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Saturday, March 22, 2008

N.Y. Times: Chass: Wells, Nearing 45, Is Not Ready to Walk Away (RR)

Chass, Nearing 85, Is Not Ready to Walk Away From Antiquated Thinking (RR)

David Wells has a 239-157 career record for a .604 winning percentage, which is higher than the winning percentages of 35 Hall of Fame pitchers, including Walter Johnson, Steve Carlton, Robin Roberts, Jim Bunning, Hal Newhouser, Catfish Hunter, Ferguson Jenkins, Tom Seaver, Warren Spahn and Nolan Ryan.

That’s not to suggest that Wells should be in the Hall of Fame, but it does demonstrate that he knows how to win, which some pitchers never learn, no matter their level of ability.

Repoz Posted: March 22, 2008 at 05:16 PM | 23 comment(s)
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   1. Hello Rusty Kuntz, Goodbye Rusty Cars Posted: March 22, 2008 at 05:58 PM (#2717706)
Walter Johnson should have learned how to win.
   2. Hal Chase Headley Lamarr Hoyt Wilhelm (ACE1242) Posted: March 22, 2008 at 06:04 PM (#2717711)
knows how to win

All right, contestants. In all of MLB history, two (count 'em) pitchers have had careers of ten or more years and have had a winning record every year they pitched. And they are ...?
   3. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: March 22, 2008 at 06:12 PM (#2717714)
And they are ...

A dirty, rotten, commissioner-defying, sheep-testicle-eating, illegal-bat-using cheater, and a dirty, rotten, HGH-using, throw-your-best-pal-under-the-bus, that's-a-balk-that's-a-damned-balk cheater.
   4. AJMacaroni Posted: March 22, 2008 at 06:12 PM (#2717715)
All right, contestants. In all of MLB history, two (count 'em) pitchers have had careers of ten or more years and have had a winning record every year they pitched. And they are ...?

Pedro Martinez and Spud Chandler?
   5. The Mets make Russlan sad Posted: March 22, 2008 at 06:15 PM (#2717717)
Pedro went 0-1 in his first season. My first guess was going to be Tim Hudson but he has only pitched 9 years. My other guess was Whitey Ford but that's wrong.
   6. walt williams bobblehead Posted: March 22, 2008 at 06:25 PM (#2717721)
Read the question carefully.
   7. KingKaufman Posted: March 22, 2008 at 06:27 PM (#2717724)
Sheep-testicle eating? I thought it was injecting.

His pitching line with the Yanks: 5G, 5GS, 31 IP, 5.52 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 5K, 16BB (those last 2 not transposed).

His record: 5-0.

He knew how to win.
   8. T.J. makes a mochary or the sport Posted: March 22, 2008 at 06:28 PM (#2717726)
Found one! The Babe!

EDIT: OK, I missed the sheep comment before acting like I was in the Yukon. And he only started FOUR games for the Yanks.
   9. Exploring Leftist Conservatism since 2008 (ark..) Posted: March 22, 2008 at 06:31 PM (#2717730)
Don't have it yet, but Cy Young didn't have a losing season until he was 38. That's not too shabby.
   10. Hal Chase Headley Lamarr Hoyt Wilhelm (ACE1242) Posted: March 22, 2008 at 06:39 PM (#2717736)
Spud Chandler?

Alas, his 1944 0-0 ruins everything.
   11. Rough Carrigan Posted: March 22, 2008 at 06:46 PM (#2717742)
I thought this was going to be about Wells's body mass index.
   12. Srul Itza Posted: March 22, 2008 at 06:59 PM (#2717748)
HGH-using, throw-your-best-pal-under-the-bus

How many more clues do you need?
   13. Gambling Rent Czar Posted: March 22, 2008 at 07:06 PM (#2717749)
David. Shut up, hang em up, and come home. I'll buy you a beer.
   14. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: March 22, 2008 at 07:07 PM (#2717750)
HGH-using, throw-your-best-pal-under-the-bus
How many more clues do you need?


"The power of Christ COMPELS you! The power of Christ COMPELS you! The power of Christ COMPELS you!"

Meanwhile, I give you the closest thing to Mr. Opposite:

4-1
3-5
9-10
3-18
0-3
0-1
7-9
9-20
1-2
2-5
0-2
(Too bad about that rookie year.)
   15. The Mets make Russlan sad Posted: March 22, 2008 at 07:07 PM (#2717751)
That's a great question.
   16. T.J. makes a mochary or the sport Posted: March 22, 2008 at 07:57 PM (#2717773)
I at first thought Clemens, but I should have looked at it from the other side.
   17. Eraser-X is emphatically dominating teh site!!! Posted: March 22, 2008 at 08:06 PM (#2717775)
Anthony Young?
   18. KingKaufman Posted: March 22, 2008 at 08:30 PM (#2717785)
And he only started FOUR games for the Yanks.

Yeah. 5G, 4GS.

But he still went 5-0. Even when he didn't start, he knew how to win.
   19. T.J. makes a mochary or the sport Posted: March 22, 2008 at 08:45 PM (#2717792)
But he still went 5-0. Even when he didn't start, he knew how to win.

Especially in 1921: 2G, 9 IP, 10 R, 9 ER, 14 H, 9 BB, 2 K, 2-0. He taught Jack Morris to pitch to the score.
   20. Rich Posted: March 23, 2008 at 12:39 AM (#2717871)
Andy Pettitte?
   21. The Mets make Russlan sad Posted: March 23, 2008 at 12:43 AM (#2717873)
Andy Pettitte?

Andy Pettitte and Babe Ruth are the answer.
   22. Walt Davis Posted: March 23, 2008 at 03:39 AM (#2717903)
It may be that there's something about modern pitcher usage that increases winning percentage. Here's the list of pitchers with 250+ decisions and a >=500 win%

5 of the top 15 are active (Pedro, Clemens, Johnson, Pettitte, Mussina) and none of them except possibly Pettitte are likely to see a big decrease in their win%'s I don't think. It's 12 of the top 50 if we include Kevin Brown and Curt Schilling is just behind.

If you look younger, you see guys like Oswalt (675), Hudson (659), Santana (679), Halladay (669), Mulder (632). Even guys like Matt Morris, Freddie Garcia, Russ Ortiz, Kirk Rueter had >600 win%'s through age 30.

We sure have a lot of pitchers who "know how to win" these days.

Or maybe leaving the game after 6-7 is beneficial to a pitcher's W-L%.
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