What Makes an Elite Pitcher?
Young, Mathewson, Johnson, Alexander, Grove, Spahn, Seaver, Clemens, and Maddux
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About the Book
Elite baseball pitchers are elite for a reason. They seem to have it all: a variety of pitches that no one can lay a bat to; cool heads and confidence in their “stuff” when they get in a jam; and the kind of dexterity that makes difficult plays seem easy.
Is elite status revealed through statistics? Though the author of this book considers statistics of both the traditional and sabermetric sort, he argues that the greats are proved not by broad statistical comparison with all other pitchers, but by their record against one another.
In a thoughtful discussion of the evidence of head-to-head matchups, he finds the nine pitchers who make up the true elite: Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Grover Alexander, Lefty Grove, Warren Spahn, Tom Seaver, Roger Clemens, and Greg Maddux. For each pitcher the book provides biographical information, career highlights, and a list of the feats that put him in the record books.
About the Author(s)
Bibliographic Details
Warren N. Wilbert
Foreword by Robin Roberts
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 394
Bibliographic Info: 118 photos, tables, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2003
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1456-7
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8456-0
Imprint: McFarland
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Foreword xi
Introduction 1
1 Cy Young 5
2 Christy Mathewson 39
3 Walter Johnson 76
4 Pete Alexander 129
5 Lefty Grove 158
6 Warren Spahn 200
7 Tom Seaver 238
8 Roger Clemens 280
9 Greg Maddux 309
10 Fall Classics 345
Notes 357
Appendix A: Ratings from the Total Pitcher Index 363
Appendix B: Selected Career Statistics 365
Bibliography 367
Index 371
Book Reviews & Awards
“presents the case for greatness…in the process, the book relates the Babe’s superlative pitching career”—Choice; “large collection of photographs…useful bibliography…attractive…well indexed”—The SABR Deadball Committee Newsletter.
