Name Your 5 Favorite All-Time Major League Pitchers

[Henwatcher]

Name your 5 favorite that you've personally seen pitch. Here are mine:
1. Sandy Koufax
2. Bob Gibson
3. Juan Marichal
4. Tom Seaver
5. Roger Clemens

[slycat]

1. Nolan Ryan - and he tossed me a baseball while warming up
2. Roger Clemens

after that havnt seen anything special. being a rangers fan there hasnt been any good picthers in a while. and i dont remember any great pitchers from the visting teams.

[Henwatcher]

I had a tough time deciding between Clemens, Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan, and Jim Palmer for the 5th spot, but decided to go with The Rocket.

[ISUMatt]

1. Tom Seaver
2. Greg Maddux
3. Roger Clemens
4. Bert Blyleven
5. Frank Tanana

[furpal87]

For me:

1. Tom Seaver
2. Pedro Martinez
3. Goose Gossage
4. Bob Gibson
5. Randy Johnson

Seaver, because I was a Met fan in the early 70's and management completely ruined that team. I liked Pedro for my Red Sox, Goose and Gibson because of their intensity. Johnson because of his uniqueness in size and ability. Two others: Clemens, when he's not a Yankee, and Jimmy Key, who I got a hit off of when I played baseball at Furman (he was at Clemson).

[BigApp]

1. Clemens
2. Nolan Ryan
3. Fernando Valenzuela
4. John Smoltz
5. Tom Glavine

[BigApp]

5. Frank Tanana

there's a name you don't see very often anymore...

[RadMann]

Jim Palmer
Mike Flanagan
Scott McGregor
Nolan Ryan
Bob Gibson

[poly51]

Sandy Koufax
Don Drysdale
Johnny Podres
Fernando Valenzuela
Jim Lonborg (I played Little League Baseball against him)

[Mr. C]

If you mean by those you've actually seen IN PERSON:

1. Sandy Koufax (best of all-time).
2. Juan Marichal (how about a Koufax-Marichal matchup for my first Major League game?).
3. Tom Seaver (one of my hometown heroes from the the baseball hot bed of Fresno).
4. Don Sutton (I probably saw more of Sutton's game, either in person, or on TV than any other pitcher. What a great curveball he had).
5. Gaylord Perry (was sure fun watching him throw his spitball).

Some other good top-five stuff:

1. I had a chance to cover a doubleheader on Father's Day one year at Dodger Stadium where Orel Hershiser and Fernando Valenzuela started and won against the San Diego Padres.

2. I saw Don Sutton and Pete Vuckovich of the St. Louis Cardinals pitch a double no-hitter for six innings at Dodger Stadium one Sunday afternoon in 1978. The Cardinals finally broke through and won a great pitcher's duel 2-0.

3. I was at Dodger Stadium in 1982 when Bob Welch and Tom Niedenfuer shut out the Atlanta Braves 2-0 on four hits as the Dodgers beat the Braves in eight straight games and made up 10 1/2 games in 14 days.

I also got to see the start of Orel Hershisher's record shutout streak in 1988 with a 2-0 win over the great Dennis Martinez and the Montreal Expos. Ironically, before Hershisher started that streak, he got clobbered by the Giants, giving up eight runs (five earned) in two innings as the Dodgers lost 15-4.

I saw a wild Phillies-Dodgers game on a Saturday night at Dodger Stadium where Dennis Cook homered off a pride-shaken Fernando Valenzuela in one inning. Valenzuela led off the bottom of the inning and proceeded to take Cook deep. One of my favorite live baseball moments.

But of course, how can you do better than Koufax beating Marichal in your first MLB game (one of only four times where these two HOFs started against each other) on a walk-off Daryl Spencer HR in the bottom of the ninth.

The one game I wish I had been at was Fernando Valenzuela's no-hitter. I attended about half of the Dodger home games in 1989, but was coming back from covering the Volleyball Festival at UC Davis on the Friday night when Fernando threw his gem.

[GannonFan]

The ones I've seen in person:

1. Steve Carlton
2. Nolan Ryan
3. Roger Clemens
4. Curt Schilling
5. Jim Palmer

[IowaBisonToo]

I'll give you one that ISUMatt mentioned, Bert Blylevyn - because the man drops the F-bomb on live TV (on FSN North last summer during a Twins broadcast).xeekx xeekx xeekx xeekx xeekx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

[MR. CHICKEN]

1. ROBIN ROBERTS
2. STEVE CARLTON
3. FERGUSON JENKINS
4.CURT SCHILLING
MARK FIDRYCH.........(JES' GIVIN' DUH KNUCKLE-DRAGGERS..DUH BIRD)
5. CHRIS SHORT

[NoCoDanny]

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/pics/dennis_rasmussen_autograph.jpg

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/pics/rich_gossage_autograph.jpg

http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/images/pirates/tekulve.jpg

http://images.google.com/url?q=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/pics/dan_quisenberry_autograph.jpg&usg=AFrqEze32cigCVPt4Y8cXq3xJJI7Pm_KZA

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/pics/sparky_lyle_autograph.jpg

[whitey]

1. Dwight Gooden
2. Pedro Martinez
3. Randy Johnson
4. Mariano Rivera
5. Tom Glavine/John Smoltz/Greg Maddux (these 3 count as 1 :))

Honorable Mentions From My Late 80's Mets: Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez, Bobby Ojeda, Dave Cone (what a nasty rotation they had in 88).

[whitey]

Honorable Mentions from my late 80's Mets: Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez

[dbackjon]

1) Randy Johnson
2) Curt Schilling
3) Greg Maddux
4) Byun Young Kim ;)
5) Miguel Batista

[bulldog10jw]

1. Dwight Gooden
2. Pedro Martinez
3. Randy Johnson
4. Mariano Rivera
5. Tom Glavine/John Smoltz/Greg Maddux (these 3 count as 1 :))

Honorable Mentions From My Late 80's Mets: Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez, Bobby Ojeda, Dave Cone (what a nasty rotation they had in 88).

As a Met fan I would NEVER pick Gooden who should have been, based on talent, the greatest pitcher ever and wasted his talent by doing drugs(and hookers).

The worst thing he did though, was pitch a no-hitter for the Yankees when he was already a bum. Ditto for David Cone (although not a bum at the time of his perfect game)

[whitey]

Shoulda, woulda, coulda. That's the Mets motto. Therefore it's perfectly acceptable for a Mets fan to choose Gooden who displays all of those characteristics as one of their favorite pitchers. Feel free to disagree if you wish. Gooden was something to watch though in his prime.

Also, what Gooden and Cone did for the Yankees has nothing to do with why I like them. I tuned into both of those games as they were happening and were rooting for both hard to get the no-no/perfecto.

[Go...gate]

1. Tom Seaver

2. Sandy Koufax

3. Bob Gibson

4. Whitey Ford

5. Bob Feller

[Go...gate]

As a Met fan I would NEVER pick Gooden who should have been, based on talent, the greatest pitcher ever and wasted his talent by doing drugs(and hookers).

The worst thing he did though, was pitch a no-hitter for the Yankees when he was already a bum. Ditto for David Cone (although not a bum at the time of his perfect game)

Ditto that!!

[Mr. C]

Honorable Mentions From My Late 80's Mets: Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez, Bobby Ojeda, Dave Cone (what a nasty rotation they had in 88).
And how fun it was when my Dodgers beat that rotation to win the NL pennant and then beat the A's for the World Series.

[Mr. C]

1. Tom Seaver

2. Sandy Koufax

3. Bob Gibson

4. Whitey Ford

5. Bob Feller

I am a big Tom Seaver fan. He was from my hometown, we went to the same junior college (Fresno City College) and he is on my top-five list of pitchers I've seen in person, but NO WAY he was better than Sandy Koufax.

[Gil Dobie]

I'll go by favorite and not by rank of who's best.

Bob Gibson
Mark "The Bird" Fidrych
Luis Tiant
Al "The Mad Hungarian" Hrabosky
Mickey Lolich

[Ivytalk]

I'll go by favorite and not by rank of who's best.

Bob Gibson
Mark "The Bird" Fidrych
Luis Tiant
Al "The Mad Hungarian" Hrabosky
Mickey Lolich

I share your philosophy, Gil. My Fave Five are:

1. Jim Bunning
2. Steve Carlton
3. Cole Hamels (yes, already!)
4. Greg Maddux
5. Bill "Spaceman" Lee

[foghorn]

1. Sandy Koufax
2. Bob Gibson
3. Steve Carlton
4. Tom Seaver
5. Tug McGraw

[bulldog10jw]

And how fun it was when my Dodgers beat that rotation to win the NL pennant and then beat the A's for the World Series.

The beginning of the end for Gooden who had game 4 wrapped up until giving up a two run bomb to Scioscia in the 9th inning with the Mets ready to go up 3 games to 1. Then again, the Mets had stolen game 1 so I guess it evens up, but Gooden and that underachieving Mets team were never the same after that series.

[Gil Dobie]

Juan Marichal was also fun to watch with his high leg kick. :)

Low mark was when he hit John Roseboro with his bat. :(

[JALMOND]

Have not seen too many games but here goes...

1. Tom Seaver
2. Bert Blyleven
3. Frank Viola
4. Mark Langston

Saw Blyleven pitch twice, but never as a Twin (both times as an Indian). One game I saw at Comiskey Park, Seaver and Blyleven faced off together. Blyleven allowed I think 4 hits, Seaver 3. Blyleven allowed a one run HR to Carlton Fisk, though and Seaver pitched a shutout.

[ngineer]

1. Warren Spahn--craftiest of all
2. Jim Bunning--the unusual fall-off-the-mound style
3. Steve Carlton--the nastiest slider ever
4. Sandy Koufax--pure efficiency and fast
5. Bob Gibson--nastiest of competitors-don't crowd the plate!

[Eyes of Old Main]

Best I've personally seen play:
Clemens. In an old-school Red Sox/Yankees game in Fenway back in 1991.

Close second:
Jake Peavy. Saw him while he was in AA here in Mobile. He even faced off with Prior once here.


All-time personal favorites:
(In no particular order)
Clemens
Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz
Schilling
Pedro
Pettite

[appfan2008]

Greg Maddux
Tom Glavine
John Smoltz
Steve Avery
John Rocker :)
what im a braves fan!

[ngineer]

I share your philosophy, Gil. My Fave Five are:

1. Jim Bunning
2. Steve Carlton
3. Cole Hamels (yes, already!)
4. Greg Maddux
5. Bill "Spaceman" Lee


Gotta agree he certainly has potential to be another 'Lefty'. Phils won, again, tonight. They're rolling while Howard and Burrell are batting less than their weights. They have to start hitting sooner than later.

[NDSUFREAK]

1 Jack Morris
2 Johan Santana
3 Roger Clemens
4 Randy Johnson
5 Curt Schilling

[chantster]

In Person:

1. Sandy Koufax
2. Bob "Hoot" Gibson
3. Don Drysdale
4. Roger Clemens
5. Ron Guidry

[Go...gate]

I am a big Tom Seaver fan. He was from my hometown, we went to the same junior college (Fresno City College) and he is on my top-five list of pitchers I've seen in person, but NO WAY he was better than Sandy Koufax.

I didn't rank 'em. I agree with you. Koufax was once in a lifetime.

[Mr. C]

Juan Marichal was also fun to watch with his high leg kick. :)

Low mark was when he hit John Roseboro with his bat. :(
Was listening on the radio the day in 1965 when Marichal hit Roseboro. It was the fourth and final of the starts between Koufax and Marichal. Koufax was so upset with breaking up the fight, he got rattled and gave up a game-winning three-run HR to Willie Mays.

[Mr. C]

Someone talking about seeing people in the minor leagues got me thinking about someone interesting ones I'd seen at that level.

In 1968, I got to see Jamie Moyer's dad Jim Moyer pitch for the Fresno Giants. He made it as far as Triple-A and threw HARDER than Jamie Moyer. One of Jim Moyer's teammates that year was the first Korean playing in Organized Baseball, Won Kuk Lee. Lee was ambidextrous and later became one of the greatest pitchers in Mexican League history. He married a Mexican lady, changed his name to Ernesto Lee and won a bunch of games in about a decade down there.

I saw Doug Rau of the Dodgers pitch a rehab start in Fresno and saw Terry Forster pitch for the Portland Beavers in Albuquerque, while covering a game there. Also saw Todd Stotlemyre pitch at Ventura.

A couple of years ago, my kids and I were in Chattanooga for a week and got to see Jonathan Broxton and Chad Billingsley start back-to-back games.

Probably the best I've seen at the Minor League level, however, was James Rodney Richard at Oklahoma City back in the 1970s. He was incredible.

[chantster]

Someone talking about seeing people in the minor leagues got me thinking about someone interesting ones I'd seen at that level.

In 1968, I got to see Jamie Moyer's dad Jim Moyer pitch for the Fresno Giants. He made it as far as Triple-A and threw HARDER than Jamie Moyer. One of Jim Moyer's teammates that year was the first Korean playing in Organized Baseball, Won Kuk Lee. Lee was ambidextrous and later became one of the greatest pitchers in Mexican League history. He married a Mexican lady, changed his name to Ernesto Lee and won a bunch of games in about a decade down there.

I saw Doug Rau of the Dodgers pitch a rehab start in Fresno and saw Terry Forster pitch for the Portland Beavers in Albuquerque, while covering a game there. Also saw Todd Stotlemyre pitch at Ventura.

A couple of years ago, my kids and I were in Chattanooga for a week and got to see Jonathan Broxton and Chad Billingsley start back-to-back games.

Probably the best I've seen at the Minor League level, however, was James Rodney Richard at Oklahoma City back in the 1970s. He was incredible.



I forgot all about J R Richard. He was on the way to HOF if he didn't have a stroke in 1980.

J R was absolutely dominating in the 70's, leading the league in strikeouts, ERA, and hits allowed per inning.

In his first major league start, he recorded 15 K's, striking out Willie Mays and Dick Dietz three times.

Years later, I remember seeing a segment about J R. After failed marriages and bad deals, he was left homeless and living under an overpass.

[Go...gate]

Someone talking about seeing people in the minor leagues got me thinking about someone interesting ones I'd seen at that level.

In 1968, I got to see Jamie Moyer's dad Jim Moyer pitch for the Fresno Giants. He made it as far as Triple-A and threw HARDER than Jamie Moyer. One of Jim Moyer's teammates that year was the first Korean playing in Organized Baseball, Won Kuk Lee. Lee was ambidextrous and later became one of the greatest pitchers in Mexican League history. He married a Mexican lady, changed his name to Ernesto Lee and won a bunch of games in about a decade down there.

I saw Doug Rau of the Dodgers pitch a rehab start in Fresno and saw Terry Forster pitch for the Portland Beavers in Albuquerque, while covering a game there. Also saw Todd Stotlemyre pitch at Ventura.

A couple of years ago, my kids and I were in Chattanooga for a week and got to see Jonathan Broxton and Chad Billingsley start back-to-back games.

Probably the best I've seen at the Minor League level, however, was James Rodney Richard at Oklahoma City back in the 1970s. He was incredible.

Amen. He was one hell of a pitcher.

[AZGrizFan]

Name your 5 favorite that you've personally seen pitch. Here are mine:
1. Sandy Koufax
2. Bob Gibson
3. Juan Marichal
4. Tom Seaver
5. Roger Clemens

OK. You got #'s 1 & 2 Spot on. I could even live with #3. But no Steve Carlton or Nolan Ryan?

The horror. :( :(

[CopperCat]

1. Nolan Ryan
2. John Smoltz
3. Sandy Koufax
4. Greg Maddux
5. John Rocker........errrrrr.....uhhh.......ummmmm.....I got nothin':o

I thought about Clemens, but in in light of his recent antics with the Yanks (what a circus act that is) I left him off.

[PantherRob82]

Clemens, Ryan, Smoltz, Maddux, Eckersley

[Cobblestone]

The original post didn't say that we had to have seen them play so....

1. Cy Young (seems obvious).

2. "Smokey" Joe Wood.

3. Nolan Ryan.

4. Sandy Koufax.

5. Tom Seaver.

[GannonFan]

Name your 5 favorite that you've personally seen pitch. Here are mine:
1. Sandy Koufax
2. Bob Gibson
3. Juan Marichal
4. Tom Seaver
5. Roger Clemens


The original post didn't say that we had to have seen them play so....

1. Cy Young (seems obvious).

2. "Smokey" Joe Wood.

3. Nolan Ryan.

4. Sandy Koufax.

5. Tom Seaver.

That's funny, I thought it did?? :p

[Ivytalk]

The original post didn't say that we had to have seen them play so....

1. Cy Young (seems obvious).

2. "Smokey" Joe Wood.

3. Nolan Ryan.

4. Sandy Koufax.

5. Tom Seaver.

Scheit, Cobby, how old are you??xconfusedx

:p :p :p

[Cobblestone]

That's funny, I thought it did?? :p

Yup, my bad, wasn't wearing my glasses when these old eyes read it.

[Cobblestone]

Now for those I have seen in person:

1. Nolan Ryan.

2. Jim Palmer.

3. Roger Clemens.

4. Vida Blue.

5. Jim "Catfish" Hunter.

[SunCoastBlueHen]

Now for those I have seen in person:

1. Nolan Ryan.

2. Jim Palmer.

3. Roger Clemens.

4. Vida Blue.

5. Jim "Catfish" Hunter.

I have an autographed ball from him. I wonder if it is worth anything. xconfusedx

My five -

1. Steve Carlton
2. Nolan Ryan
3. Tug Mcgraw
4. Kent Tekulve
5. Mitch Williams (I threw that in there just to get Gannonfan's blood pressure up.)

[Cobblestone]

I have an autographed ball from him. I wonder if it is worth anything. xconfusedx

My five -

1. Steve Carlton
2. Nolan Ryan
3. Tug Mcgraw
4. Kent Tekulve
5. Mitch Williams (I threw that in there just to get Gannonfan's blood pressure up.)

Since he's a HOFer, it might very well be.

[GannonFan]

I have an autographed ball from him. I wonder if it is worth anything. xconfusedx

My five -

1. Steve Carlton
2. Nolan Ryan
3. Tug Mcgraw
4. Kent Tekulve
5. Mitch Williams (I threw that in there just to get Gannonfan's blood pressure up.)

You should've thrown in Roger Mason, who if Fregosi had an ounce of intelligence would've left in there in Game 6 into the 8th inning rather than bringing in Larry Anderson, who proceeded to turn the lineup over so that Mitchy-poo had to face the heart of the lineup in the 9th rather than the bottom. Now that would've really got my blood pressure up!