Greatest Left Handed Pitcher of All Time Topic

bad_luck
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Yesterday, Jonah Keri called Randy Johnson the "greatest left handed pitcher of all time." Is he right? A lot of people go Lefty Grove but, as Craig Calcaterra said, " Once you account for something we accept in all other sports but somehow don’t accept in baseball (i.e. that athletes today are clearly better than those of the past) it’s not hard at all to give Johnson the nod."

Who is your greatest lefty of all time?
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(Last vote received: 3/2/2015 6:00 PM)
12/23/2014 12:14 PM
tecwrg
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I'm tempted to give it to Koufax, whose peak years were heads and tails above everybody else on the list, but half his career was mediocre at best.
12/23/2014 12:24 PM
bad_luck
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Posted by tecwrg on 12/23/2014 12:24:00 PM (view original):
I'm tempted to give it to Koufax, whose peak years were heads and tails above everybody else on the list, but half his career was mediocre at best.
I think Johnson's best years were better than Koufax's.

By ERA+:

RJ - 197, 195, 193, 188, 184, 181, 176
SK - 190, 186, 160, 159, 143, 136, 122
12/23/2014 12:31 PM
bronxcheer
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KOUFAX AND IT AINT EVEN CLOSE

STOOPID, YOUNG ARROGANCE

GET A GRIP
12/23/2014 2:37 PM
bad_luck
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Posted by bronxcheer on 12/23/2014 2:37:00 PM (view original):
KOUFAX AND IT AINT EVEN CLOSE

STOOPID, YOUNG ARROGANCE

GET A GRIP
I tossed Koufax in there as an afterthought. Like Pettitte and Glavine. Never thought anyone would actually pick him.
12/23/2014 2:55 PM
bad_luck
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It really comes down to Grove and Johnson.

I wouldn't have a problem with either being the answer.
12/23/2014 2:56 PM
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bad_luck
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Posted by dahsdebater on 12/23/2014 4:47:00 PM (view original):
I think if you just ignore the option of Koufax you demonstrate exactly how stuck on paper you are and how far removed from the actual sport.  Koufax was the first name that popped into my head, though I voted for Lefty Grove because of how much longer he sustained his dominance.
Clearly I didn't ignore Koufax. I included him on the list. I just didn't think anyone would pick him since he is not close to the greatest lefty of all time. He falls very, very far behind Grove and Johnson. His peak wasn't as good and he didn't sustain his greatness for as long.



12/23/2014 4:54 PM
wylie715
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barry zito
12/23/2014 5:52 PM
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bad_luck
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Posted by dahsdebater on 12/23/2014 6:56:00 PM (view original):
Posted by bad_luck on 12/23/2014 4:55:00 PM (view original):
Posted by dahsdebater on 12/23/2014 4:47:00 PM (view original):
I think if you just ignore the option of Koufax you demonstrate exactly how stuck on paper you are and how far removed from the actual sport.  Koufax was the first name that popped into my head, though I voted for Lefty Grove because of how much longer he sustained his dominance.
Clearly I didn't ignore Koufax. I included him on the list. I just didn't think anyone would pick him since he is not close to the greatest lefty of all time. He falls very, very far behind Grove and Johnson. His peak wasn't as good and he didn't sustain his greatness for as long.



You pretty much just confirmed exactly what I said...
Because I used stats to evaluate three baseball players who played the majority of their careers 80, 50, and 15 years ago? No ****. How else would you do it?
12/23/2014 7:17 PM
stlnathan
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Just the composition of the list is indicative. There have been many lefties better than Newhouser, Galvine, and Pettite.
12/30/2014 6:03 PM
bad_luck
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Yeah, like Johnson and Grove. Anyone else?
12/30/2014 6:09 PM
stlnathan
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Rube Waddell, Carl Hubbell, Whitey Ford, Lefty Gomez, Mickey Lolich, Vida Blue are a few off the top of my head. I'm sure I could come up with more given time. Even Babe Ruth for that matter.
12/30/2014 6:17 PM
bad_luck
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Maybe Hubbell but certainly not Ford or Gomez. Waddell was turn of the century, it was a different game then. No way on Lolich or Blue.
12/30/2014 6:43 PM
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