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Best Pitcher of the Modern Era (1980-present)

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Michael Echan, Jan 7, 2010.

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Since 1980, who has been the best overall starting pitcher? (listed alphabetically)

  1. Roger Clemens: 24 seasons, 354-184 (.658 W%), 3.12 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 118 CG - 46 SHO, 4916.2 IP, 4672

    10 vote(s)
    15.9%
  2. Randy Johnson: 22 seasons, 303-166 (.646 W%), 3.29 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 100 CG - 37 SHO, 4135.1 IP, 4875

    7 vote(s)
    11.1%
  3. Greg Maddux: 23 seasons, 355-227 (.610 W%), 3.16 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 109 CG - 35 SHO, 5008.1 IP, 3371 K

    33 vote(s)
    52.4%
  4. Pedro Martinez: 18 seasons, 219-100 (.687 W%), 2.93 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 46 CG - 17 SHO, 2827.1 IP, 3154

    13 vote(s)
    20.6%
  1. Herbert Anchovy

    Herbert Anchovy Active Member

    Aye.
     
  2. KP

    KP Active Member

    If those four were your starting rotation, who would you start in Game 1 of the World Series?
    Martinez, Johnson, Maddux, Clemens for me.
     
  3. Gomer

    Gomer Active Member

    Voted Johnson, on second thought I now think it's Maddux. Forgot about all the gold gloves. Pedro's greatness didn't last long enough, I believe Clemens' longevity was drug-induced.
     
  4. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    If Maddux gets bonus points for gold gloves, he also needs them for his batwork. The only players of the last 30 years or so with more sacrifice bunts than Maddux's 180 are Ozzie Smith (214), Tom Glavine (216) and Omar Vizquel (244).
    Maddux is tied for 105th on the career list with folks named Doc Cramer and the immortal Possum Whitted.
     
  5. STLIrish

    STLIrish Active Member

    I was fortunate enough to have great seats behind home plate for Pedro's first game in Fenway Park in April, 1998, close enough to see the looks on the faces of hitters like Ken Griffey, Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner after he shut them down.
    I will be forever biased in his favor.
     
  6. Elliotte Friedman

    Elliotte Friedman Moderator Staff Member

    This is really tough. Back when I covered baseball (semi-regularly from 1994-2003), I saw a lot of Clemens/Martinez/Johnson. Not so much Maddux.

    I haven't seen anyone mention playoff performance. For me, that separates Martinez and Johnson from the other two (although Clemens' 18K gem in the 2000 ALCS is the best start I've ever seen live). I'd take Johnson.
     
  7. buckweaver

    buckweaver Active Member

    Speaking of the best pitchers of a certain era, check this out:

    http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/video/2008/wallace/feller_bob.html

    It's a fascinating video of Mike Wallace interviewing Bob Feller in 1957. Feller, as opinionated then as he is now -- and much less crabby! -- delivers a convincing argument against the reserve clause, and espouses on all kinds of issues in baseball that are quite relevant today. Where is this kind of intelligent discourse on TV now? (And check out Wallace smoking on air and making sweet verbal monkey love to Phillip Morris.)
     
  8. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    Funny you should bring up Feller in this thread, BuckW. In September, 1999 in the press box in Cleveland, during a routine 11K, three hit performance by Martinez, I heard with my own ears Bob Feller admit that Pedro was a legitimately good pitcher. It is as far as I know the only time Feller said that about any pitcher (or player) after 1959, and should be counted in Pedro's favor in this thread's competition.
     
  9. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member

    Great point. Bob's sharper at his age than most mature adults are in their '40s, but his grotesque, rampant
    egomania is equalled by very few of (even) today's modern, coddled athletes.
     
  10. buckweaver

    buckweaver Active Member

    I can't say it any better than you two gentlemen. I agree with every word in both posts.
     
  11. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    On the other hand, my parents once went on one of those baseball legends cruises back in the late 1970s, and my dad said Feller was the only reason he wasn't bored out of his skull.
     
  12. I understand that you were thinking starting pitchers, but shouldn't Mariano Rivera at least have a place at this table?
     
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