Good day everyone!
With
today's post, we have my selection for the National League's "Reliever
of the 1970s", Tug McGraw, a selection that may surprise some on here:
Now hear me out!
While
the popular pick may be guys like Rollie Fingers, Mike Marshall or even
Bruce Sutter, I went with McGraw because of his FULL tenure in the N.L.
that decade, while also being the "Fireman" for my two starting pitcher
picks for the All-Decade team, Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton!
McGraw
is easily overlooked these days, posting some solid All-Star seasons
that led to four Post Season appearances with the Mets and Phillies,
bookended by two World Championship years with 1969 (Mets) and 1980
(Phillies).
His 1971 and 1972 seasons were stellar, posting a 1.70 earned run average each year, while going a combined 19-10 with 35 saves.
After putting in nine solid if not excellent seasons with the Mets
between 1965 and 1974, McGraw would go on to turn it up a notch and play
ten years for the Phillies, closing out his career after the 1984
season at the age of 39.
He would make the All-Star team twice, get MVP consideration three seasons, and finish fifth in the Cy Young race in 1980 after helping the Phillies to a World Championship.
In that season he had perhaps the best year of his career, posting a record of 5-4 with a miniscule 1.46 earned run average over 57 games, with 20 saves, before posting another four saves in the Post Season, including the final out of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals.
His final numbers were a career record of 96-92, with a 3.14 ERA over 824 appearances, with 180 saves and 1109 strikeouts in 1514.2 innings pitched.
I can’t believe it’s already been 16 years since he passed away on January 5th of 2004 from a brain tumor which was first diagnosed just about a year earlier.
A true character of the game, he was only 59 years old.
R.I.P. Tug.
He would make the All-Star team twice, get MVP consideration three seasons, and finish fifth in the Cy Young race in 1980 after helping the Phillies to a World Championship.
In that season he had perhaps the best year of his career, posting a record of 5-4 with a miniscule 1.46 earned run average over 57 games, with 20 saves, before posting another four saves in the Post Season, including the final out of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals.
His final numbers were a career record of 96-92, with a 3.14 ERA over 824 appearances, with 180 saves and 1109 strikeouts in 1514.2 innings pitched.
I can’t believe it’s already been 16 years since he passed away on January 5th of 2004 from a brain tumor which was first diagnosed just about a year earlier.
A true character of the game, he was only 59 years old.
R.I.P. Tug.
