Starting Pitchers 18.1

Deadball Pitchers
1915 Ernie Shore BOS R S*7/R5 E 1.64 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, NO CARD Part of two great Red Sox World Series Rotations, went 3-1 in those two World Series. His biggest claim to fame: In 1917 Babe Ruth started the game on the mound for the Red Sox, and walked the leadoff batter. Ruth got into an argument with the home plate umpire and was ejected. Shore entered the game, and the runner tried to steal but was thrown out. Shore then proceeded to retire the remaining 26 Senators without allowing a baserunner, earning a 4–0 Red Sox win. For many years the game was listed in record books as a "perfect game", but officially it is scored as a no-hitter, shared by two pitchers.

1912 Jeff Tesreau NYG R S*8/R5 E 1.96 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, NO CARD, Part of 3 NYG World Series Rotations. Averaged 20 wins a season for his first six seasons; in his 7th, he and McGraw had an argument and quit the Giants in 1918. In 1919, he refused to play for the Giants and the Giants refused to trade him, so he became baseball coach at Dartmouth, where he would coach for 28 years.

1914 Harry Coveleski DET L S*8/R5 E 2.49 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, NO CARD, Brother of Stan, won 20 games 3 straight seasons in Detroit, Over a span of five days at the end of the 1908 season, while pitching for the Phillies, he beat the New York Giants three times, which enabled the Chicago Cubs to catch the first-place Giants in the NL standings and force a replay of the "Merkle's Boner" game. To Merkle's dismay, the Cubs beat the Giants in that replay. Coveleski was thereafter known as the "Giant Killer." db-DET needs more SP


1916 Jeff Pfeffer BKN R S*9/R5 E 1.91 ERA, 1.02 WHIP. He pitched the Robins to pennants in 1916 and 1920.
db-BKN SPs need help, and he needs better card.

1898 Kid Nichols BSB R S*9/R3 1R 2.13 ERA, 1.03 WHIP 1890s Braves ace, won 329 games for the Braves, yet his only ATG card is a Cardinals card when he was much past his prime. He needs a Braves card, and this is a much better card for the Hall of Famer.

1906 Jack Powell SLB R S*9/R5 E 1.77 ERA, 1.02 WHIP. Hard luck Browns ace for over 10 seasons, despite his sparking 2.97 career ERA, he holds the record for most wins by a pitcher with a career losing record. Poor guy, he needs a better card, and db-SLB needs MUCH HELP.

Pre and Post Pitchers
1952 Allie Reynolds NYY R S*8/R4 E 2.06 ERA, 1.19 WHIP. Six time All-Star and six time World Series Champion with the Yankees. Reynolds was a member of the Creek nation, and was nicknamed "Superchief". In 1952, he had his greatest single season performance. He won twenty games for the only time in his career (against eight losses). He led the American League in earned run average (2.06), strikeouts (160), and shutouts (6). This winner deserves a better card, and, to be honest, the post-NYY set doesn't have very good pitching.

1947 Ralph Branca BKN R S*7/R5 E 2.67 ERA, 1.24 WHIP. On Opening Day in 1947—which was also Jackie Robinson's major league debut—Branca lined up on the field beside Robinson, while other players refused. That year, he had a 21–12 win–loss record and a 2.67 earned run average (ERA) in 280 innings pitched. You know he gave up Bobby Thomson's Shot Heard Round the World, but Joshua Prager's book The Echoing Green details the fact that the Giants were stealing signs all during their 1951 run. This man needs a better card, his other card is unusable.

1944 Dizzy Trout DET R S*8/R5 E 2.12 ERA, 1.13 WHIP. Pitched for the Tigers for 14 seasons, including the 1940 and 1945 World Series. The pre-DET set needs more SP, and he needs a better card.

1937 Cliff Melton NYG L S*7/R5 E 2.61 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, NO CARD. Led the 1937 Giants to the World Series, was late 30's/early 40's Giants ace, needs to be added to the set.

1938 Bill C. Lee CHC R S*9/R3 1R 2.66 ERA, 1.22 WHIP. This 14 year veteran was the Cubs ace in the late 1930's, and in 1938 he finished #2 in MVP voting, leading the Cubs to the World Series, one of two Fall Classics in which he pitched. He, and the pre-Cubs, need better representation.

1928 Garland Braxton WASH L S*7/R5 E 2.51 ERA, 1.01 WHIP. Led AL in ERA in 1928, and is the LHP the Senators need. Their pre SPs could use the help.

Ed Correa, 1986. Would be a cheap start with lots of K's & Walks (a RH Langston, really).

Don Carman ' '86 card can S/R (and I got a no hit game out this card in a FtF game way back in the day).

Vic Willis 1908
Phil Niekro 1967
Joaquin Andujar 1982
Joe Nuxhall 1963
Johnny Podres 1957
Mike Cuellar 1966
It would be his best card
Dave Righetti 1981
No hits on the left side of the card and 5 day starter
Joe Coleman 1972
7R
Dizzy Dean 1938
Cubs card and a 5 day starter.
Bill James 1914
Joe Benz 1916
Was a really good pitcher in the 10's. Should be a 5 day starter
Al Downing 1963
5 day starter
Lew Burdette 1956
Juan Pizarro 1964

the list for voting is just about compiled. Looking for an opinion on Orval Overall and Gary Peters

Overall
1907: 23-7, 1.00whip 1.68era 26CG 8SHO 6.7/H9 0.1/HR9 4.7/SO9
1909: 20-11, .996whip 1.42era 23CG 9SHO 6.4/H9 0.0/HR9 6.5 SO9

Peters
1963: 19-8, 1.07whip 2.33era 7.1/H9 0.3/HR9 7.0/SO9
1966: 12-10, .982whip 1.98era 6.9/H9 0.5/HR9 5.7/SO9
1967: 16-11, 1.07whip 2.28era 6.5/H9 0.5/HR9 7.4/SO9

the list for voting is just about compiled. Looking for an opinion on Orval Overall and Gary Peters

Overall
1907: 23-7, 1.00whip 1.68era 26CG 8SHO 6.7/H9 0.1/HR9 4.7/SO9
1909: 20-11, .996whip 1.42era 23CG 9SHO 6.4/H9 0.0/HR9 6.5 SO9

Peters
1963: 19-8, 1.07whip 2.33era 7.1/H9 0.3/HR9 7.0/SO9
1966: 12-10, .982whip 1.98era 6.9/H9 0.5/HR9 5.7/SO9
1967: 16-11, 1.07whip 2.28era 6.5/H9 0.5/HR9 7.4/SO9

The 09 Overall is probably better, which is why I nominated the '07.
db-Cubs have a glut of 9-11m SPs, and Overall is no Hall of Famer, only had 3-4 good seasons.

I'd lean to the 63 Peters for a few reasons: gives the post-CWS another arm, he's an E balance, his K/BB ratio i svery good, and was Rookie of the Year.
I'm concerned that the 1966 card may not be a *

The better years get more votes than the "representative year" cards. I would also like to see more non* pitchers.

I'd lean towards the '09 Overall -- He was after all the kingpin of the Cubs' staff for 4 years and it's not his fault if the Cubs deadball squad is filled with great pitchers. Maybe the Cubs just had great pitchers!

I'd also lean towards the '63 Peters.

Based on the numbers, and based on the large number of pitchers in the ATG8 series who have multiple pitching cards of lesser seasons than Peters and Overall, there is a strong argument to be made that both the '07 and '09 Overall cards and all three, '63, '66 & '67 of the Peters cards are worthy of inclusion in the ATG8 set.

But since we've been asked to choose, put me firmly in the camp of voters who want the best player cards possible, as there are plenty of lesser players than Peters and Overall in the ATG8 series who easily have their best cards, so why should we now deny the online community the opportunity to use the best cards starting with Peters and Overall, who are long overdue for better cards? That's like closing the barn door after all the horses have escaped.

To that end, I strongly prefer '09 Overall and '66 Peters. Nearly every other ERA title qualifying starting pitcher with an ERA under 2.00 from not only the '60s, but most other Post WWII and Expansion years, has a card (hello Roger Nelson) so why should Peters be denied merely because he has had several other good, but lesser seasons?

It matters little that '66 Peters may be a 5 day starter. If anything, that will keep his price down.

Peters led the A.L. in ERA in '63 & '66, but also led the league in WHIP in '66 (0.982) and was third in WHIP (1.07) in '63. Actually, the '67 Peters card may be better than the '63 card based on the numbers.

When I nominated Peters, the nomination was for the '66 card, but I included the '63 and '67 seasons to show what a quality pitcher he truly was, to demonstrate his worthiness for use of his best card and to show that, unlike other pitchers who have their best card, he was no flash in the pan. Sure Peters and Overall were not HOFers, but since when is that the criteria for use of a player's best card? Peters and Overall were among the best pitchers in baseball over several years and are clearly deserving of their best cards.

Peters '66 season was not only his best season, but it was his best season compared to other A.L. hurlers. If the goal is to have the best cards, using '09 Overall and '66 Peters should be a no brainer.

I've been meaning to do write ups on several other pitchers, but have been pressed for time, so I've used an abbreviated version. Since the end of the nomination process is upon us, the following pitchers are worthy of consideration. Many have no more than one ATG8 card:

1965 Sonny Siebert, Indians 16-8 2.43 0.981. Led A.L. with 4.15 SO/BB ratio. Career bests in WHIP, BB9, SO9. 2nd career best in ERA, H9. Won 140 career games, with a .551 WIN% pitching for some bad teams. Just 1 ATG card.

1968 Bob Veale, Pirates 13-14 2.05 1.145 Career bests in ERA, WHIP, H9 & BB9. Just 1 ATG card.

1968 Steve Blass, Pirates 18-6 2.12 1.126 Career bests in WIN%, ERA, WHIP, H9 & BB9. Blass was the mainstay of the Pirates staff from 1968-1972, but in 1973, at age 31, he suddenly and inexplicably lost his control. He tried everything to regain it, even hypnotism, but nothing worked and he was out of baseball by early 1974.

1968 Pat Jarvis, Braves 16-12 2.60 0.981 Career bests in ERA, WHIP, H9 & BB9. Just 1 ATG card.

1968 Jerry Koosman, Mets 19-12 2.08 1.100 Career best ERA.

1968 Ray Washburn, Cardinals 14-8 2.26 1.105 Career bests in WIN%, ERA & BB9. 2nd career best WHIP, H9. Just 1 ATG card.

1968 Stan Bahnsen, Yankees 17-12 2.05 1.062 Career bests in WIN%, ERA, WHIP, H9, BB9 & SO/BB ratio.

1968 Jim Nash, A's 13-13 2.28 1.050 Career bests in ERA, WHIP, H9, BB9 & SO/BB ratio. Career journeyman put it all together for one season for the up and coming A's. No ATG card.

1971 Don Wilson, Astros 16-10 2.45 1.022 Career bests in ERA, WHIP, H9. No ATG card.

1972 Pat Dobson, Orioles 16-18 2.65 1.077 Career bests in ERA, WHIP, H9 & HR9. In 1971, Dobson was one of 4 Oriole starting pitchers to win 20 games, the last time a team accomplished the feat. The hard luck Dobson put up better numbers in 1972, but got less run support. He's the only one of the Orioles' four 1971 20 game winners not to have a decent card for ANY season. Could this be the one?

1976 Vida Blue, A's 18-13 2.35 1.109 While it would be tough to match the numbers from Blue's 1971 season, 1976 was Blue's second best season in a year when Charlie Finley was in the process of breaking up the A's. This card would probably be more usable than the 1971 card. Blue won 200+ games in his career and deserves a better card.

1980 Jerry Reuss, Dodgers 18-6 2.51 1.016 Career bests in WIN%, WHIP, H9, & BB9. 2nd career bests in ERA & SO/BB ratio. I know the Dodgers need more pitching like Trump needs more controversy, but why hold it against Reuss, who deserves a good card based upon 200+ career wins? Just 1 ATG card.

1980 Rudy May, Yankees 15-5 2.46 1.044 Led A.L. in ERA, WHIP & SO/BB ratio. Career bests in WHIP & BB9 & SO/BB ratio. Crafty lefty deserves a better card. Just 1 ATG card.

1983 Atlee Hammaker, Giants 10-9 2.25 1.039 Led N.L. in ERA, WHIP, BB9 & SO/BB ratio. Career bests in ERA, WHIP, H9, SO9 & SO/BB ratio. No ATG card.

1984 Alejandro Pena, Dodgers 12-6 2.48 1.164 Led N.L. in ERA. Pena blew out his arm the following year, but reinvented himself as a pretty good relief pitcher. No ATG card.

1985 Rick Reuschel, Pirates 14-8 2.27 1.057 Career bests in ERA, WHIP, H9, SO9. At the tender age of 36, Reuschel put together his finest season for the lowly 104 loss Pirates. The portly pitcher even won a Gold Glove! Reuschel is another player with 200+ career wins, playing mostly with bad teams, who is deserving of a better card, and the Pirates desperately need more starting pitching.

1988 Joe Magrane, Cardinals 5-9 2.18 1.113 Led N.L. in ERA. Career bests in ERA, WHIP & H9. Just 1 ATG card.
Also see 1989 Joe Magrane, Cardinals 18-9 2.91 1.240 Career bests in WINS, WIN%, IP, SO & HR9. 2nd career bests in ERA, WHIP, BB9. Led N.L. in HR9. 4th in Cy Young voting. Just 1 ATG card.