Where Have You Gone, Steve Carlton?
I could easily have inserted the names of Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan or even Bob Gibson. These are all athletes who epitomize the art of pitching. All were hard throwers, all had over 3000 strikeouts, all had long careers, all had multiple 20-win seasons. And all had a whole lot of complete games—which are a rarity today.
Every time one of these pitchers started a game, he expected to go all nine innings. In 1972, Steve Carlton had 30 CGs while throwing eight shutouts. Bob Gibson, in 1968, had 28 complete games (CG) with 13 shutouts.
While the pitcher “win” as a statistic has come under fire lately, it still indicates the pitcher’s team won. And the deeper into a game a pitcher throws, the more likely he is to get the win.
The number of complete games each season have consistently gone down over the last 40 years to the point where the leaders in the National League over the past three seasons each had only two. The American League has fared a little better in this category. Corey Kluber recorded five CGs in 2017 and Chris Sale had six in 2016.
However, neither has been able to achieve this success on a consistent basis since. The Baltimore Orioles of 1971 had four 20-game winners under manager Earl Weaver. They were Dave McNally, Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar and Pat Dobson. Four pitchers on a single team. We probably will never see this again.
Pitching is a vital aspect of the game. Out of the 25-man roster, most teams carry 13 pitchers. Pitchers are now categorized as: Starters, Middle Relievers, Set Up men and Closers. Pitchers are only expected to perform “their specialty” and throw for just a part of the game.
Most pitchers began as starting pitchers, so this reduction in workload should be a great benefit for any pitcher. This has led to a new classification or stat for starting pitchers. The quality start is when a pitcher goes at least six innings and allows three earned runs or less—keeping his team in the ballgame.
The quality start is somewhat meaningless. However, it’s a useful tool for measuring starters today. Along with the quality start, there is the “all important” pitch count. This was originally put into effect to prevent overusing pitchers and avoiding potential serious injuries. Though it sure seems as if there are many more nagging injuries, more players on the IL and season-ending surgeries than ever.
The pitch count has become an accepted part of today’s game of baseball with most stadiums, broadcasts and apps prominently tracking it for each pitcher.
Pitchers have become a premium commodity. Remember the first rule of economics: “Supply and Demand.” To say there is a scarcity of quality starting pitching is an understatement. If a team has two dependable starters, that’s gold. The question becomes: “How can we hold on to what we’ve got?” The strength of a team’s pitching will probably decide its playoff fate, (of course, timely hitting never hurts). The Dodgers, Yankees, Astros and Braves certainly have the starting pitching.
Once a pitcher has proven himself in his specialty, he becomes an investment. Due to the fact that organizations are now spending so much on talent, they want to protect their investments as much as possible.
There may not be any 20-game winners this season. There may be a couple throughout the majors. There may be as many as four or five in both leagues combined—though I doubt it.
The artistry of the starting pitcher has drastically diminished. Though it’s not gone completely. You can still see remnants of it in Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Yes, I know the game goes through changes. I just cannot believe this evolution is for the good of the game.
