Baseball's Best Decade (31 page)

Whitey Ford posted the best ERA among pitchers in the 1950s and was the American League leader in earned run average twice during that decade.

Billy Pierce posted the American League’s best ERA in 1955 with a 1.97 and finished among the league’s top 10 in earned run average 6 times during the 1950s.

When Sandy Koufax led the National League in earned run average from 1962 to 1966, it marked the first time that any major league pitcher had won 5 consecutive ERA titles.

From 1962 to 1966, the only major league pitcher to post an earned run average that was better than Sandy Koufax was Dean Chance, whose 1.65 ERA in 1964 was the best in baseball.

1950s –
In 5 different seasons during the 1950s, a New York Yankee pitcher led the American League in earned run average. Twice in the decade, that Yankee was Whitey Ford, who led all major league pitchers in ERA for the decade. Allie Reynolds and Ed Lopat also led the league once, as the Yankees had 3 of the top 5 ERAs for the decade. Warren Spahn was a National League ERA champ only once, and no National League pitcher won more than a single ERA crown during the 1950s.

Who almost made the list?
Bob Buhl at 3.15, Johnny Antonelli at 3.18, Sal Maglie at 3.19.

1960s –
The 2.36 ERA posted for the 1960s by Sandy Koufax was the lowest decade ERA since the end of the dead ball era. Koufax was the National League ERA champ from 1962 until his retirement after the 1966 season, the most impressive display of ERA dominance since Lefty Grove. Bob Gibson’s 1.12 ERA in 1968 was the lowest in the major leagues in 54 years.  Three times during the decade, the best ERA posted in the American League was less than 2.00.

Who almost made the list?
Don Drysdale, Whitey Ford and Bob Veale at 2.83.

1970s –
Run scoring – and with it, earned run averages – rose slightly in the 1970s from their lows the previous decade. Yet the best pitchers still maintained ERAs under 3.00 for the decade.  Jim Palmer and Ron Guidry were 2-time ERA champs in the American League. Three times Tom Seaver had the National League’s lowest ERA.

Who almost made the list?
Frank Tanana at 2.93, Jon Matlack at 2.97, Don Wilson at 3.01.

The Best In
dividual ERAs for Each Decade (1980s-2000s)

1980s –
While scoring and ERAs continued to rise during the 1980s, someone forgot to tell Dwight Gooden. The New York Mets right-handed ace was a dominating pitcher early in his career, and posted the decade’s best ERA though leading the National League only once, with a 1.56 ERA in 1985. Roger Clemens had the American League’s lowest ERA for the decade, though leading the league only in 1986. The 1980s were the first decade when no pitcher in either major league won more than one ERA title.

Who almost made the list?
Dave Dravecky at 3.13, Nolan Ryan at 3.14, Fernando Valenzuela at 3.19.

1990s –
Right-hander Greg Maddux cruised through the 1990s with the second-lowest decade ERA (to Sandy Koufax) of any pitcher since 1920. Maddux posted the lowest ERA in the majors 4 times during the 1990s. Pedro Martinez was the National League ERA leader twice in the decade (and won 3 more ERA crowns after 2000). The American League’s best ERA for the decade belonged to Roger Clemens, who led the league in ERA 5 times in the 1990s (7 ERA titles in all during his career).

Who almost made the list?
David Cone and Tom Glavine at 3.21, Curt Schilling at 3.31.

2000s –
Pedro Martinez was the American League ERA champion 3 times during the 2000s, and posted the lowest single-season earned run average in the decade with a 1.74 ERA in 2000. Johan Santana won the American League ERA title twice and led the National League in 2008. Randy Johnson and Jake Peavy each led the National League twice during the decade.