Taking into account that he was pitching in the american league, in a hitters park, during one of the most offense-centric periods in the history of the game...would this qualify '99 pedro as being the most dominant the game has seen?
2006-12-15 21:59:03 · 25 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Baseball
There is very strong evidence that supports the claim that Pedro Martinez was one of the greatest pitchers of all time. Too often, fans look at the raw numbers as a basis for comparison. Raw numbers alone are but part of the bigger picture. Comparing season and career totals versus what the rest of the league was doing at the time, league averages, the team they played for, the ballpark(s) played in, type of ball (example, deadball era, juiced ball), other factors (steriods) and so forth are vital in order to get a true sense of what the pitcher accomplished.
There is a good article at:
http://www.baseball-statistics.com/Greats/pitching-seasons.htm
It looks at just one of these factors - League ERA - to help create a baseline comparison.
Based on this criteria, Pedro Martinez's accomplishment are extraordinary. He appears 3 times among the top ten pitchers of all-time as the toughest to score runs against.
Couple this data with history impressive ratios such as Hits/IP, SO/IP, Win/Loss and others and Pedro Martinez's numbers become even more impressive.
Having said this, there are other criteria to look at. For example, no where on the list was Carlton's peformance in 1972 when he won 27 games for the Phillies - a team that was only 59-97 that year.
Pedro is certainly one of the greatest to ever pitch. There are others (S.Koufax, W.Johnson, L.Grove, S.Paige, etc) ... I don't think this argument is ever going to be settled but I agree -- Pedro is among the best in history and his 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2002 seasons are truly remarkable.
.
2006-12-16 03:15:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
He was definitely among the best, but that was not his best year. Pedro was always one of the best, at least until 2005, when he really declined. He has had a few injuries, being one of the more fragile pitchers of the era, but you only have to look at his miniscule ERA in a time when hitters were taking steroids in an attempt to gain the edge on pitchers, and breaking all kinds of batting records.
2006-12-16 04:42:22 · answer #2 · answered by RedSoxFan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pedro in 1999 became the terrific pitcher that has ever lived. My Grandpa says Koufax became extra useful yet i will't say by using fact I wasn't born till 87. Pedro's adjusted numbers in his top in the steroid era are extra useful than the different pitcher ever. i desire he comes back this season for one final run on the call. could particularly desire to work out him back with the crimson Sox or Dodgers. LMAO Joe Torre and Pedro jointly vs the Yanks in the WS could be EPIC
2016-10-15 01:27:16 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pedro was definitely unbelievable, but to call him the best of all time would be saying he's better than Walter Johnson, Nolan Ryan, Satchel Paige, Cy Young, Smokey Joe Wood, and a host of others.
2006-12-16 06:19:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No no no...i love Pedro and he's a hell of a pitcher but his 99 season was not the greatest the game has ever seen...
Bob Gibson was SOO ridiculous that they had to alter the freaking mound...they dropped it from 24 inches to 18 and added in that the drop off had to be at a certain degree it couldnt just fall off...and he still dominated afterwards...
Clemens finished the season in 05 I believe with the lowest ERA SINCE Bob Gibson in 68 and he did it in a what could be called a hitters park. There are alot of great performances out there but I dont think Pedro's is the absolute best...
2006-12-16 11:15:50 · answer #5 · answered by wcbaseball4 4 · 0⤊ 5⤋
Soxnation must be code for "Complete Idiot"!!1968 Bob Gibson,1968 Denny McClain(the last 30 game winner in the bigs),64-66 Sandy Koufax,any Greg Maddux Cy Young year in the mid 90's and Dwight Gooden in the mid 80's had a year where he won the Cy Young with an ERA under 2 were better.Yep,Pedro was really the most dominant ever,alright.You have stupid that you'll never use,my friend.
2006-12-16 15:25:37 · answer #6 · answered by Michael R 6 · 0⤊ 5⤋
No, two that come to mind quickly are Gibson in '68 or Koufax in his last four years. Maddux in '94-'95 should be given some consideration as well. If I wasn't on my way to work, I'd give you a more conclusive answer.
Pedro is up there though, but that wasn't even his best year. 1997 was. I remember one year he announced that he wouldn't pitch any more because they were eliminated from the WC position. Boston still had a chance to win the East if the Yankees lost their last 7 regular season games, which they did. I haven't really looked at Pedro the same since.
2006-12-15 22:19:28 · answer #7 · answered by Mosh 6 · 0⤊ 5⤋
You, my friend are obviously too young to have seen either Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, or Juan Marichal in their primes...as much as I appreciate Pedro's talent, he doesn't even come close to those three as far as greatest pitcher ever...also, those three put up the kind of numbers they did AND managed to pitch into the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings of the majority of their games...sorry, Pedro.
2006-12-15 23:43:52 · answer #8 · answered by Yinzer Power 6 · 1⤊ 3⤋
How about Ron Guidry in 1978.
His record was 25-3 and he pitched 16 complete games over 273 innings with an ERA of 1.74. The Yankees won the World Series that year and he won the Cy Young award. I would say that his year can be argued as the greatest.
2006-12-15 23:23:29 · answer #9 · answered by Oz 7 · 4⤊ 5⤋
Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan are the greatest pitchers of all time.. in the year '99 Martinez was tough to beat, but im not sure about greatest ever
2006-12-16 11:02:50 · answer #10 · answered by Aggie Guy 3 · 0⤊ 5⤋