Here's a highlight that comes right out of my own selfish memories:
Ron Guidry's 1978 season where he posted a 25-3 record, thus
establishing the highest winning percentage among any pitcher winning 20
or more games in a season, .893.
I know it's not the "biggest" highlight as far as baseball history
goes, but for a nerd like me who lived and died by the Yanks (still do),
that Guidry season was just pure magic!
Take a look at my card:
I remember in the recent past there were a couple of guys that
looked like they were going to break that record for winning percentage: Roger Clemens in 2001
and Cliff Lee in 2008.
Clemens went into his last couple of starts with a mind-boggling
20-1 record, but ended up losing his last two starts, to the Devil Rays no less!
Go figure…
In 2008 Lee was 22-2 going into his last start, and ended up losing to the Red Sox, thus keeping Guidry at the top of the list…
Now, if we're REALLY going to be baseball nuts, we may as well
mention Al Spalding's 1875 season, the last year of the National
Association before the National League was formed a year later.
While pitching for Boston, Spalding posted the INSANE record of 54-5! Good for a .915 winning percentage.
As a matter of fact, Spalding's N.A. career pitching record is
absurd. Between 1871-1875 his record was 251-64! Ha! That's a cool .795
career winning percentage for the future sporting goods king!
But nevertheless, Guidry's mark of .893 still stands among Major League records, and I'm a-ok with that!