Saturday, January 10, 2009

Tribe Hurlers Who Won 20 Games




It is amazing that the Tribe has had back-to-back Cy Young Award winners in C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee. Of course CC is no longer an Indian and he wasn't a 20-game winner, so we won't talk about him. Cliff Lee broke a long spell of not having a 20-game winner in Cleveland - 34 years. In fact, since 1957 the Tribe has only had six, 20-game seasons by five players: Lee in 2008, Gaylord Perry in 1972 and '74, Sam McDowell in 1970, Luis Tiant in 1968 and Dick Donovan in 1962. Poor pitching was not always the case for Cleveland. From 1951 to 1956 they had twelve 20-game seasons by five pitchers. Bob Feller in 1951, Mike Garcia in 1951 and '52, Early Wynn in 1951, '52, '54 and '56, Bob Lemon in 1952, '53, '54 and '56 and Herb Score in 1956. From 1917 to 1921 three pitchers had a total of seven 20-game seasons: Jim Bagby in 1917 and '20, Stan Coveleski in 1918, '19, '20 and '21 and Ray Caldwell in 1920. In franchise history Cleveland has had a total of 56 20-game seasons by 25 different pitchers. Will Carl Pavano be the next one?

1 comment:

  1. If Carl Pavano wins 5 games the Indians will be lucky. By season's end the Indian's pitching will be a mash unit of often hurt hurlers...

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