10 thoughts on “Crowning New Strikeout Kings – Fully Normalized Strikeout Leaders”

1. Darien February 23, 2012 at 4:35 pm

   Gives me a bit more appreciation for Lee Smith.

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2. Raphy Post authorFebruary 23, 2012 at 4:38 pm

   BTW – There was some discussion yesterday about Billy Wagner. Wagner didn’t quite get to 1000 IP so he is not in the post. His SO:EXP was 1.75 – right behind Nolan Ryan.

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3. bstar February 23, 2012 at 5:05 pm

   Raphy, you read my mind.

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4. John Autin February 23, 2012 at 5:25 pm

   Anyone know what happened in the American Association between 1886 and 1887? League SO/9 fell from 4.4 to 2.9 in one year. Matt Kilroy, who beat Toad Ramsey for the K crown in ’86, dropped from 513 SO to 217, despite pitching more innings in ’87.

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   1. Lawrence Azrin February 23, 2012 at 5:42 pm

      I think strikeouts went from three to four in the American Association between 1886 and 1887, it went back to three in 1888.

      Also, I think walks were officially counted as hits in figuring BA that year only. Hence, Tip O’Neill was listed with a .492 BA many many years ago.

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      1. Darien February 23, 2012 at 8:04 pm

         According to the New Bill James HBA (pg. 39), you’re exactly right — the 1887 AA required four strikes for a strikeout. 19th century baseball — what can you do? 😀

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   2. Doug February 23, 2012 at 5:48 pm

      Don’t know, John.

      Baseball Almanac credits Toad Ramsey with introducing the knuckleball in 1887. Ramsey finished just behind Kilroy in 1886 with 499 Ks, and led the AA in 1887 with 358. He had one more good season in 1888 before the wear-and-tear caught up with him, and was done by 1890 at only 26 years old.

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5. birtelcom February 24, 2012 at 12:25 am

   Bobby Mathews at number 10 on your second list. According to his bio at SABR, Mathews pitched a six-K shutout in the first National Association game of its very first season, 1871, which makes that the game b-ref treats as the very first major league game. So I guess that means Mathews was the first MLB career strikeout leader.

   The SABR bio also suggests Mathews may have been one of the first two pitchers to master a curve ball, which would help explain his high number of Ks relative to his peers.

   I do love to read bios of these earliest pioneer pro players — they help remind me how different the game was. For example, Mathews was pitching underhand, presumably for much of his career.

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6. Albanate February 25, 2012 at 10:29 am

   A couple I know own a house in Albany, New York that Cy Seymour, or a relative of his once lived in. When they bought the house they found all sorts of “Seymouriana” that they still have.

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