When Pedro Martinez won his first Cy Young Award with the Boston Red Sox in 1999 many people in the baseball world claimed it to be one of, if not, the greatest pitching achievement of all-time. Though a remarkable campaign it hardly ranks as the greatest ever. This book lists in order the top 150 pitching performances for a single season between the years 1900-1999. Based on the grading system developed for this book Pedro’s season ranks as the 45th best season for a pitcher. Who is the greatest pitcher in the history of baseball? Is it Walter Johnson or Christy Mathewson? Some may argue for Roger Clemens or Nolan Ryan. The debate as to the best ever will continue but the chapter comparing pitchers of today and yesteryear will offer some new insights. This book will truly interest the baseball enthusiast because it offers clear and interesting data. Plus the measuring stick used for the rankings is not based on opinion, potential or favoritism but rather on fair and unbiased criteria. Eighty-seven pitchers (biographies included), from the famous to the one season wonders, make up the list of the greatest 150 pitching seasons. Included as well are brief summaries of an additional 130 pitchers.

The 1960s were among the most compelling years in the history of the United States, from the intensifying clamor for civil rights to the tragic incidents of assassination and war. Caught up in this sea of restlessness was major league baseball, and the manner in which baseball addressed the challenges of this decade would have a lasting impact on the game. In The New Boys of Summer: Baseball's Radical Transformation in the Late Sixties, Paul Hensler looks at the key issues confronting baseball during this tumultuous time. Hensler carefully examines how domestic racial issues, the war in Vietnam, assassinations of prominent public figures, youthful rebellion, and drug use each placed their imprint on the game just as baseball was about to celebrate its centennial season. The expansion of both the American and National leagues is also covered in depth, as are the new divisional alignments and major rule changes that were implemented in 1969. Other factors impacting the national pastime include the appointment of Bowie Kuhn as commissioner, the rising influence of Marvin Miller as the director of the players association, the construction of modern stadiums, and the rapid developments in information technology. An earlier generation of players was venerated as the Boys of Summer, and indeed, they continue to hold their rightful place in baseball’s legend and lore; but in the late 1960s, a fresh cast of characters made their own mark as transformations in the game brought baseball into the new modern era. Baseball historians and fans alike will be entertained and informed by this fresh look at the national pastime in the decade of discontent.

Comprehensive guide to the best players, pitchers, and fielders in baseball history at the 150th Anniversary of the Major Leagues (1871-2020). The ultimate compendium for the baseball fan, including All-Time teams for your favorite franchise from the Yankees to the Dodgers and every team in between. Ranks for every franchise of their best batters, pitchers, and fielders, too. Great book for the baseball fan in your life. Includes the Top 500 batters, Top 250 pitchers, and the Top 150 Fielders at every position through the history of the sport, and the Top Seasons of All-Time and team. Expect a bunch of stats, and rankings.

Who was the best baseball team of all time? This timeless question can most effectively be answered through comprehensive analysis of baseball statistics. Over the course of a season, winning teams tend to score more runs while allowing fewer than their opponents. The greater the difference in runs per game, the more a team can be expected to win. Comparing this data for the top five percent of Major League nines from 1901 through 2014, this book argues that runs above league average is the best statistic for ranking teams. The author sorts 220 teams by era, franchise and skills--hitting, fielding, baserunning, pitching--evaluates their strengths and weaknesses and assigns numerical values to each player's skills to demonstrate how they contributed to team performance.

Baseball has had many outstanding Latin American pitchers since the early 20th century. This book profiles the greatest Hispanic hurlers to toe the rubber from the mounds of the major leagues, winter leagues and Negro leagues. The careers of the top major league pitchers to come from Central and South America and the Caribbean are examined in decade-by-decade portrayals, culminating with an all-time ranking by the author. The grand exploits of these athletes backdrop the evolving pitching eras of the game, from the macho, complete-game period that existed for the majority of the last century to the financially-driven, pitch-count sensitive culture that dominates baseball thinking today.

Are today's major league baseball pitchers better than ever? Or do they pale in comparison to the great hurlers of 20, 30 or 40 years ago? This book tackles a debate that has been traveling baseball circles for several years. With changes in everything from the size of the playing field to the composition of the ball, it's a tall task to compare pitchers over the 170-year history of the sport in America. No stone is unturned as this work delves into every facet from the ancient roots of the game to the bigger size of today's players. The first chapters reach back to the first known "batting contests" in Egypt 5,000 years ago and bring readers to a popular 18th century English game called rounders, which evolved into organized baseball in 19th century America. The following chapters then pace through the changes in rules that helped mold baseball into its modern form, and discusses innovators like James 'Jimmy' Creighton and Asa Brainard, early stars like Cy Young and Walter Johnson, and modern day standouts such as Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood. The book explores rule changes, adaptations to pitching and pitching strategies, and the effect of pitcher injuries and conditioning, among other influences. Fourteen former major league players comment on the game. The final chapter reviews what has happened to major league pitching. Appendices give stats for major league starting pitchers with comparisons by era, list those with more than 5,000 career innings pitched, list relief pitchers and their single season save records, and a look at the increase in major league home runs from 1919 to 2004.