When I hear all the hype about guys like A-Rod, Stanton, Trout, etc. who are pretty good. I think it is good to have a little historical perspective.

This from Today in Baseball History: The Mick

While the Orioles held promise for the future, Mantle and the Yankees were in the middle of living up to their potential. Mantle was in the process of following up on his Triple Crown season in '56 with another run at the prize, but he would fall short in all three categories.

In 1956 Mantle had 52 HR, 130 RBI, .353 BA, .464 OBP, .705 SLG, 10 SB

 By wRC+ though, '57 was Mantle's greatest offensive year, as he finished with an incredible mark of 221, aided by an equally phenomenal .365/.512/.665 triple slash (yes, you read that correctly--Mantle reached base over half the time in '57).

Mantle won his second consecutive AL MVP. He continued to make himself into a legend through his long home runs, and perhaps none was more impressive in '57 than his first inning roundtripper against Baltimore's Ray Moore on August 10th.

Veteran left fielder Enos Slaughter reached first base on a single to left, bringing the dangerous Mantle up with a runner on while Baltimore fans were still settling into their seats at Memorial Stadium. The 25-year-old wonder they called "Muscles" put all his strength into a ferocious swing, sending the ball a long way to center field.

Mantle's drive soared far over center fielder Jim Busby's head.

In those days, the Memorial Stadium center field fence stood a distant 445 feet from home plate.

Mantle's drive soared far over the fence.

A big hedge sat 25 feet beyond the center field fence.

Mantle's drive soared far over the hedge.

Some estimates had the ball as far as 540 feet, but while the distance was not precise, it was clear that the odds of anyone ever hitting a ball further in Baltimore were extremely low. Indeed, it was the longest home run in the Orioles' 37-year tenure at Memorial Stadium. The Yankees had a quick 2-0 lead, and after stretching the lead to 5-0 in the third on a rally sparked by a Mantle drag bunt single, it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. The final score was 6-3. No player in major league history besides Mantle could belt an over-500 foot homer in one at-bat, then immediately start another with his speed on a drag bunt single.

Really? Center field was 445 ft.???

"During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times. I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times. You figure a ballplayer will average about 500 at-bats a season. That means I played 7 years without ever hitting the ball." - Mickey Mantle

And we haven't even mentioned defense.

Guess this Pitcher...

Ok, so I always remember Uncle Chris ranting about how effin dominant this guy was when he was "healthy."

Check out this season when this guy was 20 years old in 1985:

24-4 1.53 ERA 35 GS 16 CG(!!!) 8 SHO 276.2 IP 268 K's .965 WHIP

...won the CY, 20yrs old.

The Drawback of the Small Market Team

Currently, the Arizona Diamondbacks are 6.0 Games up in the National League West Division at the start of the last month of the regular season.  They are entering a three games series with the 2nd place team, the San Francisco Giants, tomorrow which can have a direct and major impact on the way the remainder of the month will play out.  Yet who will even know it happened?

If anything we've learned from the Great Quake of 2011 it's that nothing is media worthy if it doesn't affect New York or Boston.  A measly earthquake that caused next to no damage dominates the news for days on end is only an example of the bias news coverage that directly translates right into sports.  If you are not an East Coast team, don't expect National Coverage.  If it didn't happen to New York it didn't happen.

Even when the Pirates and Indians were doing well half way through the season it was just a blip on the national scene before coverage diverged back to the Red Sox, Yankees, and Phillies.  It's understood that their fan bases are nationally huge.  Their tv ratings are some of the highest in baseball.  Their ticket prices are the highest so therefore their gross revenues are the largest.  Which in turn brings in the big name free agents they all swoop up and secure before the little guy gets his fair chance.

Yet on September 1st, for the baseball fan in all of us, isn't a Division Series game with the playoffs on the line worth noting on ESPN?  The Diamondbacks have proven themselves over the course of this season as more than just a team on a hot streak.  They've proven themselves at this point to be a formidable opponent regardless of their opponent.  Yet still, September 1st, no national recognition.  No mention of their stellar starting pitching.  Their MLB best come from behind victories.  Feel good stories about their turnaround in the bullpen which at this time last year was holding an ERA north of 6.00.  They haven't blown a save since the All Star break.  Only team in baseball to hold that claim.

They play in the National League.  They play in the National League West.  I understand yet if this was the AL West is that any better?  If this is the AL Central is that any better?  I've never been convinced that because you play in the AL you are somehow superior to an NL player.  NL teams are not inferior to the AL teams or leagues as the World Series titles can attest to.  Take out the Yankees and Red Sox and their combined $400 million dollar payrolls and see where that leaves the standings since 1990.  The DH is an offensive advantage and a pitching disadvantage yet pitchers still don't go to the NL and suddenly start dominating.  So why all the NL disrespect?

Aside from the NL East and AL East there are not many divisions that have much for stacked teams.  As well as you don't only play the teams in your own division.  You have to play everyone in the league and every team is still a professional baseball team.  The Rockies for instance are struggling this year but have a #3 Tulowitski, #4 Helton and #5 Gonzalez.  As formidable as anything the AL has going for them.

If the division you played in was really all that mattered then why did the San Francisco Giants win the World Series last year?  Why are the Colorado Rockies (at least in recent years) consistently knocking off major opponents in the playoffs.  Why did the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in 2001?  The Division argument to me is moot when you reach the playoffs as anything can happen and everyone has an equal chance at winning.  What division you played in is not relevant beyond reaching the playoffs and what seed you end up with.

So when the Diamondbacks reach 90+ wins this season are they somehow less impressive than if the Angels get 90+ wins?  Are they somehow less worthy of recognition as a team to be reckoned with?  Nine straight wins and the starting staff has a 1.05 ERA?  I don't know if it matters what teams you are playing in the league, that's just plain impressive.

What will it take for these Diamondbacks to make it to ESPN, magazines and the like?  100 wins?  A sweep of the Phillies in the Playoffs?  A win against an AL East team in the World Series?  Given how the Giants are given little credit I don't know if even that will make a difference.

Maybe the Diamondbacks haven't earned the coverage?  Considering they only won 67 games last year with a near MLB worst ever team ERA and now almost 80 wins, division lead in September and one of the best pitching staffs in baseball??  Seems odd that I can't find coverage of this turnaround outside of the Arizona Republic and www.dbacks.com.

It'll be interesting to see how this weekend's series pans out against the Giants.  As well as the rest of the month.  I for one look forward to this time of the year, the close games, following opponents scores as close as your own, every at bat, hit, homerun, web gem, big k.  All meaningful in a way that they were not in April, May or June.  I hope the Diamondbacks come through this month and prove to the media world, and the national fans out there, that they are not a fluke, they are not going away and they are here to stay.

Inside the Yankee Clubhouse-Former Batboy

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/tales_from_the_dugout_batboy_tell_QR2Xw9gM2EU7szAdzuFvEJ/0

Marlins? Sure...

Sometime in the next 5-10 years I know I'll be moving to Florida, hopefully. To get a head start, at the beginning of this season, I started following the Marlins. I obviously can't follow the Rays because there rivals with NYY and I love the National League so I went with the Marlins, plus I love their uni's. I started a franchise with them on my baseball video game which is actually a great way to learn the rosters and minor league players. I added them to my Sport Center app and it's been fun following another team beside NYY.

They started really strong, faded hard, and are now back at .500 thanks to McKeon. 16 games behind the Phillies and 8 back from the Braves and the Wild Card, the have had an up and down season but their team is packed with young guys and great pitching. Once they trade that jerk Hanley and Josh Johnson gets healthy they could contend. It's been so fun following them and watching them on TV every once and a while. Especially Mike Stanton who crushes the ball on the reg...22 years old.

The biggest problem is that their fans suck and no one goes to games. Everyone down their is obsessed with the Miami Heat and college sports. I've devised there are a couple reasons why fans don't go along with the distractions of the Heat and Hurricans. With 2 World Series in their first 18 years you'd think they would have great fans but I think the biggest problem is how they dumped their players after both of their great seasons. They always seem to rebuild and get their fans back and then they dump and trade everyone, kind of like the Pirates. They got a new owner, started holding onto players, and now have a great manager so things are looking up.

Another reason their fans suck is their stadium. Its a football stadium, with hardly any good seats and it has no roof. So sitting at a ball game in 95% humidity while its 97 degrees out isn't ideal. Also, their stadium is in the ghetto and their isn't a lot of parking. It works for the Dolphins because they play in the fall when it's paradise and they only play once a week, 8 times a year. The good thing is the Marlins are opening a new park next season opening with 2 games against NYY which will pack their new stadium. The new park is sick. State of the art, roof plan similar to the Dbacks, near the water. Its also the 3rd smallest stadium in MLB so it only takes 30,000 people to show up to sell out haha.

New stadium opening April 2012

Anywho, just wanted to relate to pulling for these small market teams. I hope teams like the Dbacks, Marlins, Pirates, and Royals keep holding on to their young guns and develope a winning team. Idealy, it would be so cool if all the teams in MLB would be around .500 and have crazy pennant races in every division, every year.

Diamondback Nation

It's happening.

Here's an email to my friend Eric I play baseball with from February.

From: Jeremy Dougherty [mailto:jdougherty@hotelvalleyho.com]
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 3:14 PM
To: Groen, Eric (10300)
Subject: RE: Dbacks Season Tickets

Kind of but not really.  $364 for 28 games.  Tuesday and Saturday games so you see a game from every series.  Plus it gets you in for the All Star Package.  I went to 14 games last year, not sure I could do more than that so I’m not doing it.  Plus as you mentioned they are rough to watch but I’m still thinking they will be better (predicting 84 ambitious wins). 


Blind faith.  It's what sports are all about.  With the tough choices they made in getting rid of mainstays in Mark Reynolds and Adam Laroche they've changed the dynamic of this team.  They have 61 wins right now and 84 is well within reach.  Heck, they could win 90 and probably need at least that to be the Giants this year.  Carlos Beltran?  That hurts.  Nice move.  But it hurts seeing that happen to a Division Rival.  


Watching Parra-Young-Upton do a three man chest bump after beating the Giants last night with Shaw blowing away the last two guys on 6 fastballs?  That's what makes baseball great.  The games going head to head for first place, every hit matters, every walk is big and every strikeout is stand up and yell excitement.    I've followed every game, watched so much dbacks, read recap, story, website.  I feel like this team is made up of all those components that get you somewhere at the end of the season.  Upton is taking on the league right now.  I feel like he's Griffey in '95 just mashing the ball, diving for balls, going all out.  The Kid is incredible. I had my doubts with his regression the last year but this season he has been 100% STUD.  He's on a 14 game hit streak, hitting .456 in that stretch. 


They finally have a legitimate first baseman in the phenom Paul Goldschmidt.  I don't put too much in it that he hit a dinger last night as we all saw Willy Mo and Brandon Allen hit a few shots but hit .145 after a couple weeks.  With the team they have now they are all contributing and every night it's someone else knocking in the win.  Somehow Kelly Johnson is hitting .215 but seems like he has 2 doubles and a triple every night.  Weird.  


My point is...how can you NOT be a Dbacks fan right now?  Facebook, in all it's social flaws, is abound with loyal die-hards with so much enthusiasm it's refreshing to see.  For so long this city has been a melting pot of team loyalty.  It may not have fully converted but I think it's rounding the corner.  Nothing will change it more than another playoff appearance and another championship banner.  


Jason Marquis on the mound today.  Debut trade deadline pickup.  Kevin Towers for GM of the Year?  He had my vote in May.  


Possibly the most interesting thing in all of this is that I grew up a Yankees fan, watched and followed and obsessed over them for years and years yet I couldn't tell you if they are in first place, if Arod is playing or hurt or if Jeter is still being a giant pansy with another pathetic finger injury.  (seriously...what's his deal?)  Wait..Arod had surgery right?  I think I did know that.  Anyway, if someone were to ask me what's my favorite team in baseball...hands down.  Arizona Diamondbacks.  Doesn't mean I don't still root for the Yankees, but they are just not my main focus.  My passion is definitely for the Dbacks.  I root for the Yankees more now just so the Red Sox and their horrible fans don't have more crap to talk smack about.  2001 was painful but in the ten years I've lived in Arizona...I'm a full convert.  


Go Diamondbacks!


Go Dbacks!!!

Viva los dbacks!!

Read This!

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2011-07-28/the-meanest-man-in-college-football-vontaze-burfict

Especially the end of the article.

Give it up for the Young Dback fan

instant karma. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xDSSie6kHs

Fantasy Football?

Is someone going to organize a fantasy football league?

Fathers and Sons

Baseball, A Dad playing toss with his son, sons.

Watching Robbie Cano hit in the HR Derby with his Dad pitching was amazing. McGuire picking up his son after hitting #62.

There is no other game that is quite like baseball for this. Griffey Sr. and Griffey Jr. hitting back to back homers for the Mariners. Classic. The game of catch in Field of Dreams, tearjerker.

Baseball is a spiritual game. It is a man's game. Women don't play it. Not really. Kinda like a man lactating. Not right.

The connection between Dad and Son is spiritual, deep, generational with baseball. My dad tossed to me and told me stories of Carl Furillo. I played toss with my sons and told them stories about the Mick, Yogi and Reggie.

They will toss with their sons and tell them stories of Griffey and Jeter. Watching them play. Bobby will tell about the game in Baltimore where we watched Richie Sextson and Ichiro take BP. Then the game in Pittsburgh where we watched Pujols KILL the ball.

Nate will go on and on about section 39 in the Old Stadium and the tour when we stood on the same grass as the Babe, the Mick, Joe D and Jeter, sat in the dugout and went into the dressing room where Lou dressed. The roll call and the bleacher weirdo's.

Then there was the Spring Game where Griffey went horizontal and made an amazing catch to rob the Yankees, and it was so amazing we didn't care it hurt the Yanks.

One of my favorite things about the MLB All Star Game is watching the players with their kids.

When Robbie won the derby, he ran and hugged his dad, kissed him on the neck and said I love you Dad.

When he was asked about his swing in the typically stupid interviews after he said, its not my swing, it was the gentleman who was pitching to me. He is one of the best dad's in the world...

It was classy, nice, touching.

We are all trying to get to home.

A Better Way to Pick All-Stars

Using stats of the last calendar year, rather than three months of the current season, this is what you get.

Catcher- Victor Martinez -- Brian McCann

1st. - Paul Konerko -- Joey Votto (Texeira has best over-all power numbers)

2nd - Robinson Cano -- in NL it is close between Rickie Weeks and Dan Uggla but Neil Walker is very close

3rd. - Jose Bautista -- Aramis Ramirez

SS - Asdrubal Cabrera -- close between Troy Tulowitzki and Jose Reyes

Outfield - AL Josh Hamilton, Curtis Granderson, Bautista again
                NL Carlos Gonzalez Matt Kemp, Ryan Braun followed  closely by Matt Holliday, Mike Stanton, Jay Bruce and Carlos Quentin.

Top 15 pitchers--all starters with ERA under 3.00 and more than 200 K's, not just wins.

Not a lot of difference but a fairer way to pick

Yogi

Just let this roll over your brain.

Yogi Berra has 10 World Series championships.

As a coach, manager or player he participated in, appeared in 21 World Series.

Think about that. 21 World Series. This is a staggering, almost overwhelming fact.

Freakin' living legend.

The second most winning ball club, the St. Louis Cardinals, in their entire history have been to 17 World Series. Yogi? 21.

3 MVP's, 10 rings, except three times he didn't actually get a ring, cause he said, who needs a ring? Once he took the money and bought something for his wife Carmen. One year he got a cigarette box.

Most humble superstar ever. Yogi said that all his brothers were better players than he was.

His average is 30 points higher with men on base.

Volunteered for the Army, was on a rocket boat at Utah Beach on D-Day. He stuck his head out the window to watch "the fireworks."

5' 7" and considered so ugly he was relentlessly teased. Said, "I don't hit with my face."

He never struck out more than 38 times in one season!

And tough, during his golden years-1950-1956, he caught both games of a double-header 117 times!! Seven times he started both games on back to back days!! Take that Joe Mauer.

During those years he hit 191 home runs and struck out 166 times.

This is an appropriate time to use the word epic.

In 1985 Steinbrenner fired Yogi who was managing the Yankees, by sending some else to do it and Yogi didn't return to Yankee Stadium for 14 years. George came and apologized to he and Carmen.

On Yogi Berra Day, July 18, 1999, a day I remember because I remember what a big deal it was and watched the game; David Cone pitched a perfect game with Don Larsen watching. Wow. I'll never forget it. It was one of those magical baseball days.

He talked all the time on the diamond, like the catcher in "Sand Lot." Larry Doby once walked up to hit and said to the umpire,, "Please tell him to shut up." Once Ted told him, "Shut your yap, I'm trying to hit here."
I guess it worked to talk all the time.

Derek and Yogi are very close, Jeter asks for advice all the time. One day Yogi chided Derek for missing an eye-high fast ball. Yogi says, "Why did you swing at such a lousy pitch?" Derek says, "Well, you did."
Yogi said, "I hit 'em."

Classic. Stud.

Ode to Overrated: Sandy Koufax

Reading throughout the post about the All-Century team I continually noticed Koufax popping up as a top 5 pitcher of All-Time. I remember watching the Ken Burns documentary as they discussed Koufax and his 5 years of pitching dominance which will probably never be matched. I never really knew much about Koufax so I did some research because I was going to post about the best pitcher of All-Time. Now I realize that maybe Koufax can't be considered the top pitcher of all time, not ever top 5, 10, 15, or 50th. How is he in the hall of fame? Let me lay out some career stats.

GS-314
W-165
L-87
ERA-2.76
K's-2396
BB's-817

Looking at this I am amazed by his numbers. What a great line to have for a pitcher. Well on his way to 3,000 K's, 300 wins, and 500 starts. Unfortunately Koufax's career was shorted by two things. The first was that for his first 6 season he never recorded more wins than losses. He started his career slow with most of his problems revolving around the control of his blazing fast fastball. He was crazy with the way he threw, "rearing back and hammering out fastballs not caring where it ended up". Coaches warned him to slow down his fastball and get more accuracy but he ignored this. In his first 6 seasons,  from 1955 to 1960 he was 36-40 with a 4.04 ERA. During the winter of 1960 he tuned down his speed of his fastball and worked on his accuracy hoping to spark his career. The Dodgers gave him another chance banking on his fastball speed and signed him to a 3 more years. In 1960 he went 18-13 with a 3.52, pretty damn good and he also made his first All-Star game. The next 5 years are perhaps the greatest 5 years in pitching history...

1962- 14-7, 2.54, 216 k's
1963- 25-5, 1.88, 306 k's
1964- 19-5, 1.74, 223 k's
1965- 26-8, 2.04, 382 k's
1966- 27-9, 1.73, 317 k's

Over 5 years he went 111-34 with a 1.96 ERA!!! Unbelievable! He won 3 CY Young's during this time and made 5 All-Star teams while also winning the MVP once and finishing 2nd in MVP votes twice. His postseason is impressive as well going 4-3 with a .95 ERA. This perhaps best solidified his name as legendary when he owned batters during post season play. This bring me to my second point of what shortened his career. Throughout 1964-1966, Koufax was using the new test drug of Cortisone and getting injections in his throwing elbow. Coaches warned him that he threw to hard and they advised him to slow down and learn some other pitches to lengthen his career. "Cocky Koufax" ignored everyone, threw as hard as he could, and cranked out an amazing streak of seasons. He eventually blew his arm out and retired at age 30 after 12 seasons.

It's hard for me to shrug off those 5 season and his post season play but you HAVE too. Considering him in the top 50 and even considering him for the hall of fame is ridiculous. His career numbers are not that great. Tom Seaver and CC Sabathia have similar numbers. He had 5 AMAZING seasons...that's it. That like saying Ricky Williams should go to the Hall of Fame because of his 4 good years. Or that Mickey Mantle and Lour Gherig are the best players ever because they would have smashed records without injuries. What if Ted wouldn't have gone to WWII? What if Griffey would not have gotten hurt? Playing the "what if game" is fun and interesting in sports but it never has effected real life things like Hall of Fame and All-Century teams. It just seems like Koufax was put in because he had the potential to be the best but that's not what is what about.

Now, don't freak out at this comment but is worth discussing. Koufax was a well known Jew and was a leader in the Jewish community. Could his Jewish prominence been a factor in not only his celebrity but also his recognition? Maybe. At the end of the day Koufax was a cocky punk who wouldn't listen to his coaches and continued to throw hard until he blew his arm out. He didn't get 170 wins! He didn't get 2500 K's! If he's in the hall of fame then CC could retire after next season with these numbers and be in:

GS- 341
W-191
L- 106
ERA- 3.50
K's- 2190
BB- 798

More wins, more starts, less walks. Short on K's by a couple hundred and a higher ERA but couldn't CC be considered? I dunno, just seems dumb to reward a guy for a great HALF career.

Ode to Greatness: Bob Gibson

Ode to Greatness:  Bob Gibson

Robert Gibson (Hoot or Gibby) born Pack Robert Gibson Position: Pitcher Bats: Right, Throws: Right Height: 6' 1", Weight: 189 lb.

Born: November 9, 1935 in Omaha, NE (Age 75)
High School: Technical (Omaha, NE)
School: Creighton University
Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1957. (All Transactions)
Debut: April 15, 1959
Team: Cardinals 1959-1975

Final Game: September 3, 1975
Inducted into the Hall of Fame by BBWAA as Player in 1981 (337/401 ballots).
   View Bob Gibson Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos). 
    About biographical information

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	ERA+	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB	Awards
1959	23	STL	NL	3	5	.375	3.33	13	9	3	2	1	0	75.2	77	35	28	4	39	2	48	1	0	4	333	127	1.533	9.2	0.5	4.6	5.7	1.23
1960	24	STL	NL	3	6	.333	5.61	27	12	3	2	0	0	86.2	97	61	54	7	48	6	69	1	0	3	399	73	1.673	10.1	0.7	5.0	7.2	1.44
1961	25	STL	NL	13	12	.520	3.24	35	27	3	10	2	1	211.1	186	91	76	13	119	7	166	6	1	8	916	137	1.443	7.9	0.6	5.1	7.1	1.40
1962	26	STL	NL	15	13	.536	2.85	32	30	2	15	5	1	233.2	174	84	74	15	95	9	208	10	0	11	967	151	1.151	6.7	0.6	3.7	8.0	2.19	AS
1963	27	STL	NL	18	9	.667	3.39	36	33	2	14	2	0	254.2	224	110	96	19	96	1	204	13	1	6	1088	106	1.257	7.9	0.7	3.4	7.2	2.13
1964	28	STL	NL	19	12	.613	3.01	40	36	3	17	2	1	287.1	250	106	96	25	86	9	245	9	0	6	1191	127	1.169	7.8	0.8	2.7	7.7	2.85	MVP-23
1965	29	STL	NL	20	12	.625	3.07	38	36	1	20	6	1	299.0	243	110	102	34	103	6	270	11	1	8	1233	126	1.157	7.3	1.0	3.1	8.1	2.62	AS,GG
1966	30	STL	NL	21	12	.636	2.44	35	35	0	20	5	0	280.1	210	90	76	20	78	5	225	5	0	12	1119	148	1.027	6.7	0.6	2.5	7.2	2.88	AS,GG
1967	31	STL	NL	13	7	.650	2.98	24	24	0	10	2	0	175.1	151	62	58	10	40	3	147	3	1	3	703	110	1.089	7.8	0.5	2.1	7.5	3.68	AS,MVP-22,GG
1968	32	STL	NL	22	9	.710	1.12	34	34	0	28	13	0	304.2	198	49	38	11	62	6	268	7	0	4	1161	258	0.853	5.8	0.3	1.8	7.9	4.32	AS,CYA-1,MVP-1,GG
1969	33	STL	NL	20	13	.606	2.18	35	35	0	28	4	0	314.0	251	84	76	12	95	7	269	10	2	4	1270	164	1.102	7.2	0.3	2.7	7.7	2.83	AS,MVP-30,GG
1970	34	STL	NL	23	7	.767	3.12	34	34	0	23	3	0	294.0	262	111	102	13	88	9	274	4	1	5	1213	133	1.190	8.0	0.4	2.7	8.4	3.11	AS,CYA-1,MVP-4,GG
1971	35	STL	NL	16	13	.552	3.04	31	31	0	20	5	0	245.2	215	96	83	14	76	11	185	7	0	10	1026	119	1.185	7.9	0.5	2.8	6.8	2.43	CYA-5,MVP-23,GG
1972	36	STL	NL	19	11	.633	2.46	34	34	0	23	4	0	278.0	226	83	76	14	88	11	208	3	2	10	1119	139	1.129	7.3	0.5	2.8	6.7	2.36	AS,CYA-9,GG
1973	37	STL	NL	12	10	.545	2.77	25	25	0	13	1	0	195.0	159	71	60	12	57	6	142	3	1	6	790	133	1.108	7.3	0.6	2.6	6.6	2.49	GG
1974	38	STL	NL	11	13	.458	3.83	33	33	0	9	1	0	240.0	236	111	102	24	104	14	129	5	3	2	1041	95	1.417	8.9	0.9	3.9	4.8	1.24
1975	39	STL	NL	3	10	.231	5.04	22	14	4	1	0	2	109.0	120	66	61	10	62	6	60	4	0	6	499	76	1.670	9.9	0.8	5.1	5.0	0.97
17 Seasons				251	174	.591	2.91	528	482	21	255	56	6	3884.1	3279	1420	1258	257	1336	118	3117	102	13	108	16068	128	1.188	7.6	0.6	3.1	7.2	2.33
162 Game Avg.				17	12	.591	2.91	36	32	1	17	4	0	262	221	96	85	17	90	8	210	7	1	7	1082	128	1.188	7.6	0.6	3.1	7.2	2.33
			Lg	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	ERA+	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB	Awards

Check this guy out.  6'1", 189 lbs.  Black.  Civil Rights Era.  Intimidating.  Challenging.  Dominating.  Played basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters professionally before deciding on baseball and made the All Star team in 1963 and was a star after that.  He would go on to become one of the greatest pitchers of all time.  

Between games, Mays came over to me and said, "Now, in the second game, you're going up against Bob Gibson." I only half-listened to what he was saying, figuring it didn't make much difference. So I walked up to the plate the first time and started digging a little hole with my back foot...No sooner did I start digging that hole than I hear Willie screaming from the dugout: "Noooooo!" Well, the first pitch came inside. No harm done, though. So I dug in again. The next thing I knew, there was a loud crack and my left shoulder was broken. I should have listened to Willie."

Jim Ray Hart^[22]

You can see his stats (most of them...) and you can see he was a 5 time 20 game winner.  Career ERA of 2.91.  Complete games were off the charts by today's standards. He even completed over half of all his career starts.  Think about that...now take a closer look at 1968.  The Year of the Pitcher.

Ridiculous.  22-9 is great but nothing that hasn't been done before.  But his ERA??  1.12!!!  Between June 2nd and July 30th 1968 he gave up only 2 earned runs in ninety two innings.  That's a 0.20 ERA over that stretch.  At one point in the season he had 47 consecutive scoreless innings pitched.  His ERA that season is the lowest of all time for a season where he pitched over 300 innings.  Oh, yeah...he pitched over 300 innings that season. 28 Complete games and 13 shutouts. 268 K's.  He would lose 5 games that season that were 1 run games.  One was against Gaylord Perry's no-hitter that season.  Gibson won the Cy Young and the NL MVP that season.  The Cardinals went on to the World Series that season.  Game One went to Gibson.  17 K's.  To close out the game he gave up a single to lead off the 9th inning of Game 1.  Then he k'd the next three guys, Al Kaline, Norm Cash and and Willie Horton.  Blew it right by them.  9th inning.  Complete Game. World Series.  17 K's.  Still a record.  (Koufax had 15 two years earlier)

1969 MLB lowered the pitchers mound 5 inches in part some say due to Bob Gibson's incredible 1968 season.  The idea was to take the advantage off the pitchers a bit.  1969 for Gibson was a 20-13 season with 28 complete games, 4 shutouts and a 2.18 ERA.  That year he also joined an exclusive club of 15 MLB pitchers who have thrown an immaculate inning.  9 pitches, 3 K's.  1 IP.  Only been done by 15 pitchers.  Ever.  9 in the NL.  

Gibson was sometimes used by the Cardinals as a pinch-hitter, and in 1970, he hit .303 for the season, which was over 100 points higher than his teammate, shortstop Dal Maxvill. For his career, he batted .206 (274-for-1,328) with 44 doubles, 5 triples, 24 home runs (plus two more in the World Series) and 144 RBIs, plus stealing 13 bases and walking 63 times for a .206/.243/.301 line.^[56] He is one of only two pitchers since World War II with a career batting average of .200 or higher, and with at least 20 home runs and 100 RBIs (Bob Lemon, who had broken into the majors as a third baseman, is the other at .232). Gibson was above average as a baserunner and thus was occasionally used as a pinch runner, despite managers' general reluctance to risk injury to pitchers in this way.

"(Hank Aaron told me) 'Don't dig in against Bob Gibson, he'll knock you down. He'd knock down his own grandmother if she dared to challenge him. Don't stare at him, don't smile at him, don't talk to him. He doesn't like it. If you happen to hit a home run, don't run too slow, don't run too fast. If you happen to want to celebrate, get in the tunnel first. And if he hits you, don't charge the mound, because he's a Gold Glove boxer.' I'm like, 'Damn, what about my 17-game hitting streak?' That was the night it ended."

Dusty Baker^[68]

9 time Gold Glover Winner.  2 time NL Cy Young winner,  No hitter, MVP,  World Series winner twice, WS MVP, he has the awards.  He has the records.  Had it not been for a bad ankle and a rough divorce he may have even played longer but quit after giving up a grand slam to a no namer in 1975 and decided to retire to focus on his divorce and personal life.  

He is a member of the All Century Team and is commonly revered as one of the greatest right handed pitchers of all time.  He was a workhorse, intimidating inside pitcher who was not afraid to hit you if it meant it opened up the slider for the outside part of the plate, yet he rarely hit people.  He was hands down, one of the greatest pitchers of all time.