and the Cubs the lead. He also drive Hennessey out of the game. Tyler Walker came in to end the inning, but the Cubs picked up two runs against him in the sixth. Maddux's personal catcher Paul Bako lined a ball that a fan touched to give Bako a ground rule double. After Maddux sacrificed his buddy to third, center fielder Corey Patterson hit a home run into McCovey Cove.
Maddux had pitched well since his disastrous third inning. He threw two one-two-three innings, and made a terrific play on a comebacker by Snow in the fifth. Things got tough in the sixth when third baseman Alfonzo led off with an infield single off the glove of his counterpart Ramirez. Catcher Pierzynski followed with a single, and Maddux's day was done. Jon Leicester came in to strike out Giants center fielder Marquis Grissom, but then shortstop Cruz hit another single off of Ramirez's glove, and the lead was down to 6-4. Cubs manager Dusty Baker replaced Leicester with lefty Kent Mercker, who was able to end the inning. The Cubs bullpen continued to try to finish off the Giants. Mike Remlinger allowed a leadoff double to pinch hitter Dustan Mohr, but left him stranded at second. Kyle Farnsworth had a more adventurous inning. He hit catcher Pierznyski with a pitch, after which center fielder Grissom singled. Pierzynski had to be replaced by Yorvit Torrealba as he appeared limited running to second. Shortstop Cruz sacrificed both runners into scoring position. Durham walked to load the bases after the second out, but Farnsworth was able to get Mohr to ground out to end the inning. The Cubs added two more insurance runs in the ninth. Garciaparra led off with a single off of Brett Tomko, a starter pitching in relief. Then left fielder Alou blasted a hanging curveball into the left field stands. Even though it was no longer a save situation, Baker still brought in closer LaTroy Hawkins to finish the game. Hawkins struck out Snow but then allowed a ground rule double on fan interference to Bonds. Still Hawkins calmly got Alfonzo to fly to left before striking out Torrealba to put the finishing touches on Maddux's 300th win.
Maddux thought the milestone was nice, but he continued to emphasize that he was there not for personal milestones but to help the team win. The win helped them maintain the lead in the Wild Card race, but typical for the Cubs they faltered down the stretch. They had a five game losing streak as September went into October, and by the end of the season they were looking up at not only the Giants, but also Roger Clemens and the Houston Astros who took home the Wild Card. Maddux was able to win 16 games to extend his streak, but his ERA was above 4.00 for the first time since 1987. He still had two years left on his contract, but he had already started his descent into the realm of the League Average Pitcher. His 15-win streak ended in 2005 when he won only 13 games, and the Cubs ended up in fourth. Maddux got off to a hot start in April 2006, but he struggled in May and June. The Cubs fell into last place, and traded their impending free agent Maddux to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline. The Dodgers were in a pennant race and a rejuvenated Maddux gave them a sparkling performance. The Dodgers finished with the same record as the San Diego Padres, but they ended up as the Wild Card due to the tie-breaker. Maddux had another chance to pitch in the post-season, but he struggled in his one division series start against the New York Mets, and the Dodgers were swept out of the playoffs.
Maddux was a free agent, and he signed a one year deal with the San Diego Padres. The Padres were fairly close to his Las Vegas home, and they had playoff aspirations, having won the NL West the year before. Maddux had another roughly league average season, but he was involved in some special moments. On June 6 he left with a three-run lead against the Dodgers. Trevor Hoffman came in the ninth and saved the game for his 500th save. The Padres wound up tied with the Rockies for the Wild Card spot, requiring a tie-break game. Maddux watched on the bench as the Padres' Cy Young winner Jake Peavy struggled, and then his friend Hoffman couldn't hold a two-run lead. Maddux came back to the Padres in 2008, but the magic wasn't there as he had a two-month streak without a win. He was traded back to the Dodgers, but struggled in his seven starts. The Dodgers won the division, but Maddux pitched out of the bullpen in the post-season, and watched as the Dodgers lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS. With that he decided to retire back to his home in Las Vegas where he had settled. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility with an overwhelming 97.2%, a sign of respect for the man who could work magic on the mound.
Tom Glavine - August 5, 2007
305 wins
Born: March 25, 1966 in Concord, MA
Home: Johns Creek, GA
Height: 6'0" Weight: 175 lbs
Other Stats: 203 losses, 3.54 ERA, 118 ERA+, 4413.3 innings, 2607 strikeouts, 25 shutouts, 74.1 pitching bWAR, 39.1 pitching bWAA, 62.5 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 2014
Teams: Atlanta Braves (NL) (1987-2002, 2008), New York Mets (NL) (2003-2007)
Wins: 2 (1987), 7 (1988), 14 (1989), 10 (1990), 20 (1991), 20 (1992), 22 (1993), 13 (1994), 16 (1995), 15 (1996), 14 (1997), 20 (1998), 14 (1999), 21 (2000), 16 (2001), 18 (2002), 9 (2003), 11 (2004), 13 (2005), 15 (2006), 13 (2007), 2 (2008)
300 Win Game Final Score: New York Mets 8, Chicago Cubs 3
Thomas Michael Glavine was a tremendous athlete, and he had a chance to go either into professional hockey or professional baseball. Unfortunately for National League hitters he went with baseball, as he fashioned himself as one of the top pitchers in history. He relied on tremendous control as well as an effective change of speed and that allowed him to find success even without an overpowering fastball. He formed a deadly one-two-three punch with Greg Maddux and John Smoltz that helped the Atlanta Braves dominate the National League for over a decade. And he was able to reinvent himself that allowed him to reach the most renowned milestone in baseball history: 300 wins.
Glavine was born in Concord in northeast Massachusetts, and grew up in the small town of Billerica. He was a tremendous athlete, and his first and foremost love was hockey. He pitched when it wasn't hockey season, and started attracting the attention of MLB scouts for his poise and his left-handed command. He was intending to attend the University of Lowell, and was not surprised when he fell to the fourth round of the NHL draft, still ahead of players like Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille. He was more surprised when the Atlanta Braves picked him in the second round. After some intense negotiations, Glavine signed and began his baseball career. Glavine made a methodical rise through the minor league system, and found himself in the Majors in August 1987 following the infamous Doyle Alexander trade.
Glavine's initial season in the Majors was somewhat rough, but he showed improvement in 1988, even if it wasn't reflected in his 7-17 record. His career took a turn in 1989 when he serendipitously discovered a new pitch that would serve him well for 20 years, a change-up. He would also be paired with two individuals that would have a tremendous impact on his career: pitching coach Leo Mazzone and pitcher John Smoltz. Glavine had two decent years in 1989-90, but everything would change in 1991. With new manager Bobby Cox at the helm, Glavine was able to take command of his change-up, and dominated the league to a 20-11 record with a 2.55 ERA. The Braves went from last place in 1990 to first, then knocked off the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLCS before losing to the Minnesota Braves in a gut-wrenching World Series. Glavine would remain one of the top pitchers in 1992-93, going 42-14 with a 2.98 ERA. The Braves won the pennant in 1992, as Glavine got the win in the opening game of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, but the Braves would lose in six.
1994 would be a difficult year for Glavine in more ways than one. He fell from 22 wins to only 13, but more importantly he was the Braves rep for the Players Association. He was one of the most visible and outspoken player reps in the fight against the salary cap. When owners showed no intention to negotiate, the players went on strike. Even though the courts ruled in favor of the players, there was still much public ire directed against the players. Glavine in particular got a lot of boos. He knew there was only one way to quiet the boo-birds. He had a solid season, going 16-7, and more importantly pitched well in the post-season. The Braves went to the World Series against the powerhouse Cleveland Indians. Glavine followed teammate Greg Maddux's great start in Game 1 with another terrific start of his own. Then when Maddux failed to clinch the series, Glavine went out and threw eight one-hit innings. David Justice homered in the sixth, and Mark Wohlers shut the door, and the team of the 90s had its World Championship.
Glavine remained a superb pitcher for the Braves over the next seven seasons. From 1996-2002, he won 118 games, third in the Majors during that span, and his 3.21 ERA was also well above average. He helped the Braves to another pennant in 1996, but lost to the New York Yankees in Game 3 before losing the Series. He won a second Cy Young award in 1998 when he went 20-6 with a career low 2.47 ERA. He added another 20-win season in 200, winning 21. He helped the Braves to another pennant in 1999, but wound up with a no-decision as the Yankees swept the Series. And yet there was trouble brewing. The players rep tried to organize a contract extension in 1997, and there was disagreement as to whether or not there would be a guaranteed fifth year. They settled on an option, and when the option year ended in 2002, it would produce a bitter contract dispute full of miscommunication and misunderstanding and broken promises. When the dust settled, Glavine had signed with the Braves' bitter rivals the New York Mets.
Glavine's first year with the Mets was about as pretty as the contract negotiations. He went 9-14, and his ERA was 4.52, highest since 1988. The Mets hired a new pitching coach in 2004, Rick Peterson, who worked closely with Glavine to make adjustments. He was off to a solid start, but a car accident on August 10 led him to miss almost two weeks, after which he wasn't the same, and he ended up 11-14. He continued his rough ways in 2005, and Peterson offered his most radical suggestion: pitching inside. Glavine had traditionally thrived on the outside corner, but as his velocity fell hitters were better able lay off outside pitches for occasional mistakes. Together they made the necessary adjustments, and Glavine finished 2005 with a flourish. He was off to a great start in 2006, but had another health scare in mid-August when he was found to have a small blood clot. He was cleared to pitch again and he was able to finish the season, then won two games in the post-season. Alas, the Mets lost the NLCS to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
The Mets were disappointed with how the 2006 season ended, yet there was still some optimism. The team was bringing back their core players and should be a playoff contender. Tom Glavine also had something to look forward to. He won 15 games in 2006 even with his health scare, and that put him at 290. He could easily join his good friend Greg Maddux in the 300-win club. As expected, the Mets got off to a hot start, and Glavine did too. He struggled in May and June, but had his 299th win on July 25. His first attempt at 300 wasn't successful. Glavine did his part, pitching into the seventh and leaving with a 2-1 lead. However, the Milwaukee Brewers rallied in the eighth and that left Glavine with a no-decision. His next attempt would be in Wrigley Field against the Cubs. The Cubs had come back from a last place finish in 2006 to be in the running for the NL Central title. The Mets would be facing Jason Marquis, a former teammate of Glavine's who was coming off an awful 2006 season with an ERA of 6.02 to bring his ERA down to 4.22.
The Mets threatened in the first against Marquis when their new second baseman Luis Castillo, acquired only a week earlier in a trade with the Minnesota Twins, doubled then went to third on a flyout, but couldn't score then run. They were able to get a run across in the second. Center fielder Lastings Milledge walked, and then stole second base on the first pitch. It was a daring play with Glavine at bat, but it worked out when Glavine singled up the middle. Milledge came around to score the first run. Glavine was cruising through the first two innings. He got into some trouble in the third, but the Cubs ended up getting hurt more. Left fielder Alfonso Soriano singled with two outs, then shortstop Ryan Theriot followed with another single up the middle. However, Soriano came up lame trying to run to third and was thrown out easily before leaving the game.
The Mets got to Marquis again in the fifth. Castillo led off with a single, and then tagged up and went to second on a deep fly ball by third baseman David Wright. He was able to score with ease when Delgado doubled to the wall. Delgado would score himself when right fielder Shawn Green hit a double of his own. Things went from bad to worse for Jason Marquis in the sixth. Milledge led off with a double just down the left field line. Glavine went up swinging and had a swinging bunt to send Milledge to third. Shortstop Jose Reyes followed with a single through the drawn-in infield to make it 4-0. Cubs manager Lou Piniella had seen enough and brought in reliever Scott Eyre. Eyre struggled, allowing a single to Castillo. Reyes had to hold at second, but he teamed up with Castillo and executed a double steal. Piniella called for an intentional walk to third baseman Wright to load the bases and set up the force at home. Delgado hit a slow grounder to second. Second baseman Mike Fontenot's only play was at first as Reyes came around to score. Eyre issued another walk to Moises Alou, and then he was finally able to end the inning. The Cubs finally tagged Glavine for a run in the bottom of the sixth. First baseman Derrek Lee hit a two-out double on a fly ball that just stayed fair, and then third baseman Aramis Ramirez followed with another double. Yet the one run was all the Cubs got.
Glavine came out to pitch the seventh, but his day ended when center fielder Angel Pagan doubled to left. Guillermo Mota was coming in, and he had allowed the tying run in Glavine's first attempt at 300. This time he gave up a single to catcher Jason Kendall to put runners on the corners. Left-hander Jacque Jones came out to pinch-hit for Wood, and the Mets countered with lefty Pedro Feliciano. He got Jones to ground out, but Pagan came around to score. Second baseman Fontenot followed with a double to score Kendall and the lead had shrunk to 5-3. Mets manager Willie Randolph called for Aaron Heilman to come in. Heilman had put the tying run on base during Glavine's first attempt at 300, but this time he was able to get the out to end the inning. The Mets immediately set out to extend the lead again. Lefty Will Ohman came out to pitch for the Cubs, and he allowed back to back hits to second baseman Castillo and third baseman Wright. Castillo had to stop at second on Wright's single, but stole third, and then scored when Delgado hit his second double of the day. Wright was stopped at third. Ohman intentionally walked left fielder Alou, then struck out Shawn Green for the first out. Piniella came out and brought Michael Wuertz in to pitch to the right-handed catcher Paul Lo Duca. Lo Duca singled to bring in Wright, but the bases remained loaded, and Wuertz kept it that way.
Nevertheless, the Mets had a four-run lead again. The Mets would tack on another run in the ninth. Reyes long fly ball off of Cubs closer Ryan Dempster that center fielder Pagan just missed, and Reyes made it all the way to third. Dempster was able to hold Reyes when he got new second baseman Ruben Gotay to ground out but then walked Wright. Reyes finally scored when Delgado hit a sacrifice fly to right. Mets manager Randolph brought in closer Billy Wagner to hold the five-run lead. Wagner allowed a one-out double to catcher Kendall, but he struck out the Cubs new right-fielder Matt Murton, and then Mike Fontenot hit a grounder to second. Mets second baseman Gotay made the easy play, and Tom Glavine had become the fifth left-hander to win 300 games.
With the milestone out of the way, Glavine and the Mets can focus on the more important matter, that of helping the team get back to the post-season. The win helped maintain the Mets' lead over the Atlanta Braves at four and a half games, while the Philadelphia Phillies overcame a rough start to sit at five games back. It wasn't as big of a lead as the Mets would like, but it was still a lead, and the Mets set out to maintain that lead. It wasn't always easy as the Mets had to deal with a five-game losing streak at the end of August, but they were able to push it back up to seven games on September 12. By then the Braves had fallen off course, and the Phillies were the prime competitors. After an off day the Mets hosted the Phillies at Shea Stadium. It was their last meeting of the season, and a sweep could put a stamp on the division race. Glavine got the start in the first game of the series, but Mets lost in the tenth. That sparked a five-game losing streak that brought their lead down to 1.5. The Mets won four of five to push the lead back up to 2.5, but another five-game losing streak sent them tumbling into second place. The Mets salvaged a win in the penultimate game while the Phillies lost, creating a tie on the last day of the season. Glavine got the call for the start. The Mets needed a win against the Florida Marlins and for the Phillies to lose to the Washington Nationals to clinch. However, Glavine did not have it. The Marlins tagged him for five hits and seven runs, and he was only able to get one out. The Mets went on to lose the game, and then the division as well when the Phillies won.
Glavine held a player option with the Mets for 2008, but with the way the season ended he would be torn to pieces if he chose to return, especially after he refused to say he was "devastated" after the game. He signed a one year contract to return to the Braves. He was happy to be back in Atlanta, but things weren't quite the same. Glavine dealt with shoulder pain that sent him to the disabled list twice. He ended up getting surgery on the shoulder and the elbow. He made a diligent effort to come back with the Braves, but after a rehab start the Braves released Glavine on June 3, 2009. He tried to sign with a team but found no takers, and retired that off-season. Glavine remained with the Braves after his retirement. He works as a special assistant, and also broadcast a few Braves games with fellow 300-game winner Don Sutton. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014 alongside his friend and fellow 300-game winner Greg Maddux. It was a fitting way to celebrate a tremendous career.
Randy Johnson - June 4, 2009
303 wins
Born: September 10, 1963 in Walnut Creek, CA
Home: Paradise Valley, AZ
Height: 6'10" Weight: 225 lbs
Other Stats: 166 losses, 3.29 ERA, 135 ERA+, 4135.3 innings, 4875 strikeouts, 37 shutouts, 103.6 pitching bWAR, 67.4 pitching bWAA, 81.3 JAWS
Hall of Fame: 2015
Teams: Montreal Expos (NL) (1988-1989), Seattle Mariners (AL) (1989-1998), Houston Astros (NL) (1998), Arizona Diamondbacks (NL) (1999-2004, 2007-2008), New York Yankees (AL) (2005-2006), San Francisco Giants (NL) (2009)
Wins: 3 (1988), 7 (1989), 14 (1990), 13 (1991), 12 (1992), 19 (1993), 13 (1994), 19 (1995), 5 (1996), 20 (1997), 19 (1998), 17 (1999), 19 (2000), 21 (2001), 24 (2002), 6 (2003), 16 (2004), 17 (2005), 17 (2006), 4 (2007), 11 (2008), 8 (2009)
300 Win Game Final Score: San Francisco Giants 5, Washington Nationals 1
There has never been a pitcher quite like Randy Johnson. He was the first pitcher 6'10" or taller to ever pitch in the Major Leagues. However, while the other pitchers that joined him at that 82-inch height were largely junkballers, Randy possessed a terrifying fastball that reached 100 miles an hour. While he struggled with his mechanics and as a result his control, he became a lethal force on the mound once he was able to coordinate his delivery. He also developed the sharpest slider on this side of Steve Carlton, and Randy became a strikeout pitcher the likes of which nobody had ever seen. His late start and limited innings kept him from reaching the totals of Nolan Ryan, he still pitched long enough to put up tremendous numbers himself, including the most hallowed of all milestones: 300 wins.
Randy was born in Walnut Creek, California, and raised in Livermore, an Oakland suburb. As a child he took to throwing left-handed, and soon emulated Vida Blue, the ace southpaw for the nearby Oakland Athletics. Randy quickly developed the ability to throw a ball hard, hitting 90 miles per hour in high school, but he often struggled with control. A lot of that came from his height. With his long arms and legs he struggled to find a consistent delivery, but when he did he was almost unhittable. He threw a perfect game in his final high school start on May 7, 1982 (incidentally a day after Gaylord Perry won his 300th game.) His arm was so tantalizing he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the fourth round, but he opted to attend the University of South California with legendary coach Rod Dedeaux. Randy continued his high-velocity, low command pitching ways in three years at USC, but he still impressed scouts enough to get drafted in the second round by the Montreal Expos in 1985. Randy progressed through the minors at a rate of one level a year. He was due to get called up in the summer of 1988, but suffered a self-inflicted hand injury. He made his debut on September 15, 1988 and won, beating the Pirates, then pitched well enough the rest of the season. He made the team out of spring training in 1989, but he was a disaster, going 0-4 with 6.67 ERA. He was traded to the Seattle Mariners in a package deal for ace Mark Langston. Randy pitched better in the Pacific Northwest, but still went 7-9. He was still the pitcher with the electric fastball and the unpredictable command in his first three full season in Seattle. He had the ability to throw a no-hitter in 1990, but also went 37-35 with a 3.79 ERA. In a series against the Texas Rangers in 1992, strikeout king and 300-game winner Ryan noticed a mechanical flaw in Randy's delivery. Randy worked on fixing it, and had a good finish to the 1992 season. Sadly, this epiphany was off-set by the tragic death of his beloved father on Christmas Day.
Randy Johnson took his new mechanics and a heavy heart into the 1993 season, and with renewed determination he became one of the best pitchers in 1993. He went 19-8 with a 3.24 ERA, and more importantly struck out 308 batters. He also walked less than 100 batters in over 250 innings. Randy continued to dominate hitters in 1994 and 1995, leading the league in strikeouts both years. He won the ERA title with a 2.48 mark the latter year and helped the Mariners to their first post-season appearance. He also won his first Cy Young award. He suffered from back problems that cost him most of 1996, but he returned to dominance in 1997, going 20-4 with a 2.28 ERA and 291 strikeouts. His star performance soon became too expensive for the likes of the small-town Mariners, and he was traded to the Houston Astros at the 1998 trade deadline. Randy had a rough start that year, going 9-10 with a 4.33 ERA, but he became lethal after the trade. He went 10-1 and posted a 1.28 ERA in 11 starts with the Astros and helped them to 102 wins and a division title, but they lost to the San Diego Padres in the playoffs. Randy turned 35 at the end of 1998, but his final stats of 19-11 with 329 strikeouts convinced the Arizona Diamondbacks he still had plenty of outs left in him. They signed him to a four year, $52 million contract. He rewarded them with a 81-26 record, a 2.48 ERA, and 1,417 strikeouts from 1999-2002. He was rewarded with four straight Cy Young awards, joining 300-game winner Greg Maddux as the only pitchers to win four straight. He also helped Arizona to their first post-season appearance in only their second season in 1999, and then in 2001 he helped them to the promised land, a World Series title over the hated New York Yankees. He shared the World Series MVP award with co-ace Curt Schilling. Randy had more injuries in 2003, this time in his knee, that cost him most of the season. He returned with a vengeance in 2004, throwing a perfect game on May 18 against the Atlanta Braves and leading the league in strikeouts for the ninth and final time. Randy was 41 by the end of the season, but was still pitching well. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner made him a trade target in the 2004-05 off-season. He had good winning percentages in his two years with the Yankees, going 34-19, but his ERA went from 2.60 in 2004 to 3.79 in 2005, and soared to a career high 5.00 in 2006. Randy was traded back to Arizona after the 2006 season, but his 2007 season was abbreviated due to a recurrence of his back problems that ultimately needed surgery. He returned in 2008 and went 11-10 with a 3.91 ERA, not peak Randy but still good for a pitcher that turned 45 in September.
Randy had accomplished just about every milestone for a pitcher by 2009. Yet there was one milestone that had eluded him: 300 wins. Randy ended 2008 with 295 wins, but the Diamondbacks decided he wasn't worth the attendance boost of a chase for the milestone and opted not to sign him. Randy decided to go back to the Bay Area and signed with the San Francisco Giants. He told the media he didn't come to the Giants to get those five wins, but he came to bring veteran leadership to a young team. Early on it seemed he was providing neither, as both he and the Giants got off to a rough start. However, they eventually righted ship and Randy had his 299th career win on May 27. His next start and first attempt at 300 was on June 3 against the Washington Nationals, formerly the Montreal Expos. Randy had some success against the Expos during his Houston and Arizona days, going 3-3 but with a 2.67 ERA. It started raining on the evening of June 3, and the rain never let up. The game was finally called after 11:00 at night. The game would be rescheduled as the first game of a traditional double-header the next day, June 4, with Randy going against the Nationals prospect Jordan Zimmermann. The game was delayed under the threat of more rain, but play eventually started at 5:11pm.
Zimmermann was sharp in the first, striking out two. Randy kept pace, going one-two-three. Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson lined a ball that looked like it would drop for a hit, but Giants center fielder Aaron Rowand dove to make the catch. Zimmermann led off the second by striking out catcher Bengie Molina, but left fielder Fred Lewis tagged him for a single. First baseman Travis Ishikawa hit a ball up the first base line that just stayed fair. Ishikawa raced to second but Lewis was held up at third. Third baseman Juan Uribe hit a bouncer to Nationals second baseman Ronnie Belliard, who threw to first while Lewis scored. Zimmermann got ahead of the light-hitting Giants second baseman Emmanuel Burriss, but left a ball over the middle of the plate and Burriss dumped it for a single to score Ishikawa to make it 2-0. Armed with a lead, Randy struck out Nationals left fielder Adam Dunn and right fielder Austin Kearns with a 5-3 groundout by center fielder Elijah Dukes sandwiched in between. Zimmermann righted things after that, retiring 13 straight through the sixth. Randy had retired ten straight when he got shortstop Alberto Gonzalez to ground to short to lead off the fourth, but then walked Nick Johnson on a full count ,although he was stranded at first. Dukes led off the Nationals fifth with a broken-bat single up the middle that just got under Randy's glove. He went to second on a passed ball by Molina, then Kearns walked on four pitches. With runners on first and second and no outs, Belliard hit Randy's first pitch up the middle. It bounced against the pitcher's mound. Second baseman Burriss dove and caught the ball, then flipped it to shortstop Edgar Renteria who threw it to first to complete the double play. It was a magnificent play that saved a run and halted a Nationals rally. The Nationals replaced Zimmermann with a pinch hitter, Anderson Hernandez, to lead off the sixth. Hernandez bounced a ball up the middle that Randy knocked down with his glove. He picked up the ball and made a diving throw to first for the out. The next batter Gonzalez grounded to his counterpart that Renteria fielded cleanly, but made a low throw Ishikawa couldn't handle. Nick Johnson followed with a double to score the Huge Run. Randy stranded Nick to keep the score at 2-1.
Ron Villone came on and made short work of the Giants in the seventh. Randy only had 78 pitches, but he landed awkwardly on his left shoulder on the play against Hernandez. Manager Bruce Bochy removed Randy in favor of reliever Brandon Medders. Medders did his job, striking out Dukes and Kearns. Mike MacDougal, the former Royals All-Star closer, pitched the eighth. He got two quick outs, then faced reliever Medders, taking his first at-bat since 2006. MacDougal let loose a pitch that sailed up near Medders's head. After that Medders wouldn't stand anywhere close to the plate and MacDougal had an easy strikeout. Nieves led off the eighth with a single against the beleaguered reliever, and manager Bochy replaced him with lefty Jeremy Affeldt. Affeldt got two quick outs before watching Nick Johnson. That led to his replacement with the unbearded closer Brian Wilson. Wilson walked Zimmerman to load the bases, then went to a full count against Dunn. He unleashed a fastball down at Dunn's knees. Dunn casually jogged to first on what he felt was a milestone-breaking walk, but home plate umpire Tim Timmons called him out. With the lead still intact, the Giants broke out in the ninth against Nationals closer Joel Hanrahan. Rowand led off with a single, then Renteria doubled. Right fielder Randy Winn doubled to score both of them, and Molina singled to put runners on the corners. Out went Hanrahan, and in came Joe Beimel. Pablo Sandoval came in as a pinch hitter, and he hit a fly ball deep enough to score Winn from third. Beimel was able to prevent further damage, but the Giants had a 5-1 lead. Wilson went to full counts on both Dukes and Kearns in the bottom of the ninth, but struck them both out. He went to another full count on Belliard, but Belliard hit a hard grounder to second, and Burriss couldn't make another miraculous play. Wil Nieves came out to keep the rally going. Instead, Wilson struck him out on three pitches, with the last pitch timed at 98.92 coming out of Wilson's hand. Nieves had no chance, and Randy Johnson had his 300th win.
It was a very special moment for the few thousand people in the stands, who were ecstatic to get a chance to watch such a historical baseball moment. Randy Johnson's expression was a little bit more muted. He walked the high-five line stone-faced until he got to his catcher Bengie Molina, when he gave the portly backstop a great big hug with an even greater smile. He also greeted his family that came to DC and suffered through two nights of bad weather. But it was soon back to business. The milestone game was the first game of the doubleheader due to the rainout the night before, and there was still the nightcap to play. The Giants were leading 4-1 after six when the rains started up again. The game was already official, and it was eventually called. Randy seemed to pitch better with the milestone out of the way, and he went 3-1 with a 3.90 ERA in the rest of his June starts to put him at 303 wins. However, he made his first start in July against another one of his former teams, the Houston Astros, and pitched poorly. He was already down 1-0 when he struck out against Astros ace Roy Oswalt in the third. He seemed to suffer some discomfort during that strikeout, but he came out in the fourth. He was clearly suffering and allowed three runs. He finally left the game after making a throwing error. He was diagnosed with tear in his a rotator cuff after the game. He had surgery and put himself through rehab until he felt well enough to come back in the bullpen in September. He did not pitch well, making five appearances and putting up a 6.23 ERA.
Even though Randy was at 4,875 strikeouts and had a chance to join his old mentor Nolan Ryan at 5,000 strikeouts, he opted to announce his retirement in January 2010. With baseball out of his system Randy chose to pursue his other passion that he had practiced since high school and became a professional photographer. He also became active in supporting the American troops and made several USO tours all around the world. He was voted into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot five years later in 2015 with a 97.27%, the eighth highest of all-time at the time. During his speech he brought up the 300th win and how special it was to share it with his family. Randy Johnson didn't need 300 wins to be a first ballot Hall of Famer. However, he had an unmatched will, and that had helped him to come back from numerous back and knee injuries and pitch until he was 46 to get that 300th win and complete one of the most unique career arcs. As maligned as the pitching win is now, the magic of the 300 win milestone that drives pitchers to pitch through extreme circumstances is why it remains one of the most celebrated baseball milestones.
Sources
A massive undertaking like this is going to require a lot of sources. Before I get into the individual sources for each section, there are a lot of common sources. I relied a lot on the two books that have been written about the 300-game winners: Rich Wescott's "Winningest Pitchers: Baseball's 300-Game Winners" and Dan Schlossberg's "The 300 Club: Have We Seen the Last of Baseball's 300-Game Winners?" The SABR biographies of each of the pitchers have been a tremendous resource, as they went into a lot more detail that Wescott and Schlossberg didn't go into. I'll always have to credit Ken Burns's companion book to his "Baseball" documentary for getting me into baseball history in the first place, and a lot of information had been gleaned from the many times I've read the book. Baseball Reference and Retrosheet had always been an invaluable resource, as their detailed information about standings and play by play have allowed me to include a lot of the details regarding the context of the wins. I was able to use Retrosheet to figure out that the milestone wins that I figured for three pitchers were all wrong. The play by play of each of the milestone game was a main section. A lot of the play by plays for the earlier games were taken from primary sources at the time through Newspapers.com. I still relied on the primary resources even for games with Play by Play data on Baseball Reference. And of course you can now find the actual full 300-win-games dating back to Gaylord Perry's on YouTube, at least most of them.
Now let us look at some of the source from the individual sections
Intro
The comment of Lefty Grove being the last 300-game winner was taken from Chris Jaffe's look back at Grove's 300th win, and his quoting of the Sporting News. The rules for scoring a win comes straight from Major League Baseball's Official Rules. The latter half of the section was taken from the excellent SABR article, "Original of the Modern Pitching Win."
The Pre-Modern Era History
A lot of the early information was taken from the Burns book. I did unfortunately rely on Wikipedia a little bit, especially for the information on the Knickerbocker Rules, National Association of Base Ball Players, National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, William Hulbert, the National League, and the Union Association. Baseball Reference's own Wiki the B-R Bullpen was also helpful for some additional information especially the information about Hulbert, the American Association, the reserve clause, the Brotherhood, the Players League. Some of the information about the Union Association came from Edward Achorn's book about Old Hoss Radbourn "Fifty-Nine in '84", which also had a lot about life in the 1884 season. The Baseball Almanac's History of Rule Changes was helpful in some the 19th century rule changes.
The Pre-Modern Era Near-Misses
Most of these were taken straight from the Baseball Reference career wins leaders and the players' individual Baseball Reference pages. I did rely a lot on outside sources for the Tony Mullane saga, such as Wikipedia page, his B-R Bullpen page, but the most complete story probably came from the profile on Mullane "Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers," which also included the story of him pitching to Moses Fleetwood Walker. The reference to Mullane being credited with 300 wins came directly from the New York Times article listing him as a member.
Pud Galvin
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. I cross-referenced a lot with Baseball Reference and Retrosheet. The Retrosheet page on the Pittsburgh Alleghenys 1888 schedule was helpful for confirming the date of Galvin's 300th win, because as we shall see it was not always accurate. The information about the Indianapolis Hoosiers and their sordid history came from the Wikipedia article. The play by play came from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's article about the game the next day. The information about Brown-Sequard and his miracle elixir came from his Wikipedia page.
Tim Keefe
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. The information about his contentious relationship with his father came from Wescott's book. I cross-referenced Baseball Reference and Retrosheet a lot, especially the Retrosheet page on the Players League Giants' game logs. It was also through the Retrosheet game logs that I figured out Keefe was the starting pitcher in the notorious game against Worcester that was brought back into public conscious once the Orioles and White Sox played in front of zero fans in 2015. The majority of the play by play from the game came from the New York World's profile once we were able to get through a lot of the extraneous muck, although I did reference the New York Tribune and the New York Sun articles.
Mickey Welch
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. Kruk and Kuip making fun of Mickey Welch's height came from their broadcast of Randy Johnson's 300th win. I did look up on Wikipedia about Anti-Irish Discrimination in regards to the name change, but very little of it made it into the article. The Retrosheet game logs helped figure out that Welch was the starter for the final game of the Trojans season where only 25 fans showed up, a fact I gleaned from the Wikipedia article about the Trojans. The Retrosheet game logs also helped me realize that the 300-win game that was cited in Westcott's book and Schlossberg's book was not his actual 300th win per Retrosheet. In reality I might have been able to figure it out as the B-R Bullpen article of the 300 Win Club featured the actual date but it was more helpful to figure it out on my own. That required looking up a new set of game articles. The best game article was from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle for the losing team, but I also consulted the New York Times, New York Sun, and New York Tribune.
Old Hoss Radbourn
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography, but a lot of the information about his 1884 season came from Achorn's book. The discovery that the games cited by Westcott and Schlossberg may not have been the actual games per Retrosheet was a big blow, and it didn't take long combing through the Retrosheet game logs to figure out Radbourn's 300th win was different as well. The game article from the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle provided a lot of the play by play. Now Baseball Reference does credit Radbourn as having 60 wins in 1884 after I started this project. This would give him 310 wins, but Retrosheet does still credit him as having 59 and 309 wins, so I'm going to stick with Retrosheet so I wouldn't have to rewrite everything. Unfortunately I wouldn't stay this lucky.
John Clarkson
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. I double checked the Retrosheet game logs for the 1892 Cleveland Spiders to make sure the game as cited in Westcott and Schlossberg was correct, and to my surprise it was. That meant I was still able to use the articles from the Pittsburgh Dispatch and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The information about Lou Bierbauer and his contributions to the Pittsburgh Pirates nickname came from Bierbauer's own SABR biography.
Kid Nichols
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. Richard Bogovich's biography "Kid Nichols" was also a great resource. I did have to look up B-R Bullpen articles on the Western League, Western Association, Kansas City Cowboys, and Kansas City Blues to get a better sense of the structure of the minor leagues during the times when Nichols pitched. I had originally gone Retrosheet game logs to ensure that the date of Nichols's 300th win was still the one cited by just about every other source, and it was. However, shortly after I finished this part Baseball Reference credited Nichols with a win from 1895 that was thrown out for dubious reasons. And Retrosheet included this change as well. So if I wanted to remain consistent I had to go with the new milestone date, which means looking up the game stories from the new milestone win, from the Boston Globe and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Press and the Pittsburgh Post. Man! There were so many newspapers back in 1900!
The Dead Ball Era History
Much of the information about the early days of the American League came unfortunately from Wikipedia articles. I looked up information on the History of the American League, the precursor Western League, and on the American League Czar Ban Johnson. For the introduction of the cork centered baseball I looked up the History.com article on the changes in baseball. Information of the spitball came from the Neyer/James Guide to Pitches from earlier. For the information about the Federal Leagues I did look up its Wikipedia article, but a lot of the information came from the SABR Research Journal article on the Federal League written by Emil H. Rothe. The 1919 Black Sox scandal is so well known in the annals of baseball history, having been covered by the Burns documentary as well as the Eliot Asinof book Eight Men Out. I did admittedly look up the Wikipedia article for some quick reference. For the establishment of the Commissioner position, I did look up the Wikipedia articles for the Commissioner and of Kenesaw Mountain Landis, and also of National Commission head Garry Herrmann. I also referred to the B-R Bullpen article on the National Commission. There was a great book on the death of Ray Chapman called The Pitch that Killed, but for the purposes of this one small paragraph I referred mostly to Chapman's SABR biography. There is a new book on Babe Ruth by Jane Leavy that just came out, but for the purposes of this article I referred mostly to Ruth's SABR biography.
The Dead Ball Era Near Misses
Like the last section I referred to the Baseball Reference Career Wins leaders.
Cy Young
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. Figuring out the date of his 300th win wasn't quite so simple. It became quite clear early on looking at the Retrosheet Game Logs for the 1901 Americans that the milestone date was not the same as in Wescott and Schlossberg's books. However, the exact date was still a mystery. Retrosheet does list the starting pitchers, but it doesn't list the box scores yet. From his statistics on Baseball Reference it is clear that Young got a decision in all 43 of his games, but he only made 41 starts. Looking through Retrosheet helped me figure out that he had one relief win and one relief loss. I had to look through the Boston Globe articles for every one of Boston's wins to see if the relief win came before his 14th win of the season, which would be his 300th win. At last I found that on June 14, 1901, Cy Young came in relief of Winford "Win" Kellum in a tie game that the Americans won 16-7. This is surely a relief win. As it was the 11th of the season, that would make it the 295th of his career. And looking at the other starts it became clear that the July 3 game against the Orioles would be his 300th. The history of the Baltimore Orioles came largely from Wikipedia's article on the History of the New York Yankees, since many consider the original Orioles to be the Yankees, as well as from the B-R Bullpen article on the Orioles and John McGraw's SABR biography. The play by play came largely from the game article from the Boston Globe, but I also looked at the articles from the Boston Post and the Baltimore Sun.
Christy Mathewson
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. The information from the 1908 season was largely from the Burns documentary as well as Cait Murphy's excellent book on the 1908 season Crazy '08. I looked up Baseball Reference's information about early World Series including game logs for their post-season performances. Mathewson's book that I referred to was Pitching in a Pinch. Matty was one of the first pitchers that I came to realize the date of his 300th win according to Retrosheet was different from Wescott and Schlossberg's book, although it was easy to determine because Retrosheet had Mathewson's complete 1912 pitching game logs. The information of the Dodgers nickname is from the Wikipedia article on the History of the Brooklyn Dodgers, although it had been listed elsewhere. I tried to look up the reason why Eros Bolivar Barger was nicknamed Cy, but the only thing I was able to find was a SBNation article on Baseball's Forgotten Cys. I went with Cyrus because that was how he was listed in Alfred Spink's book The National Game which I found on Google Books, and I just looked up what the name Cyrus meant on "Behind the Name." The play by play from the 300th win came largely from game articles from the New York Times and New York Tribune and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. The information about the missing win actually came from Grover Cleveland Alexander's SABR biography. The information about the 1912 World Series actually came largely from the Burns documentary which dedicated a lot of press about it, as well as Mike Vaccaro's book The First Fall Classic, but I had to largely pare it down to a few sentences. There was a recent article that questioned whether or not Mathewson died from his training exercise accident or whether or not the accident really did happen that somehow made it into my writing.
Eddie Plank
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. I did look up Frank Foreman's SABR biography as well as a lengthy article by Robert L. Bloom called Intercollegiate Athletics at Gettysburg College, 1879-1919 to look up Foreman's relationship with Gettysburg College. I referred to Rube Waddell's SABR biography to look up some of his pairing with Plank. I looked up Baseball Reference's information about early World Series including game logs for their post-season performances. The ballpark that Charles Weeghman had commissioned for his Chicago Whales is of course now known as Wrigley Field. Plank's 300th win was different in Wescott's book than Schlossberg's book, but I went with the September 11 date because that was what was listed on Retrosheet's Pitching Game Logs. Some of the information of Ed Reulbach's life and career came from Big Ed's SABR biography. Much of the play by play from his 300th win came from the article on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The information about the St. Louis Terriers getting screwed in the standings came from their Wikipedia page.
Walter Johnson
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. Some of it also came from the excellent biography Walter Johnson: Baseball's Big Train by his own grandson Henry Thomas. The information about his joke appearance at the end of 1913 and the result it had on his ERA was taken from the Baseball Hall of Shame. I referred to his game logs to keep track of his progress to 300 wins. The play by play for his 300th win came largely from the Washington Post game article, although I also referred to the Washington Herald and the Washington Times. The latter article by Louis Dougher had the best line about Erik "Olaf" Erikson: "He was Olaf when he strode to the mound. He was Oh Laugh within two innings."
The Pre-Integration Era History
I relied a lot on Baseball Reference's League Indices to track the rise in offense. They were also my reference on the dip in attendance during the Great Depression. There have been a lot written about the Negro Leagues throughout the years, and there was a lot featured about it in the Burns documentary. My own visit to the Negro League Museum in Kansas City was also very enlightening. I did include some information from Joe Posnanski's recent article on Cap Anson and Moses Fleetwood Walker from his recent Shadowball series. It does require you to be a Patreon subscriber to read it, but I do highly recommend subscribing.
The Pre-Integration Era Near-Misses
Like the last section I referred to the Baseball Reference Career Wins leaders.
Pete Alexander
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography, which I linked to earlier. I tried looking up information about the circumstances of Alexander being drafted by the Syracuse, but I didn't find much. The information about Grover Cleveland Alexander's nickname was taken from a Baseball Hall of Fame article. I referred to his game logs to keep track of his progress to 300 wins. For the play by play on his 300th win, I relied on the New York Times game article, which is for some reason no longer online even though it was several years ago when I saved it. I did refer somewhat to the Chicago Tribune article even though it was largely useless.
Lefty Grove
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. Cy Perkins's contributions to Lefty's career came from Perkins's own SABR biography. I referred to his game logs to keep track of his progress to 300 wins. Grove's 300th win was the first to have a complete play-by-play on Baseball Reference. However, I did rely a lot on the Boston Globe coverage of the game to get more of a flavor of the game. I also referred to the New York Times article which is no longer online, but I had saved it years ago. I originally referred to the Green Monster by its current name, but I eventually looked on the Wikipedia article and realized it wasn't called that back in 1941. Some of the information about Grove's final game came from Baseball Reference, but it's worth noting the winning pitcher Fred Caligiuri turned 100 not too long ago, and the Charlotte Observer had a great article where they interviewed him. Information about Grove's appearance on the Baseball Centennial poll came, regrettably, from his Wikipedia article.
The Post-Integration Era History
The story of Jackie Robinson and his integration is one of the most famous and the most significant in baseball history. There are numerous books written about it. However, for the purposes of this article I only needed enough to set the stage for the climate in baseball, and I referred to Wikipedia a lot. I specifically looked up articles on the Baseball Color Line, Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey, Bill Veeck, Happy Chandler, and Larry Doby. Baseball relocation was also a topic that had come up frequently, such as in the Burns documentary. I basically cobbled together all of the information I learned over the years. The Mexican League fiasco came from Wikipedia articles on Chandler, the Mexican League, Jorge Pasquel, and Danny Gardella. Information from the Continental League came from its Wikipedia article. Once again I used the league indices to look at the trends in offense.
The Post-Integration Era Near Misses
Like the last section I referred to the Baseball Reference Career Wins leaders. I dedicated a lot of text on Sandy Koufax, mostly I've seen a lot of people continue to insist he is the best pitcher of all-time, even more than all 24 of these 300-game winners, which I still don't get. A lot of these information came from his SABR article.
Warren Spahn
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. I did look up a lot of information about the Ludendorff Bridge and the Battle of Remagen although not a lot of it ended up in the article. John Klima's book The Game Must Go On does have a section on the collapse of the bridge. I referred to his game logs to keep track of his progress to 300 wins. Not only does Baseball Reference have a box score of Spahn's 300th win with the play by play, but there is a video on YouTube that shows actual footage from the game! I did also look up the game story from the Chicago Tribune. Unfortunately I couldn't find one from any Milwaukee newspapers.
Early Wynn
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. I did look up some of the records of the 1954 and 1959 World Series on Baseball Reference. The information on gout came from my medical training. I used Baseball References game logs for 1962 and 1963 to track Wynn's progress for the 300th win. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much newspaper accounts from Cleveland or Kansas City. I did look up articles from the New York Times, but they didn't give much more information than the Baseball Reference Play by Play. The story of Early Wynn and his rocking chair did come from the broadcast for Roger Clemens's 300th win.
The Two Division Era History
Information about the 1969 Expansion and its effects on the baseball playoff structure came from its Wikipedia article. The runs per game came once again from league indices. I looked up the Wikipedia article for the designated hitter for some of the history. Baseball's labor wars is an important part of its history and a lot have been written about it. For the abridged version in this article I looked up Wikipedia articles on the Major League Baseball Players Association, Marvin Miller, Flood vs. Kuhn, the reserve clause, Catfish Hunter, the Seitz Decision, 1981 strike, and Major League Baseball Collusion. There's been a lot of good information about Dock Ellis and his no-hitter on LSD, but the best may have been the animated short Dock Ellis & the LSD No-No, which also included information on players' amphetamine usage. The Wikipedia article on the Pittsburgh drug trials provided some information about cocaine use. The 1977 and 1993 baseball expansions have their own Wikipedia pages, as does the Baseball Wild Card. Jon Pessah's book The Game also has a lot of information about Selig's early tenure, but more of it will come into the play in the next section.
The Two Division Era Near-Misses
Like the last section I referred to the Baseball Reference Career Wins leaders. A lot of the information about Tommy John's surgical procedure came from John's SABR biography. I took the Vida Blue cap story from an article I read about it in Beckett Baseball Card Monthly #99.
Gaylord Perry
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. I referred to his game logs to keep track of his progress to 300 wins. Perry's 300th win is significant in that not only is there a Baseball Reference box score with a play by play, but they showed it on MLB Network back in 2009, and somehow it made it onto YouTube. I now have the entire game that I can reference. There were some information that didn't make it into the broadcast, like Doyle Alexander's hand injury, that I had to get from elsewhere. The details of Perry's ejection also came from a Baseball Reference box score.
Steve Carlton
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. I did look up the Wikipedia article on the History of Miami just to see what it was like when Carlton was a kid. I referred to his game logs to keep track of his progress to 300 wins. Carlton's 300th win also ended up on YouTube in addition to the Baseball Reference box score with play by play.
Tom Seaver
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. I had to look up some information about Seaver's tenure with the Alaska Goldpanners. I referred to his game logs to keep track of his progress to 300 wins. Once again, Seaver's 300th win is on YouTube as well as having its play by play on the Baseball Reference box score. Seaver's brush with unanimity in the Hall of Fame vote came from a Hal Bodley article for USA Today where he quoted Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson. Information about Seaver's current life at a winery can be seen on the website for his vineyard. There was also a great article on Sports on Earth a few years back about his current vineyard life, and that includes information about his battle with Lyme disease.
Phil Niekro
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. Uecker's contribution to Niekro's career was addressed in a recent Joe Posnanski article on the colorful catcher turned broadcaster. The fact of Niekro being the first pitcher to lead the league in wins and losses in the same year was never specified anywhere, but I perused the Year by Year leaders for wins and losses on Baseball Reference and couldn't find any examples. I referred to his game logs to keep track of his progress to 300 wins. Niekro's 300th win is on the Baseball Reference box score as well as on YouTube. The broadcast also includes the interview where he talks about what Joe told him. I stumbled across the Niekro win Carlton save game when tracking all of Niekro's wins a decade ago.
Don Sutton
You thought I was going to say "Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography" did you? Well the joke's on you. Don Sutton doesn't have a SABR biography. That made it more difficult to write about his life and career. I did rely a lot more on Wescott and Schlossberg's books. The article "God May Be a Football Fan" by Ron Fimrite from the July 12, 1982 issue of Sports Illustrated was a great resource of the ups and downs of Sutton's career, including his feud with Steve Garvey. I referred to his game logs to keep track of his progress to 300 wins. Don Sutton's 300th win was the last I was able to find on YouTube, but it finally popped up sometime last year in two parts. The broadcast is missing the infamous top of the seventh where Pete Incaviglia homered, but I filled in the blanks using the Baseball Reference box score with play by play as well as some audio tapes of the radio broadcast I purchased a few years back.
Nolan Ryan
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. I had also read several biographies on Ryan including Miracle Man and Nolan Ryan: The Making of a Pitcher. The circumstances of the Rangers' signing of Ryan came from a recent article by Jamey Newberg on the 1988 winter meetings in The Athletic. (Unfortunately, it's behind paywall.) I referred to his game logs to keep track of his progress to 300 wins. Nolan Ryan's 300th win was on YouTube, but the account that hosted it was terminated. I did watch it before it was taken offline, but I did have to rely a lot on the Baseball Reference boxscore with play by play.
The Wild Card Era History
Much of the information about the notorious 1994 strike came from its Wikipedia article as well as stuff from reading Passeh's The Game. Once again I relied on the league indices to track the home run explosion. I lived through a lot of these, but I did refer somewhat to the Wikipedia article listing the 50 Home Run Club. The PED scandal is another big story that I summarized using largely Wikipedia articles. I did refer to several articles including doping in baseball, BALCO scandal, the Mitchell Report, and the Biogenesis Baseball Scandal. One non-Wikipedia source was Tom Verducci's expose with Ken Caminiti, "Totally Juiced". I didn't really have any specific sources for the section on analytics, and that may be why it sounds like I'm writing it out of my ass.
The Wild Card Era Near-Misses
Like the last section I referred to the Baseball Reference Career Wins leaders.
Roger Clemens
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. I referred to his game logs to keep track of his progress to 300 wins. Clemens's 300th win is on the Baseball Reference box score as well as on YouTube.
Greg Maddux
Once again a good portion of the information about his life and career came from his SABR biography. Some of the individual accomplishments were gleaned during my tracking of his career, such as his walk-less streak and his streak of 15-win seasons, but I re-confirmed them through Baseball Reference. I also referred to his game logs to keep track of his progress to 300 wins. His 300th win is not actually on YouTube at this time, but it is available in a collection called Chicago Cubs Legends: Great Games.
Tom Glavine
Like with Don Sutton, Tom Glavine does not have a SABR biography. Thankfully, he does have a very good book written about him and his career: John Feinstein's Living on the Black. The book chronicles his 2007 season, but also includes a tremendous amount of information about his life and career, more than enough to get me through this biography. I did refer to his game logs to keep track of his progress to 300 wins. Glavine's 300th win is no longer on YouTube, but it is up for sale on the iTunes store. And there was also his Baseball Reference box score and play by play to turn to. I remember hearing about Glavine's release while waiting out the rain delay in Part IV of my original Randy Johnson's 300th Win Series that I linked above.
Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson doesn't have any sources because I got a lot of his information from the past biographies I've written, and also in preparation for Part II.
No comments:
Post a Comment