What is the best pitching year of all time?

[TruffleShuffle]

[expletive] and i've booked a hotel in cooperstown, ny one weekend a year from 2017 because i don't want to miss kyle farnsworth's hall of fame induction ceremony.

[XZero771679666304]

Please don't confuse the fastest pitcher with being a good pitcher. If you only throw a 100 mph and forget location or have another pitch, you won't last long.

Amazing stuff. Your posts teach me so much about baseball.

 

What would we do without this sort of old-timey sage wisdom? Who'd have ever thought that lack of command or secondary pitches could hold a pitcher back?

[rocket]

if farnsworth pitched in the 50's and 60's, he'd probably be a hall of famer, and there'd be a bunch of old timers saying "they didn't have radar guns in those days, but i betcha if they did his fastball would have measured at least 120 mph"

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

if farnsworth pitched in the 50's and 60's, he'd probably be a hall of famer, and there'd be a bunch of old timers saying "they didn't have radar guns in those days, but i betcha if they did his fastball would have measured at least 120 mph"

 

*spits tobacco*

 

 

*hacking cough*

[El Duderino]

Eckersley had a 610 ERA+ in 1990. 48 saves, 73 strikeouts and 3 unintentional walks. Has to be the best relief season of all time at least.

[champaignchris]

Just for fun, Old Hoss Radbourn's 1884 stats with the Providence Grays:

 

59 wins, 12 losses, 2 saves, 1.38 ERA, 73 CG, 11 SO, 678.2 IP, 441 Ks, .922 WHIP, 19.8 WAR

 

He was 5'9" and weighed 168 lbs.

 

Bizarre.

 

As for post-dead ball era, I have to concur with those saying Steve Carlton's 1972.

[Formerly Snayke]

If you stick your wiener in a pencil sharpener, it won't last long.

 

I have to go Pedro 1999.

[sneakypower]

not the best, but

 

18-6 record

211-1/3 IP

183 H

50 BB

245 K

 

2.43 (2.47 FIP)/1.10

179 ERA+

 

at age 22 always kind of blows my mind

[javy knows my name]

not the best, but

 

18-6 record

211-1/3 IP

183 H

50 BB

245 K

 

2.43 (2.47 FIP)/1.10

179 ERA+

 

at age 22 always kind of blows my mind

 

And I cry and cry and cry. I knew it at 18-6

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Pedro in 1999 followed by Pedro in 2000.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

not the best, but

 

18-6 record

211-1/3 IP

183 H

50 BB

245 K

 

2.43 (2.47 FIP)/1.10

179 ERA+

 

at age 22 always kind of blows my mind

 

Why'd you have to do that? :(

 

That guy was a ridiculous talent and if he had stayed healthy the Cubs of the 2000's would have won a series or two.

[CubmanPi]

Well, this WAS a great thread.

 

sneakypower=bonershrinker

[erik316wttn]

Just for fun, Old Hoss Radbourn's 1884 stats with the Providence Grays:

 

59 wins, 12 losses, 2 saves, 1.38 ERA, 73 CG, 11 SO, 678.2 IP, 441 Ks, .922 WHIP, 19.8 WAR

 

He was 5'9" and weighed 168 lbs.

 

Bizarre.

 

As for post-dead ball era, I have to concur with those saying Steve Carlton's 1972.

 

How could he have more CG's than decisions?

[NCCubFan]

Just for fun, Old Hoss Radbourn's 1884 stats with the Providence Grays:

 

59 wins, 12 losses, 2 saves, 1.38 ERA, 73 CG, 11 SO, 678.2 IP, 441 Ks, .922 WHIP, 19.8 WAR

 

He was 5'9" and weighed 168 lbs.

 

Bizarre.

 

As for post-dead ball era, I have to concur with those saying Steve Carlton's 1972.

 

How could he have more CG's than decisions?

Back then there could be tie games, where the game didn't count in the standings (thus no decision) but individual statistics still counted (thus the complete games). One game in the 1907 World Series between the Cubs and Tigers finished in a tie. In fact, although not very common, tie games were possible until fairly recently (I think they were mainly when an official game had to be called because of rain and the game was tied at the time).

[imb]

not the best, but

 

18-6 record

211-1/3 IP

183 H

50 BB

245 K

 

2.43 (2.47 FIP)/1.10

179 ERA+

 

at age 22 always kind of blows my mind

 

And I cry and cry and cry. I knew it at 18-6

 

same here. as soon as i saw 18-6, my heart dropped

[Post Count Padder]

Eckersley had a 610 ERA+ in 1990. 48 saves, 73 strikeouts and 3 unintentional walks. Has to be the best relief season of all time at least.

I was gonna bring up Hoffman's 1999 or some of Mariano's best years. Or heck even the insane numbers Kimbrel has posted this year. But damn, I don't think anything tops that.

[sneakypower]

not the best, but

 

18-6 record

211-1/3 IP

183 H

50 BB

245 K

 

2.43 (2.47 FIP)/1.10

179 ERA+

 

at age 22 always kind of blows my mind

 

And I cry and cry and cry. I knew it at 18-6

 

same here. as soon as i saw 18-6, my heart dropped

all right, i feel i need to redeem myself now

 

what would you say, if i told you the 3rd-best K/9 season from a SP in the history of the game was posted by a 21 year old?

[SouthSideRyan]

not the best, but

 

18-6 record

211-1/3 IP

183 H

50 BB

245 K

 

2.43 (2.47 FIP)/1.10

179 ERA+

 

at age 22 always kind of blows my mind

 

And I cry and cry and cry. I knew it at 18-6

 

same here. as soon as i saw 18-6, my heart dropped

all right, i feel i need to redeem myself now

 

what would you say, if i told you the 3rd-best K/9 season from a SP in the history of the game was posted by a 21 year old?

 

GFY

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

all right, i feel i need to redeem myself now

 

what would you say, if i told you the 3rd-best K/9 season from a SP in the history of the game was posted by a 21 year old?

 

That he should have been Prior's co-ace for more than just one year.

[Clem Fandango]

Eckersley had a 610 ERA+ in 1990. 48 saves, 73 strikeouts and 3 unintentional walks. Has to be the best relief season of all time at least.

I was gonna bring up Hoffman's 1999 or some of Mariano's best years. Or heck even the insane numbers Kimbrel has posted this year. But damn, I don't think anything tops that.

 

I tried looking, couldn't find anything. I think the best I found to compete with it was Jose Mesa's 1995:

 

64IP 1.13ERA 46SV 58K 8ER 17BB 1.03WHIP 418ERA+

[SouthSideRyan]

Eckersley had a 610 ERA+ in 1990. 48 saves, 73 strikeouts and 3 unintentional walks. Has to be the best relief season of all time at least.

I was gonna bring up Hoffman's 1999 or some of Mariano's best years. Or heck even the insane numbers Kimbrel has posted this year. But damn, I don't think anything tops that.

 

I tried looking, couldn't find anything. I think the best I found to compete with it was Jose Mesa's 1995:

 

64IP 1.13ERA 46SV 58K 8ER 17BB 1.03WHIP 418ERA+

 

Omar Vizquel disagrees.

[javy knows my name]

not the best, but

 

18-6 record

211-1/3 IP

183 H

50 BB

245 K

 

2.43 (2.47 FIP)/1.10

179 ERA+

 

at age 22 always kind of blows my mind

 

And I cry and cry and cry. I knew it at 18-6

 

same here. as soon as i saw 18-6, my heart dropped

all right, i feel i need to redeem myself now

 

what would you say, if i told you the 3rd-best K/9 season from a SP in the history of the game was posted by a 21 year old?

 

That you're a terrible person.

[Splendid Splinter]

Eckersley had a 610 ERA+ in 1990. 48 saves, 73 strikeouts and 3 unintentional walks. Has to be the best relief season of all time at least.

I was gonna bring up Hoffman's 1999 or some of Mariano's best years. Or heck even the insane numbers Kimbrel has posted this year. But damn, I don't think anything tops that.

 

I tried looking, couldn't find anything. I think the best I found to compete with it was Jose Mesa's 1995:

 

64IP 1.13ERA 46SV 58K 8ER 17BB 1.03WHIP 418ERA+

 

 

Papelbon's 2006 was better than Mesa's... 517 ERA+. He had the next highest ERA+ after Eck that was strictly a closer *then Goose Gossage (1981- 465 ERA+) then Mesa*. If you go just by RPs, Joey Devine in 2008 had a 706 ERA+ in 45.2 IP. If you go higher than 45 IP min, then Eck is the highest. Beside Papelbon, Rob Murphy (1986- 546 ERA+) and Denny Reyes (2006- 510 ERA+) are the only 500 ERA+ club with 45 IP min.

 

It's weird how Rivera best ERA+ season is just 319 (compared to guys above). Hoffman 265. Wagner 293. Fingers 333. Sutter 328. Wilhelm 230. Heck, even Gagne "awesome" 2003 was 337 ERA+.

[bukie]

For those curious and that hate themselves, here are the past 30 years of Cub pitching (best by ERA+, reliever, starter):

 

2011 - Sean Marshall - 165, Matt Garza - 113

2010 - Carlos Marmol - 167, Carlos Zambrano - 127

2009 - Angel Guzman - 152, Randy Wells - 146

2008 - Carlos Marmol - 172, Rich Harden - 260

2007 - Carlos Marmol - 325, Ted Lilly - 121

2006 - Bob Howry - 147, Carlos Zambrano - 136

2005 - Ryan Dempster - 141, Carlos Zambrano - 135

2004 - Kent Mercker - 174, Carlos Zambrano - 160

2003 - Joe Borowski - 165, Mark Prior - 179

2002 - Joe Borowski - 148, Mark Prior - 122

2001 - Todd Van Poppel - 165, Kerry Wood - 124

2000 - Tim Worrell - 185, Jon Lieber - 103

1999 - Terry Adams - 112, Jon Lieber - 110

1998 - Terry Mulholland - 151, Kerry Wood - 129

1997 - Bob Patterson - 129, Mark Clark - 151

1996 - Kent Bottnfield - 167, Steve Trachsel - 144

1995 - Mike Walker - 128, Frank Castillo - 128

1994 - Randy Myers - 111, Kevin Foster - 145

1993 - Jose Bautista - 141, Greg Hibbard - 100

1992 - Bob Scanlan - 126, Greg Maddux - 166

1991 - Chuck McElroy - 199, Greg Maddux - 116

1990 - Paul Assenmacher - 147, Mike Harkey - 126

1989 - Les Lancaster - 279, Greg Maddux - 129

1988 - Al Nipper - 120, Greg Maddux - 114

1987 - Lee Smith - 137, Steve Trout - 142

1986 - Lee Smith - 131, Scott Sanderson - 96

1985 - Lee Smith - 131, Dennis Eckersley - 129

1984 - Warren Brusstar - 126, Rick Sutcliffe - 144

1983 - Lee Smith - 229, Dick Ruthven - 93

1982 - Mike Proly - 162, Fergie Jenkins - 118

[bukie]

Continuing the life hating, the top 20 Cub SP performances of the last 30 years:

2008 Rich Harden        260
2003 Mark Prior         179
1992 Greg Maddux        166
2004 Carlos Zambrano    160
2008 Ryan Dempster      155
1997 Mark Clark         151
2009 Randy Wells        146
1994 Kevin Foster       145
2009 Ted Lilly          144
1996 Steve Trachsel     144
1984 Rick Sutcliffe     144
1992 Mike Morgan        142
1987 Steve Trout        142
2003 Carlos Zambrano    139
2003 Kerry Wood         136
2006 Carlos Zambrano    136
2005 Carlos Zambrano    135
1994 Steve Trachsel     131
1998 Kerry Wood         129
1989 Greg Maddux        129