Underrated? Is Mike Mussina a Hall of Famer?

A Very Simple Game Burning Questions, Underrated

Mike Mussina’s Hall of Fame credentials have been under debate the past few years. While he ranks high in most career measures, he never won a Cy Young award, won 20 games only once, and if elected, he would have the third-highest ERA of any pitcher in the Hall of Fame.

However, that ERA was inflated by playing in the American League East during the height of the PED era. When compared to league average, he looks much better than not only many pitchers in the hall, he’s equal or better than some of his contemporaries already in the Hall. Read more

Burning Question: Who was the Most Average Major League Player of All-time?

A Very Simple Game Best of AVSG, Burning Questions

An entirely average Major League starter is still among the few hundred best baseball players on the planet. The average Major League starter produces around 2.0 Wins Above Replacement – in most seasons, fewer than 100 position players reach that mark. So when we ask “Who was the most average Major League player of all-time?” it’s not meant as an insult. It does however make for an interesting question. Read more

Jake Arrieta – Truly in a “league of his own”?

A Very Simple Game Burning Questions

Jake Arrieta is a very good pitcher having an incredible run at the moment, but is he – as ESPN suggested – in a “league of his own” at the moment? Is he, as Bleacher Report and NBCSports claim, the best pitcher in baseball? Has his current run surpassed the rest of the MLB field? In the case of at least one of his peers, the answer is “no.” Read more

Who is the worst player ever to get 10,000 plate appearances?

A Very Simple Game Burning Questions, Quick Takes (Blog)

Our off-season rundowns identified several teams giving 500+ plate appearances to awful players, and with the Boston Red Sox seemingly cutting bait with Pablo Sandoval rather than letting his salary dictate playing time, we wondered: Who is the worst player ever to ever get 10,000 plate appearances? The answer is a player best known (infamously rather than famously) as a Red Sox (Red Sock?): Bill Buckner Read more

Has any player thrown a no-hitter in their MLB debut?

A Very Simple Game Burning Questions, Quick Takes (Blog)

Last night Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Ross Stripling was five outs away from throwing a no-hitter in his very first MLB game. To protect Stripling’s arm (and his team’s lead), manager Dave Roberts pulled Stripling from the game. The Dodger bullpen then proceeded to lose the no-hitter, the lead, and then the game. Roberts had several reasons to make the move, but it does raise the question: Has anyone ever thrown a no-hitter in their MLB debut? Yes. Once. 124 years ago. Read more

Is John Smoltz the Greatest Postseason Pitcher Ever?

A Very Simple Game Burning Questions, The Bleachers beckett, braves, bumgarner, cardinals, diamondbacks, dodgers, ford, game score, giants, gibson, hershiser, hoyt, indians, johnson, koufax, mathewson, pitcher, postseason, rivera, ruffing, schilling, smoltz, yankees

Hall of Fame Week concluded with a look at John Smoltz, who enters the Hall of Fame with one of the most impressive postseason resumes in history. He is second all time in wins, fourth among starters in winning percentage, third all time in innings pitched, and first in strikeouts. Is Smoltz the greatest postseason pitcher of all time? Read more

Pedro Martinez – The Most Dominant Pitcher Ever?

A Very Simple Game Best of AVSG, Burning Questions, The Bleachers

Hall of Fame Week continues with a look at one of the three pitchers being inducted in 2015: Pedro Martinez.

From 1997 to 2003, Pedro Martinez dominated the major leagues, putting up stats nearly unmatched by any other pitcher in history. At his peak in 1999 & 2000, the only other pitcher to even hold a candle to him was fellow 2015 inductee Randy Johnson. Was Pedro’s peak the most dominant performance in MLB history? Does any one else measure up? We’ll look and see. Read more