300 Wins
300 Wins
In Major League Baseball, the 300 win club refers to the group of pitchers—24 as of 2011—who have won 300 or more games. While the "300 club" is an informal group, becoming a member is among the highest accomplishments a starting pitcher can achieve. Several members retired soon after winning their 300th game; two retired with exactly 300 victories. All eligible pitchers with 300 wins have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Many observers expect the club to gain few, if any, members in the foreseeable future.
History
The first player to win 300 games was Pud Galvin in 1888. Six pitchers entered the club in the 19th century, with a seventh, Cy Young, joining in 1901. Early in the history of professional baseball, starting rotations of two men were commonplace, giving the best pitchers far more chances to earn wins than in today's game. Conversely, the rigor required for a two-man rotation meant that most pitching careers didn't last more than a decade or so (Young being the major exception). In addition, the medical treatments then available were minimal; if a pitcher 'blew out his arm' then his career was over. Four more pitchers joined the club in the first quarter of the 20th century.
However, only three pitchers scored their 300th win between 1924 and 1982: Lefty Grove (1941), Warren Spahn (1961), and Early Wynn (1963). For Grove and Wynn it was the final win of their careers and each struggled in his last season to achieve it. This dearth of 300-game winners may be explained by the offensive explosion following the abolition of the spitball in 1921, changes in the ball itself, World War II military service (in the cases of Bob Feller and Red Ruffing), the growing importance of the home run in the game, and the lowering of the pitching mound following the 1968 season. As the home run became commonplace, the physical and mental demands on pitchers dramatically increased, leading to the use of a four-man starting rotation.
Then, in a mere eight years, between 1982 and 1990, the 300-win club gained six members — an increase of over 40%. This may be partly explained as a consequence of the era of free agency that began in the mid-1970s. Free agency led to unheard-of player salaries, which encouraged older pitchers to stay in the game longer than they might have in the past.[4] Another part of the explanation is the increasing sophistication of training methods and sports medicine (such as the Tommy John surgery), which have allowed players to maintain a high competitive level for a longer time. Examples include Phil Niekro, who was still under 200 wins at his 40th birthday, went on to win a record 121 games after he turned 40, finishing his career, at the age of 48, with 318 wins and Randy Johnson, who won more games in his 40s than he did in his 20s (however, his career just started in 1990 and he won his 300th game in 2009). Many of the pitchers who reached 300 wins in this era, such as the aforementioned Niekro, Nolan Ryan, and Don Sutton, each had just a couple of 20+ win seasons and achieved the 300 mark by pitching well into their 40s.
Recent history
Changes in the game in the last decade of the 20th century have made the 300-game winner an endangered species again, perhaps more so than during the mid 20th century. The four-man starting rotation has given way to a five-man rotation, which gives starting pitchers still fewer chances to pick up wins. Additionally, managers are much quicker to put in relief pitchers than in the past, particularly after the starting pitcher has thrown more than 100 pitches, even when the starting pitcher is winning the game. This increases the likelihood that a pitcher not get a win because of circumstances beyond his control. Towards the end of the first decade of the 21st century, no pitchers winning 20 or more games in a season started to become common, with the 2006 season being the first time that no pitcher won 20 games in a non strike-shortened year. The same happened in 2009.
Jamie Moyer has the most wins among active pitchers, with 267. No other active pitcher has over 200.
| Pitcher | Wins | Date | Team | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cy Young† | 511 | July 3, 1901 | Boston Americans | 1890–1911 |
| Walter Johnson† | 417 | May 14, 1920 | Washington Senators | 1907–1927 |
| Grover Cleveland Alexander† | 373 | September 20, 1924 | Chicago Cubs | 1911–1930 |
| Christy Mathewson† | 373 | June 28, 1912 | New York Giants | 1900–1916 |
| Pud Galvin† | 364 | September 4, 1888 | Pittsburgh Alleghenys | 1875–1892 |
| Warren Spahn† | 363 | August 11, 1961 | Milwaukee Braves | 1942–1965 |
| Kid Nichols† | 361 | September 7, 1900 | Boston Beaneaters | 1890–1906 |
| Greg Maddux | 355 | August 7, 2004 | Chicago Cubs | 1986–2008 |
| Roger Clemens | 354 | June 13, 2003 | New York Yankees | 1984–2007 |
| Tim Keefe† | 342 | June 4, 1890 | New York Giants (PL) | 1880-1893 |
| Steve Carlton† | 329 | September 23, 1983 | Philadelphia Phillies | 1965–1988 |
| John Clarkson† | 328 | September 21, 1892 | Cleveland Spiders | 1882–1894 |
| Eddie Plank† | 326 | September 11, 1915 | St. Louis Terriers | 1901–1917 |
| Nolan Ryan† | 324 | July 31, 1990 | Texas Rangers | 1966–1993 |
| Don Sutton† | 324 | June 18, 1986 | California Angels | 1966–1988 |
| Phil Niekro† | 318 | October 6, 1985 | New York Yankees | 1964–1987 |
| Gaylord Perry† | 314 | May 6, 1982 | Seattle Mariners | 1962–1983 |
| Tom Seaver† | 311 | August 4, 1985 | Chicago White Sox | 1967–1986 |
| Charles Radbourn† | 309 | May 14, 1891 | Cincinnati Reds | 1880–1891 |
| Mickey Welch† | 307 | August 11, 1890 | New York Giants | 1880–1892 |
| Tom Glavine | 305 | August 5, 2007 | New York Mets | 1987–2008 |
| Randy Johnson | 303 | June 4, 2009 | San Francisco Giants | 1988–2009 |
| Early Wynn† | 300 | July 13, 1963 | Cleveland Indians | 1939–1963 |
| Lefty Grove† | 300 | July 25, 1941 | Boston Red Sox | 1925–1941 |
300 Wins
300 Wins
In Major League Baseball, the 300 win club refers to the group of pitchers—24 as of 2011—who have won 300 or more games. While the "300 club" is an informal group, becoming a member is among the highest accomplishments a starting pitcher can achieve. Several members retired soon after winning their 300th game; two retired with exactly 300 victories. All eligible pitchers with 300 wins have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Many observers expect the club to gain few, if any, members in the foreseeable future.
History
The first player to win 300 games was Pud Galvin in 1888. Six pitchers entered the club in the 19th century, with a seventh, Cy Young, joining in 1901. Early in the history of professional baseball, starting rotations of two men were commonplace, giving the best pitchers far more chances to earn wins than in today's game. Conversely, the rigor required for a two-man rotation meant that most pitching careers didn't last more than a decade or so (Young being the major exception). In addition, the medical treatments then available were minimal; if a pitcher 'blew out his arm' then his career was over. Four more pitchers joined the club in the first quarter of the 20th century.
However, only three pitchers scored their 300th win between 1924 and 1982: Lefty Grove (1941), Warren Spahn (1961), and Early Wynn (1963). For Grove and Wynn it was the final win of their careers and each struggled in his last season to achieve it. This dearth of 300-game winners may be explained by the offensive explosion following the abolition of the spitball in 1921, changes in the ball itself, World War II military service (in the cases of Bob Feller and Red Ruffing), the growing importance of the home run in the game, and the lowering of the pitching mound following the 1968 season. As the home run became commonplace, the physical and mental demands on pitchers dramatically increased, leading to the use of a four-man starting rotation.
Then, in a mere eight years, between 1982 and 1990, the 300-win club gained six members — an increase of over 40%. This may be partly explained as a consequence of the era of free agency that began in the mid-1970s. Free agency led to unheard-of player salaries, which encouraged older pitchers to stay in the game longer than they might have in the past.[4] Another part of the explanation is the increasing sophistication of training methods and sports medicine (such as the Tommy John surgery), which have allowed players to maintain a high competitive level for a longer time. Examples include Phil Niekro, who was still under 200 wins at his 40th birthday, went on to win a record 121 games after he turned 40, finishing his career, at the age of 48, with 318 wins and Randy Johnson, who won more games in his 40s than he did in his 20s (however, his career just started in 1990 and he won his 300th game in 2009). Many of the pitchers who reached 300 wins in this era, such as the aforementioned Niekro, Nolan Ryan, and Don Sutton, each had just a couple of 20+ win seasons and achieved the 300 mark by pitching well into their 40s.
Recent history
Changes in the game in the last decade of the 20th century have made the 300-game winner an endangered species again, perhaps more so than during the mid 20th century. The four-man starting rotation has given way to a five-man rotation, which gives starting pitchers still fewer chances to pick up wins. Additionally, managers are much quicker to put in relief pitchers than in the past, particularly after the starting pitcher has thrown more than 100 pitches, even when the starting pitcher is winning the game. This increases the likelihood that a pitcher not get a win because of circumstances beyond his control. Towards the end of the first decade of the 21st century, no pitchers winning 20 or more games in a season started to become common, with the 2006 season being the first time that no pitcher won 20 games in a non strike-shortened year. The same happened in 2009.
Jamie Moyer has the most wins among active pitchers, with 267. No other active pitcher has over 200.
| Pitcher | Wins | Date | Team | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cy Young† | 511 | July 3, 1901 | Boston Americans | 1890–1911 |
| Walter Johnson† | 417 | May 14, 1920 | Washington Senators | 1907–1927 |
| Grover Cleveland Alexander† | 373 | September 20, 1924 | Chicago Cubs | 1911–1930 |
| Christy Mathewson† | 373 | June 28, 1912 | New York Giants | 1900–1916 |
| Pud Galvin† | 364 | September 4, 1888 | Pittsburgh Alleghenys | 1875–1892 |
| Warren Spahn† | 363 | August 11, 1961 | Milwaukee Braves | 1942–1965 |
| Kid Nichols† | 361 | September 7, 1900 | Boston Beaneaters | 1890–1906 |
| Greg Maddux | 355 | August 7, 2004 | Chicago Cubs | 1986–2008 |
| Roger Clemens | 354 | June 13, 2003 | New York Yankees | 1984–2007 |
| Tim Keefe† | 342 | June 4, 1890 | New York Giants (PL) | 1880-1893 |
| Steve Carlton† | 329 | September 23, 1983 | Philadelphia Phillies | 1965–1988 |
| John Clarkson† | 328 | September 21, 1892 | Cleveland Spiders | 1882–1894 |
| Eddie Plank† | 326 | September 11, 1915 | St. Louis Terriers | 1901–1917 |
| Nolan Ryan† | 324 | July 31, 1990 | Texas Rangers | 1966–1993 |
| Don Sutton† | 324 | June 18, 1986 | California Angels | 1966–1988 |
| Phil Niekro† | 318 | October 6, 1985 | New York Yankees | 1964–1987 |
| Gaylord Perry† | 314 | May 6, 1982 | Seattle Mariners | 1962–1983 |
| Tom Seaver† | 311 | August 4, 1985 | Chicago White Sox | 1967–1986 |
| Charles Radbourn† | 309 | May 14, 1891 | Cincinnati Reds | 1880–1891 |
| Mickey Welch† | 307 | August 11, 1890 | New York Giants | 1880–1892 |
| Tom Glavine | 305 | August 5, 2007 | New York Mets | 1987–2008 |
| Randy Johnson | 303 | June 4, 2009 | San Francisco Giants | 1988–2009 |
| Early Wynn† | 300 | July 13, 1963 | Cleveland Indians | 1939–1963 |
| Lefty Grove† | 300 | July 25, 1941 | Boston Red Sox | 1925–1941 |
