Welcome to my blog everyone and thanks to everyone who has been participating in my search to put together the greatest baseball team of all time. This week we will be completing our pitching staff by picking our 3 late inning relief pitchers.
Before we get to the list of candidates and their career statistics, its time to announce who you voted in as the 7 greatest starting pitchers. Well, actually you voted in the top 6 as there was a 3 way tie for 7th, so I went to the liberty that I afford myself since I don't vote, to break the tie. Here are the magnificent 7 with their vote totals listed. The top 5 will be the starting rotation and the 6th and 7th place guys will be the middle/long relief guys.
1. Walter Johnson - 23 votes (Good pick folks, I'll happily take him as my ace)
2. Cy Young - 21 votes (once again, I like him there)
3. Sandy Koufax - 15 votes (3rd best ever? Probably not, but a lefty should go middle of rotation)
4. Christy Mathewson - 15 votes (Probably is 3rd best ever)
5. Bob Gibson - 14 votes (best option of 14 vote getting starters)
6. Nolan Ryan - 14 votes (Perhaps my favorite pitcher of the bunch but not one of my top 7)
7. Greg Maddux - 9 votes (I picked Maddux over Spahn and Seaver who also received 9 votes. Comparing the stats was an interesting comparison and none of the 3 were overwhelming favorites over the other 2. I went with Maddux because he just didn't walk people)
I probably wouldn't have had Koufax, Gibson and Ryan on my list of top 7. In fact there are 8 pitchers that weren't in the top 7 in the voting that I'd take over those 3. I'd have taken lefties Lefty Grove, Rube Waddell or
Randy Johnson over Koufax and righties Ed Walsh, Addie Joss, Mordecai Brown, Roger Clemens or Pedro Martinez over both Gibby and the Express. One more comment before we move on to relief pitchers. I looked over all the stats from Satchell Paige from both his Negro League days and his major leagues. There just wasn't a way to compile a stat for him like the majors. He was way up in age when he finally had his chance to play in the majors and despite his advanced age, he still pitched impressively. Had he been afforded the opportunity to play in the major leagues like all the others on the list had, there's an outstanding chance that he'd be a member of the magnificent 7.
OK, now to the matter at hand. I have compiled a list of statistics for who I feel are the 28 greatest relief pitchers of all time. This actually took a bit more research than all the other positions so far, because there are only 5 relief pitchers in the Hall of Fame. I usually start my list with hall of famers, then look over recent players who played at or near hall of fame levels. Unlike all other positions, relievers became much more relevent in the 1970s and their role has increased as the decades have passed. I only ask my voters to please take in account that the role of the closer has been much different in the past 10-12 years than it did from the 70s to the mid 90s. Up until the 90s, many closers were brought into tie games or close games as early as the 7th inning. Thus, they didn't put up the huge save numbers and got more decisions. People in my age bracket realize this, I just wanted to inform the younger voters. OK, I've chattered long enough, here is my list. I'm sorry if I left off one of your favorites, but this is my team and if your guy isn't on this list, it means I don't want him on my all-time team.
PITCHER GAMES INNINGS WINS LOSSES SAVES ERA STRIKEOUTS WALKS WHIP ERA+
Mariano Rivera 871 1044.0 68 50 492 2.29 960 245 1.021 199
Dennis Eckersley 1071 3285.2 197 171 390 3.50 2401 738 1.161 116
Rollie Fingers 944 1701.1 114 118 341 2.90 1299 492 1.156 119
Goose Gossage 1002 1809.1 124 107 310 3.01 1502 732 1.232 126
Rob Nenn 643 715.0 45 42 314 2.98 793 260 1.213 138
Troy Percival 703 708.2 35 43 358 3.17 781 306 1.108 146
Bruce Sutter 661 1042.1 68 71 300 2.83 861 309 1.140 136
Billy Wagner 765 818.0 39 37 385 2.40 1066 270 1.009 180
Lee Smith 1022 1289.1 71 92 478 3.03 1251 486 1.256 131
Trevor Hoffman 944 1002.0 56 66 566 2.74 1066 274 1.040 147
John Franco 1119 1245.2 90 87 424 2.89 975 495 1.333 137
Dan Quisenberry 674 1043.1 56 46 244 2.76 379 163 1.175 146
Hoyt Wilhelm 1070 2254.1 143 122 227 2.52 1610 778 1.126 146
Roy Face 848 1375.0 104 95 193 3.48 877 362 1.243 109
Sparky Lyle 899 1390.1 99 76 238 2.88 873 481 1.275 127
Kent Tekulve 1050 1436.1 94 90 184 2.85 779 491 1.250 132
Jeff Reardon 880 1132.1 73 77 367 3.16 877 358 1.199 121
Tom Henke 642 789.2 41 42 311 2.67 861 255 1.092 136
Lindy McDaniel 987 2139.1 141 119 172 3.45 1361 623 1.272 109
John Wetteland 618 765.0 48 45 330 2.93 804 252 1.135 148
Jeff Montgomery 700 868.2 46 52 304 3.27 733 296 1.244 134
Rod Beck 704 768.0 38 45 286 3.30 644 191 1.164 123
Doug Jones 846 1128.1 69 79 303 3.30 909 247 1.243 129
Roberto Hernandez 1010 1071.1 67 71 326 3.45 945 462 1.367 131
Mike Marshall 723 1386.2 97 112 188 3.14 880 514 1.294 118
Armando Benitez 762 779 40 47 289 3.13 946 403 1.217 139
Rick Aguilera 732 1291.1 86 81 318 3.57 1030 351 1.227 117
Randy Myers 728 884.2 44 63 347 3.19 884 396 1.304 122
I know, once again I've created some tough decisions for all of you. Consider it one of the few things I'm good at.
Have fun everyone!
