> 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. > >Sorry it has taken me so long to respond but I have been busy and twice a composed >responses only to have aol log me out before I can send the response.
Gautam - I would have thought you could have come up with something better than this response. Sure Koufax pitched in an era when pitchers had an advantage. The mound was a bit high at Dodgers Stadium (although it actually height is not known; had it been measured and found to be high the team would have had to lower it). But Koufax pitched half his games at other parks. Hitters weren't as successful but using a single league leading batting average which was anomalously low is unfair. There were a few people who could hit then. Mantle Mays Maris Museil (and I still in the M's). Yes Dodger Stadium was a pitcher's park but to attribute Koufaz's success to this is absurd. After all, other people pitched in Dodger stadium but they did not do what Koufax did. Before 61 Koufax was a disappointing pitcher. Leavy argues that it was Dodger mismanagement that messed Koufax up. Alston did not trust or like Koufax and stiffled him for the first 6 years of his career. Koufax started coming on in 61 and was the best pitcher ever from 62 to 66. In those 5 years he won 111 games (22 per year) had an ERA 1.97. He threw 33 shut outs and had 4 no hitters. 4 no hitters in 5 years. No one has approached this sort of dominance. He had 1444 strikeouts (290 per year for god's sake). (to insure that I will be able to continue to rant I am sending this now and will continue in the next post).
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