I used three other ways of looking at the data, which were:
1) To use a higher standard for what constitutes a Big Game,
2) To use a lower standard for what constitutes a Big Game, and
3) To look at the 35 Biggest Games started by each pitcher, regardless of how big these games were.
Andy Pettitte started 82 Big Games; Randy Jones started only one, but Andy Pettitte still had 35 biggest games for Andy Pettitte, and Randy Jones still had 35 biggest games for Randy Jones. That way, everybody is on an even footing.
Randy Jones, in his 35 biggest games, was not good; he was 10-16, 3.65 ERA, struck out 70 batters in 240 innings and walked 54.
I love that data, for the worst reasons. I love creating "mythical seasons" or imaginary seasons, and 35 starts LOOKS like a season. A pitcher pitches well, he can win 20 games. He can strike out 200 batters, or walk 100; he can pitch 250 innings, or 300, just like a pitcher does in a season. You can create "league leaders" in every category. These are the league leaders in each category:
Innings Pitched
1. Bob Gibson, 277.2
2. Bob Lemon, 274.1
3. Mark Fidrych, 273.2
Hold on there. Mark Fidrych started only 56 games his career. His 35 "biggest" games are really just his career. Do we want to allow him in this study?
Sure we do.
4. Mel Stottlemyre, 271.2.
5. Gaylord Perry, Early Wynn and Warren Spahn, 269.2.
Wins:
1. Ron Guidry, 25.
2-3-4. Warren Spahn, Teddy Higuera and Randy Johnson, 24 each.
5-6-7-8. Bob Gibson, Bob Lemon, Roy Oswalt and Jon Lieber, 23 each.
Other 20-game winners: Johan Santana, 22-5, Milt Wilcox (!), 22-9, Andy Benes, 22-6, Jim O’Toole, 21-4, Mike Cuellar, 21-9, Virgil Trucks, 21-10, Tom Sturdivant, 21-9, Whitey Ford, 21-5, Luis Tiant, 21-7, Roger Clemens, 21-7, Denny Neagle (!), 21-9, Bruce Kison, 21-5, Ian Kennedy, 21-8, Ferguson Jenkins, 20-13, Frank Lary, 20-8, Bret Saberhagen, 20-7, Earl Wilson, 20-7, Allie Reynolds, 20-9, Don Sutton, 20-7, Brandon Webb, 20-9, Cliff Lee, 20-8, Zack Greinke, 20-6, Kris Medlen, 20-5, Chien-Ming Wang, 20-7, Mark Thurmond, 20-8.
Losses:
1. Chris Zachary, 23.
2-3-4. Kip Wells, Brian Matusz and Jerry Garvin, 22 each.
5. Fourteen pitchers tied with 21.
Winning Percentage:
1. Randy Johnson (24-4), .857
2. Jim O’Toole (21-4), .840
3-4 Roy Oswalt and Jon Lieber (23-5), .821
5-6 Juan Guzman and Pedro Astacio (18-4), .818
Hits allowed:
1. Bill Lee, 287
2. Carl Morton, 274
3-4. Jason Dickson and Sid Hudson, 273 each
5-6. Larry Sorensen and Ned Garver, 271 each.
Runs Allowed:
1. Julio Santana, 154
2-3. Scott Schoeneweis and Tim Wakefield, 151 each
4-5 Mike Oquist and Bobby Jones, 150 each
Earned Runs Allowed
(Same guys, just changes the order a little)
Strikeouts:
1. Randy Johnson, 306
2. Yu Darvish, 286
3. Kerry Wood, 269
4. Steve Carlton, 267
5. Nolan Ryan, 256
Walks:
1. Bob Wiesler, 162
(Wiesler made only 38 major league starts, so his 35 "biggest" starts is basically just his career.)
2. Eric Plunk, 141
3. Edwin Correa, 137
4. Herb Score, 135
5. Bob Turley, 130
ERA:
1. Randy Johnson, 2.01
2. Don Drysdale, 2.16
3. Mel Stottlemyre, 2.22
4. Gary Peters, 2.23
5. Joel Horlen, 2.24
Complete Games:
1. Warren Spahn, 24
2. Mark Fidrych, 22
3. Connie Marrero, 21
4. Bob Lemon, 20
5. Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, J. R. Richard, Mike Cuellar and Walt Masterson, 19 each.
Shutouts:
1-2-3-4. Bob Porterfield, Ralph Terry, Mickey Lolich and Don Drysdale, 7 each
5-6-7-8-9-10-11 J. R. Richard, Sandy Koufax, Mel Stottlemyre, Allie Reynolds, Jim Maloney, Luis Tiant and Dennis Leonard, 6 each
Wins by Team:
1. Roy Oswalt, 29
2-3-4. Kris Medlen, Bill Stafford and Johan Santana, 28 each.
5-6-7-8-9-10 Ron Guidry, Randy Johnson, Whitey Ford, Mike Bielecki, Roger Clemens and Andy Benes, 27 each.
Cy Young Award:
Randy Johnson
You look at the data in different ways to make sure you’re not missing something by just looking at it one way. Sandy Koufax’ record in all Big Games is pretty unimpressive (28-26), but in the 35 BIGGEST games of his career he was 18-8, 2.44 ERA, 250 strikeouts in 251 innings. That’s much better, much more Koufaxian.
Generally, of course, you see the same things looking at the data one way that you do looking at it another. If you use a higher standard for what constitutes a "Big" game, then the leader in Big Games pitched is not Andy Pettitte but Jim Palmer (64; Pettitte has 58). If you use a lower standard, then the leader is not Pettitte or Palmer, but Steve Carlton, with 133.
That doesn’t matter much; what I am looking for is changes in the way we would evaluate the Big Game pitchers, based on their performance. I don’t really see anything, other than Koufax. Using a looser standard of what is a Big Game, Roy Oswalt still has the best won-lost record (48-14), although Warren Spahn is now pushing him, at 49-15, and Dwight Gooden has entered the picture, at 41-13. I think we would evaluate almost all of the Big-Game pitchers about the same, using either a higher or a lower standard for what is a Big Game, so I’m just basically going to let that data go away.