The JB Random Report All Time Pitching Staff 4/26/12

In a week where the Yankees just lost a potential #2 starter in Michael Pineda for the year, and an ex-Met threw a perfect game for the White Sox, what more appropriate subject to tackle than pitching?

There is no aspect of the game of baseball more affected by time, rule changes and epochs than pitching. The mound has been heightened, then lowered, then heightened again. It has also been pushed back a few feet and inches over the years.

The most significant of all rule changes however, came in 1920. While pitching for the Yankees, Carl Mays had two pitches he was famous for: the submarine and what was known as a spitball. That is, a ball that has somehow been altered to effect its movement. Pitchers spit tobacco on balls or put some type of lubricant on them, effecting their movement but also making the ball harder to see because it was dirty. Inevitably someone got hurt.

With Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman at the plate, Mays threw a pitch that hit him in the head, killing him. Almost over night the advantage in baseball had gone from pitchers to hitters, as all baseballs now had to be in pristine condition and white so that the hitters could see it clearly. Whereas only a few balls were used in a game during the first 50 years of the game, for the past 80 years on average, about 30-70 balls are used per game.

That’s the main reason why pitchers with more victories than the ones chosen for this all-time staff did not make the team. So names like Christy Mathewson, Pud Gavin, Grover Cleveland Alexander, and the man with the most major league wins of them all, Cy Young, will unfortunately be excluded. One because they played mostly in the spitball era, and also because they were allowed a lot more starts back in those days; the five man rotation being a fairly recent phenomena in baseball. Also keep in mind that the Cy Young Award was first given in 1956 and giving the award in each league began in 1967. So here it is…

The JB Random Report All-Time Pitching Staff:

The Starters:

Nolan Ryan-Right Handed Pitcher (1966-1993) Wins-Losses: 324-292 Earned Run Average: 3.19 Strike Outs: 5714 Saves: 3. His fastball was regularly clocked at 100 miles per hour. Ryan dominated hitters for 27 seasons on his way to 5,714 strikeouts, an all-time record. During four decades of work, he only won 20 games in a season twice, but totaled 324 wins and a host of major league records. Most notable of his milestones are seven no-hitters and 12 one-hitters. The eight-time All-Star fanned a single-season record 383 batters in 1973, the same year he won 21 games but was overlooked for the Cy Young Award. Awards or not, he is still my number 1 starter. A lifetime baseball man, he is now part owner of the Texas Rangers who have made two straight World Series appearances under him.

Sandy Koufax-Left Handed Pitcher (1955-1966) W-L: 165-87 ERA: 2.76 SO: 2396. For a period of 5 years, Sandy Koufax was the best pitcher you ever saw. How can a pitcher with less than 200 wins even make this team let alone start? Let me count the ways...He won 25 games three times, captured five straight ERA titles, and set a new standard with 382 strikeouts in 1965. He retired totally in his prime but with growing concern for the health of his pitching arm, probably due to his lack of control early on in his career. His fastball and lights-out curve enabled him to pitch no-hitters in four consecutive seasons, culminating with a perfect game in 1965. He posted a 0.95 ERA in four World Series, leading the Dodgers to three championships.

Roger Clemens-RHP (1984-2007) W-L: 354-184 ERA: 3.12 SO: 4672. 7 Cy Young Awards and 1 Most Valuable Player Award. Second only to Nolan Ryan in strikeouts, and like Ryan pitched well even in his forties. “The Rocket” was a tough competitor with an awesome fastball and six 20 win seasons. When his career is put into perspective, he will probably have many advocating his position as the greatest pitcher of all time. Ok I am not addressing the obvious because he has yet to be convicted of anything, but even without the whole steroid controversy, when you put his career into perspective, he still has a Hall of Fame career. Certainly voters are struggling with inducting him and he does have to be accountable for that, but he is still great.

Warren Spahn-LHP (1942, 1945-1965) W-L: 363-245 ERA: 3.08 SO: 2583. “Spahnnie” is the winningest left-hander in history with 363 victories. He was a 20-game winner 13 times, including six years in a row; and led the National League in wins eight times and complete games nine times. Over his 21-year career, he hurled two no-hitters and won the 1957 Cy Young Award. Like most players of his era, he lost years to military service due to World War II (try to get Alex Rodriguez or Barry Bonds to do that now). His military service was as outstanding as his pitching as he earned both the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his actions.

Walter Johnson-RHP (1907-1927) W-L: 417-279 ERA: 2.36 SO: 3508. OK so he did pitch during the spitball era, but not for as many years as the pitchers I excluded. There were no sophisticated measuring devices in the early 1900s, but Walter Johnson's fastball was considered to be in a class by itself. Using a sweeping sidearm delivery, the “Big Six” (named for the powerful locomotive trains of the era) fanned 3,508 over a brilliant 21-year career with the pathetic Washington Senators, and his 110 shutouts are more than any pitcher. Despite playing for losing teams most of his career, he won 417 games - second only to Cy Young on the all-time list - and enjoyed 10 successive seasons of 20 or more victories. To post those numbers and such a low ERA on such bad teams meant that you had to be the greatest pitcher of your era because you were winning games almost by yourself. In 1924 he finally did get his one World Series ring, beating the NY Giants.

The Relievers:

Whitey Ford-LHP (1950, 1953-1967) W-L: 236-106 ERA: 2.74 SO: 1956. The “Chairman of the Board” was the greatest pitcher on the great Yankees teams of the 1950s and early '60s. His lifetime record of 236-106 gives him the best winning percentage (.690) of any 20th century pitcher. So I don’t wanna hear accusations of favoritism, or as I like to call it, Yankeeism. He led the American League in victories three times, in ERA and shutouts twice, and won the 1961 Cy Young Award. But the main reason why he is on this team and the first man out of the bullpen is his World Series numbers. If one of your starters should have a bad outing, you need the best pitcher you have capable of pitching under pressure to relieve him, and there is no greater pressure in baseball than the World Series. And in the World Series, the Chairman still holds many records, including 146 innings pitched, 10 wins and 94 strikeouts. He also pitched 33 consecutive scoreless innings in the Fall Classic.

Greg Maddux-RHP (1986-2008) W-L: 355-227 ERA: 3.16 SO: 3371. The best fielding pitcher of his day with 18, that’s right, 18 Gold Gloves, still had 4 Cy Young awards and over 300 wins to go with them. He was the best location pitcher I ever saw. He never overpowered you with his fastball, but struck you out looking as he painted the corners.

Bob Gibson-RHP (1959-1975) W-L: 251-174 ERA: 2.91 SO: 3117 SV: 2. They say that he could strike you out with just a stare. Often accused of rough play, he once said “I never meant to hit anyone, but if I did, I hit ‘em.” For 17 seasons with the Cardinals, Bob Gibson established himself as the very definition of intimidation, competitiveness, and dignity. He had five 20 win seasons and was one of the best athletes to ever play the game (he once played basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters). In 1968 he was named both the National League Cy Young Award winner and MVP, partly by posting a 1.12 ERA, the lowest figure since 1914. And as far as being a big-game pitcher (another non-stat that will get you on this team), Gibson posted World Series records of seven consecutive wins and 17 strikeouts in a game, and was named World Series MVP in 1964 and 1967. All these awards went on to accompany his 9 Gold Gloves.

Robert “Lefty” Grove-LHP (1925-1941) W-L: 300-141 ERA: 3.06 SO: 2266. Robert Moses “Lefty” Grove was the backbone of the Philadelphia Athletics' dynasty of 1929 to 1931, with an awesome 79-15 record over those three Triple Crown (that’s Wins, Strikeouts and ERA) seasons. He topped the American League in wins four times, winning percentage five times and strikeouts seven consecutive times. Most impressive, are his nine ERA titles, easily the greatest total in history. He won 112 games for the then minor-league Baltimore Orioles, in addition to his 300 major-league victories.

Why Its Not:

Steve Carlton? This was a tough one because this is the 4^th all time leader in strikeouts and the best lefty pitcher since Warren Spahn. But he pitched in the National league at a time where I really don’t remember any overpowering hitters that he faced on a consistent basis except for Hank Aaron and Willie Mays, and they were in a different division. Grove pitched against DiMaggio, Gehrig, and Hank Greenberg in the same division and in their prime and still won 300 games.

Bob Feller? I never liked this asshole because of this classic quote about Jackie Robinson, “He's tied up in the shoulders and can't hit an inside pitch to save his neck. If he were a white man, I doubt if they would even consider him big league material, except perhaps as a bat boy.” I guess Feller had his eyes closed as Jackie Robinson compiled Hall of Fame numbers in only 9 seasons and pretty much taught the major leagues how to win games with speed and skill instead of just power. But his ignorance and racism aside, he was a great pitcher, just not for this team. He is a number one starter on any team that does not contain the guys I chose.

The Closers:

Mariano Rivera-RHP (1995-Present) W-L: 75-58 ERA: 2.22 SO: 1118 SV: 607. Simply put, the greatest closer in the history of the game, and the greatest closer in the history of post-season baseball as well. There is NO better big-game closer in the history of the game, period. Here is his post season line, including last year: W-L: 8-1 ERA: 0.70 SO: 110 SV: 42, and that’s in 141 innings pitched. Now that’s just sick. A 12-time All-Star and 1999 World Series MVP, he has yet to win a Cy Young for some reason. I hate to base anything on just numbers, but in this case the numbers speak so loudly for themselves that they are impossible to ignore.

Dennis Eckersley-RHP (1975-1998) W-L: 197-171 ERA: 3.50 SO: 2401 SV: 390. During the first half of his 24-year big league career, Eck won over 150 games primarily as a starter, including a no-hitter in 1977. Over his final 12 years, he was the best closer of his era, saving nearly 400 games mostly for the Oakland A's who won 4 division titles during his tenure. He won both the Cy Young and MVP in 1992. The only pitcher with 100 saves and 100 complete games, Eckersley dominated opposing batters during a six-year stretch from 1988 to 1993, in which he struck out 458 while walking just 51.

Why Its Not:

Trevor Hoffman or Lee Smith? Both for the same reason actually. Smith was once the All-time leader in career saves. Hoffman also held that moniker until Mariano surpassed him last year, but that’s not the main reason why they didn’t make the team. A closer has to have a totally different mentality than any other pitcher, because he comes in during a situation where his team needs him the most, a high pressure situation. He has to do a lot of work in a short amount of time. Sure he is only pitching one or maybe two innings at the end of a game, but those are the most important innings. Mariano has done all of that for the Yankees and more, where as Hoffman never actually saved as many big games for the Padres. Well truthfully no one has saved as many big games for anyone as Mariano has for the Yankees. Eckersley has also more than proven his worth both in the playoffs, and in the regular season games that have mattered most. When it comes to closers, that’s what you have to do.

Wow...What's Gonna Happen in Week 2? & The JB Random Report All-Time Outfield & Designated Hitter 4/12/12

What an interesting first week of baseball huh? The Yankees started 0-3 and sent everyone into a panic until it was remembered that they started the same way in 1998 and ended up winning a record 115 games and the World Series.

It only took Ozzie Guillen 3 days to wear out his welcome in Miami (a new record for him and his big mouth) after saying to a reporter what a lot of Latin Americans say in the privacy of their own homes; that they respect Fidel Castro for being able to stay alive only 90 miles away from a country that has wanted to kill him for 60 years. The problem is Ozzie decided to say it in Miami, where the Cuban population isn’t exactly sharing that admiration of Castro’s durability, considering that they were the ones forced to flee after the revolution of 1959. For those of you who don’t know how this feels, let me give you an example: If some asshole said that Osama Bin Laden was a resilient leader because he evaded the United States for ten years how would you feel? Exactly why Guillen needed to be punished. Not because he is not free to think as he chooses, but because he used a severe lack of judgment in not knowing his and his team’s audience.

Many people think that the 5 game suspension was too harsh, but he was lucky he wasn’t fired. Imagine the now Miami Marlins, who just spent close to one billion dollars to get key free agents and a new stadium in Miami, who hired Guillen as a calculated move to get more Latinos to come to the ballpark, now having to contend with that same Latino population boycotting the team? I assure you that Miami has not seen a disaster this big since Hurricane Andrew and J.Lo buying part of the Dolphins.

The JB Random Report All-Time Outfield & Designated Hitter

In Left Field: Barry Bonds (1986-2007), Batting Average:.298 Home Runs:762 Runs Batted In:1996 Hits:2935. Let me just put all the controversy to rest right now by asking you this; has any other player in left field had the numbers Bonds had before the whole steroid controversy? Even if you just take his stats from 2001 down, he is still the best, most complete left fielder to ever play this game. 7 Most Valuable Player Awards (3 before 2001), 8 Gold Glove Awards (All before 2001) 514 stolen bases (a stat that I love) are just impossible to ignore, regardless of what happened later in his career.

Why Its Not:

Babe Ruth? He is more valuable elsewhere on this team.

Ted Williams? Williams was probably the greatest hitter of all time. He lost nearly five years of his career to military service, so he arguably could have had even better numbers, but they would not come close to the overall talent of Bonds at the plate or on the field.

Stan Musial? Musial’s offensive numbers are simply awesome. He is 4^th all time in hits, but wouldn’t match Bonds in the field either.

In Center Field: Willie Mays (1951-1973) BA: .302 HR: 660 RBI: 1903 Hits: 3283. Ladies and Gentlemen, the best baseball player in the history of the game, that never pitched of course. Barry Bond's Godfather only stole 338 bases but could have doubled that total had it been the important stat that it is today. National League Rookie of the Year in 1951 and two MVP awards. He accumulated 12 Gold Gloves, played in a record-tying 24 All-Star Games and participated in four World Series. His catch of Vic Wertz's deep fly in the Polo Grounds of all places, during the 1954 World Series remains one of baseball's most memorable moments.

Why Its Not:

Joe DiMaggio? Like Ted Williams, DiMaggio lost 3 of his best years to military service. But DiMaggio also retired prematurely, with at least 6 good years left. In his prime he was just as sure in center field as Willie Mays and even had a higher batting average, but I would have liked to see Joltin’ Joe play a few more years to make a better determination.

I remember having an argument with one of my professors in law school about who was the best center fielder of all time. I of course said Mays. He thought it was DiMaggio. When I told him that Mays was faster and more dynamic in the field he said “Sure he was, but DiMaggio never had to run, he already knew where the ball was gonna land.” Well Mays still had a better fielding percentage than DiMaggio, but I have to admit that was a good point.

Mickey Mantle? He should have led the league in everything, every year. But a knee injury bothered him throughout his entire career; An injury that ironically enough, he blamed on Joe DiMaggio’s late call for the ball during the 1951 World Series. And there was that whole alcohol and partying thing. And I don’t wanna be accused of favoritism, or as I like to call it, Yankeeism.

In Right Field: Roberto Clemente (1955-1972) BA: .317 HR: 240 RBI: 1305 Hits: 3000. There was no better arm in right field than Clemente’s. Combine that with his 12 Gold Gloves, his speed and batting average and there is no argument for anyone else. Remember that Clemente’s career was cut short in its prime – the victim of a plane crash while he was bringing earthquake relief supplies to Nicaragua.

Why Its Not:

Hank Aaron? Clemente had a higher batting average although be it in less at bats. Both played during the Gold Glove era, Aaron has 3 to Clemente’s 12. The only big stat Aaron had over Clemente was the homerun total. There is more to baseball than that.

At The Designated Hitter Spot: George Herman “Babe” Ruth (1914-1935) BA: .342 HR: 714 RBI: 1983 Hits: 2873. The most celebrated athlete of his time. The greatest baseball player ever. His offensive numbers alone are enough to support that claim, but here is another line: Wins: 94 Losses: 46 Earned Run Average: 2.28 Strike Outs: 488. Those are Ruth’s pitching numbers in nine years, the last three years he barely pitched at all, and was still clearly on pace to be the winningest left handed pitcher in history had he not picked up a bat. Not to mention that he set a World Series scoreless innings streak as a pitcher. No one knew the total game better. So I’d keep him off the field while still playing everyday, just in case I need him to pitch!

Why Its Not:

Hank Aaron? Again? Ok let me end the Aaron-Ruth debate right now too. Aaron had 12364 at-bats and hit 755 homeruns. Ruth had 8399 at-bats with 714 homeruns. If Ruth had as many at bats as Aaron, you are looking at 1,000 homeruns, and that would have been an unbreakable record. Not even Barry Bonds with umm “help” was able to hit as many homeruns per at-bat than Ruth. Ruth also had a much higher batting average than Aaron. Now if a man has been rejected for two different positions on this team, there is no doubt you will see him again later.

Spring Is In The Air, So Let's Play Ball! & The JB Random Report All-Time Infield 4/5/12

Ahhh….Springtime. A time where love is in the air, evidenced by the most random of your friends hooking up and everyone else around you wondering “How the Hell did that happen?” The Forsythias blooming and the weather getting warmer, all leading up to the greatest Spring tradition of all, the start of the Major League baseball season. So many big names have changed caps, Albert Pujols being the biggest star to move, Prince Fielder being the fattest star to move, making that Detroit infield look like a softball league.

It is a time where every team is 0-0 and every team has a chance to win, well at least technically. There will be some obscure records broken, and old debates continued: Who’s the best at what position; who should have been traded and when; who had the best arm at the best position, etc. It’s a truer American debate than a lot of what you see these politicians babbling about as they try to get your vote. No ballplayer is trying to do that. So I have decided to end a few of these debates once and for all.

If you are not a baseball fan, you might not wanna read The JB Random Report for the next few weeks, because the blogs are going to be about one topic as I will be compiling the All-Time greatest baseball team ever, to celebrate the month of April and the start of the baseball season.

It will be based on a 27 man regular season roster, not an expanded 40 man one. This is gonna be a tough team to get on. Now, you can feel free to disagree with my choices if you must, but as usual, I am always right. I know that if I field this team in any year, it wins at least 115 games. So this week we will be selecting the infield, and in the coming weeks, the outfield and designated hitters, followed by the pitching staff, then coaching staff.

Now remember two things, we are selecting the best all-around player at each position, so a lot of factors went into each decision. Remember that it’s not all about offense. Also the Gold Glove Award for defense didn’t exist until 1957, so those awards are a factor, but not the only factor in judging defensive prowess. So here it goes…

The JB Random Report All-Time Infield:

At First Base: Lou Gehrig (1923-1939), Batting Average: .340 Home Runs: 493 Runs Batted In: 1995 Hits: 2721. Lou Gehrig teamed with Babe Ruth to form baseball's most devastating hitting combination ever. The Iron Horse had 13 consecutive seasons with both 100 runs scored and 100 RBI, averaging 139 runs and 148 RBI; set an American League mark with 184 RBI in 1931; hit a record 23 grand slams; and won the 1934 Triple Crown. His .361 batting average in seven World Series led the Yankees to six titles. His defense was impeccable, in an era where those stats were not so meticulously kept and Gold Glove awards didn’t exist.

Why Its Not:

Jimmie Foxx? Gehrig had a higher average, more hits, and was a better fielder and would have eclipsed all of Foxx’s offensive records had he not had to end his career prematurely. 

At Second Base: Rogers Hornsby (1915-1937), BA: .341 HR: 301 RBI: 1318 H: 2930. “The Rajah” was the game's best right-handed hitter. He won seven batting titles - including six in a row - topping .400 three times. His career average of .359 is the highest ever in the National League. A two-time MVP and two-time Triple Crown winner, was the player-manager of the Cardinals' first World Championship team in 1926 and was the first National League player to hit 300 home runs.

Why Its Not:

 Anyone else? To be honest, there are no players today, retired or even in the Baseball Hall of Fame at second base that come anywhere near Hornsby’s numbers, with the notable exception maybe, of Craig Biggio who had over 3,000 hits in his career.

At Shortstop: Cal Ripken Jr (1981-2001), BA: .276 HR: 431 RBI: 1695 H: 3184. It took nearly 60 years for someone to break Lou Gehrig’s record of consecutive games played. Cal Ripken Jr. eclipsed “the streak” in 1998 by playing in 2,632 straight games for the Baltimore Orioles, surpassing Gehrig's mark of 2,130. Beyond this amazing record, Ripken put together an all-around great career. A career that included great offensive numbers (over 3,000 hits is a Hall of Fame lock), 2 Gold Gloves, 19 straight All-Star appearances, and two MVPs.

Why Its Not:

Ozzie Smith? No doubt the greatest defensive shortstop ever with 13 Gold Gloves, but he didn’t start hitting until late in his career.

Derek Jeter? Jeter will be the all-time hits leader when his career is over, but it’s too soon to tell if he will be the greatest shortstop ever. If I say that I think he already is, I’d be accused of favoritism, or as I like to call it, Yankeeism.

Honus Wagner? Don’t worry, you’ll see him later.

Ernie Banks? “Let’s play two” But even with 512 homeruns and 1 Gold Glove, he lacks the range and durability of Ripken.

At Third base: Brooks Robinson (1955-1977), BA: .267 HR: 268 RBI: 1357 H: 2848., In his career, Robinson won 16 Gold Gloves at third base. What makes this record even more remarkable is that he did it during an era where he had to hold back defensive specialists Frank Malzone and Clete Boyer who in any other era would have been called the greatest defensive third basemen of their time. And if that were not enough, Robinson held these two greats at bay while setting major league career records for games, putouts, assists, chances, double plays and fielding percentage.

Why Its Not:

Alex Rodriguez? Rodriguez already has better numbers offensively, and will probably end up taking Robinson’s place on this list when his career is over if his defense improves. But he will never be the defensive player that Robinson was. And remember it’s the best all around player at the position that we are looking for. But don’t despair, you’ll see him later.

                      

Mike Schmidt? This is a tough one because Schmidt does have 10 Gold Gloves to go with his 548 Homeruns, but remember he played in an era when there were really no other 3^rd basemen to compare him with, except maybe George Brett in the AL. And Robinson has too many all-time records at the position. Yes his offensive numbers eclipse that of Robinson, but once again, there is more to baseball than that, and Robinson’s numbers were certainly respectable.

At Catcher: Yogi Berra (1946-1963, 1965), BA: .285 HR: 358 RBI: 1430 H: 2150. What Bill Russell was to the NBA, Yogi Berra was to baseball. A three-time American League MVP in a career that featured 14 league pennants and 10 World Series championships, more than anyone. He was both a brilliant catcher and dominant hitter during his 19-year career with the New York Yankees. Berra was named to the American League All-Star team every year from 1948 to 1962. He topped the 100-RBI mark four years in a row.

Why Its Not:

Johnny Bench? Yogi has more hits, a higher average, and played on more pennant winners.

                      

Ivan Rodriguez? Rodriguez will retire with multiple Gold Gloves and better numbers than Yogi, but he will never be a greater winner. He has a better arm, but whereas Rodriguez calls the game with the pitcher, Yogi called it with the entire team on the field, kind of like a point guard in basketball. Fear not however, as you’ll see him again later.