Comments on: Tough trivia: active strikeout leaders

By: Douglastheduke

Douglastheduke — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:10:47 +0000

How many of these guys started pitching in the majors before Mike Trout was even born?

By: jr

jr — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:05:51 +0000

If Javy Vasquez ever got to the HOF, just because he struck out 3,000 hitters, I would never go to visit the Hall of Fame EVER

By: Dukeofflatbush

Dukeofflatbush — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:02:22 +0000

Just as Johnny Damon may smash the 3,000 hits = HOF myth, so may Vazquez with 3,000 Ks.

By: ajnrules

ajnrules — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 02:23:21 +0000

Hmm. I got Vazquez and Wakefield right off because I knew that they were active players with 2,000 Ks. However, I was misled by the clue and guessed Moyer, since he still claims hes active. And it's about time you took off Andy Pettitte off the active player list. XD

By: DavidRF

DavidRF — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:31:50 +0000

@52
Its actually shorter to list pitchers who did have K/BB > 3 for their careers. Its only been done 40 times. 13 active guys, a few 19th century guys, several closers and a couple starter-closers (Eck, Smoltz). For HOF-ers, its only Ward, Eck, Marichal and Jenkins... though Maddux, Johnson, Pedro, Rivera and probably Hoffmann, Schilling & Maybe Smoltz will join them in the HOF eventually.

By: Biff

Biff — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:59:51 +0000

@42 "Ryan's strikeout and walk records are unlikely ever to be broken." Very unlikely. However, Randy Johnson did come close to breaking Ryan's single season K record in 2001. Johnson did not pitch his last scheduled start so AZ could set it's rotation for the playoffs. He would have needed 12 that last start, but wasn't a big stretch considering the way he was pitching..

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:47:59 +0000

@50

I've been looking at some career stats for good/great pitchers, and I've found a few other Swindell-like players. But it's still interesting that Vasquez is solidly over 3 SO/BB for his career. Here are some successful pitchers who did not achieve a ratio of 3 SO/BB for their careers:

Tom Seaver
Steve Carlton (not even close)
Jim Palmer (even further away: he was well under 2)
Roger Clemens (close, but not quite)
Bert Blyleven
...and I probably don't need to mention Nolan Ryan.

I know there's much more to measuring a pitcher than SO/BB ratio, but still: it is interesting.

By: Randy

Randy — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:33:21 +0000

I guessed CC Sabathia, Wakefield, and Moyer. Not to toot my own horn, but I think I did really well.

By: Doug B

Doug B — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:32:09 +0000

also, Greg Swindel was a .500 pitcher with a 107 ERA+ and K/BB over 3. He pitched 17 seasons with over 2,200 innings.

there are actually quite a few guys with 3+ K/BB that are not hall of fame bound.

By: Doug B

Doug B — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:26:20 +0000

Jeff is a member of the Bret Saberhagen for the hall of fame society.

🙂