A four-time Cy Young winner, Steve Carlton anchored the Phillies staff for 14 seasons, winning twenty games five times. He briefly held the all-time strikeout record as he and Nolan Ryan sparred in the early 1980's. A private man who never talked to the press, Carlton pioneered the use of physical fitness in pitching performance.
Teams Steve Carlton Played For
St. Louis Cardinals (1965-1971) Philadelphia Phillies (1972-1986) San Francisco Giants (1986) Chicago White Sox (1986) Cleveland Indians (1987) Minnesota Twins (1987-1988)
Where does Steve Carlton rank among baseball greats?
Steve Carlton ranks #12 among the Top 50 all-time at SP. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1972 In his first season with Philly, Carlton won 27 games for the last-place club. His percentage of the team wins is the highest in baseball history. He paced NL pitchers in wins, ERA (1.98), innings, complete games (30), and K's (310). He won the first of his four Cy Young awards and was 5th in NL MVP voting.
Southpaw K-Leader Carlton was the first left-hander to reach 3,000 career strikeouts, which he attained in 1981. In 1986 he became the first southpaw to reach 4,000 K's, and he remains the all-time leader in strikeouts for lefties.
1970s Win Leaders Jim Palmer -- 186
Gaylord Perry -- 184
Tom Seaver -- 178
Fergie Jenkins -- 178
Carlton -- 178
Born Steven Norman Carlton was born on December 22, 1944, in Miami, FL.
Similar Players Randy Johnson a little bit, but no one really compares to Carlton.
Related Players Rick Wise, for whom he was traded... Tim McCarver, his personal catcher in Philadelphia... Nolan Ryan, with whom he traded the all-time leadership in K's.
Hall of Fame Voting
Year
Election
Votes
Pct
1994
BBWAA
436
95.8%
Post-Season Appearances
1967 World Series
1968 World Series
1976 National League Championship Series
1977 National League Championship Series
1978 National League Championship Series
1980 National League Championship Series
1980 World Series
1981 National League Division Playoffs
1983 National League Championship Series
1983 World Series
Awards and Honors
1972 NL Cy Young
1972 NL Triple Crown
1977 NL Cy Young
1980 NL Cy Young
1981 NL Gold Glove
1982 NL Cy Young
Feats Won the pitching triple crown in 1972, leading the NL in wins, K's, and ERA.
Milestones
April 29, 1981: 3000th strikeout... Tim Wallach
September 23, 1983: 300th Win...
August 5, 1986: 4000th strikeout... Eric Davis
Pitching Feats
September 15, 1969: ...
, 1972: ...
Transactions Signed as an amateur free agent by St. Louis Cardinals (October 8, 1963); Traded by St. Louis Cardinals to Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Rick Wise (February 25, 1972); Released by Philadelphia Phillies (June 24, 1986); Signed by San Francisco Giants (July 4, 1986); Released by San Francisco Giants (August 7, 1986); Signed by Chicago White Sox (August 12, 1986); Granted free agency (November 12, 1986); Signed by Cleveland Indians (April 4, 1987); Traded by Cleveland Indians to Minnesota Twins in exchange for a player to be named later (July 31, 1987) - Cleveland Indians received Jeff Perry (August 18, 1987); Released by Minnesota Twins (December 21, 1987); Signed by Minnesota Twins (January 29, 1988); Released by Minnesota Twins (April 28, 1988).
Trivia Question When did Steve Carlton win his 300th game?
Trivia Answer The Phillies' left-hander won his 300th game on September 23, 1983, against his former team, the St. Louis Cardinals.
Best Strength as a Player His conditioning, which enabled him to perform at a high level for many years. Over an 18-year stretch (1967-1984), Carlton averaged 35 starts per season, which includes the strike-shortened 1981 campaign.
Largest Weakness as a Player Early in his career he struggled with his control.
