Around Baseball 2026

[BTS]

6 minutes ago, Sorrow said:

That’s actually insane BTS lol.

 

On another note Rich Harden has my favourite all time pitch in the spluckle which was either a knuckleball that split or a splitter that knuckled.

Rich Harden was so nasty. One of the most fun pitchers of that era to watch. Shame he couldn't stay healthy. 

[BTS]

1 minute ago, Brownie19 said:

Those are wild stats.  I stubbled across his name and numbers at some point as well - I can fall down a rabbit hole on fangraphs with the best of them.  

I also remember when Bob Welch was the best pitcher in baseball because he was 27-6.  I was 9.  A 27 win season produced 1.8 WAR, LOL.

I think I would have guessed Dave Stewart, simply because I assume he threw like 275+ innings a few years.

You would have got it right! Stewart had a 205 K season in Oakland. 

[Terminator]

2 hours ago, BTS said:

So I just lost Immaculate Grid because I couldn't guess an A's pitcher with 200+ Ks in a season (I guessed Rich Harden). 

But it led me down a rabbit hole to a guy named Rube Waddell, who struck out 302 guys in 1903 and 349 guys in 1904. Which is crazy because nobody struck out in that era. The third highest K/9 of qualified starters from 1903-1905 was Christy Mathewson at 5.75. Waddell was #1 with 8.15. League average K/9 was like 3.8. Would be like someone striking out like 17/9 today 

 

I never knew about this guy until now. What a legend. From his wiki article:

Quote

Pitching style

Waddell's pitching repertoire usually consisted of only two pitches: one of the fastest fastballs in the league and a hard curve. However, he had command of many more pitches, including slow curves, screwballs, "fadeaways" and even a "flutterball". Mack once said that Waddell's curve was "even better than his speed... [He] had the fastest and deepest curve I've ever seen".[15]

Waddell enjoyed waving his teammates off the field and then striking out the side. He actually did so only in exhibition games, since official baseball rules prohibit playing with fewer than nine men on the field in regulation play. But in a league game in Detroit, Waddell actually had his outfielders come in close and sit down on the grass to watch him strike out the side. Once the stunt almost backfired. Pitching an exhibition game in Memphis, he took the field alone with his catcher, Doc Powers, for the last three innings. With two out in the ninth, Powers dropped the third strike, allowing the batter to reach first. The next two hitters blooped pop flies that fell just behind the mound. Despite running himself ragged, Waddell subsequently struck out the last man.

[Olerud363.354]

55 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

I also remember when Bob Welch was the best pitcher in baseball because he was 27-6.  I was 9.  A 27 win season produced 1.8 WAR, LOL.

When he was 7-13 a few years before that he had 5 fWAR.  And also led the NL with 7 bWAR in 1987. 

Weird.   27-6 2.95.   A season like that could be worth between 1.9 and 8 fWAR depending on strikeout rate and homer rate.   Which is why some people don't believe in WAR.   Not saying it's wrong.  

Funny thing is Roger Clemens had a 1.92 ERA 200+ ks.   AND 7 homers given up compared to Welch's 27.  

Like they literally gave it to Welch because of wins.  And it wasn't like clemens was 11-12 or something with super bad luck.  He was 21-6 200 ks 7 homers given up sub 2 ERA.

Really insane.  

[Olerud363.354]

Just now, Olerud363.354 said:

Like they literally gave it to Welch because of wins.  And it wasn't like clemens was 11-12 or something with super bad luck.  He was 21-6 200 ks 7 homers given up sub 2 ERA.

Clemens had 8.2 WAR to Welch's 1.9.  I can understand the reporters at the time didn't know that.  

They did know Clemens had 20+ wins.  200+ ks.  1.92 ERA and 7! homers give up.  And less walks then Welch. 

They knew all that and still voted for Welch. 

[Brownie19]

2 hours ago, BTS said:

Rich Harden was so nasty. One of the most fun pitchers of that era to watch. Shame he couldn't stay healthy. 

100%  Reminds me a bit of Brandon Morrow.  Just electric and fun to watch when healthy and on their game.