I'm skipping Babe Ruth for now, #13 in the set, since I forgot to get the picture. On to Cy Young.
Even though the focus of these cards is the back, the front is certainly interesting. Young was only a "finalist" and not the "Greatest Right Handed Pitcher". That honor went to Walter Johnson who is honored with card number one in this set.
Why isn't the pitching award the Walter Johnson Award? More about that when I discuss Johnson's card.
Wow, he won 20+ games in 16 different seasons. Well, he did start an average of 50 games per season during his first eight seasons. He often pitched both games of a doubleheader.
He pitched baseball's first modern-day perfect game. He added two more no-hitters.
He was quite durable as evidenced by his leading the all-time lists in wins, lossess, games started, complete games (749!) and innings pitched. The last time that all of MLB exceeded 749 complete games was 1980.
Mariano Rivera got 100% of the votes this year. When Young was elected, he received only 153 of 201 votes. Things were certainly different at the start of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Pitched both games of a double header? Now that's pretty darn impressive.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing that Wilbur Wood was the last to do that. Sure, someone may have started both games but not pitched very long. Does anyone have a name after Wilbur Wood? Tom Seaver won a suspended game and then the regular game that followed.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/05/sports/baseball/seavers-double-duty-for-the-white-sox.html
What I didn't remember is that Harold Baines hit the game-winning homer in the first game.
Here is how Wilbur Wood won two games in one day in similar fashion.
https://tht.fangraphs.com/tht-live/40th-anniversary-the-day-wilbur-wood-became-a-legend/
Wood's record was equalized by him losing both ends of a doubleheader as a starter.
https://prestonjg.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/a-thorough-account-of-pitchers-who-have-started-both-games-of-a-doubleheader-in-the-major-leagues/
His career record - 164-156.