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Smoltz, Glavine, Maddux .. best staff ever?

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!, Jun 4, 2009.

  1. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Show-off.
     
  2. fishwrapper

    fishwrapper Active Member

    That team didn't even make the World Series.
    They lost to the Padres in six.

    Game 1: Smoltz ND
    Game 2: Glavine L
    Game 3: Maddux L
    Game 4: Neagle ND
    Game 5: Smoltz ND
    Game 6: Glavine L

    Sterling Hitchcock was the best pitcher in that series.
     
  3. buckweaver

    buckweaver Active Member

    That's probably my pick for the best of those Braves staffs. Hard to argue with 106 wins. When your fifth starter has 17 wins ... damn. 23 team shutouts ... whew.

    Hard to choose, really:
    - The '92 Braves had 24 shutouts, most in franchise history (even including the Deadball Era).
    - The '97 Braves had a 3.18 ERA, a full run better than the league average (4.21). Only the Dodgers (3.63) were within a half-run of them in team ERA. Have no idea what the largest margin is, but that .45 has gotta be up there -- the '27 Yankees led the league in ERA by .79 over the White Sox. Might be the record.
    - The '02 Braves had a 3.13 ERA, the team's lowest since 1974 (3.05).
     
  4. fishwrapper

    fishwrapper Active Member

    I can argue it.
    (Truth is, there's no precedent for the staff longevity we've seen with the Braves. So, it's going to be difficult to compare apples and Eric Greggs. But, it sure is fun.)
     
  5. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    That's one of those things that nobody's going to believe 40 years from now.

    Hell, I have a hard time believing it now.
     
  6. buckweaver

    buckweaver Active Member

    Frankly, I've already forgotten it. 8)
     
  7. Double J

    Double J Active Member

    The Braves had some pretty potent trios in their earlier incarnations.

    Warren Spahn, Lew Burdette and Bob Buhl were the big three in '57 when Milwaukee won the World Series.

    When Boston won the pennant in '48, it was Spahn, Johnny Sain and Mother Nature. :)
     
  8. fishwrapper

    fishwrapper Active Member

    I always liked that one...Spahn, Sain and Rain...
    The other one I was fond of: Mike Scott, Jim Deshaies and pray for three days.
     
  9. cyclingwriter

    cyclingwriter Active Member

    I was thinking about that same team last night. Denis Martinez was the fifth starter that year.

    Anyone notice that a lot of these great staffs didn't win a lot of World Series games? The Braves three only got won. The 1970 Orioles lost to the Pirates. The Indians in the 50s were usually behind the Yanks(who had a great, but underated staff when looking back through time) The Mets only had 1986.
     
  10. Beef03

    Beef03 Active Member

    Best of the past decade, I would like to throw the Oakland A's Zito, Mulder and Hudson into the discussion. Definitely didn't have the longevity, but for about three or four years there wasn't a much better trio in the bigs.
    I would say 2001 was probably their best year when you include a fourth
    record ERA
    Tim Hudson 18-9 3.39
    Mark Mulder 21-8 3.45
    Barry Zito 17-8 3.49
    Cory Lidle 13-6 3.59
     
  11. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    Warren Spahn never seems to get the respect he deserves as a big time pitcher.
     
  12. Steak Snabler

    Steak Snabler Well-Known Member

    1. Because he played in Milwaukee (and before that for the other team in Boston)

    2. Because he played in only two World Series during an era when the Yankees, Dodgers and Giants were in in it every year
     
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