Greatest Left Handed Starters/Favorite 90's Songs

In tribute to Madison Bumgarner's brilliant Sunday night shutout, and his continuing World Series dominance, this week's poll/thread will focus on the greatest left handed starters since WW II. Southpaws come in many sizes, types, and mindsets, so everybody's particular lists should be interesting.

The 90's was a cloudy period for baseball, with roids and inauthentic records surpassing legitimate achievements. However, the 90's did free us from the Hair Metal, hairspray, keyboard and sax solos, and rampant materialism of the 80's. So, for the second half of the poll, everyone is encouraged to put their (up to ten) favorite 90's songs. This isn't a Greatest or Top Ten list, so feel free to include any song you esteem, regardless of quality.

Greatest LH Starters
1. Sandy Koufax. Candle burned briefly, but it blazed while he was here. Most dominant modern pitcher ever.
2. Warren Spahn. Forgotten lefty god not as compelling as Koufax, but shined with long career of dominance.
3. Randy Johnson. Big Unit was the most feared pitcher of his era and showed huge pitchers could succeed.
4. Steve Calton. Nomadic, mediocre end slightly tarnished awesome career. [iMade Murray look talkative.
5. Whitey Ford. The Chairman was wickedly efficient without overpowering stuff.
6. Tom Glavine. The prototype of the location/command lefty. Excellent hitter, too.
7. Clayton Kershaw. The demi-god will probably rise to #2, if not #1. Has to improve playoff performances.
8. Tommy John. Not just a trailblazing patient but a smart, gutty competitor.
9. Jim Kaat. Kitty wasn't overpowering, but he had a very long, efficient career.
10. Vida Blue. Not as many great years as Kaat or John, but much more dominating. Flamboyant presence as well.

Favorite Songs of the 90's
1. Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. Kurt and crew saved us from Hair Metal/ bad pop with this post-punk classic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfo ... TWKbfoikeg

2. Animal by Pearl Jam. Eddie Vedder sheds his brooding from Ten with this ferocious condemnation of assault.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhfWP4v2RU4

3. Street Spirit by Radiohead. The haunting song from The Bends signaled brilliant experimentation to come.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrTB-iiecqk

4. Desperately Wanting by Better Than Ezra. Dramatic, engaging "one-hit" from one-hit wonders from New Orleans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdzegXdk4Ak

5. Wonderwall by Oasis. This George Harrison influenced Brit-pop gem eased us from Grunge's dark intensity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hzrDeceEKc

6. Scar Tissue by The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Virtuoso Frusciante's return to the primarily funk band shines here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzJj5-lubeM

7. Nearly Lost You by Screaming Trees. The forgotten Grunge classic inspired the rest. Lanegan's baritone shines.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwNdLjqaMLs

8. Sabotage by The Beastie Boys. Nobody fused Rap and Rock better than the Beasties. This classic showed it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5rRZdiu1UE

9. Let Down by Radiohead. Best song from their masterpiece OK Computer sings of alienation in the Digital Age.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z_NvVMUcG8

10. Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley. Buckley is gone, but his darkly angelic cover of Leonard Cohen's classic is eternal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIw0ewEsNHs

I could put Guidry over Kaat. They both had six seasons with ERA+'s over 120. I like Guidry's career WHIP also. A miniscule 1.18. Career innings have Kaat almost two-fold over Guidry (4500 to 2300) though. And maybe you have to give it to Kaat due to longevity. But Kaat's best full season can't come close to Guidry's. Not even close.

Very close...depends on what you value more I suppose (longevity or super seasons).

Guidry is certainly a solid candidate for the Top Ten and was more dominating than Kaat. And almost nobody's best season comes close to Guidry's. His '78 campaign was one for the ages.

I'm currently listening to some Sarah McLachlan tunes. What a sweet voice. If "Angel" came out in the 90's that would be one of my favorites here.

I.strether, I hope you get to the 80s favorites because I'm dying to post my favorite song in that decade. It gets trashed by many but it had an impact (BIG impact) on me during a particularly stressful time/event in the 1990s.

I was surprised to not see Ron Guidry on this list. I was in high school in 1978 and he was as dominant as any pitcher I've ever seen. He might not've had the longevity of some of these guys, but neither did Vida Blue. Guidry, as our host noted early, deserves a spot in the lower region of this list.

And while I'm sure I could think of a few others, "Static & Silence" by The Sundays is the first album from the '90s that popped into my mind as one that was great then and is still great now.

tws

Well, the both of you have got me re-examining Guidry's career stats; and the more I look, the more I like him more than Kaat at 9. I, myself, was in grade school during that magical 78 year, but I had an older cousin who constantly reminded my brother and me how special Guidry's pitching and Rice's hitting seasons were. I also have dear friends in Louisiana who are Yankee fans only because of Louisiana Lightning.

As to the 80's, Fred, that will be on next week's poll. So, everyone can make their call-outs for Duran Duran, Prince, Micheal Jackson, Guns & Roses et al. then. I know somebody's gonna shout-out "Hungry like the Wolf"...

I'll post my songs tomorrow, but one thing I've got to say about your lefties, ( and I expect this is the discussion you are waiting for). For myself, I can't put Kershaw on the list... YET.
He's gotta do it a few more years for me to put him on the list but he's well on the way. I'll slide everyone up, and nominate a few for discussion for Number 10.

Andy Petite, I am NOT a Yankees fan, FAR from it, but Petitte's post season resume is very impressive and I think he deserves to be in the discussion. It can be argued the Yankees don't have as many titles in the 2000's without him.

David Wells, I think his case may be hurt by having played for so many teams, but he was a difference maker and pitched big in big games

Chuck Finley, #5 for LHP in strikeouts all time.

and I wouldn't be a Mets fan if I didn't include Jerry Koosman.

David Wells=I think he's the 15th winningest LH SP ALL TIME. Pettitte should probably be on there. I think he's higher than Wells on the LH win list. Also went 19-11 in the postseason.

I'll post my songs tomorrow, but one thing I've got to say about your lefties, ( and I expect this is the discussion you are waiting for). For myself, I can't put Kershaw on the list... YET

I assure you, Niners, I'm never devious on a weekday; I just don't have the energy...

I truly believe Kershaw merits the 7 spot. He has easily been the most dominant left-hander since Johnson. And if his career continues anywhere close to its current trajectory, he should pass him, Carlton, and Spahn on the list. His career has been brief so far, but it has been so dominating that I have no problem placing him over substantially lesser pitchers with longer careers.

As to Petitte, Wells and Finley, Petitte is automatically eliminated from my list because of Roids, and I probably would have taken Guidry, Blue, and even Kaat over him anyway. Wells and Finley were excellent pitchers--and Finley has my eternal respect for marrying Tawny Kitaen--but neither had career statistics matching the three pitchers I mentioned.

I gave Koosman considerable consideration for #10, and he was a better pitcher than Wells, Finley, and probably Petitte. Fred and TWS did a solid job of convincing me to replace Kaat with Guidry. I'm sure you could make a good case for Koosman's inclusion.

P.s. I look forward to your 90's list; I'm sure it will be a good one.