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Since
the dawn of the Live Ball Era in 1920, 11 pitchers have tossed at least 3000
innings and walked an average of fewer than two batters a game. Not surprisingly
this list contains some of the greatest pitchers in history. Of the 11, seven
are in the Hall of Fame and one other, Curt Schilling, will probably be
inducted soon. Here is the list of the elite eleven.
As you can see from the chart, Robin Roberts with a record of 1.73 batters walked per nine innings, was perhaps the greatest control pitcher of all times. Hitters from his era could attest to that. Pittsburgh Pirates slugger, Ralph Kiner, called Roberts’ fastball the best he had ever seen and added, “His fastball rose about six or eight inches, and with plenty on it. And he had great control, which made him very difficult to hit.” Even when he lost the zip on that fastball and became more of a finesse pitcher, Roberts continued to be stingy with the walks. In 1965, at the age of 38, he walked only 30 batters in 190+ innings (1.4 per 9 innings).
Speaking
of finesse pitchers, second on this list is Greg Maddux, who was famous for his
variety of fastballs, cutters, and sinkers that kept batters flailing futilely
for 23 seasons. Maddux always said that the best pitch in baseball was a
“located fastball.” And no one located them better than Maddux. His long-time
pitching coach Leo Mazzone marveled, “He can throw you a strike and still not
give you anything to hit. He is the master at that. It’s the greatest command
I’ve ever seen on a consistent basis.” Maddux once went 72 1/3 innings without
issuing a walk. The streak ended when Atlanta Braves manager ordered an
intentional walk.
The
next name on the list, Juan Marichal, might be a surprise if only because of
his legendary high kick wind up. That wind up is not what most pitching coaches
would prescribe for good control, but Marichal made it work for 16 seasons and
243 wins. Marichal threw five different pitches (fastball, slider, curveball,
change, and screwball) and threw them from three different angles (overhand,
three-quarter, and sidearm) and yet he consistently threw strikes. Marichal was
part fastball pitcher, like Roberts, and part finesse pitcher, like Maddux, but
he was also an outstanding control pitcher.
Carl
Hubbell is one of three left-handed pitchers on the list. Hubbell, famous as
the prime exponent of the screwball, mastered a variety of pitches. He has been
compared to Greg Maddux in that he was, in the words of one observer, like an “artist
painting a portrait, every stroke of the brush with a purpose. … Hub would
start a batter off with a curve and it was usually a beaut, always low and on
the corner of the plate. Then, with that uncanny control and that good speed of
his, he’d bust one in, either on the fists or high and outside. Then maybe a
changeup. Next, the screwball. Jeez, what a pitch! It gave those righthand
hitters fits.”
Lefty
Eppa Rixey, who qualifies because he pitched more than 3000 innings from 1920
to 1933 even though he began his major league pitching career in 1912. Rixey
never harnessed his exceptional “stuff” until he was acquired by the Cincinnati
Reds in a trade with the Phillies in 1921. His pre-trade walks per nine innings
was 2.7, which he lowered to 1.9 with the Reds over the next 13 seasons.
The
next three control artists are not in the Hall of Fame, but certainly compiled
Hall of Fame like numbers. Righty Lew Burdette was the “ying” to lefty Warren Spahn’s “yang”
on the great Milwaukee Braves teams of the late fifties. David Wells not only
twirled a perfect game but was a key member of the Toronto Blue Jays 1992 and
New York Yankees 1998 World Series winners. Paul Derringer may not be well
remembered today, but he was a well-known, perhaps infamous, figure in the
baseball during the 1930s and 40s. Known as “The Control King” due to the
“exceptional control of his pitches”, he exhibited almost no control off the
field. Derringer was prone to use his fists at the drop of a hat. He once awoke
from an operation only to deck the attending nurse with a right cross. Perhaps
his off-field behavior has kept him out of the Hall of Fame.
Off
field behavior has almost certainly kept noted control pitcher Curt Schilling
out of the Hall. Known for his pinpoint fastball, bulldog determination, and
loose tongue, Schilling turned in some of the most masterful post-season
pitching performances in recent memory. His forte was being able to fire his
high-octane fastball on the “black” on either side of the plate. In 133+
innings of high pressure, post season baseball Schilling averaged just 1.7 walks
per nine innings, besting his impressive career mark of 1.96. Former Oriole and
Yankee, Mike Mussina, in contrast to Schilling, extended his impeccable control
to both his pitches and his mouth. Quiet, humble, and efficient, Mussina is in
the Hall while Schilling still waits.
Our
final pitcher on the list brings us full circle. In 1966, when Ferguson Jenkins
was pitching in his rookie season in the big leagues with the Chicago Cubs, his
pitching coach was none other than Robin Roberts. Roberts worked on Fergie’s
confidence and told him to trust his fastball more. Fergie started trusting it,
threw it over the plate, and collected 284 victories and a plaque in the Hall
of Fame.
With
one of these 11 pitchers on the mound, beleaguered managers at least had one
day a week when they didn’t have to bemoan those bases on balls.
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