56 Responses to “Career 150+ IP & ERA Over 6 Since 1901”

1. Michael Jones Says:
   June 22nd, 2011 at 9:58 am

   Were any of these guys on post-season or World Series winning teams during their stretch?

2. Dan Says:
   June 22nd, 2011 at 10:10 am

   #46 Kevin Jarvis lasted the longest of anyone on this list. He pitched for 13 seasons from 1994 to 2006 for 11 different teams.

3. Tim H Says:
   June 22nd, 2011 at 10:21 am

   I had to think for a second about why Keisler's name sounded familiar... and then I realized his name came up in the Anthony Rizzo career cycle post a few days ago, on the list of pitchers who homered in relief since 2000. I probably wouldn't have noticed him either, had he not gone 2-3 with a double and scored the go-ahead run in that same game. Small world.

4. Kevin Says:
   June 22nd, 2011 at 10:41 am

   George, Pittsley, O'Sullivan

   Makes me so proud to be a Royals fan....

5. John Autin Says:
   June 22nd, 2011 at 11:10 am

   And yet, "on any given day"....

   -- Kevin Jarvis had 3 shutouts -- a 2-hitter, a 3-hitter, and another with 10 Ks and no walks.

   -- Del Lundgren threw 2 shutouts in 20 starts (both against Cleveland in 1927).

   -- Les Sweetland had 3 shutouts in 38 starts.

   -- Carl Doyle tossed a 3-hit shutout in his only start of 1939. Sure, it was against the Phillies, but still....

6. Jay Says:
   June 22nd, 2011 at 11:15 am

   Colby Lewis had to go to Japan to get off this list.

7. Mark Says:
   June 22nd, 2011 at 11:26 am

   @4 Kevin:

   Sodowsky, Serafini, Olson

   We Pirates fans are right there with you!

8. Frank Clingenpeel Says:
   June 22nd, 2011 at 11:32 am

   I figured that the percentage of Rockies on this list would be higher; at a galnce, I only found three -- and two of them did most of their pitching {and I am using that term loosely} for other outfits. Is this list adjusted for park factor or something?

9. Doug Says:
   June 22nd, 2011 at 11:40 am

   Interesting only 1 pitcher in all of the 60's,70's, and 80's

10. Dr. Doom Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 11:42 am

    Ruben Quevedo!!!!

11. Kevin Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 12:14 pm

    I expected way more former Orioles than 3. There might be 8 of them with career 5.99 ERA's or else they went somewhere else and pitched much better.

12. Hartvig Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 12:26 pm

    Looks to be concentrated in 3 era's: the first big offensive explosion in the 20's & 30's, the second from 95 to 09 and a few from WWII. I was surprised at Myette getting so many chances despite being so phenomenally unsuccessful but his minor league numbers are generally pretty decent.

    I wish I had time to see how many of these guys were left handers- I would guess a disproportionate number are.

13. Evil Squirrel Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 12:38 pm

    Aaron Myette's greatest contribution to Major League Baseball was getting ejected from this game in 2002, which led to what I believe is the longest official save ever:

    http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL200209030.shtml

14. Dan L Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 12:39 pm

    I believe Ryan Vogelsong had an even 6.00 ERA before this season....Which makes his comeback even more remarkable.

15. Larry R. Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 12:54 pm

    Remember Roy Halladay. After 3 seasons, 5.79 in 230 IP. Sent down, found it, yada yada yada.

16. Dan L Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 12:57 pm

    How about his teammate? Chris Carpenter. He had a 4.83 ERA after 870 innings, 6 years with TOR. Then he came to ST. Louis and has a 3.10 era after 1193 innings in 8 years.

17. Neil L. Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 1:31 pm

    Amazing how forgettable their work was/is!

    I didn't even remember the two Toronto pitchers on the list, Ryan Glynn and Sean Douglass. I had to check their game logs to see what they actually did.

    Ryan Glynn was a September callup in 2005 and Sean Douglass was a long/middle reliever, mop-up man in 2004. The team actually went 2-10 in his appearances.

    I understand high offense and all but how bad could you be and still hold down a ML roster spot?

    I agree with Hartvig that a bad ERA is much more likely to be tolerated from a LH pitcher than a righty.

18. Jared Detter Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 1:46 pm

    What's amazing to me is that the person with the highest all-time ERA for someone who pitched more than 150 innings was a first round draft pick. Hopefully they re-evaluated their scouting system.

19. Jared Detter Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 1:51 pm

    @13, your post exposes what seems to be an issue with the game score system for starting pitchers. Myette got a game score of 49 for walking the only batter he faced on four pitches, while his starting counterpart got a game score of 38 for an outing that, though admittedly wasn't fantastic, wasn't so bad that I would consider it a bomb. He pitched 5 innings, allowing 6 hits and 4 runs. Something about that just doesn't seem right.

20. Dukeofflatbush Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 2:42 pm

    Surprised not to see Todd Van Poppel pop the list. I recall him having a WHIP of 2.5 one year.

21. jiffy Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 3:22 pm

    Game score is a really pointless stat. Like we need something to tell us that Kerry Wood's 20K game was really good, or that having a start like Bumgarner did last night (1/3 IP, 8 ER) is really bad. Awesome, we couldn't have figured that out otherwise! Oh wait we already have WHIP and FIP nevermind...

22. Mets Maven Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 4:09 pm

    I was surprised to find Don Bankhead on this list. First African-American pitcher in MLB. Apparently used as a pinch runner in the 1947 World Series, in answer to Comment #1.

23. Jahiegel Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 5:13 pm

    Should he once more appear in the majors, Keisler will have a chance to make history; he is joint first on the list of (the 3412) pitchers to have thrown at least 150 innings in the period here at issue by park- and league-adjusted scaled FIP (FIP-, that is) and almost certainly will disturb the tie should he pitch non-trivially. (Note that Roy Golden, with whom he is equal [at least after rounding], does not appear on the list supra; his career ERA was but 4.89, a mark that one finds unimpressive when he/she considers the run environment that prevailed in the two seasons in which he pitched; his ERA+, after all, was 67, worse than that of any other pitcher with as many innings pitched as he between 1910 and 1911, and joint 16th on the list of pitchers by worst career ERA+ [with the playing time and era qualifiers Steve employs here].)

    As must be any Brewers fan, I am delighted to see the Quevedo; even as he was well the worst (by every metric, it is fair to say) starter whom the Crew have had and so an on-field disaster, in his inability to run a mile in spring training in 2002 he created a legend that has lived in Wisconsin for years.

24. John Autin Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 5:19 pm

    @13, Evil -- I love a 7-inning save as much as the next man, but that looks a heckuva lot like manipulation by the official scorer.

    The starter was ineligible for the win. The Rangers had a lead when the first reliever came in, and they never relinquished the lead. Therefore, the official scorer had to choose a winning pitcher from these two:
    -- Todd Van Poppel, 2 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 5 Ks; and
    -- Joaquin Benoit, 7 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 0 walks, 4 Ks.

    Benoit pitched 6 hitless, scoreless innings before allowing a hit and a run in the 9th.

    Rule 10.17(b)(2) states:
    "... the official scorer shall credit as the winning pitcher the relief pitcher, if there is only one relief pitcher, or the relief pitcher who, in the official scorer's judgment was the most effective."

    And Rule 10.17(b) Comment states:
    "If the first relief pitcher pitches effectively, the official scorer should not presumptively credit that pitcher with the win, because the rule requires that the win be credited to the pitcher who was the most effective, and a subsequent relief pitcher may have been most effective."

    Could any objective person look at the performances of those two pitchers and say that Van Poppel was more effective? -- or in a broader sense, more deserving of the win? The only reason I can think of for giving the win to Van Poppel was to also give a save to Benoit, perhaps even in a deliberate attempt to create a bizarre "record" for longest save.

25. Randy Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 5:34 pm

    Does anyone know what is the longest save (in IP) in MLB history? Is there a way to search this in PI?

26. Jeff Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 5:45 pm

    Scott Aldred was the "King of Suck" of his time, although he didn't pitch near as many innings as I thought he did.

    I've been thinking about who the current "King of Suck" is, and I'm choosing someone who has a long career, lots of innings pitched, and has always been terrible. 1791.1 IP, 16 years in the majors, and a 1.570 WHIP and 85-120 lifetime record. And he's a righthander, for God's sake: Jamey Wright.

    Please show me a worse pitcher with that long a career and that many innings pitched in the last fifty years (forget Willie Blair: he didn't pitch enough innings).

27. Bip Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 5:45 pm

    Amazing how so many of these guys are so recent. The explanation must be that because hitters are so much better than they used to be, A) starters can't go as many innings while remaining effective, meaning way more bullpen pitchers are required and B) the bullpen pitchers themselves must also be more effective to keep up with the hitters. This means you need way more quality arms than before, and this high demand and limited supply means that every so often you'll find a situation where a team just can't find any good arms, so they're forced to give a lot of innings to guys who just aren't good enough.

28. John Autin Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    @25 -- Games are only searchable in the Play Index back through 1919. The longest save since 1919 was 8 IP:
    http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CLE/CLE196106182.shtml

    This was a legitimate save. The SP was knocked out in the 1st inning. The first reliever finished that inning. In the next half-inning, his team took a lead that they never relinquished; thus, by rule, he was credited with the win. The next reliever started the 2nd inning and finished the game.

    Whether this is the all-time record depends not only on whether a similar game occurred before 1919, but also whether we want to apply modern scoring rules retroactively. The save did not exist before 1919, and the rule that denied the win to a SP if he went less than 5 IP either did not exist or was not uniformly applied.

29. John Autin Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 6:01 pm

    @26, Jeff -- Oliver Perez for K.O.S.
    His platform:
    -- Worst walk rate, by far, among active pitchers with 1,000+ IP.
    -- 4th worst in ERA+, WHIP and HR/9.
    -- Three years, thirty-six million.

30. Jeff Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 6:08 pm

    @29

    Yes, Perez sucks pretty bad. That is for sure. However, he needs seven more years in the majors and almost 700 more IP to catch up with Wright. And he even has a career WHIP of under 1.5, which Wright never will no matter how long he pitches.

    I think I'd be willing to go down to maybe 1500 IP and 13 years in the majors to find someone comparable to Wright. I'll have to do some more research.

    Note: Wright has a 95 ERA+ for his career. I can't explain that. I don't see how he can be that "good". I mean, I know he pitched for the Rockies for a few years, but he hasn't exactly been dominant with other teams.

31. Jared Detter Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 7:24 pm

    Sorry to take the discussion away from pitching for the moment, but the discussion about Jamey Wright possibly being the worst pitcher to ever hang around the league for as long as he did got me thinking about the hitting counterpart to that. I'm wondering if anyone can top Dick Schofield. Somehow he managed to hang around for 19 years, while getting only 3083 at bats and hitting a measly .227. How he pulled that off, I'll never know. Any other candidates?

32. Neil L. Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 7:49 pm

    @31
    A quick and lazy guess for Schofield is defense and getting media exposure playing for the Angels as a middle infielder.

    Another "modern" candidate? Mark Belanger? (without checking)

33. Richard Chester Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 7:59 pm

    @31, @32

    Belanger played 18 years with a lofty .228 BA. Buck Martinez went 17 years with a .225 BA and a guy named George McBride went 16 years with a .218 BA. Lowest career BA with 2500 AB is Bill Bergen with 11 years and a .170 BA.

34. Neil L. Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 8:16 pm

    @33
    Richard, darn, missed by one percentage point on the BA for Belanger. 🙂

    Buck Martinez would have kept his job compared to Schofield and Belanger based on slugging, I think. But all three played premium defensive positions.

    Actually, come to think of it, maybe Schofield did have some pop in his bat. Time to actually check .......

35. Dvd Avins Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 8:28 pm

    Sort this by year started, The six pitcher who did it after 1940 but before 1990 are the ones who really stand out. There were 17 before 1940 and 31 after 1990 (with more teams).

36. Jay Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 8:32 pm

    @31-34 Rafael Belliard hit .221/.270/.259 in his 17 year career

37. Dukeofflatbush Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 8:53 pm

    Jeff

    Introducing the new KOS - Bobby Witt - 16 years, 22nd all time in walks, while being 247th in IP.
    Also an ERA+ of 91 to go with a 1.56 WHIP.

    But there also is a Mr. Mike (12 team) Morgan. Who for no reason whatsoever played proball for 25 years.

38. Dukeofflatbush Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 8:55 pm

    Also, 5 of the 12 teams Morgan played for did not exist when he was born.

39. Neil L. Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 8:57 pm

    @36
    Jay, a proliferation of light-hitting shortstops in their time. Was Cal Ripken ws the first one to break the mold?

40. Neil L. Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 9:03 pm

    Career SLG, Martinez 0.343, Schofield 0.308, Belanger 0.280. Now that last number is incredible.

    Perhaps only playing in a pitcher's era kept Mark Belanger on the Orioles' roster.

41. Jared Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 9:17 pm

    @33, I think you've come up with a pretty good list. I think Bergen takes the cake, and I'm surprised I didn't think of him, as I actually have his tobacco card from 1911-ish. Besides Bergen, I think Buck Martinez is a good foil for Dick Schofield. Belanger has 8 gold gloves to his name, so he kind of makes sense, and McBride played in the dead ball era, which is kind of an excuse. So based on what we've put together so far, I think that Schofield and Martinez have been the most pointless, long-standing position players in the modern era, at least from a statistical standpoint.

    @36, I just reread your post, and Belliard joins this select club as well, in my opinion. If he'd have played longer, I'd put Steve Jeltz in the argument.

42. Johnny Twisto Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 9:50 pm

    a proliferation of light-hitting shortstops in their time. Was Cal Ripken ws the first one to break the mold?

    Of course there were good hitting SS before this. But as for breaking the mold of the light hitting turf SS of the '60s and '70s, Robin Yount bloomed before Ripken. He had an OPS+ of 130 in 1980. The *only* season of at least 130 by a '70s SS was Toby Harrah in '76 (145), and I think he was barely a SS (he moved to 3B the following season).

43. Neil L. Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 10:05 pm

    @42
    Johnny, isn't Yount's 1982 season a better example of your point? OPS+ of 166 compared to Ripken's.

    Perhaps because Robin moved to the outfield for a significant portion of his career I tend to view Cal Ripken as the first of a new generation of offensive shortstop.

44. Dukeofflatbush Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 10:44 pm

    @ Neil & Jared,

    I think you guys overlooked one of my favorites, Alfredo Griffin:
    18 seasons & almost 2,000 games, all for a 67 OPS+ & a career −2.4 WAR.
    He had only a 58% SB success rate.
    In 1984, he had a hysterical 14 XBH & 4 BB in 140 games for a 48 OPS+.
    4 walks in over 400 PA, all that and he was an allstar. Go figure.
    he also managed to grab three rings along the way.

45. Johnny Twisto Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 11:00 pm

    Neil/43, yes, I was just referring to the first season it looks like Yount really broke out and became ROBIN YOUNT.

46. Neil L. Says:
    June 22nd, 2011 at 11:21 pm

    @44
    Duke, Alfredo's career BA is too high.

    I think his 1984 all-star appearance was due to there having to be one player from each team.

    As for the few walks, Griffin was just one of a host of Dominican middle infielders who obeyed the old saw about getting off the island.

    Remember Juan Samuel?

47. Dukeofflatbush Says:
    June 23rd, 2011 at 1:36 am

    JT,
    ... when he was just 'boy-wonder'?

48. Dukeofflatbush Says:
    June 23rd, 2011 at 1:50 am

    Neil L.

    I don't know how old you are, but Samuel was thought of as a superstar in the making. In his first 4 full seasons, he averaged 20 HRs, 15 3Bs, 35 2Bs & 50 SBs.
    But no one in baseball history has had 20 HRs, 15 3Bs, 35 2Bs & 50 SBs in a season, Samuel averaged that his first 4.
    He had 70 something steals his rookie year, I think the record until Coleman a year or two later. But the sky was the limit.
    Then the Mets got him.
    A great comedy, would be alternating archive footage of the Mets trying to play HoJo in center, Piazza at first, Samuel in right, Reyes at second (Matsui's reign) Greg Jefferies in left, Mackey Sasser at first and Todd Hundley in left.
    Oh those darn Mets, ya gotta love how they try (& fail).

49. Johnny Twisto Says:
    June 23rd, 2011 at 1:53 am

    But no one in baseball history has had 20 HRs, 15 3Bs, 35 2Bs & 50 SBs in a season, Samuel averaged that his first 4.

    Obviously he belongs in the HOF. Along with Johnny Damon.

50. Doug N. Says:
    June 23rd, 2011 at 2:30 am

    @46.

    Neil,

    Alfredo Griffin's 1984 all-star appearance was reported in this blog some time ago, but worth retelling.

    The Blue Jays rep at that All-Star game was Damaso Garcia. Like all players at the game, he was provided an expenses-paid trip to the game for a companion. Not having a wife (or, apparently, a girlfriend), Garcia brought Griffin, reportedly his best buddy on the team.

    During the pre-game warmups, AL shortstop Allan Trammell somehow injured himself and couldn't go. Whereupon, Garcia volunteered that Griffin was in the ballpark. And, that's how he ended up in the game. Griffin relieved Cal Ripken and played the last 3 innings in the field for the losing AL squad. Don Mattingly pinch-hit for him in the 9th.

    Can't tell you if it's a true story, but it at least sounds plausible. Certainly can't imagine how Griffin would have been picked for the game based on his play - he was a 48 OPS+ in 1984.

51. Dukeofflatbush Says:
    June 23rd, 2011 at 2:58 am

    JT,
    Just saying, an auspicious start for a guy who turned out pretty bad.

52. Dukeofflatbush Says:
    June 23rd, 2011 at 3:23 am

    @ 50

    Remember the story. You got it right from what I remember, but it still baffles me that Ripken, Yount, Trammell, Julio Franco and Spike Owen all qualified as shortstops that year.

    A pop quiz (no cheating) one of the above mentioned players, has the longest period between first at bat and last at bat with the same pitcher, who is one of the greats.
    Any guesses.
    A hint.
    It was 25 years apart from their first showdown to their last, and I think the last was interleague,

53. Doug N. Says:
    June 23rd, 2011 at 3:32 am

    @52.

    It was Julio Franco and Roger Clemens.

    I don't think it could be longer than 23 years, because that's how long Clemens was around.

54. Dukeofflatbush Says:
    June 23rd, 2011 at 3:36 am

    Yeah, but HGH expanded that 23years to look longer.
    good catch though.
    Amazing.

55. Doug N. Says:
    June 23rd, 2011 at 3:50 am

    These are the games, 23 years and 31 days apart. The first game was Clemens MLB debut.

    First: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CLE/CLE198405150.shtml
    Last: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA200706150.shtml

    Franco grounded out to second in both his very first and vary last at-bats against the Rocket.

56. Neil L. Says:
    June 23rd, 2011 at 10:12 am

    @48
    Duke, my post at @46 was not meant as a slight to Juan Samuel. I am old enough to remember his potential well.

    As I recall, for pure athleticism, Samuel stood out at his time. I simply meant one should not be surprised by low walk totals from Dominican players, like Griffin, Samuel, Mariano Duncan, etc.