MLB's Best Starting Pitching Staffs.....ever

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Gardens35

Senior Member

4,929 posts
May 28, 2011 1:52 AM
Give some opinion.


Most memorable for me is the '71 Orioles:

Mike Cuellar 20-9
Pat Dobson 20-8
Jim Palmer 20-9
Dave McNally 21-5

Team played 158 games that year, went 101-57 lost the WS to the Pirates 4-3.

If I remember it right, Cuellar and McNally were both lefties.


Go ahead.
May 28, 2011 1:52am
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BR1986FB

Senior Member

24,104 posts
May 28, 2011 1:56 AM
I think the discussion starts and ends with that staff. Has there ever been another staff with four 20 game winners? And with how they let starting pitchers throw until their arms fell off, back in the day, I bet those guys had at least 100 complete games between them.
May 28, 2011 1:56am
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Gardens35

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4,929 posts
May 28, 2011 2:03 AM
BR1986FB;783851 wrote:........ I bet those guys had at least 100 complete games between them.
I'm going to look that up.
May 28, 2011 2:03am
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BR1986FB

Senior Member

24,104 posts
May 28, 2011 2:05 AM
I also cut & pasted this discussion from a Yankees message board to further the conversation...


1. Baltimore Orioles. 1970= McNally/Cuellar/Palmer. Record 108-54 with starters going 79-37. ERA of 3.15 In '71 the four 20 game winners had a combined record of 81-31 with a e.r.a. of 2.99. Final record was 101-57. Three years with 100 wins or more. No other team had a pitching staff that dominated their league for so long ('69-'83)

2. Atlanta Braves: Pitching Staff of the 90's. Although the 4 and 5 slot has changed on a regular basis the starting three of Maddux/Smoltz/Glavine is the best since the old Orioles.

3. L.A. Dodgers (63-66) Rotation of Koufax/Drysdale/Osteen/Podres

4. Oakland A's (71-75) Rotation of Catfish Hunter/Ken Holtzman/Vida Vlue/John Odom. 3 World Championships

5. Milwaukwee Braves (56-59) Rotation of Warren Spahn/Lou Burdette/Bob Rush

6. St. Louis Cardinals (65-69) Rotation of Bob Gibson/Steve Carlton/Nelson Briles/R. Washburn

7. S.F. Giants (66-69) Rotation of Juan Marichal/Gaylord Perry/B. McCormick

8. Houston Astros (79-81) Rotation of Phil Neikro/Nolan Ryan/Bob Forsch/J.R.Richard

9. Detroit Tigers (67-69) Rotation of Micky Lolich/denny McLain & Earl Wilson

10. Cleveland Indians (1954) Rotation of Early Wynn/Bob Lemmon/Bob Feller

http://forums.nyyfans.com/showthread.php/13578-Best-Pitching-Staffs-Of-All-Time
May 28, 2011 2:05am
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Hb31187

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8,534 posts
May 28, 2011 2:12 AM
Id have to vote for the Braves of the 90's
May 28, 2011 2:12am
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Gardens35

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4,929 posts
May 28, 2011 2:17 AM
CG's for those 4 Orioles totaled 70. Cuellar 21, 292 innings...Palmer 20, 282 innings...Dobson 18, 282 innings, McNally 11, 224 innings(wimpy)
May 28, 2011 2:17am
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Mulva

Senior Member

13,650 posts
May 28, 2011 5:10 AM
1998 Atlanta Braves for me. But I wasn't around for the 71 Orioles team.

Maddux 18-9 2.22
Glavine 20-6 2.47
Smoltz 17-3 2.90
Neagle 16-11 3.55
Millwood 17-8 4.08

At arguably the height of the steroid era? Unbelievable.

They went 106-56.
May 28, 2011 5:10am
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Gardens35

Senior Member

4,929 posts
May 28, 2011 7:55 AM
BR1986FB;783854 wrote:I also cut & pasted this discussion from a Yankees message board to further the conversation...


1. Baltimore Orioles. 1970= McNally/Cuellar/Palmer. Record 108-54 with starters going 79-37. ERA of 3.15 In '71 the four 20 game winners had a combined record of 81-31 with a e.r.a. of 2.99. Final record was 101-57. Three years with 100 wins or more. No other team had a pitching staff that dominated their league for so long ('69-'83)

2. Atlanta Braves: Pitching Staff of the 90's. Although the 4 and 5 slot has changed on a regular basis the starting three of Maddux/Smoltz/Glavine is the best since the old Orioles.

3. L.A. Dodgers (63-66) Rotation of Koufax/Drysdale/Osteen/Podres

4. Oakland A's (71-75) Rotation of Catfish Hunter/Ken Holtzman/Vida Vlue/John Odom. 3 World Championships

5. Milwaukwee Braves (56-59) Rotation of Warren Spahn/Lou Burdette/Bob Rush

6. St. Louis Cardinals (65-69) Rotation of Bob Gibson/Steve Carlton/Nelson Briles/R. Washburn

7. S.F. Giants (66-69) Rotation of Juan Marichal/Gaylord Perry/B. McCormick

8. Houston Astros (79-81) Rotation of Phil Neikro/Nolan Ryan/Bob Forsch/J.R.Richard

9. Detroit Tigers (67-69) Rotation of Micky Lolich/denny McLain & Earl Wilson

10. Cleveland Indians (1954) Rotation of Early Wynn/Bob Lemmon/Bob Feller

http://forums.nyyfans.com/showthread.php/13578-Best-Pitching-Staffs-Of-All-Time
Yep, some real good one's there.
May 28, 2011 7:55am
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swamisez

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1,990 posts
May 28, 2011 8:05 AM
Don't forget don sutton in those 1960's dodger rotations. At one time they had 3 hof starters in a row koufax drysdale sutton then osteen and podres
May 28, 2011 8:05am
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killdeer

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1,538 posts
May 28, 2011 8:33 AM
I think that list is pretty definitive, but I'll give a shout to the '69 Mets with Seaver, Koosman, Gary Gentry, a young Tug McGraw coming out of the bullpen and a very young and wild Nolan Ryan learning the ropes. Not statistically the best, but an interesting staff nonetheless.
May 28, 2011 8:33am
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killdeer

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1,538 posts
May 28, 2011 8:45 AM
also, though not the best all-time, fond memories for Reds fans for the mid-70's staff of Gullett, Nolan, Billingham, Norman, with Carrol, Eastwick, McEnaney, and Borbon out of the pen. Spent many a summer evening listening to those names on WLW.
May 28, 2011 8:45am
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BR1986FB

Senior Member

24,104 posts
May 28, 2011 11:06 AM
killdeer;783888 wrote:I think that list is pretty definitive, but I'll give a shout to the '69 Mets with Seaver, Koosman, Gary Gentry, a young Tug McGraw coming out of the bullpen and a very young and wild Nolan Ryan learning the ropes. Not statistically the best, but an interesting staff nonetheless.

Real good call.
May 28, 2011 11:06am
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royal_k

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4,423 posts
May 28, 2011 12:46 PM
killdeer;783892 wrote:also, though not the best all-time, fond memories for Reds fans for the mid-70's staff of Gullett, Nolan, Billingham, Norman, with Carrol, Eastwick, McEnaney, and Borbon out of the pen. Spent many a summer evening listening to those names on WLW.

That staff was good, but the line up was better. The glory days of the Big Red Machine with Bench, Rose, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, George Foster, Griffey Sr, and Dave Concepcion. What a killer line up.
May 28, 2011 12:46pm
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Crimson streak

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9,002 posts
May 28, 2011 3:20 PM
You could even add in this years philli staff. 3 hall of famers on that staff with hamels
May 28, 2011 3:20pm
F

Footwedge

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9,265 posts
May 28, 2011 4:40 PM
Tribe staff of 1054...nasty.
May 28, 2011 4:40pm
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wes_mantooth

Tomfoolery & shenanigans

17,977 posts
May 28, 2011 5:36 PM
2010 cleveland indians.
May 28, 2011 5:36pm
B

BR1986FB

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24,104 posts
May 28, 2011 5:37 PM
wes_mantooth;784118 wrote:2010 cleveland indians.

I see the alcohol from the movie last night still hasn't worn off. :D
May 28, 2011 5:37pm
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wes_mantooth

Tomfoolery & shenanigans

17,977 posts
May 28, 2011 5:41 PM
BR1986FB;784121 wrote:I see the alcohol from the movie last night still hasn't worn off. :D

actually....i may still be quite drunk. Last night was a disaster...fml
May 28, 2011 5:41pm
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BigAppleBuckeye

Senior Member

2,935 posts
May 31, 2011 4:05 PM
While not the best, I think the '86 Mets have claim as being ONE of the best:

Doc Gooden, 17-6, 2.81 ERA, 200 Ks
Bob Ojeda, 18-5, 2.57 ERA, 148 Ks
Sid Fernandez, 16-6, 3.52 ERA, 200 Ks
Ron Darling, 15-6, 2.81 ERA, 184 Ks
(Rick Aguilera only had 10 wins as the #5 starter, but later turned into one hell of a reliever)

Also, the '89 Mets had 3 pitchers who either won or would win Cy Young Awards: Gooden, David Cone and Frank Viola (along with Ojeda, Darling and Fernandez)
May 31, 2011 4:05pm
S

Sonofanump

May 31, 2011 9:48 PM
I'm going with the 1884 Providence Grays.
May 31, 2011 9:48pm
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Laley23

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29,506 posts
May 31, 2011 10:03 PM
Braves in 1997:
--Maddux 2.20
--Glavine 2.96
--Neagle 2.97
--Smoltz 3.02
Fifth starter is, frankly, irrelevant (and they skipped the start a few times. I think the 5 spot only had about 20 starts and the only 4 had 35ish)
May 31, 2011 10:03pm