World Series: Did You Know?

Rick Wise ended up the winning pitcher in a game many (myself included) have dubbed "The Greatest Game Ever Played". Well, at least at Fall Classic time. Game six of the 1975 World Series. Started with a flyball from Pete Rose to Carl Yastrzemski, ended with a majestic home run from Carlton Fisk. Right off the foul pole in left.

Wise did not start the game. The Boston Red Sox, down three games to two at home, had to beat the Cincinnati Reds in game six and seven in order to win it. They started Luis Tiant (winner of games one and four) this game. For four innings, he stopped the Reds. A three-run home run by Fred Lynn gave Boston a 3-0 lead.

But the Reds wanted to wrap it all up tonight. They tied it in the top of the fifth. Ken Griffey scored Ed Armbrister and Pete Rose. A long single off the Green Monster by Johnny Bench tied the game. Two innings later, the Reds pushed across two more runs on a George Foster double. A solo home run by Cesar Geronimo in the top of the eighth finished Tiant, and gave the Reds a 6-3 lead. Just eight more outs to go. The Reds managed two get two outs in the bottom of the frame. But a dramatic pinch-hit three-run home run by Bernie Carbo tied the game, and sent the faithful at Fenway into a frenzy!

Roger Moret had a scoreless inning for Boston. Dick Drago added three scoreless frames of his own. But really, what Drago got was a game-saving catch from Dwight Evans in right in the top of the eleventh. The Red Sox, avoided the bullet, but had to be mad at the fact they hadn't won it themselves in the bottom of the ninth. They had the bases loaded and nobody out for Lynn. Lynn flied out to Foster in left, who gunned out Denny Doyle at the plate, trying to score the winning run.

Rick Wise pitched the top of the eleventh, after Boston went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eleventh. He gave up a one-out single to Tony Perez, and then another single to Foster. However, the next two Cincy batters went down without either base runner advancing. So when Carlton Fisk came up in the bottom of the inning, and belted Pat Darcy's second pitch of the inning (He'd gotten six straight Red Sox out in the tenth and eleventh) off the left-field foul pole, Wise was the winning pitcher. The Red Sox and their fans were so ecstatic (and relieved), that probably no one was going to remember the winning pitcher, in relief.



The Reds recovered from this (And another 3-0 lead by Boston the next game) to win game seven. Wise did not pitch in it.



No doubt, it's all about Fisk when you talk about the 1975 World Series. And for very good reason. Wise had started game three in Cincinnati and gotten routed. He did not take the loss. He and the Reds had an interesting history. On June 23rd of 1971, he no-hit Cincy right there in Riverfront Stadium (Pete Rose was the final out of that game). And his bat did some damage, too. He smacked two home runs!



Then, facing Don Gullet of the Reds on July 3rd of the next season, he hit another home run. Clearly, there was something special for Rick Wise versus Cincy. And while it's Fisk with the walk-off, it's The Wise Guy with the relief win.


References

Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

Golenbock, Peter. Red Sox Nation: An Unexpurgated History of the Boston Red Sox. Chicago, IL: Triumph Books, 2005. Print.

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen. 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.

Retrosheet. Retrosheet. Web. 29 Jun. 2015. <www.retrosheet.org>.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 29 Jun. 2015.

Youtube. Youtube. Web. 29 Jun. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/>.

World Series: Did You Know?

The 1975 Fall Classic was the first that neither team had a 20-game winner. Not that there was any shortage of pitching! The excitement between Boston and Cincinnati was amazing. So amazing, you just have to forgive some of the shortcommings of each team!

Game one had Luis Tiant of the Red Sox vs. Don Gullett of the Reds. Tiant was still going strong now in his mid-thirties. He was a crowd favourite at this point and pitched Boston to a 6-0 win, right there at home. Tiant was 18-14 in 1975, but had actually won 20 games with Cleveland in 1968 and again win Boston in 1973 and 1974. With 21 wins in Boston, he missed out by two wins of reaching that magic mark four years in a row! Tiant would be back in game four and game six.

Don Gullett, who lost the game, had been injured in the regular season. But still, 15-4 is a pretty good win-loss record, eh? He may have taken the loss in the opening tilt, but came back strong to win game five of this Fall Classic. He also started game seven.



Game two was Boston's Bill Lee vs. Cincinnati's Jack Billingham. Billingham had not injuries in 1975, but won only as many games as Gullett. Actually, he was just 15-11 with a 4.11 ERA. The Reds pulled this one out in the top of the ninth. Billingham and Lee had both left the game by then. Lee, one of baseball's finest characters of that (or any) time, won exactly 17 games for the third year in a row. Lee was 17-9 in 1975. He would have to wait for a trade to Montreal to win as many as 16 games again, and that was 1979!

Billingham was a bit of a case of bad luck. The two previous years, he'd won exactly 19 games. But the 15 wins he got in 1975, were the most he'd win in any season the rest of his career.



Game three was in Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium (Which, to this day, is the only National League ballpark I've ever been to!) was Rick Wise going for Boston. He, too, never won 20 games, but like Billingham, won 19 in a season. That season you ask? 1975.

The Reds countered with Gary Nolan, who also started game six. Nolan won 15 games himself. It was actually a bit of a comeback for him that season, as he'd missed most of the 1973 season and all of 1974. Neither him nor Wise made it to the last out of the fifth. The Reds won this to go up two games to one in the Fall Classic.





Tiant won game four against Fred Norman, and this thing was tied. Norman had won 12 games for the Reds in 1975. The most games he would ever win was 14, in 1977. Norman finished his career in 1980 as a teammate of Bill Lee's on the Expos.



Gullet was back in game five, and he was amazing. He carried a two-hitter for 8 2/3 innings, before the Red Sox got three straight hits off him. But Don would finish the game and win it, 6-2. Reggie Cleveland started, and actually pitched well for five innings. The wheels came off the chariot in the bottom of the sixth, as the Red scored three times off him Reggie had a record of 13-9, and only twice won as many as 14 games in his career.





Game six was back in Boston, and the Red Sox had to win it. They did just that, 7-6, on Carlton Fisk's dramatic twelve-inning home run. Both Luis Tiant and Gary Nolan were long gone by then. Not that it mattered.



So it was down to game seven, Bill Lee vs. Don Gullett. Gullet was knocked out early, while Lee had a 3-0 lead into the top of the sixth. Tony Perez's two-run home run got Cincy back into the game, and Lee left after getting one out in the top of the next frame. The Reds completed the comeback that inning, and eventually won it in the top of the ninth on Joe Morgan's bloop single.



The 1975 World Series is a personal favourite. To me, it nudges out the 1991 Fall Classic as the best ever. All those close games, all those pitching duels. Fisk's dramatic home run, characters like Bill Lee. I could go on and on. And while it may have lacked a 20-game winner, there was no shortage of drama!


References


Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

Golenbock, Peter. Red Sox Nation: An Unexpurgated History of the Boston Red Sox. Chicago, IL: Triumph Books, 2005. Print.

“The Official Site Of Major League Baseball.” MLB.com, Major League Baseball. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.  <www.mlb.com/>.

Reisman, David, director. Super Series. Major League Baseball, 1975. VHS.

Sports Reference LLC. "Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.

Sugar, Bert Randolph, editor. The Baseball Maniac's Almanac. 3rd ed., Sports Publishing, 2012. Print.

World Series: Did You Know?

Bill Lee, one of my favourite characters is baseball history, pitched well in both starts in 1975. He left with the lead. He ended with a no-decision. And his Boston Red Sox eventually lost both games. The lefty gave it his all at home, but the Cincinnati Reds would not be denied!

After Luis Tiant pitched Boston to a 6-0, game one win over Cincy, it was Lee to the mound. A lefty pitching at good old Fenway Park? Well, why not. Lee won 17 games that year, you see. The Green Monster would have to be factored out somehow!

The Red Sox scored him a run in the bottom of the first, and Lee held that until the top of the fourth. The Reds tied the Red Sox that inning with a single tally. That came with some small ball. Pete Rose led off with a grounder for the first out. A walk by Joe Morgan and a single by Johnny Bench put runners on the corners. Tony Perez hit into a force at second. But it was enough to tie it.

Boston went ahead again in the bottom of the sixth as Rico Petrocelli knocked in a run. That's how it stayed until the top of the ninth. Lee was pitching a gem!

Here's where the Cincinnati Reds tied things up. Johnny Bench knocked Bill Lee out with a double. But, you know, all things considered it looked good for Boston after that. Dick Drago came in and got the next two batters out. On a 1-1 pitch to Dave Conception, the Reds tied it as he singled. A steal of second and a double by Ken Griffey won the game for Cincinnati. Lee had pitched so well! And it was all for not.



The Boston Red Sox needed another gem from Lee at home in the winner-take-all game seven. The Fenway Faithful were pleading! And they got it.

The home team scored three times off Don Gullett in the bottom of the third inning. And Lee pitched well through five innings. In the top of the sixth, Pete Rose singled to centre. But then Lee got Joe Morgan on a fly ball to Dwight Evans in right. Johnny Bench hit a roller to short. Rick Burleson got the ball and got the force at second. The throw to first to try and make it two and end the inning ended up being a throwing error by Denny Doyle. There were two outs. A blooper pitch to Tony Perez (Who was 4-25 so far, but had hit two home runs in game five) on a 1-0 pitch ended up hanging out over the plate. Perez swatted it over the Green Monster. It was 3-2, Boston.

Lee developed a blister and had to leave the game in the seventh with one on and one out. That batter who reached first was Griffey. And it was the last batter Lee faced. Griffey scored on a single by Rose.

The Reds didn't win it until the top of the ninth. Joe Morgan hit a bloop single that landed just a little in front of centre fielder Fred Lynn. Griffey crossed home to make it 4-3. Boston went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame. The Reds were on top of the world in 1975.



The 1975 World Series had it all. Close games, dramatic home runs, last-minute heroics. Controversial calls. In the middle of all this was a character named Bill Lee. He was not the best pitcher on either team. But he was a character. And he gave the Red Sox two splendid efforts in the Fall Classic that year. While he might have come away from both without a decision, and his team lost 'em, Bill Lee helped make the World Series that year one for the ages!


References


Baseball: A Film By Ken Burns. Prod. Ken Burns. PBS. 1994. Television. DVD.

Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

Golenbock, Peter. Red Sox Nation: An Unexpurgated History of the Boston Red Sox. Chicago, IL: Triumph Books, 2005. Print.

Reisman, David, director. Super Series. Major League Baseball, 1975. VHS.

Seaver, Tom, and Martin Appel. Great Moments in Baseball. New York, NY: Carol Pub. Group, 1992. Print.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 09 Feb. 2015.

The Golden Era Ballot: My Favourite Moments Of The Men On It

So the Veteran's Committee is soon going to vote on who will make the Hall Of Fame. This years candidates are many that I have written about before, or peak my interest.

Dick Allen

Dick was somewhat of a malcontent, a player who did not all get along with other players, his manager, or anyone else around. He was also a member of the ill-fated 1964 Philadelphia Phillies. It was next year that his antics aledgedly got Frank Thomas (no relation to The Big Hurt) traded. For that, he was booed by his hometown fans, yet Allen hit a memorable home run to silence them. Well, for the moment.

On July 8th, 1965, the Phillies took on San Francisco at home in a double-header. In the opener, it was Allen and his 'mates on the wrong side of a 10-2 loss. Dick went 0-4 and K'd twice. But in the nightcap, Allen came to the dish in the bottom of the first with John Briggs, Cookie Rojas and Johnny Callison on and nobody out. Dickie hit a tape measure blast that might still be travelling it was hit so high and hard. The ovation was deafening, and the grand slam was needed. For, later in the game, solo home runs by Willie Mays and Willie McCovey made it a close finish. Philly won, 4-2.

Ken Boyer

Kenny also hit a memorable grand slam, but it was in the World Series of '64. Kenny's St. Louis Cardinals came back from 6 1/2 games back to win the pennant. There was only 13 games to play. The Phillies also had a lead of 6 1/2 with 12 to play over Cincinnati, who were also ahead of the Cards.

In the 1964 World Series, Ken was 1-13 and the Phillies were behind 3-0 in game four. Their opponents, the New York Yankees, also led the Fall Classic, two games to none. A win here, and it would be a tremendous uphill climb back. Boyer's grand slam in the top of the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium gave St. Louis a 4-3 lead. They held on for the win, then took two of the next three games for a Fall Classic triumph.

But it was in game seven when Ken did something amazing. Actually, he was part of something amazing. Having singled and scored, doubled and scored earlier, Kenny was having quite a game. So were the Cardinals. Up 6-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Kenny added to that with a home run. But in the top of the ninth, Kenny's younger brother Clete also went yard, and they became the only brothers to hit home runs in the same series game! It was a nice end to a season where Boyer had been MVP of the National League and led in RBIs.

Gil Hodges

Gil had several great World Series performances for Brooklyn in the 1950s, but also failed to get a hit in the 1952 affair. In 1956, he had 8 RBIs in only seven games. His home run in game four of the 1959 World Series won the game for the Dodgers, 5-4. Only, they were now the Los Angeles Dodgers.

But it was as manager of the 1969 New York Mets where he did something very smart. The Mets were ahead of the Baltimore Orioles, three games to one. But they trailed game five, 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth. Cleon Jones of the Mets said he had been in the foot by a pitch, but umpire Lou DiMuro disagreed. Hodges then had an idea. Not, "If the shoe fits," but rather, he showed the umpire some shoe polish on the ball. Ah! That got Jones to first. When Don Clendenon followed with a home run, the Mets were back in business. Al Weiss tied it the next inning with a solo home run. Two more runs in the bottom of the eighth brought New York a World Championship!

Jim Kaat

Jim Kaat actually pitched for the original Washington Senators in 1959, before they moved to Minnesota. He pitched forever, won 16 Gold Gloves, 283 games, and even hit a respectable 16 home runs. Kaat: The pitcher who could do it all, forever!

It would be difficult to single out one moment from a career that lasted a quarter of a century. But how about his pitching in the 1965 World Series. In game two, he won 5-1. Oh, he beat Los Angeles Dodger Sandy Koufax. In the bottom of the eighth, with Sandy out of the game, he knocked in two runs with single. Minnesota won, 5-1. But Kaat lost games five and seven to Koufax. His World Series ring would have to wait until 1982.

Minnie Minosa

You know? This guy never quite left the game. I should tell you something about him. In 2003, he appeared in game for the St. Paul Saints of the Northern League. He drew a walk. Age? 83!

Tony Oliva

Oliva was a teammate of Kaat's on the 1965 Twins. His birth name, by the way, is actually Pedro Oliva. He used his older brother's passport to come from his native Cuba to United States. When he signed on to the Twins, they had no idea how great he'd turn out.

Consider this:

3 Batting Titles

4 times leading the league in doubles

5 times leading the league in hits

1 Gold Glove (1966)

1964 Rookie Of The Year

Oliva, hit a home run in the top of the sixth inning of game four of the 1965 World Series. It was off the other great Dodger pitcher, Don Drysdale. That cut the Los Angeles' lead to 3-2. But a four-run uprising in the bottom of the sixth ended Minny's hopes.

But when I think of Tony-O, I think of a very special home run he hit. It was the first of it's kind.

On opening day of 1973, it was Oliva Twins vs. Catfish Hunter's Oakland A's. In the top of the first with run in, Tony took Hunter out of the park with Rod Carew on to make it 3-0. But the home run itself was something special. It was the first by a Designated Hitter.

Billy Pierce

Pierce is another lefty like Kaat. But what an ERA in 1955, 1.97. Prior to Herb Score's arrival in 1955, Pierce had led the American League in K/9 in 1953 and 1954. He also lead the league in complete games from 1956 to 1958. He played on two pennant winners. One in each league. Chicago, 1959 for the junior circuit and San Francisco for the National League in '62.

For me, it's the '62 Fall Classic. Amazingly enough, Pierce did not get any starts or decisions (despite three appearances) in '59. In 1962 vs. the New York Yankees, he took the hill in game three with the Series tied 1-1. He pitched so well. But a sequence in the bottom of the seventh led to the end.

Battling the Yankees Bill Stafford in a scoreless duel, Pierce came undone. First, it was AL Rookie Of The Year Tom Tresh with a single. Then, AL MVP Mickey Mantle singled to left. Both runners then advanced an extra base on an error on the play. When Roger Maris got a single to right, it was 2-0. Pierce was removed for Don Larsen. Maris then scored himself on a fielder's choice as the Giants failed to turn two. It proved to be crucial, as San Francisco scored twice in the top of the ninth, only to lose, 3-2.

But in game six, back in San Francisco, Billy was matched against Whitey Ford, who had won the opener and gotten a no-decision in game four. Ford had a nice 10-6 lifetime record in the Fall Classic. But Pierce was out to extend this thing to a seventh game.

And he did just that. Ford was battered and knocked out of the game after 4 2/3 innings. He had allowed five earned runs. His bullpen stopped the Giants the rest of the way, but it was too late. A Maris home run in the top of the fifth and a Tony Kubek single in the top of the eighth (with the Giants up 5-1 at the time) was all the mighty Yankees could muster. Pierce not only won the game (But New York won 1-0 in game 7, alas) but Whitey Ford had lost! Whitey, amazingly enough would lose his next three Fall Classic starts for good measure, never again getting another World Series win!

Luis Tiant

Tiant is one of my favourites who I never got to see. But in 1968, he won 21 games and posted a 1.60 ERA to lead the American League. Some (Not me, as proven by a posting I did a few years back) say he was actually better than Denny McLain, who won 31 games that year, but posted a higher ERA (1.96) on a pennant-winning team. His Cleveland team won 86 games that year compared to (McLain's) Detroit Tigers winning 103.

After stumbling back after that, he joined the Boston Red Sox in 1971. Tiant only won 1 game that year (1-7, was his record), but came back the next year to win 15 and lead the league again in ERA. And again it was less than 2 (1.91).

In 1975, Tiant was only 18-14, and his ERA was over 4. But he nonetheless started game one of the American League Championship Series vs. the three-time defending champion Oakland A's. All Tiant did was toss a three-hitter and give up just one run. He got the win, and the Red Sox won the next two games for good measure, and the sweep!

So then, Tiant went out to the mound in game one of that year's World Series vs. the great Cincinnati Reds. Cincy was, The Big Red Machine at this point. All Tiant did was go out and shut them out, 6-0. But the game was close and Luis had to be good, as Don Gullett matched zeros with him until the bottom of the seventh. Their, Tiant himself got things going with a single. He ended the inning by popping out to first. But the Red Sox scored all six of their runs in that frame. Tiant had become the first pitched since game seven of the 1971 Fall Classic to go the distance! Tiant added a win in game four on 163 pitches. He even started game six (That's the game that ends with the Carlton Fisk home run) and held Cincinatti at bay until he tired in the fifth.

Maury Wills

Wills sort of pioneered the stolen base back to the Ty Cobb Era in baseball. But the truth is, it was Luis Aparicio who brought the stolen base back. But Willis ran with it. In 1959, he played in only 83 games in the season and stole only 7 bases. But in the World Series, against Billy Pierce, Luis Aparicio and the Chicago White Sox, he helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win it all. He even matched Aparicio in the stolen base category with one each!

Beginning in 1960, Wills led the league in stolen bases six times. It was in 1962 that he stole 104 basesb (breaking Ty Cobb's record of 96, set in 1915) and was only thrown out 13 times. He stole 94 more in 1965. His thefts earned him the MVP in 1962. He was also tough to catch, as Maury was in the top ten in stolen base percentage from 1960 to 1965, and again in 1967 and 1968. He added defence to his arsenal, as he won gold gloves 1961 and 1962 at shortstop.

His lifetime batting average was .281, although his On-Base Percentage is surprising low, only .330. But Aparicio's is only .327. so he's got some company.

But for me, it's game 2 of the 1963 World Series that shows you Maury Wills. The Dodgers, behind Koufax, had won game one over the New York Yankees, 5-2. Wills led off game 2 with a single. But Al Downing, the Yankee (lefty) starter, made a great pickoff move towards first after Wills took off too soon. Pepitone, perhaps disbeliving the speed of the man at short, fired the ball as fast as he could, but his throw was a little too high and Wills reached. Wills eventually scored the game's first run, and Los Angeles did not relinquish the lead. The Dodgers only stole two bases the whole World Series, but their speed and pitching allowed them to sweep the mighty Yankees!

References

Burns, Ken, director. Ken Burns' Baseball. PBS, 1994. DVD.Ward, Geoffrey C., and Ken Burns. “A Whole New Ballgame.” Baseball, season 1, episode 8, PBS, 27 Sept. 1994.

Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

Golenbock, Peter. Fenway: An Unexpurgated History of the Boston Red Sox. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1992. Print.rk: Galahad, 1992. Print.

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.

Shalin, Mike, and Neil Shalin. Out By A Step: The 100 Best Players Not In The Baseball Hall Of Fame. Diamond Communications, 2002. Print.

World Series: Did You Know?

Luis Tiant not only pitched a 5-hitter in game 1 of the 1975 World Series, but he also started the winning rally!

Quite an accomplishment when you consider he hadn't batted much the past 3 seasons. The Boston Red Sox hurler, who was an enormous fan favourite, had a lot going against him in game 1. Not the least of which was the Big Red Machine facing him!

Luis had batted once in 1975, under some unusual circumstances. For those unaware, if the designated hitter ever takes to the field to replace a player, the DH is abolished for the rest of the game by that team.

On July 12, Boston faced Texas. In the top of the 8th, Cecil Cooper (the Red Sox's starting DH) replaced veteran Carl Yastrzemski at first base. So Tiant was forced into that game. In the bottom of the inning, Tiant managed to get the bat on the ball and fly out. But hitting in the World Series would be even harder!

The Red Sox seemed to have Cincinnati's Don Gullett on the ropes early in the opening tilt. In the bottom of the 1st, the Red got two singles and a walk, but Dwight Evans was thrown out at home trying to score on a single by rookie sensation Fred Lynn.

Gullett then proceeded to give up a single and a walk to start the bottom of the 2nd. Then he settled down and got the next three men out. Tiant himself went down on a strikeout.

The Red Sox were retired 1-2-3 by Don in the top of the 3rd. In the 4th, Boston scratched out a single, but nothing more.

Luis managed to draw a walk in his next at bat in the bottom of the 5th. Then, a single by Denny Doyle gave the Sox a little hope. But Yastrzemski grounded out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 6th, Boston loaded the bases with just one out. But Fred Lynn was out at home attempting to score on a flyball.

Tiant came up in the bottom of 7th, trying to start a rally. Amazingly, he did just that!

Hitting a leadoff single, Tiant came around to score on a single by Yaz. The Red Sox didn't exactly stop there. The scored off Gullett and two Red relievers. Six runs had scored by the time Tiant was retired to end the uprising.

Tiant also kept Cincy off the scoresheet, finishing with a complete game 5-hitter. 6-0 was the final score.

But Tiant was simply doing it all on this day. He personally scored more runs than the entire Reds team!

McLain VS Tiant, 1968: Who was REALLY Better?

I'm not here to debate who was the National League's best pitcher in 1968, because that's obvious.

Denny McLain was the last pitcher to win 30 games (Actually, he won 31 that year) and posted a 1.96 ERA in 1968.

But Luis Tiant of the Cleveland Indians was pretty good that year, too. I thought I'd take a look at both of their 1968 stats. This one was so close, I'll let you decide who was better!

That 1.96 ERA was only good enough for 4th. Luis Tiant led the junior circut with a 1.60 ERA. Sam McDowell of Cleveland was second (1.81) and Dave McNally of Baltimore was third (1.95). Amazingly, Tommy John of the Chicago White Sox was just a bit behind McLain with a 1.98 ERA.

Tiant had the best WAR rating of any pitcher in the American League, 8.4. McLain was second, but at 7.4. So I guess Tiant contributed 1 more win than McLain would have that year. But McLain won 9 more games.

Tiant came in tied for third with Mel Stottlemyre (Yes, that's Todd's dad! And the only pitcher to win 20 games 3 times with the Yankees without ever winning 20 on a pennant winner) for wins with 21. McNally had 22.

McNally lost 10 games that year, Stottlemyre 12, McLain 6, Tiant 9.

31-6 for McLain gave him an amazing W% of .838. Boston's Ray Culp (16-6) was second with a .727 W%. Tiant (21-9) was good enough for a .700 W%

How about WHIP?

It was Dave McNally ahead of Tiant and McLain in that category, 0.842. Tiant was second, 0.871. McLain was third, 0.905.

But Tiant was the hardest to get a hit off, as he allowed just 5.3 hits per nine innings. McNally was second with 5.8. McDowell was third with 6.1. Sonny Siebert of the Indians was 4th with 6.3, and McLain was 5th (6.5).

McLain's control was superb, as he allowed just 1.7 walks per nine innings. That was second to Yankee Fritz Peterson's 1.2. Tiant, meanwhile averaged 2.5 walks per nine innings. Too many for a top ten finish.

But Tiant was just behind Sam McDowell for K/9 with 9.2. McDowell topped the junior circuit with 9.5. McLain didn't even lead the Tigers in that category, as Mickey Lolich's 8.1 was good enough for 3rd in the AL. Ray Culp pushed McLain almost out of the top 5 with 7.9. McLain was next with 7.5.

I'll say this for McLain, his arm must have been tired at the end of the season, as he tossed 336.0 innings pitched, plus 16 2/3 more in the World Series that year. Dean Chance (Minnesota) was next, but way back. Chance had 292.0 IP for second, Stottlemyre third with 278.2, McNally next with 273.0. It was McDowell with 269.0 IP that rounded out the top 5. Stan Bahnsen of the Yankees (AL ROTY) was ahead of Tiant with 267.1 IP. Finally, Luis, with 258.1 IP, was 7th.

McDowell was all alone with the Special K, with 283. McLain was second with 280, and Tiant third with 264.

McLain was all alone in games started with 41. This was just 2 more than Chance and 4 more than McDowell.

McLain also went the distance in 28 of those starts. Tiant second, but way back with 19. And that was only a second place tie with Stottlemyre.

But 9 of those complete games by Tiant saw the unflattering "0" underneath the "R" on the scoreboards. That was enough to lead the AL in shutouts. McLain was in a 5 way tie for second with 6. The others being Jim Nash of the A's, Culp, Stottlemyre and Chance.

McLain was taken downtown by hitters 31 times in 1968, for the AL lead in that dubious category. By comparison, Tiant gave up just 16. Earl Wilson of the Tigers, Jim Hardin of the Orioles and Chuck Dobson of the Athletics were tied for 10th with 20.

McDowell led the AL in walks with 110. Next was Tom Phoebus of the O's with 105. Blue Moon Odom of the A's was third with 98, Siebert 4th with 88. Dave Boswell of the Minnesota Twins was 5th with 87. Culp was 6th with 82. Steve Hargan of the Indians right behind him with 81. Another Detroit Tiger, Joe Sparma, was 9th with 77, pushing Tiant down to 10th place with 73.

Stottlemyre led the AL in hits allowed with 243, but that was in 278.2 IP, don't forget. McLain was 2nd with 241 hits allowed. But remind yourself of McLain's IP: 336.0. Dick Ellsworth of the Red Sox was 10th with 196 hits allowed, and that was in 196.0 IP. Tiant allowed just 152 hits in 258.1 innings pitched.

McLain topped the AL in K/BB ratio with 4.4. Second was Peterson with 4.0, but that's actually 3.96 rounded up. Chance was next with 3.7. McNally was third with 3.7, rounded up from 3.673. Tiant was 5th with 3.6.

Gary Bell of Boston was first in fewest homeruns allowed per nine innings with 3.2. Siebert was 10th with 5.2. Neither McLain (0.8) and Tiant (0.6) were good enough for a top 10 finish.

George Brunet led the AL in losses with 17. McDowell, Joe Horlen and Cisco Carlos of the White Sox were tied with Dobson for 8th place in losses with 14. Tiant lost 9 games that year, McLain only 6.

Catfish Hunter of the A's led the AL in earned runs allowed with 87. 9th place (a tie) went to Sparma and Dobson with 75 each. McLain was just back of that with 73. Tiant was even further back with just 46.

Frank Bertaina of the Washington Senators (First in War, First in Peace, Last In The Amercian League, First In Wild Pitches?) and Odom tied for the AL lead in wild pitches. Gary Waslewski of the Red Sox, underrated Gary Peters of the White Sox, Bell, Joe Coleman of the Sens, Hardin, Boswell and Culp tied for 8th place with 9 each. McLain and Tiant would throw just 3 wild pitches each in 1968.

Horlen led the AL in batters hit with 14. Carlos, Hardin, McDowell, Chance, McNally and Stan Williams of the Indians tied for 6th spot with 10. McLain hit 6 batters and Tiant hit 4.

The Tigers won 103 games that year. The Indians won 86 games that year.

McLain received some pretty good run support that year, as the Tigers scored an average of 5.23 runs in his 41 starts. Tiant received about 2 runs less than that, 3.20. Tiant pitched in relief twice.

Overall the Tigers went 33-8 in the games Denny McLain started. The Indians went 23-9 in the games Tiant started. Tiant lost a game in relief and also recorded a no decision, 2 IP, in a 3-2 win over California on September 21st.

The Tigers played .576 (72-53) ball when McLain didn't pitch. The Indians played .496 (65-66) ball when Tiant didn't pitch.

So McLain improved the Tigers W% .262. Tiant improved the Indians W% .204.

McLain, for his numbers, received not only the AL CY Young, the Sporting News Pitcher Of The Year, but also the AL MVP. So he matched his game 1 and 4 World Series opponent, Bob Gibson, in taking in those awards.

Gibson's ERA that year was 1.12! Bobby Bolin of the San Francisco Giants was second in the NL in ERA with 1.99.

Tiant could take solace in the ERA title of the Amercian League, with 1.60. He also trumped McLain in another area: he was named the AL starter in the All Star Game. He actually was the losing pitcher. McLain pitched a scoreless 5th and 6th as the AL lost, 1-0.

How about hitting?

McLain batted .162 with 4 RBI and 7 runs scored. Tiant batted .080 with 3 RBI and 4 runs scored.

How about fielding?

McLain led the AL in putouts by a pitcher with 36.

McLain (1.85) trailed Tommy John (2.56) and Mel Stottlemyre (2.06) in Range Factor Per Game among pitchers.

Tiant was not among the leaders in any fielding category. He made 15 putouts that season.

Mel Stottlemyre and Tom Phoebus were tied for 4th place in the AL with 20 putouts.

Tiant's Range Factor Per Game was just 1.18 that year. Camilo Pascual was 5th in the AL in Range Factor Per Game with 1.74.

References

Shalin, Mike, and Neil Shalin. Out By A Step: The 100 Best Players Not In The Baseball Hall of Fame. Lanham: Diamond Communications, 2002. Print.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 19 Aug. 2013.