Time for a little story-telling, debate and meanderings down memory
lane. In another thread this week, there was some mention of Roy
Halladay's dominant nature (oh hell, that's been true every week this
site has existed, hasn't it?) with sidebar mentions of Steve Carlton's
1972 season and others of that ilk. Which got me to thinking -- and
now, gets me to asking, all ye loyal readers and posters in Bauxite Nation -- what's the most dominant pitcher season you recall ever seeing?
For the record, now -- screw the "records," now. Nobody say anything about statistical dominance or best ERA+ or anything of that nature. No mentions of Christy Mathewson or Ed Walsh unless there are truly elderly Bauxites out there who actually saw Addie Joss and Pete Alexander pitch. For me, there are four names that come immediately to mind ...
... and I should start by saying that as great as Carlton was in 1972, I don't remember him from that season (Hey, I was six!) ... so my memories start a little later.
The first truly dominant starting pitcher I remember marvelling at was a pinstriped Gator named Ron Guidry who went, if I remember this right (let's not look anything up, folks -- go by what your memories tell you) 25-3 for the 1978 Yankees. The little lefty was every bit his Louisiana Lightning nickname, and then some. But at the age of 12 and living 650 miles from Yankee Stadium, I was more closely attuned at the time to the rehab efforts of Mark Fidrych and the stalwart starts of Jack Billingham, neither of whom belong on this list. All I really remember about Guidry '78 is that he was awesome.
By 1985-86, I was 19 going on 20, in college, and more aware of the sheer dominance of two young obviously-Hall-of-Fame-bound righties named Doc Gooden and Roger Clemens. Each won two dozen games, Doc in '85 and Rocket the next season.
Gooden '85 was the greatest pitcher I ever saw, no question. He threw 140 MPH and had a curve that broke eight feet and ... okay, the haze of memory may have enhanced those specifics a little. Clemens was just about as good the next season; among other moments, he set a new single-game strikeout record that in the two-plus decades since only he himself has matched in a nine-inning outing. In my memory, Clemens threw harder but Gooden's repertoire was nastier.
Postscript to my 20-year-old self: What things can happen on the way to Cooperstown, hey?
So is one of those two, Dr. K. and Rocket Roger, the most dominant pitcher I've ever seen? No. Brace yourselves, Blue Jay fans -- the greatest one-season -- okay, two-month-stretch -- hurler I've ever had the pleasure to see pitch is a former Jay, a fella who almost single-handedly kept the Blue Jays from a post-season appearance half a decade before Pat Borders, of all people, would win a World Series MVP.
That's right, Bauxites, I take you to the year 1987 and the exploits of the temporarily greatest pitcher who ever lived, one Doyle Lafayette Alexander. In fewer than a dozen starts for the Tigers, Ol' Alex was 9-0 with an ERA well south of 2.00. No, I don't have to look those up; I lived about 40 miles from the Corner of Michigan and Trumbull -- that'd be Tiger Stadium -- so the voice of Ernie Harwell proclaiming "Doyle does it again!" on WJR radio is a very clear memory.
The Tigers pretty much rode Alexander into the post-season, where the wily vet (sort of the anti-Gooden) had his gluteus handed to him twice by the eventual World Champion Twins. Well, it was worth the ride and all it cost the Tigers was a trading chip in the form of a young minor-league pitcher nobody had ever heard of ... kid named Smoltz.
In a nice piece of symmetry to conclude this wander down Memory Lane, John Smoltz had one of the most dominant pitcher seasons of the 1990s, winning 24 -- a magic number, the same total that both Gooden and Clemens peaked at -- but, all due respect, he comes nowhere remotely near the list of the four pitchers mentioned above.
Guidry won the most games, 25. Clemens had the best career and got to the World Series during his display of dominance. Gooden was the most preternaturally talented. But the greatest, most dominant pitcher I ever saw was, during the last two months of the 1987 season, the inimitable Doyle Alexander. Hand him the ball, sit back, and wait for the eight-hit complete game shutout. That was Alexander '87.
Okay ... who's next? I personally can't believe I got all the way through this piece without mentioning Tom Seaver, my personal all-time favorite player, but as great as he was for as long as he was, I don't remember his best year (1969) and his remarkable '77, split between the Mets and Reds, isn't quite Guidry-esque. Who gets your "vote," sends you into "hey, I remember" mode? Johan Santana? Mike Scott? Roy Halladay? Greg Maddux? Name the pitcher and the year and what you remember most ...
For the record, now -- screw the "records," now. Nobody say anything about statistical dominance or best ERA+ or anything of that nature. No mentions of Christy Mathewson or Ed Walsh unless there are truly elderly Bauxites out there who actually saw Addie Joss and Pete Alexander pitch. For me, there are four names that come immediately to mind ...
... and I should start by saying that as great as Carlton was in 1972, I don't remember him from that season (Hey, I was six!) ... so my memories start a little later.
The first truly dominant starting pitcher I remember marvelling at was a pinstriped Gator named Ron Guidry who went, if I remember this right (let's not look anything up, folks -- go by what your memories tell you) 25-3 for the 1978 Yankees. The little lefty was every bit his Louisiana Lightning nickname, and then some. But at the age of 12 and living 650 miles from Yankee Stadium, I was more closely attuned at the time to the rehab efforts of Mark Fidrych and the stalwart starts of Jack Billingham, neither of whom belong on this list. All I really remember about Guidry '78 is that he was awesome.
By 1985-86, I was 19 going on 20, in college, and more aware of the sheer dominance of two young obviously-Hall-of-Fame-bound righties named Doc Gooden and Roger Clemens. Each won two dozen games, Doc in '85 and Rocket the next season.
Gooden '85 was the greatest pitcher I ever saw, no question. He threw 140 MPH and had a curve that broke eight feet and ... okay, the haze of memory may have enhanced those specifics a little. Clemens was just about as good the next season; among other moments, he set a new single-game strikeout record that in the two-plus decades since only he himself has matched in a nine-inning outing. In my memory, Clemens threw harder but Gooden's repertoire was nastier.
Postscript to my 20-year-old self: What things can happen on the way to Cooperstown, hey?
So is one of those two, Dr. K. and Rocket Roger, the most dominant pitcher I've ever seen? No. Brace yourselves, Blue Jay fans -- the greatest one-season -- okay, two-month-stretch -- hurler I've ever had the pleasure to see pitch is a former Jay, a fella who almost single-handedly kept the Blue Jays from a post-season appearance half a decade before Pat Borders, of all people, would win a World Series MVP.
That's right, Bauxites, I take you to the year 1987 and the exploits of the temporarily greatest pitcher who ever lived, one Doyle Lafayette Alexander. In fewer than a dozen starts for the Tigers, Ol' Alex was 9-0 with an ERA well south of 2.00. No, I don't have to look those up; I lived about 40 miles from the Corner of Michigan and Trumbull -- that'd be Tiger Stadium -- so the voice of Ernie Harwell proclaiming "Doyle does it again!" on WJR radio is a very clear memory.
The Tigers pretty much rode Alexander into the post-season, where the wily vet (sort of the anti-Gooden) had his gluteus handed to him twice by the eventual World Champion Twins. Well, it was worth the ride and all it cost the Tigers was a trading chip in the form of a young minor-league pitcher nobody had ever heard of ... kid named Smoltz.
In a nice piece of symmetry to conclude this wander down Memory Lane, John Smoltz had one of the most dominant pitcher seasons of the 1990s, winning 24 -- a magic number, the same total that both Gooden and Clemens peaked at -- but, all due respect, he comes nowhere remotely near the list of the four pitchers mentioned above.
Guidry won the most games, 25. Clemens had the best career and got to the World Series during his display of dominance. Gooden was the most preternaturally talented. But the greatest, most dominant pitcher I ever saw was, during the last two months of the 1987 season, the inimitable Doyle Alexander. Hand him the ball, sit back, and wait for the eight-hit complete game shutout. That was Alexander '87.
Okay ... who's next? I personally can't believe I got all the way through this piece without mentioning Tom Seaver, my personal all-time favorite player, but as great as he was for as long as he was, I don't remember his best year (1969) and his remarkable '77, split between the Mets and Reds, isn't quite Guidry-esque. Who gets your "vote," sends you into "hey, I remember" mode? Johan Santana? Mike Scott? Roy Halladay? Greg Maddux? Name the pitcher and the year and what you remember most ...
