Today on the blog,
we move on in my on-going “expanded league-leaders” thread to the top
three strikeout pitchers of the National league for 1976, proudly
displayed on a 1977 expanded card:
We begin with the
strikeout king of the N.L. Tom Seaver, New York Mets uber-star, who
paced the league with his 235 strikeouts, 21 more than the runner-up in
the league.
It was the fifth
title for “Tom Terrific” since coming up in 1967, and the ninth straight
season of 200+ strikeouts, a career which was already Hall of Fame
worthy even though he was far from done.
By the time he
retired after the 1986 season, he finished with 3640 K’s over his
illustrious career, along with 311 wins, a brilliant 2.86 ERA and 61
shutouts, with three Cy Young Awards.
In second place with
214 strikeouts, young Houston Astros phenom J.R. Richard, who also
turned in his first 20-win season along with a very nice 2.75 ERA over
39 starts, with three shutouts among his 14 complete
games.
He would also K 214
the following season before posting two straight 300+ strikeout
campaigns in 1978 and 1979, becoming a towering force on the mound
before a stroke tragically ended his career in his prime
halfway into the 1980 season, after starting the All-Star game that
year for the N.L.
Though he did try to
make it back, he could never quite get back to a Big League mound,
leaving us to wonder “what could have been” ever since.
In third place with
200 strikeouts on the nose, another New York Met, underappreciated
hurler Jerry Koosman, who reached the 200-strikeout mark for the only
time in his excellent Big League tenure, putting
in arguably the best year of his career by also posting a record of
21-10 with a very nice 2.69 ERA over 34 games, with three shutouts and
17 complete games.
By the time he
retired after the 1985 season, he finished with a record of 222-209 over
612 games, with a 3.36 ERA and 33 shutouts, with 2556 strikeouts.
There you have it! Onto the American League next week!
