On the blog today,
we move on to the American League and their top three ERA pitchers of
the 1976 season, with a 1977 “expanded league leader” card:
Of course we begin
with the story of that magical season, rookie pitcher Mark Fidrych, who
led the league with his 2.34 ERA on his way to Rookie of the Year honors
while finishing runner-up to Jim Palmer for
the Cy Young Award.
His season truly was
something else, as the 21 year-old completed 24 of his 29 starts,
tossing four shutouts and throwing 250.1 innings in his debut season,
seemingly out of nowhere, ending up with a record
of 19-9.
Fidrych was my first
baseball “big news” memory as a seven-year-old, as it seemed even in
New York City where I grew up, he was on the news every few days for one
accomplishment after another.
“The Bird” was a phenomenon, and his quirky personality and on-field antics were, and still are, the stuff of legend.
Just behind him in
second place with a 2.35 ERA, none other than Oakland A’s ace Vida Blue,
who had another strong season with a record of 18-13 over 37 starts,
with 20 complete games, six shutouts and 166
strikeouts over 298.1 innings of work.
That ERA was his
lowest mark since his breakout Cy Young/MVP season of 1971, when he led
the league with his 1.82 figure, winning 24 games while tossing eight
shutouts.
In third place with a
2.43 ERA, young California Angels pitcher Frank Tanana, who had his
best Big League season yet, going 19-10 over 34 starts, with 261
strikeouts, 23 complete games and two shutouts while
throwing 288.1 innings at the age of 22.
The year prior,
Tanana led the A.L. with 269 strikeouts while posting a record of 16-9
over 34 appearances, with 16 complete games and five shutouts, and would
bookend his 1976 season with a 1977 campaign
that saw him lead the league with a 2.54 ERA over 31 appearances, with a
record of 15-9, a league-leading seven shutouts, and 205 K’s over 241.1
innings pitched.
The man was on his
way to Hall of Fame glory before injuries forced him to rework his
approach, becoming more of a “pitcher” as opposed to a flame-thrower,
enabling him to continue pitching through the 1933
season, a solid 21 year career, finishing up with 243 wins, a 3.66 ERA,
2773 strikeouts and 34 shutouts.
Not a bad threesome representing the A.L. right here!