Dueling Aces
Posted by Raphy on December 20, 2009
In the history of major league baseball there have been only 2 seasons which featured multiple players that made at least 25 starts and had an ERA+ of at least 200.
In 1997 (coincidentally the year after Clemens left the Red Sox and the year before Pedro joined the team) Roger Clemens posted an ERA+ and of 221 and Pedro Martinez an ERA+ of 219. The Blue Jays and Expos met that season, but Clemens' and Martinez's starts did not line up. (The both hooked up in pitching duels vs. the other's team on back to back days, but not against each other.)
92 years earlier, Christy Mathewson and Ed Reulbach paired up to initiate the club. Mathewson posted an ERA+ of 230 and the rookie Reulbach posted an ERA+ of 209. On August 10, 1905 the pitchers crossed paths in a match-up between the young phenom and the established star. The pitchers did not disappoint, hooking up in a beauty. Mathewson struck out 6 while allowing only 1 walk and 3 singles. Ruelbach also struck out 6 while allowing just 4 singles. Unfortunately for Reulbach, one of the singles followed a couple of errors and the Giants scored the decisive, unearned run in the bottom of the sixth. You can read more about the game and see the box score in this article from the New York Times.
December 20th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
I'm tickled by the "Expos" slip above.
December 20th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Bah, strike that, I misread/remembered that there was a one-year gap between Clemens leaving and Pedro arriving in Boston.
December 20th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
That article from 1905 is pretty cool, how did you find it? And are there recaps like that for every game from seasons of yore?
December 21st, 2009 at 1:07 am
Mathewson won 30 games that season for the third time in a row. Alexander would match that from 1915-1917, the last time anyone won 30 in back-to-back seasons.
December 21st, 2009 at 12:22 pm
But the response to my question is...