Clutch
I’m going to say it now and I don’t really care what John Kruk and Harold Reynolds have to say about it. John Smoltz is the best big game pitcher since Jack Morris. I don’t want to hear about Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. Johnson’s story is more “what have you done for me lately” and while Schilling’s is impressive, I’m going with Smoltz.
Let’s start with Johnson. His career postseason record is 7-8. Now he does have a respectable 3.08 ERA, but his record is under .500. And 5 of those wins came during the D-backs run to the 2001 World Series Championship. Now he was as clutch as anyone in the 2001 Playoffs, but outside of 2 wins in the ALDS vs. the Yankees in 1995 he hasn’t won another postseason start. And isn’t that what defines a pitcher?
Schilling’s puts up a good argument. 8-2 with a 2.06 ERA in postseason games. That’s solid, its downright impressive. And he did fend off elimination in game 5 of the 1993 World Series and game 6 of the 2004 ALCS. He was co-MVP of the 2001 World Series. Ok, Schilling is awesome, and he is very money in the clutch. But I still want Smoltz.
Here’s why. Two reasons. After the playoff loss to Houston last year Smoltz went to Bobby Cox and said he wanted to be back in the rotation because he knew if he had the ball to start the game the team had a better chance to win than if he got it at the end of the game. He, like any good stopper, wants the ball not only when the game is on the line, but when the series is on the line. And the second reason is more philosophical. Go back to Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. One of the greatest games ever played, and it just happened to cap one of the greatest World Series ever. Morris out duels Smoltz in a 1-0 win. And symbolically passes the torch of Best Big Game Pitcher to the next generation.
Smoltz is now 15-4 in postseason play. And has an ERA that is well under 3. He’s a gamer and he always wants the ball. Even in the ‘90s when he was on the same staffs at Maddux and Glavine, Smoltz was the best in the playoffs. Glavine has 12 playoff wins, but he also has 15 losses (even though he was lights out in ’95 vs. the Indians). Maddux has an 11-14 postseason record. Not exactly sparkling.
I will accept arguments for Andy Pettitte (14-8), but Pettitte’s ERA is over 4 which shows that he has benefited from those great Yankees offensive teams.
Pettitte and Smoltz actually pitched against each other twice in the 1996 World Series. Smoltz won Game 1 (6IP, 1R, 4K; AP, 2.1IP, 7R, 1K) and Pettitte bounced back and won Game 5 1-0 (AP, 8.1IP, 5H, 0R, 4K; JS, 8IP, 4H, 1R, 10K). I guess that you could say that Smoltz had the better overall performance in the two games, but in the end pitchers are judged by wins. If Smoltz wins Game 5 the Braves take a 3-2 series lead going back to NY. He lost and the Yankees won in 6.
All-time this is a totally different discussion. To me it comes down to two pitchers, Whitey Ford and Bob Gibson. Whitey’s 10 World Series wins are still the record and stood as the playoff record until the expansion of the playoffs in 1995 and the runs of the Braves and Yankees. He also posted a 2.71 career postseason ERA. Gibson on the other hand just scared the shit out of hitters. Even the old films make you cringe at the swings some of those guys took against him. He only pitched in three World Series, opposed to Whitey’s eleven, so Gibson’s numbers are obviously more impressive. He had a 7-2 record and a 1.89 ERA. He won series MVP twice. And it would have been three if it wasn’t for Mickey Lolich in 1968. Even then Gibson still had a valid argument for the award (2-1, 1.67 ERA, 35K in 27IP, 3CG). Gibson pitched a CG in all but one World Series start, his first against the Yankees in 1964. Ironically Gibson’s two losses came in his first World Series start and in his last. But even in defeat he was great.
This basically brings me to one point. Bob Gibson is the best clutch pitcher of all time. I agree with Harold Reynolds on this one, and I actually said it while John Kruk was slobbering about Jack Morris this morning on Sportscenter.
Here’s my all-time list:
1. Bob Gibson
2. Whitey Ford
3. Christy Matthewson
4. Grover Cleveland Alexander
5. Jack Morris
6. John Smoltz
7. Lefty Gomez
8. Curt Schilling
9. Catfish Hunter
10. Andy Pettitte
Let’s start with Johnson. His career postseason record is 7-8. Now he does have a respectable 3.08 ERA, but his record is under .500. And 5 of those wins came during the D-backs run to the 2001 World Series Championship. Now he was as clutch as anyone in the 2001 Playoffs, but outside of 2 wins in the ALDS vs. the Yankees in 1995 he hasn’t won another postseason start. And isn’t that what defines a pitcher?
Schilling’s puts up a good argument. 8-2 with a 2.06 ERA in postseason games. That’s solid, its downright impressive. And he did fend off elimination in game 5 of the 1993 World Series and game 6 of the 2004 ALCS. He was co-MVP of the 2001 World Series. Ok, Schilling is awesome, and he is very money in the clutch. But I still want Smoltz.
Here’s why. Two reasons. After the playoff loss to Houston last year Smoltz went to Bobby Cox and said he wanted to be back in the rotation because he knew if he had the ball to start the game the team had a better chance to win than if he got it at the end of the game. He, like any good stopper, wants the ball not only when the game is on the line, but when the series is on the line. And the second reason is more philosophical. Go back to Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. One of the greatest games ever played, and it just happened to cap one of the greatest World Series ever. Morris out duels Smoltz in a 1-0 win. And symbolically passes the torch of Best Big Game Pitcher to the next generation.
Smoltz is now 15-4 in postseason play. And has an ERA that is well under 3. He’s a gamer and he always wants the ball. Even in the ‘90s when he was on the same staffs at Maddux and Glavine, Smoltz was the best in the playoffs. Glavine has 12 playoff wins, but he also has 15 losses (even though he was lights out in ’95 vs. the Indians). Maddux has an 11-14 postseason record. Not exactly sparkling.
I will accept arguments for Andy Pettitte (14-8), but Pettitte’s ERA is over 4 which shows that he has benefited from those great Yankees offensive teams.
Pettitte and Smoltz actually pitched against each other twice in the 1996 World Series. Smoltz won Game 1 (6IP, 1R, 4K; AP, 2.1IP, 7R, 1K) and Pettitte bounced back and won Game 5 1-0 (AP, 8.1IP, 5H, 0R, 4K; JS, 8IP, 4H, 1R, 10K). I guess that you could say that Smoltz had the better overall performance in the two games, but in the end pitchers are judged by wins. If Smoltz wins Game 5 the Braves take a 3-2 series lead going back to NY. He lost and the Yankees won in 6.
All-time this is a totally different discussion. To me it comes down to two pitchers, Whitey Ford and Bob Gibson. Whitey’s 10 World Series wins are still the record and stood as the playoff record until the expansion of the playoffs in 1995 and the runs of the Braves and Yankees. He also posted a 2.71 career postseason ERA. Gibson on the other hand just scared the shit out of hitters. Even the old films make you cringe at the swings some of those guys took against him. He only pitched in three World Series, opposed to Whitey’s eleven, so Gibson’s numbers are obviously more impressive. He had a 7-2 record and a 1.89 ERA. He won series MVP twice. And it would have been three if it wasn’t for Mickey Lolich in 1968. Even then Gibson still had a valid argument for the award (2-1, 1.67 ERA, 35K in 27IP, 3CG). Gibson pitched a CG in all but one World Series start, his first against the Yankees in 1964. Ironically Gibson’s two losses came in his first World Series start and in his last. But even in defeat he was great.
This basically brings me to one point. Bob Gibson is the best clutch pitcher of all time. I agree with Harold Reynolds on this one, and I actually said it while John Kruk was slobbering about Jack Morris this morning on Sportscenter.
Here’s my all-time list:
1. Bob Gibson
2. Whitey Ford
3. Christy Matthewson
4. Grover Cleveland Alexander
5. Jack Morris
6. John Smoltz
7. Lefty Gomez
8. Curt Schilling
9. Catfish Hunter
10. Andy Pettitte
posted by CFunk28 at 1:21 PM
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