Wow, that's insane.Comparing strikeouts now to any time in history is crazy of course. MLB pitchers averaged a higher K/9 in 2019 than Roger Clemens did over his career.
Yes it is. 8.6 for Clemens, 8.9 for all MLB pitchers in 2019.Wow, that's insane.
I think that the causality went in the other direction. They could pitch much deeper into games because there weren't a lot of strikeouts. Striking out was considered almost shameful from the inception of baseball to 1950. A lot of guys took 75% effort swings. That was part of it. The other part is that pitchers weren't trying to strike everyone out, which was perfectly rational when no one could hit an opposite field homer. When Christy Mathewson started out he threw as hard as he could every pitch one game and his teammates took him aside asking "What the hell are you doing?" No one did that.Almost everyone pitching much, much deeper into games had to hurt rate states like K/9, I would think.
names used to be way betterIt wouldn't shock me if Joe included one more Negro Leagues player, perhaps instead of Lefty Grove. There's some really good ones including Martin Dihigo, Ray Dandridge, Mule Suttles, Turkey Stearnes and Judy Johnson.
He also still holds the all-time career doubles record of 794, and remains the only player with five seasons of 50 or more doubles.Tris Speaker is awesome; he is fifth all-time in career WAR for hitters, ninth overall. All-time great hitter, fielder and baserunner, probably would have hit for a lot more power if he was born in a different time.
It's interesting to note that the plate appearance held up for epic deflation in "Casey at the Bat" is a classic three-true-outcomes effort: Casey shows what we would now call a laudably selective approach, waiting for a pitch he can drive rather than swinging at borderline strikes, but ends up striking out when he swings for the fences. When the poem was written I suspect this would have been regarded as a vainglorious, inefficient approach to hitting.I think that the causality went in the other direction. They could pitch much deeper into games because there weren't a lot of strikeouts. Striking out was considered almost shameful from the inception of baseball to 1950. A lot of guys took 75% effort swings. That was part of it. The other part is that pitchers weren't trying to strike everyone out, which was perfectly rational when no one could hit an opposite field homer. When Christy Mathewson started out he threw as hard as he could every pitch one game and his teammates took him aside asking "What the hell are you doing?" No one did that.
I never thought about it that way. That's a great point.He also still holds the all-time career doubles record of 794, and remains the only player with five seasons of 50 or more doubles.
I think of him as a severely under-recognized player. He was Ty Cobb's contemporary and virtually his equal (brWAR per 600 PA: Cobb 6.9, Speaker 6.7). Yet even casual fans may know Cobb's name and can maybe even tell you a few things about him (not all of which are necessarily true). Spoke, not so much.
It's interesting to note that the plate appearance held up for epic deflation in "Casey at the Bat" is a classic three-true-outcomes effort: Casey shows what we would now call a laudably selective approach, waiting for a pitch he can drive rather than swinging at borderline strikes, but ends up striking out when he swings for the fences. When the poem was written I suspect this would have been regarded as a vainglorious, inefficient approach to hitting.
Just wanted to say this is a nice, interesting observation. Can see Billy Beane trying to pick Casey up after Mudville lets him go in the offseason.It's interesting to note that the plate appearance held up for epic deflation in "Casey at the Bat" is a classic three-true-outcomes effort: Casey shows what we would now call a laudably selective approach, waiting for a pitch he can drive rather than swinging at borderline strikes, but ends up striking out when he swings for the fences. When the poem was written I suspect this would have been regarded as a vainglorious, inefficient approach to hitting.
Decoldest Toevadoit Crawford begs to differ.names used to be way better
I thought Carl was pretty cold when he got here too.Decoldest Toevadoit Crawford begs to differ.
https://www.complex.com/sports/2019/08/high-school-athlete-decoldest-toevadoit-crawford-goes-viral
Names are like ballplayers. We can and should honor the greats of the past, but every era has their stand outs. Whether it's a Mordecai Three Finger Brown, a Bake McBride, an Ugueth Urbina, or an Angel Bastardo, you should recognize and celebrate them all.I mean, I don't see how we can be nostalgic for the golden age of names when we root for an organization that employs Brainer Bonaci. (Not to mention Xander Bogaerts.)
If only we had some tool for measuring name value across different eras. Call it MAR (Moniker Above Replacement).Names are like ballplayers. We can and should honor the greats of the past, but every era has their stand outs. Whether it's a Mordecai Three Finger Brown, a Bake McBride, an Ugueth Urbina, or an Angel Bastardo, you should recognize and celebrate them all.
I know it’s not an actual ranking, but am I nuts thinking it’s weird seeing Clemens so high?13 left:
Babe Ruth
Willie Mays
Ty Cobb
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Hank Aaron
Walter Johnson
Ted Williams
Mickey Mantle
Stan Musial
Honus Wagner
Satchel Paige
Oscar Charleston
Pretty sure he was the best pitcher of all time, he won 7 Cy Youngs, the first when he was 23 and the last when he was 41. Then he had a 1.87 ERA in 211 innings in his age 42 season, just ridiculous.I know it’s not an actual ranking, but am I nuts thinking it’s weird seeing Clemens so high?
Of course the pure numbers are staggering and he had some all-time seasons with the Sox, but he seems to very clearly be someone whose continued greatness owed to steroids. The 300 wins, the strikeouts, the things that put him in the inner circle.Pretty sure he was the best pitcher of all time, he won 7 Cy Youngs, the first when he was 23 and the last when he was 41. Then he had a 1.87 ERA in 211 innings in his age 42 season, just ridiculous.
Walter Johnson and Satchel Paige are the only other two pitchers left and I would go Clemens over those two based on level of competition. Randy Johnson might get my vote as the guy I would most want on my team for his entire career, but Clemens has better numbers.
It was a good theory, but Joe defies prediction. Clemens clocking in today at #13.Again, my guess is that the primary point of this entire exercise is to put Bonds first and Clemens second in an effort to get them voted in. We’ll see.
He doesn’t hold back when assessing the good and the bad of Rogah.It was a good theory, but Joe defies prediction. Clemens clocking in today at #13.
Love that he started the piece with the Piazza bat throw story.
Is it that Roger Clemens might just be the greatest pitcher who ever lived?
Is it that Roger Clemens did not even deserve to be out there at all?
Or, somehow, are we left trying to make sense of both thoughts at the same time?
“Baseball and football are very different games,” he once wrote. “In a way both of them are easy. Football is easy if you’re crazy. Baseball is easy if you’ve got patience.”
...
“They’d both be easier for me,” he went on, “if I were a little more crazy and a little more patient.”
From reading Pos' work over the years, I'm pretty sure he considers Mays to be the greatest player in baseball history. That won't mean that Paige won't be number one, since his rankings are admittedly arbitrary, but I've been expecting Mays to get the top spot since this project started.It just occurs to me that Paige is number one....he was truly one of a kind. Going to be interesting an enjoyable for sure.
100% I’m preordering the book.
I’ll bet you get tomorrow’s right.My guess was off.
Great read though.
I bet we all got it wrong.I’ll bet you get tomorrow’s right.