Nolan Ryan and Bob Feller were the flamethrowers of their respective eras.
I saw a few amazing info snippets on them.
Bob Feller debuted in 1936 with a handful of relief appearances at age 17. In his first start that year, he threw a complete game, won 4-1, and fanned 15. FIFTEEN Ks at age 17!
So I looked further…
He threw 62 innings that year, enough to fan 75 batters, and had 3 more double digit strikeout complete games, with 10, 10, and SEVENTEEN Ks..
From 1938-1941, he fanned 240 to 260 batters each season.
He won 20+ games in 3 of those seasons, then served in WW II for 3 3/4 seasons, then returned for 9 starts in 1945. He was back full time 1946 and won 20+ in both the 1946 and 1947 seasons. In 1946, his first full season back, he fanned 348 batters!
His high strikeout rate dropped over his last 8 seasons by quite a bit, yet he was still effective. He was 0-4 in his final season, but in the prior 7 of those 8 seasons (ages 30 to 36) he was 93-60, despite just compiling a very un-Feller-like 581 Ks in the 1,280 innings spanning those 8 seasons.
He won 266 and lost 162, despite losing his age 23, 24, and 25 seasons and most of his age 26 season to the war.
Wow.
But this really impressed me about Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams going up against arguably one of the very best, if not the best, pitcher of his time.
They hit a combined .345/.445/.655, with just 25 Ks in 410 plate appearances, against Feller.
That is simply phenomenal.
Now, snippets for pitcher # 2:
Nolan Ryan.
He first pitched for the Mets at age 19 in 1966. In 1990, in his 4th to last season, at age 43, while pitching for the Texas Rangers, he got nailed and bloodied by a comeback hard one hopper from beastly Bo Jackson.
Bleeding, Ryan stayed in the game, his team picked up the 2-1 win, he allowed 1 run, and fanned 8 in 7 innings. He carried a shutout into the 8th inning, allowed a runner, which Kenny Rogers allowed to score to tie the game, preventing Ryan from getting the W.
(Nolan Ryan had a whopping 164 starts where he got a no-decision, with a superb 3.44 ERA in those starts. A product of pitching for many poor hitting teams).
He looked like this on the mound that day, from a picture and caption I saw on Facebook:
“Waiter, those pitchers? I’ll take one of each, please”.
MINORS RECAP (Very briefly.)
I do not plan to do recaps on the Meyer leagues games, very often, but it was opening day for three of the four teams, with Syracuse having started this season a week ago. What were the highlights?
Well, they lost three out of four.
Syracuse plays in the international league or IL. It’s also known as the igloo league. It was downright freezing for the game last night. Finished at around the freezing mark. May the best Eskimo win. Syracuse pitchers allowed just 4 hits, but surrendered 8 runs.
Why. Well, the frigid outcome spurred 15 walks from Syracuse pitchers, including seven from Dom Hamel. Ben Gamel ( no relation to Hamel, or a camel for that matter) was 3 for 3, including a HR, and is hitting .545, which is 545 points higher than DJ Stewart, roughly.
Drew Gilbert had two hits. LA Acuna was given firm instructions to play like Lindor, so he, like Lindor, is hitting under .100.
In AA, Joander Suarez had a brilliant start with five scoreless innings and 6 punch outs. But Binghamton folded after that. They scored just two runs, A disappointing Rumble Ponies debut. Jett had a hit, walk, run, and RBI. Alex Ramirez 2 hits, Jose Peroza went deep. Boom! And, yep, it was a frigid 39 degrees at game time, and got “frigider“ as the NIGHT game progressed.
Brooklyn got a weak starter outing and not a lot of hitting. Ryan Clifford batted leadoff and went oh for three with two walks. Stanley Consuegra had a couple of hits.
St Lucie scored in the 9th to tie and also in the 10th for a 5-4 win. Brennan favorite Nick Morabito had a single and HR, and Colin Houck had a triple and 2 rib eyes, including the game-winning sac fly. But the game’s stud was Jawilme Ramirez, who went the final 3 innings, allowed just a hit and a walk, and whiffed 6. I am officially a Jawilme fan, how about you?
A little-known kid named JD Martinez was 0 for 4 and a walk. 3 ground outs and a liner to short. I sent him a can of Rustoleum, in case it might help.
7 comments:
With everyone throwing in the 90's and a plethora of pitchers hitting 99-102 now, one wonders whether this ERA will have its own fireballer. Sure, there are guys who get headlines for throwing a pitch one MPH faster than all the others, but I don't know that there is any dominant starting pitcher who just "blows 'em away" like the Fellers and the Ryans. It is more likely that the defining pitchers of this ERA are the deGrom type pitchers that combine velocity with pinpoint accuracy. Unfortunately, as deGrom has illustrated, that kind of velocity takes a toll on the arm so today's dominant pitchers tend to light up and then burn away quickly like a meteor.
Paul, I sometimes wonder where the next Greg Maddux is. Maybe it is Christian Scott?
Tom Seaver was not a 100 mph pitcher yet somehow he survived.
I heard Strider is going for an MRI which is just about a daily occurrence and until they put their heads together and figure this out it will continue for sure. It all goes back to the radar gun and when pitchers started getting paid big bucks for 100mph+. Also despite DeGrom's injury history he got the big contract which goes back to my #2 rule in life: ALWAYS FOLLOW THE MONEY (#1 rule is survival of the fittest) and playing in freezing temps in Cuse in early April will separate the men from the boys for sure injuries be dammed.
If Strider turns out to be out for the year, the Mets have an increased chance.vOf course, Atlantatrailed 5-2 after 7, but won 6-5. They can lose a Strider and still win.
That Atlanta won last night, sucked. That it was Jarred Kelenic that drove in the tying run in the 9th with a bloop double was sickening. That the Mets seem to still be miles behind even if Strider is out is nauseating.
Binghamton got on base 23 times today in 8 innings of a home win. They will be a very dangerous offense this year. JuniorSantos 3 hitless in relief. Maybe he is finally finding his niche.
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