{"id":9590,"date":"2010-11-18T17:50:20","date_gmt":"2010-11-19T00:50:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.seamheads.com\/?p=9590"},"modified":"2010-11-19T11:46:22","modified_gmt":"2010-11-19T18:46:22","slug":"the-myth-of-the-300-game-winner-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2010\/11\/18\/the-myth-of-the-300-game-winner-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Myth of the 300-game Winner"},"content":{"rendered":"

It has been often written that the 300-game winner will never exist again.<\/p>\n

This is a total fallacy.\u00c2\u00a0 There have been only twenty-four such occurrences in Major League Baseball history.\u00c2\u00a0 Did you know that there are more members in the 3000-hit club and the 500-home run club?<\/p>\n

The role of the starting pitcher has changed dramatically over the years.\u00c2\u00a0 Today, starting pitchers work in a five-man rotation, rarely completing games.\u00c2\u00a0 The philosophy of using pitch-counts limits their workload and the heavy reliance on relievers decreases the chances of recording wins.\u00c2\u00a0 In essence, the combination of less starts and complete games equals fewer victories for a starting pitcher during their career.<\/p>\n

Late 19th <\/sup>century (6),<\/em><\/p>\n

Pud Galvin (1888), Tim Keefe (1890), Mickey Welch (1890), Charles Radbourn (1891), John Clarkson (1892), Kid Nichols (1900)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The original 300-game winner<\/p><\/div>\n

From 1888-1892, five Hall of Fame pitchers initiated the 300-win club.\u00c2\u00a0 On June 4, 1888, James \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Pud\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Galvin became the first pitcher in history to win 300-games for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys. \u00c2\u00a0The diminutive right-hander possessed a devastating fastball and change-up that baffled opposing hitters during his fifteen-year career. \u00c2\u00a0Exactly two-years later, Tim Keefe joined the elite circle of winners as a member of the New York Giants of the defunct Players League.\u00c2\u00a0 Two months after, Mickey Welch, captured the historic win as a member of the National League New York Giants.\u00c2\u00a0 Remarkably, he still holds the MLB-record for striking out the first nine batters to begin a game on August 28, 1884.\u00c2\u00a0 In 1891, Charles \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Old Hoss\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Radbourn finished his brief eleven-year career with 309-wins, including a single-season record of 59, established during the 1884 season for the Providence Grays. \u00c2\u00a0On September 21, 1892, John Clarkson, recorded his milestone victory as member of the Cleveland Spiders. \u00c2\u00a0He was the last pitcher to win 300-games in the eighteen hundreds.<\/p>\n

Following the 1893 season, the pitching distance was considerably altered.\u00c2\u00a0 The National League instituted the 60 feet-6 inch rule changes from home plate shifting the advantage slightly towards the hitter.\u00c2\u00a0 The additional ten-and-a-half feet enabled the batter\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s reaction time to gain slightly and an offensive explosion ensued.\u00c2\u00a0 In 1894, the league\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s overall batting average rose to a staggering .309 up .054 points from the previous campaign.\u00c2\u00a0 As a result, only nineteen players have collected their 300-win while pitching at the current distance.<\/p>\n

Early 20th <\/sup>century (5),<\/em><\/p>\n

Cy Young (1901), Christy Mathewson (1912), Eddie Plank (1915), Walter Johnson (1920), Grover Alexander (1924)<\/p>\n

During this period, the four most prolific winners in baseball history added their names to the record books.\u00c2\u00a0 Cy Young (511), Walter Johnson (417), Christy Mathewson (373), and Grover Alexander (373).\u00c2\u00a0 The foursome combined to win 1,674 and completed a staggering 2,152 games during their Hall of Fame careers.\u00c2\u00a0 This is the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mount Rushmore\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of pitching.\u00c2\u00a0 In the current pitching climate, it is difficult to envision any pitcher winning more games than anyone in this quartet.\u00c2\u00a0 Greg Maddux, 355-career wins, narrowly missed entering this pantheon of\u00c2\u00a0greatness.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Cy Young: 511-wins<\/p><\/div>\n

511-wins. \u00c2\u00a0Say that number out loud. \u00c2\u00a0Denton True \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cy\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Young amassed a preposterous career win total. \u00c2\u00a0The legendary right-hander compiled ninety-four more wins (22.5%) than Walter \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Big Train\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Johnson.\u00c2\u00a0 To illustrate, the greatest hitter of all-time, Babe Ruth, won 94 games in his career before transitioning to a full-time outfielder.\u00c2\u00a0 This is the safest record in the history of organized baseball.\u00c2\u00a0 However, Johnson might have been the most dominant pitcher of all-time.\u00c2\u00a0 He tossed an astounding 110-shutouts during his twenty-one year career.\u00c2\u00a0 Incredibly, of his 417 wins, 26.4% of them were complete-game shutouts. \u00c2\u00a0Christy \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Big Six\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Mathewson compiled a 373-188 record over a brilliant seventeen-year career.\u00c2\u00a0 He won 20 or more games, twelve consecutive \u00c2\u00a0seasons (1903-14), still an MLB-record. \u00c2\u00a0Meanwhile, Grover Alexander established an MLB-rookie record, 28 \u00c2\u00a0wins, in 1911 for the Philadelphia Phillies.\u00c2\u00a0 Over the next nineteen seasons, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Old Pete\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, tied Mathewson for the\u00c2\u00a0third most wins (373) in baseball history.<\/p>\n

Mid-20th<\/sup> century (3),<\/em><\/p>\n

Lefty Grove (1941), Warren Spahn (1961) Early Wynn (1963)<\/p>\n

After 1920, the spitball was outlawed from the game altering the landscape of the pitching friendly dead-ball era to the offensive laden live-ball\u00c2\u00a0era.\u00c2\u00a0 Pitchers often \u00e2\u20ac\u0153loaded\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the ball with tobacco juice, vaseline, any other substances available.\u00c2\u00a0 This might explain the dearth of 300-game winners during this era.\u00c2\u00a0 Meanwhile, World War II was responsible for many great pitchers leaving their baseball careers behind.\u00c2\u00a0 The most prominent example was the Cleveland Indians ace, Bob Feller.\u00c2\u00a0 He missed four prime years of his stellar career serving in the military, leaving him just thirty-four wins shy of the magical mark.<\/p>\n

From 1924-1982, there were only three pitchers to collect 300-wins.\u00c2\u00a0 Lefty Grove started only 457 games, the fewest number for any member of the club.\u00c2\u00a0 He appeared in additional 159 games in relief to help augment his final win total of exactly 300 games.\u00c2\u00a0 His .680 lifetime winning percentage remains the highest of any 300-game winner.\u00c2\u00a0 Warren Spahn holds the MLB-record for most career victories, 363, by a left-handed pitcher despite serving three years in World War II.\u00c2\u00a0 Conceivably, he could have been the third member, along with Cy Young and Walter Johnson, of the 400-win club.\u00c2\u00a0 Early Wynn completed his long career, tied with Lefty Grove, with 300-wins.\u00c2\u00a0 He finished the 1962 season with 299-wins after being released by the Chicago White Sox.\u00c2\u00a0 In June 1963, he signed with the Cleveland Indians before attaining the elusive final win. The most prominent pitcher excluded from this era is Leroy Satchel Paige.\u00c2\u00a0 The legendary Negro League pitcher spent the majority of his career barred from MLB competition for segregation reasons.\u00c2\u00a0 From most accounts, Paige might have been the greatest pitcher in history.\u00c2\u00a0 At 59, he pitched three-scoreless innings for the Kansas City Athletics in 1965.\u00c2\u00a0 His unmatched longevity, tremendous fastball, and passion for the game might have placed him ahead of Cy Young\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s unthinkable 511-win total.<\/p>\n

Late 20th<\/sup> century (6),<\/em><\/p>\n

Gaylord Perry (1982), Steve Carlton (1983), Tom Seaver (1985), Phil Niekro (1985), Don Sutton (1986), Nolan Ryan (1990)<\/p>\n

In 1982, there were only fourteen members of the 300-win club.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Incredibly, 42% of the pitchers have accomplished the feat in the past twenty-eight seasons.\u00c2\u00a0 This is a staggering total considering the changes in philosophy on how starting pitchers are handled. \u00c2\u00a0Modern medicine has played a significant role in extending players careers.\u00c2\u00a0 The advent of the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Tommy John\u00e2\u20ac\u009d surgery has afforded them the opportunity to recover from a once career-ending injury.\u00c2\u00a0 Ironically, the pitcher named for the infamous medical procedure was forced to miss the entire 1975 season, leaving him only twelve victories shy of the mark.\u00c2\u00a0 Conceivably, the additional dozen wins could have forced the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) to induct John into the Hall of Fame.\u00c2\u00a0 Another notable exclusion, that barely missed the 300-win mark, is Bert Blyleven.\u00c2\u00a0 The curveball specialist missed almost two complete seasons due to arm related injuries.\u00c2\u00a0 His Hall of Fame candidacy has been under question for the past thirteen years narrowly missing the vote in 2010 (74.2%).\u00c2\u00a0 Unquestionably, the right-hander would have collected the remaining thirteen wins necessary for inclusion into the select club and his HOF speech would have been recited years ago.<\/p>\n

Early 21st<\/sup> century (4),<\/em><\/p>\n

Roger Clemens (2003), Greg Maddux (2004), Tom Glavine (2007), Randy Johnson (2009)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Greg Maddux: 355-wins<\/p><\/div>\n

The twenty-first century pitching quartet defied all of the odds by gaining entry to the exclusive 300-win club.\u00c2\u00a0 Greg Maddux, 355-wins, holds the distinction of recording the most victories by any living player.\u00c2\u00a0 Roger Clemens trails him by one victory.\u00c2\u00a0 The seven-time Cy Young Award winner has battled public scrutiny in recent years, with his possible usage of performance-enhancing drugs.\u00c2\u00a0 Maddux longtime teammate, Tom Glavine, reached the hallowed milestone in 2007 while pitching for the New York Mets.\u00c2\u00a0 The newest member, Randy Johnson, compiled a lifetime 303-166 record and five Cy Young Awards, upon retirement following the 2009 season.<\/p>\n

What does it take to win 300-games and gain immortality into Cooperstown? Health. Ability. Longevity. Luck.\u00c2\u00a0 In addition, increased salaries have potentially motivated players to remain active for longer careers.\u00c2\u00a0 This spells Hall of Fame credentials.<\/p>\n

The active pitcher with the highest probability of winning 300-games is C.C. Sabathia of the New York Yankees.\u00c2\u00a0 At 30, he has compiled a 157-88 record over the first ten seasons of his career, leaving him just 143-wins shy of the magical plateau.\u00c2\u00a0 Sabathia plays for a perennial powerhouse franchise with an offensive nucleus that should enable him to challenge the 20-win mark for the remaining five-years on his current contract.\u00c2\u00a0 His enormous frame and durability have enabled him to start at-least thirty games in every season but 2006.\u00c2\u00a0 Meanwhile, Sabathia has the luxury of turning the ball over to the greatest closer in history, Mariano Rivera.\u00c2\u00a0 If the dominant lefty avoids serious injury and maintains the desire to pitch for another decade, there is an excellent chance that he will become the twenty-fifth member of the exclusive 300-win club.<\/p>\n

The 300-game win plateau should be left to those who actually start games for a living.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Remember, there was a fifty-eight year period (1924-1982) when only three pitchers reached this extraordinary total.\u00c2\u00a0 Incredibly, there have been ten members added to the club during the past twenty-eight seasons.\u00c2\u00a0 The game of baseball runs in cycles and there will be another legendary hurler to eclipse the mark in the future despite the challenges of pitching in the modern era.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It has been often written that the 300-game winner will never exist again. This is a total fallacy.\u00c2\u00a0 There have been only twenty-four such occurrences in Major League Baseball history.\u00c2\u00a0 Did you know that there are more members in the 3000-hit club and the 500-home run club? The role of the starting pitcher has changed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":773,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,9,77],"tags":[12135,4565,251,12096,12136,12092,12134,2467,8945,840],"class_list":["post-9590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-features","category-general","category-hall-of-fame","tag-charles-radbourn","tag-christy-mathewson","tag-cy-young","tag-grover-alexander","tag-john-clarkson","tag-josh-robbins","tag-mickey-welch","tag-pud-galvin","tag-tim-keefe","tag-walter-johnson"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t