Good day everyone!
On the blog today, as we near the end
of this long-running thread of "expanded league leaders", we get the the
top three American league strikeout pitchers of 1978, displayed on a
1979 expanded leader card:
Of course, if we're
talking strikeouts in the American League during the 1970s we're most
likely talking about all-time great Nolan Ryan, who prevented the New
York Yankees Ron Guidry from a pitching triple crown by striking out 260
batters to Guidry's 248.
For Ryan, it was his sixth strikeout
title in seven years, incredibly with another five to come, four of
those during the late-80's/early-90's!
The man was not human,
as he would go on to whiff 5714 batters over 27 seasons, with 15 seasons
of 200+ K's under his belt. Just bonkers.
In second place
with the aforementioned 248 K's, the Yankees Ron Guidry, who had a
season for the ages in 1978, winning 25 games (against only 3 losses),
with nine shutouts and a microscopic 1.74 earned run average.
Not
only did he take home the Cy Young that year, but finished second
behind Hall of Famer Jim Rice for the league MVP Award, which some may
argue he should have won anyway.
In third place with 183
strikeouts, Kansas City Royals ace Dennis Leonard, who put in another
great year for the American League West champs.
Leonard posted
a career best 21 wins that season, completing half of his 40 starts
while posting 294.2 innings of work, tossing four shutouts and posting
an ERA of 3.33.
Three aces of the era led by one of the all-time greats in Nolan Ryan. Not too shabby!