Two currently active pitchers have achieved the extremely rare and difficult feat of a won-lost record 100 or more games over .500. Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinezare members of a very exclusive club:
|
PITCHER
|
WINS OVER .500
|
||
| Tim Keefe (1880-1893) |
117
|
||
| Old Hoss Radbourn (1881-1891) |
115
|
||
| John Clarkson (1882-1894) |
150
|
||
| Bob Caruthers (1884-1892) |
119
|
||
| Kid Nichols (1890-1906) |
153
|
||
| Cy Young (1890-1911) |
195
|
||
| Iron Man McGinnity (1899-1908) |
104
|
||
| Christy Mathewson (1900-1916) |
185
|
||
| Eddie Plank (1901-1917) |
132
|
||
| Three-Finger Brown (1903-1916) |
109
|
||
| Walter Johnson (1907-1927) |
138
|
||
| Grover Alexander (1911-1930) |
165
|
||
| Lefty Grove (1925-1941) |
159
|
||
| Bob Feller (1936-1956) |
104
|
||
| Warren Spahn (1942-1965) |
118
|
||
| Whitey Ford (1950-1967) |
130
|
||
| Juan Marichal (1960-1975) |
101
|
||
| Jim Palmer (1965-1984) |
116
|
||
| Tom Seaver (1967-1986) |
106
|
||
| Roger Clemens (1984-2007) |
170
|
||
| Greg Maddux (1986-2008) |
128
|
||
| Tom Glavine (1987-2008) |
102
|
||
| *Randy Johnson (1988-2009) |
137
|
||
| Mike Mussina (1991-2008) |
117
|
||
| *Pedro Martinez (1992-2009) |
119
|
* Active
(Source: Total Baseball)
100 games over .500 is the ultimate standard of pitching skill plus durability. Of the 19 Hall of Fame-eligible pitchers listed above, only Bob Caruthers has not been enshrined.
It’s somewhat surprising to see Mike Mussina on this list because few fans ever esteemed him as a star. Mussina went 4-5 for Baltimore after his debut in August 1991. After that he had just one losing season, 11-15 in 2000, his last year in Baltimore. Mussina won 270 games after winning 20 for the first time in his final season, 2008. He has an impressive lifetime record for a man who, at his best, was recognized as very good but was never, at any time, considered great. Never a charismatic performer, never dominating, he was nevertheless a very tough pitcher to beat, and that deserves respect.
Note: Only the immortal Cy Young ever made it to 200 games over .500, and he was there for just a few weeks in 1909. Young’s career mark of 195 games over, however, is the all-time record.
Neither Johnson nor Martinez figures to be pitching much longer, if ever. Is any currently active pitcher closing in on the +100 mark? Just one: Andy Pettitte. Pettitte’s 14-8 season lifted his lifetime record to 229-135 (+94). If he continues to pitch for the Yankees, he has a real shot at +100. Pettitte has been pitching in the majors since 1995 and has never had a losing season. He will be 37 years old on Opening Day 2010.
When in Lake George, dine at the Old Log Inn.
October 2009
