Top 10 Pitchers Of All Time
TOP 10 PITCHERS OF ALL TIME
1. CY YOUNG: Of course, I never saw this man pitch (he died 14 years before I was born). But, anyone who has the top pitcher's award named after him couldn't have been half bad. Five times in his career, Young won 30 or more games. Greg Maddux has won 20 or more games in a season twice. With 511 career victories, need I say more?
2. WALTER JOHNSON: Again, probably another no-brainer. Anyone with a nickname like "The Big Train" also couldn't have been half bad. With 417 career victories to his credit, Johnson held the career strikeout record with 3,509 before guys like Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton stole his thunder. Johnson accomplished all that he did while toiling for 21 years with the Washington Senators - "First in war, first in peace, and last in the American League."
3. CHRISTY MATHEWSON: From what I've read and understand, Mathewson was the first great superstar of baseball - the first one, that is, to get the kind of Hollywood-star treatment and fanfare that today's players receive. If that's really true, it was probably because he won 373 games and had a .665 winning percentage. For 12 straight years, Mathewson won 20 or more games. Three straight years (1903-05), he won 30 or more games. Again, anyone with a nickname like "The Big Six" couldn't have been half bad (although I'm not quite sure what his nickname meant.)
4. PETE ALEXANDER:: Alexander was reported to have been a big party animal. But, he won 373 games, too. Nine years he had 20 or more victories - including three consecutive seasons of 30 or more wins from 1915-17. Anyone who can strike out Tony Lazzeri with the bases loaded and a 3-2 lead in the seventh game of the 1926 World Series (at 39 years old and with a massive hangover) can't be half bad, either.
5. WARREN SPAHN: Spahn is the all-time winningest lefty in major league history with 363 victories. He also threw a no-hitter in 1961 at the age of 40. Two years later at age 42, he went 23-7 for the Milwaukee Braves. I've always liked Spahn. For one thing, he lives in Oklahoma and has for many years. I always like the Okies, even if they are transplanted from Buffalo, New York.
6. NOLAN RYAN: If I ever meet Nolan Ryan and get an autograph from him, I hope I don't act like Wayne and Garth in Wayne's World when they met Alice Cooper backstage. "I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!" Ryan, with 324 victories, 5,714 strikeouts, and seven no-hitters, is a baseball god.
7. BOB FELLER: It's scary to think what Feller might have added to his already glittering career marks had he not spent nearly four years in the military. Still, "Rapid Robert" won 20 or more games six times in his career. And, with 266 career victories, he still earned a nice niche in the record books. He could have easily won 300 games, but he certainly served his country well.
8. STEVE CARLTON: With 324 career wins, 4,136 strikeouts, and four Cy Young Awards to his credit, Carlton deserves to be ranked in the top 10. But, I never liked the fact he wouldn't talk to reporters. Actually, I think he was a tad goofy. So, in the words of Forrest Gump, that's all I have to say about that.
9. TOM SEAVER: I always remember going to baseball camps and coaches telling pitchers to pitch like Tom Seaver. He had textbook mechanics. With 311 wins and a 2.86 career earned run average, Seaver certainly showed many a young pitcher how to throw that horsehide-covered spheroid with results.
10. SANDY KOUFAX: An arthritic elbow finally caught up with Koufax and ended his career. The pain was too much. But, it didn't stop him from becoming one of the most feared hurlers in history. In 1963 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Koufax was 25-5 with a 1.88 ERA, 306 strikeouts, and 11 shutouts (all league-leading figures.) In 1965, Koufax was 26-8 with a 2.04 ERA and 382 strikeouts - again all league-leading numbers. In '66, his last year, Koufax was 27-9 with a 1.73 ERA and 317 strikeouts. Overall, he was 165-87 with a 2.76 ERA in his career. For a short while, he was awesome and he's worthy of a spot in my top 10.
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2. WALTER JOHNSON: Again, probably another no-brainer. Anyone with a nickname like "The Big Train" also couldn't have been half bad. With 417 career victories to his credit, Johnson held the career strikeout record with 3,509 before guys like Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton stole his thunder. Johnson accomplished all that he did while toiling for 21 years with the Washington Senators - "First in war, first in peace, and last in the American League."
3. CHRISTY MATHEWSON: From what I've read and understand, Mathewson was the first great superstar of baseball - the first one, that is, to get the kind of Hollywood-star treatment and fanfare that today's players receive. If that's really true, it was probably because he won 373 games and had a .665 winning percentage. For 12 straight years, Mathewson won 20 or more games. Three straight years (1903-05), he won 30 or more games. Again, anyone with a nickname like "The Big Six" couldn't have been half bad (although I'm not quite sure what his nickname meant.)
4. PETE ALEXANDER:: Alexander was reported to have been a big party animal. But, he won 373 games, too. Nine years he had 20 or more victories - including three consecutive seasons of 30 or more wins from 1915-17. Anyone who can strike out Tony Lazzeri with the bases loaded and a 3-2 lead in the seventh game of the 1926 World Series (at 39 years old and with a massive hangover) can't be half bad, either.
5. WARREN SPAHN: Spahn is the all-time winningest lefty in major league history with 363 victories. He also threw a no-hitter in 1961 at the age of 40. Two years later at age 42, he went 23-7 for the Milwaukee Braves. I've always liked Spahn. For one thing, he lives in Oklahoma and has for many years. I always like the Okies, even if they are transplanted from Buffalo, New York.
6. NOLAN RYAN: If I ever meet Nolan Ryan and get an autograph from him, I hope I don't act like Wayne and Garth in Wayne's World when they met Alice Cooper backstage. "I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!" Ryan, with 324 victories, 5,714 strikeouts, and seven no-hitters, is a baseball god.
7. BOB FELLER: It's scary to think what Feller might have added to his already glittering career marks had he not spent nearly four years in the military. Still, "Rapid Robert" won 20 or more games six times in his career. And, with 266 career victories, he still earned a nice niche in the record books. He could have easily won 300 games, but he certainly served his country well.
8. STEVE CARLTON: With 324 career wins, 4,136 strikeouts, and four Cy Young Awards to his credit, Carlton deserves to be ranked in the top 10. But, I never liked the fact he wouldn't talk to reporters. Actually, I think he was a tad goofy. So, in the words of Forrest Gump, that's all I have to say about that.
9. TOM SEAVER: I always remember going to baseball camps and coaches telling pitchers to pitch like Tom Seaver. He had textbook mechanics. With 311 wins and a 2.86 career earned run average, Seaver certainly showed many a young pitcher how to throw that horsehide-covered spheroid with results.
10. SANDY KOUFAX: An arthritic elbow finally caught up with Koufax and ended his career. The pain was too much. But, it didn't stop him from becoming one of the most feared hurlers in history. In 1963 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Koufax was 25-5 with a 1.88 ERA, 306 strikeouts, and 11 shutouts (all league-leading figures.) In 1965, Koufax was 26-8 with a 2.04 ERA and 382 strikeouts - again all league-leading numbers. In '66, his last year, Koufax was 27-9 with a 1.73 ERA and 317 strikeouts. Overall, he was 165-87 with a 2.76 ERA in his career. For a short while, he was awesome and he's worthy of a spot in my top 10.
