Next up in my on-going "expanded league leaders" thread, the 1977 card celebrating the top three American League strikeout pitchers of 1976:
Of course, if we're talking strikeouts
during the decade of the 1970's, we talk about the great Nolan Ryan of
the California Angels, who led the league once again with his 327 K's.
It
was the fourth time he topped the magic "300" in five seasons, all
league leading totals, while also topping the league with his seven
shutouts, while also ironically leading the league with 18 losses
against 17 wins, with a 3.36 earned run average.
The man was a
machine in his prime, and would go on to lead his league in strikeouts
another seven times before he was done some 17 years later at the age of
46!
Behind him with 261 strikeouts, his teammate and the
league leader in 1975, Frank Tanana, who put together another wonderful
year, going 19-10 with a 2.43 ERA over 34 starts, with two shutouts and
23 complete games with 288 innings of work.
Those numbers got
him a third place finish in the Cy Young race by the end of the season,
while making his first All-Star team, something he'd do in the
successive two seasons.
By the time HE was done in his Major
League career, he'd have 2773 strikeouts and 240 wins over 21 seasons,
reinventing himself from "power" pitcher to "professional" pitcher after
injuries almost derailed him in the late 1970's.
In third place with 219 K's, Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven, who split the season between the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers.
It
was the sixth consecutive year he topped 200 strikeouts, while posting a
record of 13-16 over 36 starts, with six shutouts and 18 complete
games.
By the time he hung them up in 1992 at the age of 41,
he'd finish with 3701 K's with 287 wins and 60 shutouts, enough to get
him into Cooperstown, albeit many years later in 2011.
