Friday, August 19, 2022

Al Was Worth Plenty For The Twins In 1965, Part 2

So where else does Al Worthington rule on the Minnesota Twins in 1965?

He was for sure the bullpen ace, recording twenty-one saves in '65. Not that the rest of  Minny's relief corps was anything to take lightly. The Twins won the American League pennant that year. The bullpen was one of the team's great strengths.

Eight other pitchers recorded at least two saves, including starter Jim Kaat. Kaat won "only" eighteen games that year, but would start the second game of 1965 World Series against Los Angeles' Sandy Koufax. Kaat would win an American-League best 25 games the next season. Looking back, Jim is for certain the ace of the Minnesota Twins team during the decade. When he finally hung up his cleats after 1983, Kaat had 283 wins to his name.

It was one of those seasons, as I mentioned here, where the bullpen basically took over when the starters had to leave. It's a bit of a mystery that Camilio Pascual won only nine games in 1965 for the Twins. He'd won at least fifteen games the previous four seasons. Still, Pascual was 9-3, so it's not as if he was losing the games he didn't win.

Getting back to Al Worthington, he posted a 2.13 earned run average. Among relievers, only Johnny Klippstein came close to matching that. Jim Perry had the best ERA, 2.63, among any starter. Worthington also topped the team with 21 saves. Klippstein and Bill Pleis each were credited with seven holds, was Al Worthington had to settle for just two.

In 80 1/3 innings, Worthington struck out 59 batters. Klippstein also had that total. Topping the Twins' relief corps was Dick Stigman with 70 K's in as many innings. Looking at the Twins' pitchers, it is interesting to see that the two best wins above replacement leaders are Jim Perry and Mudcat Grant.

But did they put much distance between the relief pitchers? Perry was a 2.6 and Grant was a 2.5. Johnny Klippstein was a 1.8 and our boy Al Worthington was 1.6. So that is some great proof that the bullpen was every bit as valuable as the starting rotation. Klippstein was 36 years old that season (He turned 37 in October), with Worthington turning that age in February. So the two veterans carried the Twins that season out of the bullpen.

But all that led to Minny being the underdogs against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series that year. Sure, the Twins had won the pennant with 102 wins, but the Dodgers had Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

The one thing Minnesota seemed to have was home field advantage. They won the first two games at home, but Los Angeles still had an ace up their sleve in pitcher Claude Osteen. The lefty beat Camilo Pascual 4-0 in game three. The Dodgers then wrapped up their home schedule for 1965 with their two big guns doing the job. It was Don Drysdale with a masterful 7-2 win in the fourth contest. Sandy Koufax, who lost the second game 5-1 to Jim Kaat, beat him 7-0 in the fifth tilt. The Twins got just four hits off him.

Mudcat Grant brought the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers to their knees as the series shifted by to Minnesota. Game six went to the home team, 5-1. Claude Osteen could not duplicate his third game heroics.

So it all came down to a winner-take-all game seven. Koufax vs. Kaat. Kaat was up against it.

LA seemed destined to score with runners on second and third in the top of the third, but Jim pitched out of that situation. He wasn't so lucky the next inning as Los Angeles put a "2" on the scoreboard. Lou Johnson's home run to left was barely fair. But Ron Fairly followed with a double. Wes Parker hit a single. Kaat had faced three men in the top of the fourth and gotten not one out. This game, now 2-0, looked like it was going to be a big blowout for the Dodgers.

So Al Worthington came on. Dick Tracewski tried to bunt, but popped out. John Roseboro walked. So the Dodger catcher was helping out his batterymate. Speaking of which, Sandy Koufax was next. A double play would help. Worthington got Koufax to ground out. But both runners advanced.

Maury Wills popped out to third, and Worthington had gotten the Twins out of a potentially big inning. But Koufax pitching with a two-run cushion? The game was as good as over.

Worthington got Los Angeles 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth. Frank Quilici hit a one-out double off Sandy Koufax in the bottom of the frame. Al Worthington was the next scheduled batter, but would not hit of course. Rich Rollins batted for the pitcher and walked. It was back to the top of the order.

The batter was AL MVP Zoilo Versalles. The Dodgers talked it over with Koufax. Sandy got it together and got ahead in the count, which was crucial. On the fifth pitch to Versalles, the shortstop hit a hard one down the line to Jim Gilliam at third. Gilliam made a fine stop and stepped on third for the second out. Joe Nossek then batted. Koufax fell behind him 2-0, the third batter to get ahead of Sandy in this inning. But Nossek forced Versalles at second.

Johnny Klippstein took over from there and had trouble. When he left after 1 2/3 inning of work, Los Angeles had runners on second and third. Jim Merritt got Ron Fairly to fly out to right. Merrit worked a 1-2-3 eighth, leaving for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the frame. Jim Perry shutout the Dodgers in the top of the ninth. The bullpen had come through for Minnesota when they were needed the most.

However, it did not matter. Sandy Koufax was Sandy Koufax. Nine innings pitched. Three hits, no runs, ten strikeouts. The 2-0 win was a tough one for the Twins. They'd come so close, only to lose it all at home.

Al Worthington and Minnesota came back in 1966, determinted to return to the World Series. Los Angeles made it, but Minny did not. The Twins fell to just 89 wins the next season, taking a back seat to the Baltimore Orioles. The O's swept the Dodgers in the Fall Classic.

And while Johnny Klippstein fell back in '66 to just 1-1 with a 3.40 earned run average, Al Worthington was great again. 6-3, 16 saves. ERA, 2.46. The Twins sure had the pitching. They could bounce back the next season.

And 1967 was a good one for them. They battled the Boston Red Sox right down to the wire. Actually, it wasn't just Boston that Minnesota was battling. There was Detroit. There was Chicago. And there was also the surging California Angels.

The Twins would have to settle for a second place tie with the Tigers. Al Worthington again saved sixteen games. He was only 8-9, however. The closer job had been his since 1963, be it with Cincinnati or Minnesota. For Al to have held it this long was quite an accomplishment. It would not be long that the Twins would be back in the postseason.

Although again under .500 in 1968 (The last season before divisional play), that year was another typical Al Worthington season, otherwise. The earned run average was great, 2.71. The save total outstanding. So good, that Al led the American League with eighteen saves.

And that brings us to 1969, which was Al Worthington's last. The Twins didn't have to worry about teams like Detroit, Baltimore, or Boston anymore. Now positioned in the newly-formed American League West, Minnesota sat atop. The American and National League consisted of two divisions each (East and West). Minnesota finished in first ahead of Oakland.

But Worthington saw his role as a closer go to Ron Perranoski. Perranoski saved 31 games and posted a 2.11 earned run average. Minnesota won 97 games that year, and the bullpen was strong. Al Worthington saw his ERA spike up to 4.57, but like Joe Grzenda, went 4-1. Grzenda, Worthington and and Bob Miller each picked up three saves. Worthington did top the team in holds with seven. Bob Miller was second with only two.

So, as it turns out Minnesota did have to worry about Baltimore. Waiting for the Twins in the very first American League Championship Series were the Orioles. Like Minnesota, Baltimore was looking to get back to the World Series for the second time in the decade.

Alas, the O's were clearly the better team in this best-of-five affair. The Twins gave it everything they had in the first two contests, only to come up short in extras. The third game was a laugher, with Baltimore winning it 11-2.

The third game not only completed a sweep, but it proved to be the last major league appearance for Al Worthington. To his credit, he pitched a 1-2-3 fifth, but then Baltimore solved the reliever. After retiring Jim Palmer to start the top of the sixth, Don Buford followed with a double. Singles by Paul Blair and Frank Robinson scored Buford, and Al Worthington left the mound for the last time.

After being out of the game for a few years, Al was back right where he left off. Minnesota had a new pitching coach in 1972 - Al Worthington. The Twins were just .500 at 77-77, but were third in earned run average among teams in the Junior Circuit, 2.84.The team featured such pitching stars as Bert Blyleven, Jim Kaat and Jim Perry.

After one more year working with Minnesota, Al Worthington joined the Lynchburg Baptist College to put his lengthy baseball experience to good use. Al started as the head baseball coach, but moved up to athletic director. Ex-Yankee second basemen Bobby Richardson filled in the coaching void. Worthington stayed with Lynchburg (Later renamed Liberty University) until 1989. Al's solid contributions saw him get induced into the Liberty University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010. Two years later, another honour. Alabama Sports inducted Worthington into their Hall of Fame.


Greatest Relief Seasons of All-Time Stat Set 2


Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Bernhard 1899 0 ? ? ? 2.65 23 1.6 1.179 2.0
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Walsh 1904 1 ? ? ? 2.60 57 4.6 1.102 0.1
                     
Griffith 1905 1 ? ? ? 1.68 46 4.1 0.954 3.3
                     
Ferguson 1906 7 ? ? ? 2.58 32 5.5 1.280 0.2
                     
Keefe 1907 3 ? ? ? 2.50 20 3.1 1.387 2.0
                     
Chappelle 1908 0 ? ? ? 1.79 23 2.9 1.095 0.3
                     
Leever 1909 2 ? ? ? 2.83 23 3.0 1.257 -0.1
                     
Dygert 1909 0 ? ? ? 2.42 79 5.2 1.216 -0.4
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Phillipe 1910 4 ? ? ? 2.29 30 2.2 0.986 2.0
                     
Benz 1911 0 ? ? ? 2.26 28 4.5 1.168 0.7
                     
Baskette 1912 1 ? ? ? 3.18 51 4.0 1.336 2.2
                     
Crandall 1913 6 ? ? ? 2.86 42 3.9 1.290 0.5
                     
Wolfgang 1914 0 ? ? ? 1.89 50 3.8 1.073 1.8
                     
Bressler 1914 2 ? ? ? 1.77 96 5.9 1.138 3.5
                     
Conzelman 1914 2 ? ? ? 2.94 39 3.5 1.267 0.8
                     
Mays 1915 7 ? ? ? 2.60 65 4.4 1.063 1.0
                     
Hughes 1916 5 1 0.833 ? 2.35 97 5.4 1.068 2.5
                     
Danforth 1917 9 ? ? ? 2.65 79 4.1 1.324 3.2
                     
Bender 1917 2 ? ? ? 1.67 43 3.4 0.973 3.7
                     
Coumbe 1917 5 2 0.714 1 2.14 30 2.0 1.146 1.1
                     
Dubuc 1919 3 ? ? ? 2.66 32 2.2 1.182 0.6
                     
Luque 1919 3 0 1.000 ? 2.63 26 3.4 1.179 1.1
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
S.Smith 1920 3 ? ? ? 1.85 33 2.2 1.181 3.2
                     
Morton 1921 1 ? ? ? 2.76 45 3.8 1.207 2.3
                     
Baumgartner 1925 3 ? ? ? 3.57 18 1.4 1.368 2.5
                     
Marberry 1926 22 ? ? ? 3.00 43 2.8 1.348 3.1
                     
Clark 1927 2 ? ? ? 2.32 32 2.3 1.262 2.8
                     
Haid 1928 5 ? ? ? 2.30 21 4.0 1.064 0.4
                     
Rommel 1929 4 1 0.800 1 2.85 25 2.0 1.484 1.6
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Lindsey 1931 7 1 0.875 ? 2.77 32 3.9 1.634 1.1
                     
Quinn 1932 13 ? ? ? 2.66 24 3.5 1.383 1.1
                     
Russell 1933 13 ? ? ? 2.69 28 2.0 1.218 3.1
                     
Malone 1936 9 1 0.900 0 3.81 72 4.8 1.515 2.9
                     
Brown 1938 5 ? ? ? 3.80 55 3.7 1.500 0.4
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Beggs 1940 7 4 0.636 0 2.00 25 2.9 1.161 2.2
                     
Murphy 1941 15 7 0.682 0 1.98 29 3.4 1.397 2.2
                     
Adams 1943 9 2 0.818 0 2.82 46 3.0 1.254 3.0
                     
Heving 1944 10 ? ? 0 1.96 46 3.5 1.228 1.9
                     
Maltzberger 1944 12 ? ? 0 2.96 49 4.8 1.095 1.8
                     
Berry 1944 12 4 0.750 0 1.94 44 3.6 0.907 3.7
                     
Karl 1945 15 1 0.938 1 2.99 51 2.5 1.245 3.6
                     
Christopher 1947 12 2 0.857 0 2.90 33 3.7 1.277 1.4
                     
Wilks 1948 13 1 0.929 1 2.62 72 4.9 1.163 4.8
                     
Page 1949 27 11 0.711 0 2.59 99 6.6 1.315 4.2
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Konstanty 1950 22 4 0.846 0 2.66 56 3.3 1.039 4.7
                     
Aloma 1951 3 1 0.750 0 1.82 25 3.2 1.096 3.2
                     
Wilhelm 1952 11 1 0.917 1 2.43 108 6.1 1.155 2.7
                     
Paige 1952 10 5 0.667 1 3.07 91 5.9 1.254 3.4
                     
Kinder 1953 27 8 0.771 4 1.85 39 3.3 1.140 4.5
                     
Mossi 1954 7 0 1.000 0 1.94 55 5.3 1.022 3.3
                     
Grissom 1954 17 4 0.810 0 2.35 64 4.7 1.226 4.2
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Narleski 1955 19 2 0.905 6 3.71 94 7.6 1.281 2.5
                     
Craig 1955 2 0 1.000 0 2.78 48 4.8 1.368 1.8
                     
Freeman 1956 18 3 0.857 2 3.40 50 4.1 1.344 2.6
                     
Farrell 1957 10 3 0.769 0 2.38 54 5.8 1.320 2.4
                     
Zuverink 1957 9 8 0.529 0 2.48 36 2.9 1.278 2.7
                     
Hyde 1958 18 5 0.783 0 1.75 49 4.3 1.136 4.9
                     
Duren 1959 14 7 0.667 1 1.88 96 11.3 1.200 3.8
                     
Staley 1959 15 4 0.789 2 2.24 54 4.2 1.169 2.5
                     
Face 1959 10 9 0.526 1 2.70 69 6.7 1.243 3.2
                     
Sherry 1959 3 1 0.750 0 2.19 23 6.9 1.251 3.6
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
McDaniel 1960 26 6 0.813 1 1.29 95 8.2 0.863 6.0
                     
Brosnan 1960 12 2 0.857 2 2.36 62 5.6 1.020 2.7
                     
Arroyo 1961 29 10 0.744 1 2.19 87 6.6 1.109 3.3
                     
Fox 1961 12 2 0.857 3 1.41 32 5.0 1.012 2.6
                     
Radatz 1963 25 3 0.893 0 1.97 162 11.0 1.096 5.7
                     
Perranoski 1963 21 8 0.724 0 1.67 75 5.2 1.202 4.5
                     
Baldschun 1963 16 5 0.762 1 2.30 89 7.0 1.240 2.0
                     
Lee 1964 19 8 0.704 1 1.51 111 7.3 1.058 4.3
                     
Ellis 1964 14 2 0.875 1 2.57 125 9.2 1.054 3.1
                     
Hall 1964 9 2 0.818 2 1.85 52 5.3 0.844 3.0
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Miller 1965 24 1 0.960 1 1.89 104 7.8 0.997 4.3
                     
Worthington 1965 21 5 0.808 2 2.13 59 6.6 1.220 1.6
                     
Regan 1966 21 7 0.750 1 1.62 88 6.8 0.934 5.0
                     
Hoerner 1966 13 3 0.813 4 1.54 63 7.5 1.026 3.0
                     
Drabowsky 1967 12 5 0.706 3 1.60 96 9.1 0.955 3.2
                     
Abernathy 1967 28 6 0.824 1 1.27 88 7.4 0.978 6.2
                     
Wyatt 1967 20 4 0.833 2 2.60 68 6.6 1.179 2.2
                     
Wood 1968 16 5 0.762 7 1.87 74 4.2 1.006 5.4
                     
V. Romo 1968 12 3 0.800 1 1.60 54 5.8 0.901 2.8
                     
Segui 1968 6 1 0.857 4 2.39 72 7.8 1.000 1.3
                     
Tatum 1969 22 1 0.957 2 1.36 65 6.8 1.042 4.3
                     
Watt 1969 16 5 0.762 1 1.65 46 5.8 1.056 1.9
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Williams 1970 15 4 0.789 7 1.99 76 6.0 1.032 2.8
                     
McMahon 1970 19 5 0.792 0 2.96 74 7.1 1.219 3.0
                     
Grant 1970 24 3 0.889 2 1.86 58 3.9 1.064 4.9
                     
Richert 1970 13 4 0.765 3 1.98 66 10.9 1.098 2.3
                     
Sanders 1971 31 4 0.886 0 1.91 80 5.3 1.064 4.1
                     
Carroll 1971 15 6 0.714 4 2.50 64 6.1 1.281 1.8
                     
Giusti 1972 22 5 0.815 0 1.93 54 6.5 1.058 2.3
                     
Knowles 1972 11 3 0.786 5 1.37 36 4.9 1.310 2.5
                     
Brewer 1972 17 7 0.708 0 1.26 69 7.9 0.843 3.5
                     
Hiller 1973 38 4 0.905 0 1.44 124 8.9 1.021 8.1
                     
Borbon 1973 14 5 0.737 6 2.16 60 4.5 1.421 2.5
                     
Beene 1973 1 0 1.000 0 1.68 49 4.8 1.033 3.0
                     
Marshall 1974 21 12 0.636 9 2.42 143 6.2 1.186 3.1
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Gossage 1975 26 5 0.839 1 1.84 130 8.3 1.193 8.2
                     
Hrabosky 1975 22 6 0.786 3 1.66 82 7.6 1.097 3.9
                     
McEnaney 1975 15 4 0.789 11 2.47 48 4.7 1.264 1.5
                     
Eastwick 1976 26 9 0.743 1 2.09 70 5.9 1.115 2.8
                     
Lyle 1977 26 8 0.765 1 2.17 68 4.5 1.197 3.7
                     
Sutter 1977 31 9 0.775 0 1.34 129 10.8 0.857 6.5
                     
Johnson 1977 15 7 0.682 1 3.13 87 5.3 1.806 2.5
                     
Stanley 1978 10 5 0.667 1 2.60 38 2.2 1.242 4.1
                     
Blair 1978 28 5 0.848 2 1.97 91 8.2 1.246 4.1
                     
Lolich 1978 1 0 1.000 2 1.56 13 3.4 1.183 1.1
                     
Tekulve 1979 31 6 0.838 8 2.79 75 5.0 1.176 3.2
                     
Lopez 1979 21 5 0.808 1 2.41 106 7.5 1.150 5.3
                     
Davis 1979 9 10 0.474 2 2.85 43 4.5 1.313 2.2
                     
E.Romo 1979 5 8 0.385 12 2.99 106 7.4 1.276 1.8
                     
Monge 1979 19 7 0.731 5 2.40 108 7.4 1.221 3.0
                     
Sosa 1979 18 7 0.720 4 1.96 59 5.5 1.179 3.1
                     
Palmer 1979 2 1 0.667 0 2.64 72 5.3 1.141 2.2
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
McGraw 1980 20 5 0.800 0 1.46 75 7.3 0.921 4.7
                     
Garvin 1980 8 5 0.615 5 2.29 52 5.7 1.173 3.4
                     
Fingers 1981 28 6 0.824 0 1.04 61 7.0 0.872 4.2
                     
Caudill 1982 26 6 0.813 0 2.35 111 10.4 1.045 4.4
                     
Reardon 1982 26 8 0.765 2 2.06 86 7.1 1.128 3.5
                     
Bedrosian 1982 11 6 0.647 10 2.42 123 8.0 1.155 4.2
                     
L.Smith 1983 29 4 0.879 1 1.65 91 7.9 1.074 4.8
                     
Stewart 1983 8 5 0.615 5 2.60 78 5.2 1.237 3.1
                     
Quisenberry 1983 45 8 0.849 0 1.94 48 3.1 0.928 5.5
                     
Orosco 1983 17 5 0.773 1 1.47 84 6.9 1.036 3.8
                     
Hernandez 1984 32 1 0.970 0 1.92 112 7.2 0.941 4.8
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Lamp 1985 2 5 0.286 8 3.32 68 5.8 1.164 1.3
                     
B.Smith 1985 27 6 0.818 1 2.27 40 4.5 1.084 1.6
                     
Lahti 1985 19 1 0.950 6 1.84 41 5,4 1.302 2.3
                     
D. Moore 1985 31 8 0.795 0 1.92 72 6.3 1.087 3.6
                     
Eichhorn 1986 10 4 0.714 7 1.72 166 9.5 0.955 7.4
                     
Righetti 1986 46 10 0.821 0 2.45 83 7.0 1.153 3.8
                     
Todd Worrell 1986 36 10 0.783 0 2.08 73 6.3 1.225 2.5
                     
Henke 1987 34 8 0.810 1 2.49 128 12.3 0.926 3.3
                     
Burke 1987 18 4 0.818 5 1.19 58 5.7 0.890 4.3
                     
Dayley 1987 4 6 0.400 6 2.66 63 9.3 1.393 1.5
                     
Henneman 1988 22 7 0.759 2 1.87 58 5.7 1.051 3.3
                     
Parrett 1988 6 4 0.600 2 2.65 62 6.1 1.211 1.6
                     
Pena 1988 12 2 0.857 9 1.91 83 7.9 1.081 1.7
                     
Lancaster 1989 8 3 0.727 7 1.36 56 6.9 1.032 3.9
                     
Russell 1989 38 6 0.864 0 1.98 77 9.5 0.950 2.5
                     
McDowell 1989 23 5 0.821 2 1.96 47 4.6 1.272 1.2
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Eckersley 1990 48 2 0.960 0 0.61 73 9.0 0.614 3.3
                     
Thigpen 1990 57 8 0.877 0 1.83 70 7.1 1.038 3.4
                     
Nelson 1990 5 3 0.625 18 1.57 38 4.6 0.964 2.3
                     
Dibble 1990 11 6 0.647 17 1.74 136 12.5 0.980 4.0
                     
Henry 1991 15 1 0.938 3 1.00 28 7.0 0.833 2.2
                     
Aguilera 1991 42 9 0.824 0 2.35 61 8.0 1.072 2.4
                     
Ward 1992 12 4 0.750 24 1.95 103 9.1 1.135 3.1
                     
Rojas 1992 10 1 0.909 13 1.43 70 6.3 1.043 3.9
                     
Olin 1992 29 7 0.806 0 2.34 47 4.8 1.211 2.7
                     
Jones 1992 36 6 0.857 0 1.85 93 7.5 1.102 2.8
                     
Wetteland 1993 43 1 0.977 0 1.37 113 12.0 1.008 4.2
                     
Harvey 1993 45 4 0.918 0 1.70 73 9.5 0.841 4.0
                     
Beck 1993 48 4 0.923 0 2.16 86 9.8 0.882 2.4
                     
Martinez 1993 2 1 0.667 14 2.61 119 10.0 1.243 3.0
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Hoffman 1998 53 1 0.981 0 1.48 86 10.6 0.849 4.1
                     
Urbina 1998 34 4 0.895 0 1.30 94 12.2 1.010 3.2
                     
Williamson 1999 19 7 0.731 5 2.41 107 10.3 1.039 2.8
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Rhodes 2001 3 4 0.429 31 1.72 83 11.0 0.853 2.5
                     
Smoltz 2003 45 4 0.918 0 1.12 73 10.2 0.870 3.3
                     
Tim Worrell 2003 38 7 0.844 1 2.87 65 7.5 1.302 0.8
                     
Cormier 2003 1 3 0.250 13 1.70 67 7.1 0.933 2.6
                     
Timlin 2005 13 7 0.650 24 2.24 59 6.6 1.320 2.9
                     
Nathan 2006 36 2 0.947 0 1.58 95 12.5 0.790 3.3
                     
Ryan 2006 38 4 0.905 1 1.37 86 10.7 0.857 3.6
                     
Putz 2007 40 2 0.952 0 1.38 82 10.3 0.698 4.0
                     
Rivera 2008 39 1 0.975 0 1.40 77 9.8 0.665 4.3
                     
Jenks 2008 30 4 0.882 0 2.63 38 5.5 1.103 2.5
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Bell 2010 47 3 0.940 0 1.93 86 11.1 1.200 1.9
                     
Soriano 2010 45 3 0.938 0 1.73 57 8.2 0.802 2.1
                     
Aceves 2011 2 3 0.400 11 2.61 80 6.3 1.105 2.7
                     
Axford 2011 46 2 0.958 0 1.95 86 10.5 1.140 2.3
                     
Downs 2011 1 3 0.250 26 1.34 35 5.9 1.006 2.0
                     
Cook 2012 14 7 0.667 21 2.09 80 9.8 0.941 2.6
                     
Chapman 2012 38 5 0.884 6 1.51 122 15.3 0.809 3.6
                     
Johnson 2012 51 3 0.944 0 2.49 41 5.4 1.019 2.4
                     
Smyly 2013 2 4 0.333 21 2.37 81 9.6 1.039 2.6
                     
Davis 2014 3 3 0.500 33 1.00 109 13.6 0.847 3.7
                     
Clippard 2014 1 6 0.143 40 2.18 82 10.5 0.995 1.5
                     
Rondon 2015 30 4 0.882 8 1.67 69 8.6 1.000 2.2
                     
O'Day 2015 6 5 0.545 18 1.52 82 11.3 0.934 2.7
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Britton 2016 47 0 1.000 0 0.54 75 9.9 0.836 4.2
                     
Osuna 2016 36 6 0.857 0 2.68 82 10.0 0.932 2.1
                     
Brach 2016 2 5 0.286 24 2.05 92 10.5 1.038 2.5
                     
Miller 2016 12 2 0.857 25 1.45 123 14.9 0.686 3.8
                     
Robertson 2017 14 2 0.875 8 1.84 98 12.9 0.849 2.9
                     
Jansen 2017 41 1 0.976 1 1.32 109 14.4 0.746 2.9
                     
Albers 2017 2 4 0.333 14 1.62 63 9.3 0.852 2.5
                     
Kimbrel 2017 35 4 0.897 1 1.43 126 16.4 0.681 3.6
                     
Morrow 2018 22 2 1.158 0 1.47 31 9.1 1.076 1.4
                     
Trivino 2018 4 5 0.444 23 2.92 82 10.0 1.135 1.5
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Treinen 2018 38 5 0.884 5 0.78 100 11.2 0.834 4.1
                     
Jeffress 2018 15 5 0.750 18 1.29 89 10.4 0.991 3.3
                     
Yarbrough 2018 0 0 0.000 1 3.91 128 7.8 1.290 1.1
                     
Hader 2018 12 5 0.706 21 2.43 243 15.8 0.811 2.1
                     
Strop 2018 13 4 0.765 9 2.26 57 8.6 0.989 2.1
                     
Workman 2019 16 6 0.727 15 1.88 104 13.1 1.033 3.2
                     
Robles 2019 23 4 0.852 2 2.48 75 9.3 1.018 2.6
                     
Walden 2019 2 4 0.333 8 3.81 76 8.8 1.192 1.2
                     
W.Smith 2019 34 4 0.895 0 2.76 96 13.2 1.026 0.4
                     
Oberg 2019 5 3 0.625 8 2.25 58 9.3 1.107 2.4
                     
Littell 2019 0 1 0.000 1 2.68 32 7.8 1.162 0.9
                     
Whitlock 2021 2 3 0.400 15 1.96 81 9.9 1.105 2.9
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR



Notes




Hughes and Sherry Smith appeared as a starter thirteen times.



Baumgartner and Bernhard appeared as a starter twelve times.



Wolfgang and Baskette appeared as a starter eleven times.



Craig and Coumbe appeared as a starter ten times.



Danforth, Malone, Stewart, Sherry, Luque and Conzelman appeared as a starter nine times.



Phillipe and Walsh appeared as a starter eight times.



Morton and Griffith appeared as a starter seven times.



Paige, Mays, Chappelle, Rommell and Yarbrough appeared as a starter six times.



Marberry, Mossi, Lee, Ellis and Dubuc appeared as a starter five times.


Leever, Aceves and Beene appeared as a starter four times.



Russell, Stanley, Adams, Keefe, Bedrosian and Grissom appeared as a starter three times.



Brown, McDaniel, Wood, Crandall, Brosnan, Lindsey, Karl, Wilks, Martinez, Clark and Lolich appeared as a starter two times.



Beggs, Quinn, Narleski, McGraw, Aloma, Robles, Ferguson, Vincente Romo, and Trivino appeared once as a starter.



Maltzberger, Hyde, Konstanty, Duren, Brosnan, Tekulve and Henke all wore glasses.



References



Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.


Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.


Nowlin, Bill. “Al Worthington.” Society for American Baseball Research, SABR, 23 Sept. 2021, https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Al-Worthington/. 19 Aug. 2022.


Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/. 19 Aug. 2022.


Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/. 19 Aug. 2022.