I fell down the rabbit hole that is the internet the other day and discovered a list of the Top 10 best pitching seasons in major league history, and I largely couldn’t disagree with it.
Bob Gibson was at the top with his 1968 season in which he pitched to a 1.12 ERA, followed by more of the biggest names the game has ever seen and their top seasons, including Walter Johnson in 1913, Sandy Koufax in 1965 and Steve Carlton in 1972.
And then I thought: Why not include the Twins’ Brad Radke and the 20-win season he had in 1997? He pitched to a 3.87 ERA that season, which is not as impressive as 1.12, of course, but consider this context.
The Twins in 1997:
- Lost 94 games.
- Allowed the second-most runs in the American League at 861, 89 more runs than they scored.
- Had the second-worst team ERA in the AL at 5.00.
- Went 8-20 in August and yet Radke won three of the eight wins that month.
He also made a major league-leading 35 starts, tossed more than 239 innings and emerged with a 20-10 record.
August 1997 was an all around bad month for the Twins because not only did they lose 20 games, they also lost 10 straight until Radke got the ball on the road at Detroit on Aug. 20.
He then proceeded to allow one run over eight innings with a walk and seven strikeouts in an 11-1 win over the Tigers.
The Detroit Free Press was there.
The trouble with playing a team that has lost 10 in a row is sooner or later someone must pay. The Twins took out their frustrations Wednesday on the Tigers, pounding out an 11-1 victory behind ace right-hander Brad Radke (17-7). “We just got whumped today,” manager Buddy Bell said. “With those guys losing 10 in a row and Radke pitching it wasn’t meant to be for us from the start.”
Radke kept winning and finally secured win No. 20 on Sept. 21, going 10 innings to beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 2-1. Radke again allowed just a run with nine strikeouts on 128 pitches.
The Star Tribune was there:
But Radke, whose previous career high was 12 victories last season, was magnificent the rest of the way. He threw an astonishing 93 strikes in 128 pitches, struck out nine, walked none and went to a three-ball count only three times.
Even Twins’ manager Tom Kelly, who I believe was rarely effusive about his players, came away impressed.
“Brad hung in there, and we got him through the 10th inning, but that was going to be it,” Kelly said. “So we are very grateful that we scored a run and the boy got to win 20 games. It’s a real feather in his hat, and pitching coach and the bullpen coach and everyone that’s been associated with him.”
Despite a terrific season of pitching on a terrible team, Radke finished third in the AL Cy Young vote, behind Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens.
Creating your own list of the best pitching seasons of all time? Keep Radke in mind.
Source: Newspapers.com
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