On the blog today we move on to the American League Earned Run Average leaders for 1972, featuring three big time pitchers, two Hall of Famers and someone who arguably should be in:
Starting
off, we begin with a pitcher who made quite a comeback, resurrecting
his Big League career in 1972, Luis Taint, who led the league with a
brilliant 1.91 ERA in his first full season with the Boston Red Sox.
After
going 21-9 with a league leading 1.60 ERA in 1968 while with the
Cleveland Indians, Taint's career took a nosedive, losing 20 games in
1969, appearing in only 18 games in 1970 with the Minnesota Twins, then
going 1-7 with a 4.83 ERA in Boston.
However, in 1972 he was
back on top, going 15-6, tossing six shutouts and saving three over 43
appearances, 19 of which were starts.
He'd go on to win 20+
games in three of his next four seasons, eventually retiring after the
1982 season with 229 wins, 49 shutouts and a 3.30 ERA.
Just
behind him in the ERA chase was Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry, who
had his first Cy Young season in 1972, coming over to the Cleveland
Indians after the big trade for Sam McDowell, and Perry would not
disappoint, going 24-16 over 41 games, throwing a monster 342.2 innings
and sporting a 1.92 ERA,with five shutouts and 234 strikeouts.
Six
years later, when many thought he was "done", he'd win his second Cy
Young, now with the San Diego Padres, becoming the first pitcher to win
the award in both leagues, going 21-6 with a 2.73 ERA over 37 starts at
the age of 39. Not too shabby!
Third in the league with a 2.09
ERA in 1972 was another Hall of Famer, former Oakland A's ace Jim
"Catfish" Hunter, who had himself a very nice season helping the A's to
the first of what would be three straight World Championships, going
21-7 with 191 strikeouts and five shutouts over 38 appearances, all but
one as a starter.
It was his second of five straight 20-win
seasons, as he'd finish up with 224 wins after arm troubles set in,
tossing 42 shutouts and posting a career 3.26 ERA over 15 seasons,
though still only 33 when he hung up the spikes.
Well there you have it, three studs who finished 1 through 3 in the league ERA category!