warren Sphan
Tom Glavine
Greg Maddux
john Smoltz
2007-06-30 15:54:35 · 17 answers · asked by Dodgerblue 5 in Sports ➔ Baseball
Warren Spahn was the best. He pitched in an era when the hitters were truly great, not like today with the juiced ball and the juiced players.
He pitched 270 + innings every year. The other 3 would pitch 200 innings and be called a workhorse.
366 wins for the top winning left hander.
2007-06-30 17:19:33 · answer #1 · answered by †Lawrence R† 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Spahn had more wins....but he pitched in a time when pitchers were given many more starts than the other three pitchers you mentioned so some of the numbers are a little deceiving. No doubt he was a great pitcher, probably the best lefty and he was the most durable of all four. He put up a 23-7 season at the age of 42.
BUT I go with Greg Maddux, he never pitched hard, but in his prime was the best pitcher of the other three. He is probably a right handed carbon copy of Spahn. He topped out in the low 90's during a time when guys were hitting 50 home runs all across baseball. Spahn didn't have to face the power hitters in the 1940's and 50's that Maddux faced in the early 90's. His ERA is right there wit Spahn (again consider the big bats he has faced) and for a guy like Maddux to rack up 3000+ strikeouts is pretty amazing. Greg is just so smart and studies the opposing lineup so hard. His numbers are better than all the others and considering his last couple years have been pretty bad, all the numbers are still astonishing. Glavine and Smoltz have had a little more longevity but in his prime Maddux is my pick.
2007-06-30 16:08:30 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
EVERYONE WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT ANSWER AND HERE IS MY BREAKDOWN-----
SMOLTZ--==IF WAS A CLOSER HIS WHOLE CAREER HE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BEST EVER?
GLAVINE== DEFINED THE LEFTY IN THE 90'S AS A IN AND OUT PITCHER AND WAS THE BEST AT HITTING THE CORNERS A FUTURE HALL OF FAMER
SPAHN=== THE BEST LEFTY IN HISTORY 360+ WINS --HALL OF FAMER BUT PLAYED IN AN ERA WHERE THE PITCHER RULED AND THE HITTERS DIDN'T HAVE AN EDGE
MADDUX---WITHOUT A DOUBT THE BEST PITCHER THE BRAVES HAVE EVER HAD ----340 WINS A LIFETIME ERA OF UNDER 3 --3000 +KS A MAN WHO USED TO ONLY WALK 20 GUYS A YEAR AMAZING ACCURACY AND HE NEVER THREW THE BALL HARDER THAN 89 MPH---AND THE HITTERS WERE ALL JUICED UP HITTING 50.60,AND 70 HOME RUNS A YEAR AND MADDUX WAS HAVING ERA'S OF 1.65 AND 1.57 AND ALSO WON 4 STRAIGHT CY YOUNG'S SPAHN NEVER DID THAT! MADDUX IS THE BEST PITCHER THE BRAVES HAVE EVER HAD PERIOD!
2007-06-30 17:32:41 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Wow! TOUGH one! Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, of course, are not Braves any more, and their totals are divided among the teams they play for. John Smoltz has those years in relief that show an incredible versatility. Spahnny has those huge totals and did almost everything he did after 30. Hm. Wow. Maddux is probably the the best, Glavine the most under rated. Wow. This is really, really hard. Um. Greg Maddux. Final answer!
2007-06-30 16:00:34 · answer #4 · answered by Sarrafzedehkhoee 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1. Spahn (HOF)
2. Maddux (FHOF)
3. Nichols (HOF; real olde-tymer, 1890-1901)
4. Niekro (HOF)
5. Glavine (FHOF)
Could dice it finer, but won't. These five names would come up in some order, perhaps with two or three others (Smoltz, Burdette, Whitney). Spahn deserves the top slot, so this is good enough.
2007-06-30 17:08:21 · answer #5 · answered by Chipmaker Authentic 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Warren Spahn. 363 wins, and he managed to serve in WWII where he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. The most wins in history by a left handed pitcher.
2007-06-30 16:06:10 · answer #6 · answered by sean1201 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You've gotta go with Spahn.
All are Hall of Famer's but, Maddux played over half his career with other teams, and Glavine's been with the Mets for the past few years. Smoltz is great, but his legend will be tarnished because of the time spent on the DL, though he may one of the best starter/closers of all-time.
2007-06-30 16:48:08 · answer #7 · answered by doctorklove07 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Warren Sphan 363 wins in the live ball era is the most for any pitcher
2007-06-30 16:01:09 · answer #8 · answered by KC 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Niekro racked up a HOF carreer by pitching with some prtty poor Atlanta teams in the 70's and 80's. And Lawrence, Spahnn had 363 wins.
2007-07-01 07:20:30 · answer #9 · answered by Kelly P 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Warren Spahn is by far the best Braves pitcher ever, not only the best left-handed pitcher of all-time. 373 wins is enough to justify my answer.
2007-06-30 16:02:00 · answer #10 · answered by Mr. Hole In One 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋