November 30, 2024 • 17 mins
Unlock the secrets behind the most extraordinary pitching seasons in Major League Baseball history. Join me, Dean Patino, as we journey through time to relive the unbeatable feats of legendary right-handed pitchers, crowned by the Baseball Classics Diamond Data System. From Walter "Big Train" Johnson's iconic 1913 season with a jaw-dropping 36-7 record and 1.14 ERA, to Ed Walsh's astounding 1908 performance with the White Sox, and Grover Cleveland Alexander's heroics in 1915 that led the Phillies to their first National League pennant. Each story is a testament to unparalleled skill and dedication, offering a glimpse into the golden eras of baseball legend.
As if that weren't enough, our episode also offers a modern-day marvel in Bob Gibson's 1968 season with the Cardinals during what's famously known as the "Year of the Pitcher." Take this unique opportunity to keep your baseball acumen sharp with daily history updates available at baseballclassics.com/diamondview. These updates ensure you have your finger on the pulse of baseball history, all from the comfort of your own routine. Whether you're a seasoned fan or new to the game, this episode is your ticket to understanding the pinnacle of pitching prowess that has shaped the annals of baseball history.
Be sure to go to FREE Baseball Real-Time DiamondView to get all the latest going on in MLB in one website plus access to 2024 MLB player overall, lefty, and righty stats to sort, filter, and/or group!
No login, freshly updated every day.
https://play.baseballclassics.com/real-time-diamondview
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Major League Baseball fans, get ready for a close-up
look from the top step of thedugout.
Welcome to the BaseballClassics Podcast.
Covering any season from 1901to the present, We'll explore
exciting pennant races, diveheadfirst, analyzing and even
doing some comparisons that arebound to settle an argument or
(00:24):
start one up.
And now here's your host, DeanPitino.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Hello again, everybody.
Thanks so much for tuning in tothis Baseball Classics
Diamondcast.
Always my pleasure to be withyou.
Hope you're having a great daywherever this finds you to be
with you.
Hope you're having a great daywherever this finds you.
Let's get started with thisepisode.
It is the seven greatestpitching seasons in Major League
(00:53):
Baseball history.
We use Baseball ClassicsDiamond Data System to score all
the pitchers from 1901 to thepresent, and these are the top
seven, the pinnacle of pitchingperformance.
So discover what they did thattranscended the game and etched
(01:14):
their names into the annals ofbaseball greatness.
So we use our special moundrating formula to rank the best
pitching performances.
And these top seven happen tobe all right-handed pitchers,
with only one who could beclassified as modern day, at
least relative to the rest ofthe pitchers on this list, which
(01:37):
begins with the best of the topseven elite pitching
performances stating their name,season, team and their rating
that we've given them as well.
So we're starting with the bestone of all time.
It happened back in 1913.
Walter Big Train Johnson of theWashington Senators.
(02:00):
We gave him a rating of 64-32.5.
His 19-13 season is regarded bymany as one of the greatest
single-season pitchingperformances in Major League
Baseball history.
Pitching for the WashingtonSenators, johnson delivered an
extraordinary display ofdominance and consistency.
(02:22):
He finished the season with arecord of 36-7, an impressive
feat that showcased his abilityto lead his team to victory.
His earned run average of 1.14was a testament to his control
and effectiveness on the mound,allowing only a handful of runs
(02:44):
over the course of the season.
Can you imagine that?
36-7 with an ERA of 1.14.
So he also led the league instrikeouts that season, banning
243 batters, and maintained aremarkable whip of 0.78, further
(03:05):
underscoring his command overopposing hitters.
Now, what makes Johnson's 1913season even more remarkable is
the context in which it occurred.
This era, known as the deadball era, was characterized by
low scoring games and a lack ofoffensive firepower, making
pitching duels commonplace.
(03:27):
Despite this, johnson'sstatistics stood out not just
against his contemporaries, butalso against the broader
historical landscape of baseball.
He was awarded the ChalmersAward, the equivalent of the
modern day MVP, for hisexceptional contributions.
Johnson's ability to dominatehitters with his powerful
(03:48):
fastball and pinpoint accuracyset a standard for pitching
excellence and left an indeliblemark on the game, solidifying
his legacy as one of thegreatest history.
Next at number two, 1908 ChicagoWhite Sox Ed Walsh.
(04:09):
With a 6036.3 rating, edWalsh's 1908 season is heralded
as one of the most remarkablepitching performances in Major
League Baseball history.
In pitching for the ChicagoWhite Sox, walsh's dominance on
the mound was unparalleled.
He finished the season with anastounding 40-15 record,
(04:33):
becoming one of the few pitchersin Major League Baseball
history to achieve 40 wins in asingle season.
His earned run average of 1.42reflected his exceptional
ability to stifle opposinghitters consistently.
Walsh's endurance was also onfull display as he pitched a
(04:53):
staggering 464 innings, oftencompleting games single-handedly
, which is a testament to hisresilience and workhorse
mentality.
Pitching 464 innings and an ERAof only 1.42?
Absolutely remarkable.
So, in addition to his wins andhis ERA, walsh struck out 269
(05:17):
batters, leading the league andshowcasing his ability to
overpower hitters.
His arsenal of pitches,particularly his devastating
spitball, baffled hittersthroughout the season.
The 1908 season took placeduring the dead ball era, of
course, a time when offensiveoutput was generally low, yet
Walsh's performance still standsout even in this context of
(05:40):
dominant pitching.
His efforts were instrumentalin keeping the White Sox
competitive in a tight pennantrace.
Ed Walsh's 1908 season remainsa benchmark for pitching
excellence, highlighting a levelof durability and dominance
that has rarely been matched inthe annals of baseball history.
Number three happened in 1915.
(06:03):
Philadelphia Phillies' GroverAlexander is rating 59-41.1.
So Grover Cleveland Alexander's1915 season is often regarded
as well as one of the mostoutstanding pitching
performances in Major LeagueBaseball history.
(06:23):
Again playing for thePhiladelphia Phillies, his
dominance on the mound was a keyfactor in leading the Phillies
to their dominance on the moundwas a key factor in leading the
Phillies to their first everNational League pennant.
He finished the season with anextraordinary record of 31-10,
showcasing his ability toconsistently win games for his
team.
His earned run average of 1.22was a testament to his control
(06:48):
and effectiveness, allowing veryfew runs over the course of the
season.
Alexander's prowess was furtherhighlighted by his
league-leading 12 shutouts,which remains one of the highest
single-season totals in MajorLeague Baseball history.
In addition to his impressivewin-loss record, in ERA
(07:10):
Alexander struck out 241 batters, demonstrating his ability to
overpower hitters.
His control was impeccable, asevidenced by his remarkably low
whip, a figure that was 0.842.
It underscores his precisionand dominance on the mound.
(07:31):
Alexander's 1915 season isparticularly notable given the
context of the dead ball erawhere, again, offense was
generally suppressed.
Yet again, his performance aswell, stood out as absolutely
exceptional.
His efforts not only securedpersonal accolades such as the
National League Triple Crown forpitchers that's leading the
(07:53):
league in wins, era andstrikeouts, but also cemented
his legacy as one of thegreatest pitchers of all time.
Number four this one would beconsidered modern day compared
to the other pitchers on thislist Happened in 1968, called
(08:14):
the year of the pitcher, the StLouis Cardinals' Bob Gibson.
We have a rating of 58-76.1.
His 1968 season stands as oneof the most dominant pitching
performances in the history ofMajor League Baseball.
Playing for the St LouisCardinals, gibson's dominance on
the mound that year wasunprecedented.
(08:35):
He finished the season with aremarkable 22-9 record and
astonishing 1.12 ERA, the lowestsingle-season ERA in the live
ball era, and that's post-1920.
This extraordinary performanceearned him both the National
League Cy Young Award and theMVP Award, making him one of the
(08:56):
few pitchers to achieve such afeat.
Gibson's prowess was furtherunderscored by his 13 shutouts,
tying the record for the most ina single season since 1900.
Gibson's season was not onlyabout ERA and shutouts.
He also struck out 268 batters,consistently overpowering
(09:17):
hitters with his fierce fastballand devastating slider.
His control and composure wereevident in his whip of 0.853,
which is, of course, walks plushits per innings pitched.
And on the 1968 season forGibson, often referred to again
as the yearly pitcher, saw manydominant pitching performances,
(09:38):
but Gibson's again stood out asthe most impressive.
His success led to significantchanges in the game, including
lowering the pitcher's mound thefollowing year to give hitters
a fairer chance.
Bob Gibson's 1968 seasonremains a benchmark for pitching
excellence, embodying thepinnacle of skill, endurance and
(10:01):
dominance on the mound.
Five happened back in 1916.
Grover Alexander his rating5780.4 according to our scoring,
so this is the second time heappears on the list.
(10:21):
It's a jaw-droppingaccomplishment to own two of the
top seven greatest major leagueseason pitching performances on
this list.
So Grover Cleveland Alexander's1916 season was another
extraordinary chapter in thecareer of one of baseball's
greatest pitchers.
Playing for the PhiladelphiaPhillies, alexander followed up
(10:44):
his stellar 1915 campaign with anear equally impressive
performance.
He finished the season with adominant 33-12 record, leading
the league in wins for thesecond consecutive year.
His earner and average of 1.55was not only a testament to his
exceptional control andconsistency, but also placed him
(11:06):
among the league's elitepitchers.
Alexander's ability to stymiehitters was further evidenced by
his league-leading 16 shutouts,a record that still stands as
one of the highest single-seasontotals in Major League history.
In addition to his impressivewin-loss record, in ERA,
(11:26):
alexander struck out 167 batters, showcasing his ability to
overpower opponents with hisprecise and deceptive pitches.
His whip was 0.96.
Underscored again his dominanceon the mound, allowing few
batter or few, allowing few baserunners throughout the season.
(11:47):
The 1916 season solidifiedAlexander's reputation as a
workhorse, as he pitched anastonishing 389 innings,
demonstrating his remarkabledurability and endurance.
His performance that year notonly earned him the National
League Triple Crown for pitchersleading the league again in
(12:08):
wins, era and strikeouts, butalso further cemented his legacy
as one of the greatest pitchersin baseball history.
All right, we're going tonumber six on our list.
It happened back in 1908.
New York Giants' ChristyMathewson, with a rating of
5748.6.
According to our Diamond DataScoring System, christy
(12:32):
Mathewson's 1908 season iswidely regarded as one of the
most exceptional pitchingperformances in Major League
Baseball history.
Playing for the New York Giants, mathewson demonstrated
unparalleled skill and controlcontrol on the mound finishing
the season with a stellar 37-11record.
His earned run average of 1.43was among the best in the league
(12:57):
, underscoring his dominanceover opposing pitchers.
Mathewson's ability toconsistently deliver quality
starts was reflected in his 11shutouts and 34 complete games,
showcasing his remarkableendurance and reliability as a
pitcher.
Now his performance in 1998 wasnot only about his win-loss
(13:19):
record and his ERA.
He also struck out 259 batters,illustrating his ability to
overpower hitters with hissignature fadeaway pitch, now
known as a screwball.
His whip of 0.83 highlightedhis exceptional control and
position, as he rarely allowedbase runners.
(13:39):
The 1908 season was a pivotalyear in Mathewson's career and
in the history of baseball, ashis contributions were crucial
in the Giants' fiercecompetitive race.
His remarkable achievementsthat season solidified his
legacy as one of the greatestpitchers of all time, and his
performance remains a benchmarkfor pitching excellence in the
(14:00):
annals of baseball history.
Now we go on to the seventhpitcher who made our list for
the greatest single-seasonpitching performances of all
time since 1901.
And number seven happened in1910.
Jack Coombs of the PhiladelphiaAthletics.
We rated him at 57-44.1.
(14:21):
The City of Brotherly Love addsanother pitcher to this list.
Jack Coombs' 1910 season standsout as one of the most
remarkable pitching performancesin baseball history.
Pitching for the PhiladelphiaAthletics, coombs delivered an
extraordinary season that sawhim finish with an impressive
(14:41):
31-9 record.
His 31 wins led the league andshowcased his ability to
consistently dominate opponents.
Akum's earned run average of1.30 further underscored his
exceptional control andeffectiveness on the mound,
allowing just 81 earned runsover 353 innings pitched.
(15:02):
His season included 13 shutouts, demonstrating his knack for
preventing runs and securingvictories for his team.
Combs' 19-10 season was notonly about the raw statistics,
but also about his remarkableendurance and resilience.
He pitched 35 complete games, atestament to his stamina and
(15:23):
reliability.
As a starting pitcher, combsalso struck out 224 batters,
displaying his ability tooverpower hitters with his
fastball and curveball.
His performance was pivotal inleading the athletics to the
American League pennant, andthey eventually went on to win
the World Series that year.
Jack Combs' 1910 season remainsa benchmark for pitching
(15:45):
excellence, highlighting hisdominance during one of the most
impressive single seasonperformances in baseball history
.
So hats off to Bob Gibson foreven cracking this list in the
modern day again.
Compared to these otherpitchers who pitched back in the
day Now, sandy Koufax's 1965Los Angeles Dodgers season was
(16:09):
the only other one post-1910s tobe able to make it in the top
20 of our list, ranked 12th.
So besides ranking number oneon this list, walter Johnson
also ranked 8th and 10th.
So there you go.
Baseball classics scores andranks, not just pitchers but all
the players in Major LeagueBaseball history from 1901 to
(16:32):
present.
So that's where we were able topublish our first book earlier
in 2024, baseball ClassicsSingle Season, all-time
All-Stars book where, by eachfranchise, we list the top
single season performances byposition.
So that's a wrap for thisBaseball Classics Diamondcast.
Thanks again, so much for tuningin.
Do yourself a favor, you knowwhat I'm about to say.
(16:54):
Head on over tobaseballclassicscom slash
diamondview to get the latestupdates every day on what's
happening in Major LeagueBaseball history.
I guarantee you you won't findthis in any one website anywhere
else, anything even close tohow comprehensive we scour
through to make sure we'regiving you everything that's
happening each and every day inmajor league baseball, so you
(17:15):
get the latest and greatestwithout having to spend your
time doing it.
We take care of it for you.
So we'll see you next time inthe baseball classics diamond
class.
So long, everybody.
Major League Baseball fans, get ready for a close-up
look from the top step of thedugout.
Welcome to the BaseballClassics Podcast.
Covering any season from 1901to the present, We'll explore
exciting pennant races, diveheadfirst, analyzing and even
doing some comparisons that arebound to settle an argument or
(00:24):
start one up.
And now here's your host, DeanPitino.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Hello again, everybody.
Thanks so much for tuning in tothis Baseball Classics
Diamondcast.
Always my pleasure to be withyou.
Hope you're having a great daywherever this finds you to be
with you.
Hope you're having a great daywherever this finds you.
Let's get started with thisepisode.
It is the seven greatestpitching seasons in Major League
(00:53):
Baseball history.
We use Baseball ClassicsDiamond Data System to score all
the pitchers from 1901 to thepresent, and these are the top
seven, the pinnacle of pitchingperformance.
So discover what they did thattranscended the game and etched
(01:14):
their names into the annals ofbaseball greatness.
So we use our special moundrating formula to rank the best
pitching performances.
And these top seven happen tobe all right-handed pitchers,
with only one who could beclassified as modern day, at
least relative to the rest ofthe pitchers on this list, which
(01:37):
begins with the best of the topseven elite pitching
performances stating their name,season, team and their rating
that we've given them as well.
So we're starting with the bestone of all time.
It happened back in 1913.
Walter Big Train Johnson of theWashington Senators.
(02:00):
We gave him a rating of 64-32.5.
His 19-13 season is regarded bymany as one of the greatest
single-season pitchingperformances in Major League
Baseball history.
Pitching for the WashingtonSenators, johnson delivered an
extraordinary display ofdominance and consistency.
(02:22):
He finished the season with arecord of 36-7, an impressive
feat that showcased his abilityto lead his team to victory.
His earned run average of 1.14was a testament to his control
and effectiveness on the mound,allowing only a handful of runs
(02:44):
over the course of the season.
Can you imagine that?
36-7 with an ERA of 1.14.
So he also led the league instrikeouts that season, banning
243 batters, and maintained aremarkable whip of 0.78, further
(03:05):
underscoring his command overopposing hitters.
Now, what makes Johnson's 1913season even more remarkable is
the context in which it occurred.
This era, known as the deadball era, was characterized by
low scoring games and a lack ofoffensive firepower, making
pitching duels commonplace.
(03:27):
Despite this, johnson'sstatistics stood out not just
against his contemporaries, butalso against the broader
historical landscape of baseball.
He was awarded the ChalmersAward, the equivalent of the
modern day MVP, for hisexceptional contributions.
Johnson's ability to dominatehitters with his powerful
(03:48):
fastball and pinpoint accuracyset a standard for pitching
excellence and left an indeliblemark on the game, solidifying
his legacy as one of thegreatest history.
Next at number two, 1908 ChicagoWhite Sox Ed Walsh.
(04:09):
With a 6036.3 rating, edWalsh's 1908 season is heralded
as one of the most remarkablepitching performances in Major
League Baseball history.
In pitching for the ChicagoWhite Sox, walsh's dominance on
the mound was unparalleled.
He finished the season with anastounding 40-15 record,
(04:33):
becoming one of the few pitchersin Major League Baseball
history to achieve 40 wins in asingle season.
His earned run average of 1.42reflected his exceptional
ability to stifle opposinghitters consistently.
Walsh's endurance was also onfull display as he pitched a
(04:53):
staggering 464 innings, oftencompleting games single-handedly
, which is a testament to hisresilience and workhorse
mentality.
Pitching 464 innings and an ERAof only 1.42?
Absolutely remarkable.
So, in addition to his wins andhis ERA, walsh struck out 269
(05:17):
batters, leading the league andshowcasing his ability to
overpower hitters.
His arsenal of pitches,particularly his devastating
spitball, baffled hittersthroughout the season.
The 1908 season took placeduring the dead ball era, of
course, a time when offensiveoutput was generally low, yet
Walsh's performance still standsout even in this context of
(05:40):
dominant pitching.
His efforts were instrumentalin keeping the White Sox
competitive in a tight pennantrace.
Ed Walsh's 1908 season remainsa benchmark for pitching
excellence, highlighting a levelof durability and dominance
that has rarely been matched inthe annals of baseball history.
Number three happened in 1915.
(06:03):
Philadelphia Phillies' GroverAlexander is rating 59-41.1.
So Grover Cleveland Alexander's1915 season is often regarded
as well as one of the mostoutstanding pitching
performances in Major LeagueBaseball history.
(06:23):
Again playing for thePhiladelphia Phillies, his
dominance on the mound was a keyfactor in leading the Phillies
to their dominance on the moundwas a key factor in leading the
Phillies to their first everNational League pennant.
He finished the season with anextraordinary record of 31-10,
showcasing his ability toconsistently win games for his
team.
His earned run average of 1.22was a testament to his control
(06:48):
and effectiveness, allowing veryfew runs over the course of the
season.
Alexander's prowess was furtherhighlighted by his
league-leading 12 shutouts,which remains one of the highest
single-season totals in MajorLeague Baseball history.
In addition to his impressivewin-loss record, in ERA
(07:10):
Alexander struck out 241 batters, demonstrating his ability to
overpower hitters.
His control was impeccable, asevidenced by his remarkably low
whip, a figure that was 0.842.
It underscores his precisionand dominance on the mound.
(07:31):
Alexander's 1915 season isparticularly notable given the
context of the dead ball erawhere, again, offense was
generally suppressed.
Yet again, his performance aswell, stood out as absolutely
exceptional.
His efforts not only securedpersonal accolades such as the
National League Triple Crown forpitchers that's leading the
(07:53):
league in wins, era andstrikeouts, but also cemented
his legacy as one of thegreatest pitchers of all time.
Number four this one would beconsidered modern day compared
to the other pitchers on thislist Happened in 1968, called
(08:14):
the year of the pitcher, the StLouis Cardinals' Bob Gibson.
We have a rating of 58-76.1.
His 1968 season stands as oneof the most dominant pitching
performances in the history ofMajor League Baseball.
Playing for the St LouisCardinals, gibson's dominance on
the mound that year wasunprecedented.
(08:35):
He finished the season with aremarkable 22-9 record and
astonishing 1.12 ERA, the lowestsingle-season ERA in the live
ball era, and that's post-1920.
This extraordinary performanceearned him both the National
League Cy Young Award and theMVP Award, making him one of the
(08:56):
few pitchers to achieve such afeat.
Gibson's prowess was furtherunderscored by his 13 shutouts,
tying the record for the most ina single season since 1900.
Gibson's season was not onlyabout ERA and shutouts.
He also struck out 268 batters,consistently overpowering
(09:17):
hitters with his fierce fastballand devastating slider.
His control and composure wereevident in his whip of 0.853,
which is, of course, walks plushits per innings pitched.
And on the 1968 season forGibson, often referred to again
as the yearly pitcher, saw manydominant pitching performances,
(09:38):
but Gibson's again stood out asthe most impressive.
His success led to significantchanges in the game, including
lowering the pitcher's mound thefollowing year to give hitters
a fairer chance.
Bob Gibson's 1968 seasonremains a benchmark for pitching
excellence, embodying thepinnacle of skill, endurance and
(10:01):
dominance on the mound.
Five happened back in 1916.
Grover Alexander his rating5780.4 according to our scoring,
so this is the second time heappears on the list.
(10:21):
It's a jaw-droppingaccomplishment to own two of the
top seven greatest major leagueseason pitching performances on
this list.
So Grover Cleveland Alexander's1916 season was another
extraordinary chapter in thecareer of one of baseball's
greatest pitchers.
Playing for the PhiladelphiaPhillies, alexander followed up
(10:44):
his stellar 1915 campaign with anear equally impressive
performance.
He finished the season with adominant 33-12 record, leading
the league in wins for thesecond consecutive year.
His earner and average of 1.55was not only a testament to his
exceptional control andconsistency, but also placed him
(11:06):
among the league's elitepitchers.
Alexander's ability to stymiehitters was further evidenced by
his league-leading 16 shutouts,a record that still stands as
one of the highest single-seasontotals in Major League history.
In addition to his impressivewin-loss record, in ERA,
(11:26):
alexander struck out 167 batters, showcasing his ability to
overpower opponents with hisprecise and deceptive pitches.
His whip was 0.96.
Underscored again his dominanceon the mound, allowing few
batter or few, allowing few baserunners throughout the season.
(11:47):
The 1916 season solidifiedAlexander's reputation as a
workhorse, as he pitched anastonishing 389 innings,
demonstrating his remarkabledurability and endurance.
His performance that year notonly earned him the National
League Triple Crown for pitchersleading the league again in
(12:08):
wins, era and strikeouts, butalso further cemented his legacy
as one of the greatest pitchersin baseball history.
All right, we're going tonumber six on our list.
It happened back in 1908.
New York Giants' ChristyMathewson, with a rating of
5748.6.
According to our Diamond DataScoring System, christy
(12:32):
Mathewson's 1908 season iswidely regarded as one of the
most exceptional pitchingperformances in Major League
Baseball history.
Playing for the New York Giants, mathewson demonstrated
unparalleled skill and controlcontrol on the mound finishing
the season with a stellar 37-11record.
His earned run average of 1.43was among the best in the league
(12:57):
, underscoring his dominanceover opposing pitchers.
Mathewson's ability toconsistently deliver quality
starts was reflected in his 11shutouts and 34 complete games,
showcasing his remarkableendurance and reliability as a
pitcher.
Now his performance in 1998 wasnot only about his win-loss
(13:19):
record and his ERA.
He also struck out 259 batters,illustrating his ability to
overpower hitters with hissignature fadeaway pitch, now
known as a screwball.
His whip of 0.83 highlightedhis exceptional control and
position, as he rarely allowedbase runners.
(13:39):
The 1908 season was a pivotalyear in Mathewson's career and
in the history of baseball, ashis contributions were crucial
in the Giants' fiercecompetitive race.
His remarkable achievementsthat season solidified his
legacy as one of the greatestpitchers of all time, and his
performance remains a benchmarkfor pitching excellence in the
(14:00):
annals of baseball history.
Now we go on to the seventhpitcher who made our list for
the greatest single-seasonpitching performances of all
time since 1901.
And number seven happened in1910.
Jack Coombs of the PhiladelphiaAthletics.
We rated him at 57-44.1.
(14:21):
The City of Brotherly Love addsanother pitcher to this list.
Jack Coombs' 1910 season standsout as one of the most
remarkable pitching performancesin baseball history.
Pitching for the PhiladelphiaAthletics, coombs delivered an
extraordinary season that sawhim finish with an impressive
(14:41):
31-9 record.
His 31 wins led the league andshowcased his ability to
consistently dominate opponents.
Akum's earned run average of1.30 further underscored his
exceptional control andeffectiveness on the mound,
allowing just 81 earned runsover 353 innings pitched.
(15:02):
His season included 13 shutouts, demonstrating his knack for
preventing runs and securingvictories for his team.
Combs' 19-10 season was notonly about the raw statistics,
but also about his remarkableendurance and resilience.
He pitched 35 complete games, atestament to his stamina and
(15:23):
reliability.
As a starting pitcher, combsalso struck out 224 batters,
displaying his ability tooverpower hitters with his
fastball and curveball.
His performance was pivotal inleading the athletics to the
American League pennant, andthey eventually went on to win
the World Series that year.
Jack Combs' 1910 season remainsa benchmark for pitching
(15:45):
excellence, highlighting hisdominance during one of the most
impressive single seasonperformances in baseball history
.
So hats off to Bob Gibson foreven cracking this list in the
modern day again.
Compared to these otherpitchers who pitched back in the
day Now, sandy Koufax's 1965Los Angeles Dodgers season was
(16:09):
the only other one post-1910s tobe able to make it in the top
20 of our list, ranked 12th.
So besides ranking number oneon this list, walter Johnson
also ranked 8th and 10th.
So there you go.
Baseball classics scores andranks, not just pitchers but all
the players in Major LeagueBaseball history from 1901 to
(16:32):
present.
So that's where we were able topublish our first book earlier
in 2024, baseball ClassicsSingle Season, all-time
All-Stars book where, by eachfranchise, we list the top
single season performances byposition.
So that's a wrap for thisBaseball Classics Diamondcast.
Thanks again, so much for tuningin.
Do yourself a favor, you knowwhat I'm about to say.
(16:54):
Head on over tobaseballclassicscom slash
diamondview to get the latestupdates every day on what's
happening in Major LeagueBaseball history.
I guarantee you you won't findthis in any one website anywhere
else, anything even close tohow comprehensive we scour
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(17:15):
get the latest and greatestwithout having to spend your
time doing it.
We take care of it for you.
So we'll see you next time inthe baseball classics diamond
class.
So long, everybody.
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