Posted By:
AnonymousUltimately it comes down to what defines a great pitcher. Is it longevity or peak that should be valued most.
I lean more towards longevity as the hallmark, because the game is littered with players who had brief moments of brilliance. The only question is how much is enough? Koufax is just borderline, but the fact that his best was so good and allows him to be in this conversation says a lot about what he was able to accomplish.
Also if you look at his road stats for 1959-61 they are very good, but he was hurt by playing in LA Coliseum, and even his years at Ebbetts Field hurt his value during his early career.