----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Pensinger" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Killer Bs Discussion" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2003 5:16 PM Subject: Re: Sandy Kofax
> Gautam Mukunda wrote: > > --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > >>No baseball for a while so I thought I might stir > >>the pot. Just finished Jane Leavy's excellent if > >>reverential bio. It provides some insight into this > >>extrarordinarly private man. She dispells notions > >>that he did not really like baseball, or that he was > >>aloof from teamates. But the main thing about him is > >>his absolute dominance from 1961 through 1966. The > >>statistics are daunting, 4 no hitters, an ERA of > >>less than two, wining crutial games for the Dodgers > >>at the end of the season and then in the world > >>series often on 2 days rest. Other players of that > >>era insist that he was the best. I know Gautam has > >>argued in favor of Pedro Martinez but it seems to me > >>that Pedro is not in the same league. As good as he > >>Pedro has not been able to drag his team along with > >>him. As good as he is he does not seem to have the > >>ability to dominate the way Kofax could. > > > > > > Except that Koufax pitched in Dodger Stadium, off a > > 20" mound (the mound in Dodger Stadium was illegally > > high) in an era when the _batting title winner_ hit > > .301 in the American League, and the HR high was in > > the low 30s, IIRC. Pedro puts up ERAs similar to > > Koufax's when the batting title winner hits in the > > .370s, the HR champion hits 70 HRs, the mound is 10" > > high, and he does it in _Fenway Park_ (which favors > > hitters), not Dodger Stadium (then and now the best > > pitcher's park in MLB). In fact, until Koufax moved > > to Dodger Stadium, he wasn't an overwhelming pitcher. > > He was very good, but if I had to pick one pitcher of > > the post-war era to win a game for me, the list would > > go something like: > > 1. Pedro > > 2. Pedro > > 3. Tom Seaver > > 4. Roger Clemens > > 5. Greg Maddux > > 6. Koufax > > And I'm not even sure I'd put him that high. > > > What about Bob Gibson? > Nolan Ryan? xponent Local Maru rob _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
