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Best pitching staff ever?

  • BigAppleBuckeye
    What team do you think had the best pitching staff of alltime?

    Was on Metsblog.com earlier, and I was reminded that the 1991 Mets had 3 Cy Young Award winners in their rotation -- Doc Gooden, Frank Viola and David Cone (Cone actually won the award after he left the Mets, although I think he got robbed in 1988 when he went 20-3 with a 2.22 ERA and 213 strikeouts).

    Despite this staff, that Mets team was rather unmemorable. So I ask: what is the best staff of all-time?
  • Hb31187
    One of the 90's Braves rotations would be my vote
  • NNN
    BigAppleBuckeye wrote: What team do you think had the best pitching staff of alltime?

    Was on Metsblog.com earlier, and I was reminded that the 1991 Mets had 3 Cy Young Award winners in their rotation -- Doc Gooden, Frank Viola and David Cone (Cone actually won the award after he left the Mets, although I think he got robbed in 1988 when he went 20-3 with a 2.22 ERA and 213 strikeouts).

    Despite this staff, that Mets team was rather unmemorable. So I ask: what is the best staff of all-time?
    The Milwaukee Braves through the 1950s and the Atlanta Braves through the 1990s had the best pitching staffs. Ultimately, it's not a question of "What names are on the staff?", it's a question of "What did they do during that time?" It's kind of tough to have a 77-84 team as having the best pitching staff in history.

    The Braves of the 1950s had Warren Spahn every year, who went 202-131 during the decade. Once they hit Milwaukee (1953), they were in the top two every year in fewest runs allowed.

    The fact that both of these runs of brilliance led only to one World Seres each should also serve to refute the idea that hitting wins games and pitching wins championships.
  • BigAppleBuckeye
    NNN wrote:
    BigAppleBuckeye wrote: What team do you think had the best pitching staff of alltime?

    Was on Metsblog.com earlier, and I was reminded that the 1991 Mets had 3 Cy Young Award winners in their rotation -- Doc Gooden, Frank Viola and David Cone (Cone actually won the award after he left the Mets, although I think he got robbed in 1988 when he went 20-3 with a 2.22 ERA and 213 strikeouts).

    Despite this staff, that Mets team was rather unmemorable. So I ask: what is the best staff of all-time?
    The Milwaukee Braves through the 1950s and the Atlanta Braves through the 1990s had the best pitching staffs. Ultimately, it's not a question of "What names are on the staff?", it's a question of "What did they do during that time?" It's kind of tough to have a 77-84 team as having the best pitching staff in history.

    The Braves of the 1950s had Warren Spahn every year, who went 202-131 during the decade. Once they hit Milwaukee (1953), they were in the top two every year in fewest runs allowed.

    The fact that both of these runs of brilliance led only to one World Seres each should also serve to refute the idea that hitting wins games and pitching wins championships.
    Totally agree NNN, didn't mean to imply that the '91 Mets team was the best, especially on that mediocre team. But those names inspired the brainstorm of best staffs ever. That Braves staff was nasty indeed. That 2001 Diamondbacks front-end of Schilling and Johnson was ridiculous, but the rest of the staff was rather lackluster if my memory serves me correctly.
  • Footwedge
    For a couple of years, the early 70's staff of the Orioles. One year they had 4 20 game winners. Palmer, McNally, Dobson and Cuellar.

    The LA Dodgers were tough in the early 60's as well headed by Koufax and Drysdale, and Osteen.
  • Heretic
    This year's Pirates.

    Look at the box scores provided by Charlie Morton, Daniel McCutchen, Brian Burres and Chris Jakoffasaur and tell me how things could conceivably be better.

    Honorable mention goes to the Reds, where I think it takes starting pitchers 20+ pitches to make it through any inning.
  • gibby08
    95-96 Braves

    Tom Glavine
    Greg Maddux
    John Smoltz
    Steve Avery
    Kent Mercker(95)
    Jason Schmidt(96)
  • Wildcat24
    Indians had a good one in the late 40's early 50's.

    Bob Feller (HOF)
    Bob Lemon (HOF)
    Early Wynn (HOF)
    Mike Garcia
  • Sonofanump
    At first I thought 69 Mets:
    Koosman
    Seaver
    Ryan
    McGraw
    Gary Gentry
    Ron Taylor

    Then mid sixties Dodgers:
    Koufax
    Drysdale
    Podres
    Does not matter who else
  • jordo212000
    I like that Dodgers rotation with Koufax and Drysdale.
  • BR1986FB
    70's Orioles
  • Laley23
    70s Orioles or 90s Braves.
  • BRF
    Tribe 1954
  • Cleveland Buck
    2010 Indians
  • Writerbuckeye
    The Oakland As around 1974 or so had an awesome staff.

    Vida Blue, Catfish Hunter and Ken Holtzman with Rollie Fingers out of the bullpen.

    Didn't that group with something like three World Series titles in a row from 72-74?

    I'd say they have to be in the discussion not only for one year, but beyond.
  • killdeer
    gotta go with the
    1. 90's Braves
    2. early 70's orioles
    3. early 70's A's

    another staff to remember was the early 80's Astros..
    JR Richard; until his tragic stroke
    Nolan Ryan
    Joe Niekro and the resurrected knuckler
    Joaquin Andujar
    Ken Forsch
    Vern Ruhle
    Bob Knepper acquired from the Giants in '81.
  • killdeer
    one more memorable staff...early-mid 80's Dodgers...

    Valenzuela
    Hershiser
    Reuss
    Welch
    Hooton
  • hoops23
    That 2007 Cleveland Indians rotation could have been very special if Cliff Lee wasn't going through his emotional downfall.
  • Laley23
    LTrain23 wrote: That 2007 Cleveland Indians rotation could have been very special if Cliff Lee wasn't going through his emotional downfall.
    No pitching staff with Joe Borowski can be considered anywhere near great, regardless of who the starters were.
  • hoops23
    Laley23 wrote:
    LTrain23 wrote: That 2007 Cleveland Indians rotation could have been very special if Cliff Lee wasn't going through his emotional downfall.
    No pitching staff with Joe Borowski can be considered anywhere near great, regardless of who the starters were.
    I was under the impression that we were just basing this off of the starters, not the bullpen.

    If that's the case, the 07 bullpen was nearly light out.

    With that said, it's irrelevant.
  • Swamp Fox
    I hate the Dodgers but I was in LA when that Koufax, Drysdale, Podres, starting staff plus that bull pen was shutting down team after team. The Dodgers played a lot of "small ball" through that era but if you don't let the other team score, you can win a lot of games, and they did. Maury Wills reaches base, steals second, a "seeing eye grounder" finds it's way into the outfield, Wills scores and nine innings later, LA has a 1-0 victory. I would also concur with the pollster who mentioned Warren Spahn and his great career. We should also mention the other half of that dynamic duo staff. Lew Burdette was the right hander who won a ton of games also for the Braves through that era. There have been many great staffs but here were two of the really good ones in National League history.
  • darbypitcher22
    That 90's Braves rotation was filthy night in and night out...
  • Sonofanump
    The 06 Cubs (Brown) and 92 Spiders (Young) need to be mentioned.
  • BigAppleBuckeye
    killdeer wrote: gotta go with the
    1. 90's Braves
    2. early 70's orioles
    3. early 70's A's

    another staff to remember was the early 80's Astros..
    JR Richard; until his tragic stroke
    Nolan Ryan
    Joe Niekro and the resurrected knuckler
    Joaquin Andujar
    Ken Forsch
    Vern Ruhle
    Bob Knepper acquired from the Giants in '81.
    Plus Mike Scott, who won the 1986 Cy Young Award and was unhittable in the NLCS against the Mets.
  • JakeGiant
    Okay, is it staff, or collection of pitchers in a brief time? Some are debating "staff", but overlapping some Pitchers.