Let The Numbers Do The Talking: Maddux VS Johnson VS Clemens

Let The Numbers Do The Talking: Maddux VS Johnson VS Clemens

I agree that you cannot really compare player’s stats from different eras.  While the end numbers are fun to look at, especially when trying to rank a player versus others, times were different.  From league expansion, changes in field dimensions, and the changes in athletic ability between today’s group of superstars and the ones from prior eras, there is no way to deny that the stars of the game today have a leg up on their predecessors.

But we can very easily compare the players that competed at the same time, sometimes against one another.  As we get close to the start of the 2010 baseball season, I am ready to go.  I’m studying rosters, checking out Spring Training box scores, and keeping a close eye on guys playing for new teams.

Starting with this post, and throughout the season, I will show off some interesting stats I find.  And I’ll even offer my analysis of some of the game’s ‘Top’ players as I watch them battle the Marlins.

Today I wanted to take a look at the amazing careers of Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, and Roger Clemens.  A fan of all three, I was wondering which one of them had the most fulfilling career.  All 3 are sure bets to make it into the Hall of Fame.  And it could very easily be argued that these three are the most accomplished pitchers of the last 30 years.

Let’s let the numbers do the talking:

	Maddux	Johnson	Clemens
Seasons	23	22	24
Wins	355	303	354
Losses	227	166	184
Win/Loss %	61.0%	64.6%	65.8%
20-win seasons	2	3	6
15-19 win seasons	16	8	6
Shutouts	35	37	46
Complete Games	109	100	118
ERA	3.16	3.29	3.12
K’s	3,371	4,875	4,672
K’s:9 innings	6.1	10.6	8.6
K’s:Walks	3.37	3.26	2.96
No-Hitters	0	2	0
Cy Young Awards	4	5	7
Cy Young (2nd-5th)	5	4	3
All-star	8	10	11
Gold Gloves	18	0	0
Post-seasons	13	8	12
World Series	1	1	2

 

Solid stuff, huh.  I think that these three pitchers and their numbers could stack up very well against any three pitchers from any era.

But, who was the best??  Maddux seems to have been the steadiest with his 16 years of winning between 15-19 games.  Johnson was the hardest throwing of the bunch with his incredible 10.6 strikeouts per 9 innings.  And Clemens had the lowest ERA and the highest number of complete games and shutouts.

My pick, and it was very hard to make this selection let alone rank them, goes to Roger Clemens.  Sure, he won more Cy Young awards and 1 more World Series title than the other guys.  And yes, Greg Maddux was the best fielder of the group, maybe of all-time at pitcher.  And Randy Johnson continued to dominate hitters well into his mid-40′s.

But Roger Clemens did it all.  A fire-baller with precision control.  Clemens struck out batters like no-one else, and he did it while staying composed and in control.  His career ERA of 2.96 is well below the other guys, and that included 6 years of having less than a 2.50 ERA too.  ‘Rocket’ made his teams into instant championship contenders – and he did that for 3 of the 4 teams he suited up for.  Maddux and Johnson both had playoff and World Series success, but while they were the best hurlers on their pitching staffs, that did not always result in their teams being better due to their presence.  For Clemens, it did!

You’ve seen the numbers.  You know these guys.  If you had to rank them – who would earn your top spot?? 

 

‘Same Card, Different Paths’ – Card #52

‘Same Card, Different Paths’ – Card #52

1972 Topps - Card #761 – AKA – ‘The Ron Cey Rookie Card’

Ben Oglivie - A 16-year veteran that was a solid contributor for the Red Sox, Tigers, and Brewers, Ben Oglivie had a nice career as a big league player.  An outfielder that could play either in left or right, Oglivie solidified his role with his solid all-around play.  Oglivie was a 3-time All-star.  In his best season, 1980, he finished in 13th place for the MVP Award with his .304 batting average, 41 home runs, and 118 RBI.

Ron Cey – The ‘Penguin’ was as solid as they come during the 1970′s and into the 80′s.  The anchor of the Dodgers star-studded line-up, Ron Cey did it all.  A 6-time All-star, Cey finished his career with 1,868 hits, 316 home runs, and 1,139 RBI.  He played in 4 World Series match-ups with the Dodgers, winning just one title in 1981.  During the ’81 championship, Cey was named World Series MVP with his .350 batting average alongside 7 hits, 6 RBI, 3 runs scored, and 1 home run.  

Bernie Williams – Williams played for 4 seasons in the majors.  During that time he appeared in 102 games for the Giants and Padres.   A utility outfielder, Williams spent time playing all three spots.  Williams compiled a .192 batting average during his career while collecting 33 hits, scoring 23 runs, smacking 4 home runs, and striking out 53 times.

Dale Murphy 1989 Upper Deck

Dale Murphy 1989 Upper Deck

Adding to the never-ending array of Dale Murphy cards featuring posed images, Upper Deck followed suit with their debut issue in 1989.

That’s right.  The cutting edge company that offered us 2 color images, high-quality cardstock, super-glossy finishes, and holograms gave us this:

Why would I expect anything different, right?  I mean, maybe just maybe the companies thought that this was the best way to capture Murphy.  I mean, what other kind of images would a fan want of a 2-time MVP and annual Gold Glove winner???

Sheesh.

Happy Birthday Tom Glavine!!

Tom Glavine turns 44 years old today.

For me, there is only one question left for Tom Glavine to face as he nears the end of his career.  And that question is – What Hall of Fame class does he want to be part of?

Looking back at the players that have retired in the last year, Glavine is one of the most highly decorated and respected of the group.  He seems very likely to be a 1st ballot entrant into the Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible.  Now it is just all about deciding when to hang up his spikes.

Already the owner of 305 victories, 2 Cy Young Awards, 10 All-star team selections, 4 Silver Slugger Awards, and a World Series championship, Glavine had done everything needed to solidify himself as one of his era’s greatest pitching talents. 

Now he just needs to decide if he wants to add HOF 2015 or HOF 2016 to his resume. 

Happy Birthday Mr. Glavine!!

Andre Dawson 2005 Donruss Champions Impressions Game-Used Dual Relic Card

Andre Dawson 2005 Donruss Champions Impressions Game-Used Dual Relic Card

Now this one is a true work of art!!  I have already expressed my love for this 2005 Donruss Champions design, so adding  a few more variations if this card is a nice complement to the base version I picked up a while back.

This card, numbered 64/165, features the same great imagery and design elements as the base card.  But it’s kicked up a bit with 2 pieces of game-used relics - pieces of jersey and bat used by Andre Dawson.

Of all of the game-used memorabilia cards I have added to my collection over the last year of Andre, this one easily ranks in the Top 3.  One of these days, I will do a special post ranking them.  But if you cannot wait for that, you can always check out my full collection here.

TTM Success: 1960 World Series MVP Bobby Richardson

TTM Success: 1960 World Series MVP Bobby Richardson

104 days was well worth the wait to grab 2 sweet looking autographs of this World Series legend!!

Bobby Richardson has a very artsy looking signature, and it comes out beautifully in Blue Sharpie!!

The MVP of the 1960 World Series, Richardson’s role in that championship match-up of his Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates was vital.  In that 7-game series, Richardson hit .367 as he collected 11 hits in 30 at-bats.  He also scored 8 runs, hit a homer, and drove in 12.  Stuff that legends are made of, right there!!!

Thank you Mr. Richardson!!!

Ron Santo 1972 Topps

Ron Santo 1972 Topps

I nabbed this 1972 Topps gem for the low price of $1.99. 

The photo was taken during Spring Training, and I have to imagine that Santo was pretty warm in his sweat jacket while baking under the Arizona sun.  I also find his lone batting glove to be a flashback to the 70′s and 80′s.

Nearing the end of his playing days, and final seasons with the Cubs, Santo still put up some solid numbers in 1972.  During that season, he hit .302 while smashing 17 homers and collecting 74 RBI.    He also made the All-star team for the 8th time in his career.

Did You Know…

On July 12, 1997, in his first appearance against his former team the Boston Red Sox, Roger Clemens set the Toronto Blue Jays strikeout record by fanning 16 batters at Fenway Park.  Clemens notched the 16 strikeouts in only 8 innings as Toronto beat Boston 3-1.  On August 25, 1998, Clemens would increase the Blue Jays strikeout record by fanning 18 members of the Kansas City Royals.

**factoid courtesy of ‘Big League Trivia’

My take – Always ready for the ‘BIG’ moments, I wonder what the ‘Fenway Faithful’ thought off Rocket’s first game back in Boston…

What To Do When One Of Your Favorites Now Suits Up For ‘The Enemy’…

What To Do When One Of Your Favorites Now Suits Up For ‘The Enemy’…

Ok, so here is the deal.  It’s not news any longer, but Roy Halladay is now the ace of the Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff.

But for me, a die-hard Florida Marlins fan, I am at a critical impasse.  You see, Roy Halladay is and has been my favorite non-Marlins pitcher for the better part of a decade.  And now he is playing for the team we fall to every year.  And all he does is make them better.  I have no doubt in my mind that securing Halladay gives the Phillies an incredible shot at winning the NL East, again.  And as much as I would like to see the Marlins challenge them for the top spot, I know that we are still a few key players away from making it a real competition for division supremacy.

But back to Halladay…  What do I do now that he’s wearing a Phillies hat??  ‘My team’ will face him now, probably 3-4 times a season.  Before, I was able to watch him from afar and cheer for him as he beat the AL silly.  But now that he is in the NL and playing for the team that my Marlins need to conquer, I am stumped…

Cheer the guy on and hope he gets a no-decision when he battles ‘The Fish’??  Root for him to dominate the NL the same way he whipped on the AL for the last 12 years??  Start to hope for his demise??

Help me please!!!

‘On The Road With psugator02′ – March 21, 2010

10:45 a.m.-1 p.m.
Doral Golf Resort & Spa
2010 Canon Florida Classic
to benefit Nat Moore Foundation

Knew that NFL HOFer Bobby Bell and MLB HOFer Rollie Fingers would be there. And I need Bell on a few GLACs and Fingers on a book. Also had heard that George Bell, who won the 1987 MVP while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, might attend. After that, I would get everyone else on white sheets. Sat idle for probably 90 minutes, seeing only Nat Moore and Mark Duper and I didn’t care about either. Finally decided to look at name tags on the golf carts and noticed that Lawrence Taylor was scheduled to play in the tournament, in addition to Sterling Sharpe, Fred Williams (the actor) and Richard Roundtree of “Shaft” fame.

I got a little dizzy when I looked over my shoulder and saw LT get in a golf cart. I wasn’t expecting to see him and didn’t really have anything for him. On top of that, I was one of only two graphers at the event. But as soon as I got Sharpe (1/1 whitesheet) a Doral security guard walked over and told me that I’d have to leave if I wasn’t a guest of the hotel.

Sure was a long way to drive for one graph. But the day wasn’t over.

Washington Nationals at Florida Marlins
2:30-5:30 p.m.
Jupiter, Fla.
Roger Dean Stadium

John Lannan: 1/1 (’09 Ginter), 1/1 (’09 Ginter with help)
Andrew Miller: 7/7
Ivan Rodriguez: 1/1 (SI), 1/1 (’08 Ginter)…stopped to sign on the way to his car. said he would do 1-per for everyone if we lined up. The mag was done in silver Sharpie and didn’t turn out too great. I told Pudge as much and he signed another item, albeit reluctantly
Dave Collins: 1/1 (card)..said he was in a hurry
Jeff Conine: 1/1 (bobblehead)..signed the brim…glad i finally got it done because i was getting tired of carrying it around
Jake Smolinski: 2/2
Kyle Skipworth: 1/1 (pic with)
Blake Brewer: 1/1 (pic with)…Read a Baseball America article that said Brewer had a lot of potential so I decided to get my picture taken with him last year…Finally was able to get it signed
Hanley Ramirez: 0/1 ..he actually stopped to sign while walking from the clubhouse to his car. Then he stopped to sign again, this time while in his car. But he got mobbed both times
Chris Volstad: 0/1…it looked like Ricky Nolasco was taking Volstad on a ride in his new car….not sure what happened to Volstad but all of a sudden he has stopped signing
Cameron Maybin: 0/1…tried to get his attention but he wouldn’t stop his car
Chris Coghlan: 1/1 (SS, ROMLB) …again refused to inscribe “ROY”

If you would to contact Mark, he can be reached at psugator02@yahoo.com.