Next up in the "expanded league leader" thread is my 1974 National League Strikeout kings celebrating the top three pitchers of 1973 for the N.L.:
Leading the way with 251 strikeouts
is all-time great Tom Seaver, who took home his third K-Crown after
leading the league in 1970 & 1971.
Seaver would go on to
lead the league two more times before he was through, on his way to 3640
strikeouts over his illustrious career which also saw him post 311
wins, a 2.86 earned run average and 61 shutouts between 1967 and 1986.
Behind
him with 223 strikeouts, thN.L. league leader the year before, Hall of
Famer Steve Carlton, who came off his 310 K's of 1972 with another
200+-K season.
For Carlton, 1973 was a tough one as he would
lead the league with 20 losses against his 13 victories, tossing three
shutouts while posting an ERA some two runs higher than his 1972 number
at 3.90.
Needless to say, "Lefty" would bounce back on his way
to a cool 329 wins, 55 shutouts and 4136 strikeouts over 24 Big League
seasons, chiseling his name into the Major League record books as one of
the best to ever toe-the-rubber.
In third place with 205
strikeouts we have another New York Mets pitcher, the Rookie of the Year
for 1972 Jon Matlack, who followed up his award-winning rookie year
with another solid season, finishing up 14-16 with a 3.20 ERA over 34
appearances, tossing three shutouts to go along with his impressive
K-total.
Matlack would go on to have a very nice 13-year Major
League career, splitting his tenure with the Mets and Texas Rangers,
posting a record of 125-126 with a 3.18 ERA over 361 appearances,
throwing 30 shutouts while striking out 1516 batters.
Not a bad three to start ANY rotation!
Next week, we look at the American League's top-3 strikeout pitchers for 1973!