Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth
Every argument for Koufax seems to depend on cherry picking his five best years. Years he happened to be pitching in a VERY favorable park. I am no sabermetrics scholar but when I look at 1956 through 1960 or even 1961 when both were pitching, Spahn sure looks like the much better pitcher. Do we just excise that out of the analysis?
Why is it that for KOUFAX we just ignore the mediocre half of his career? Why is that?
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Yes. I ignore Koufax's early years. He was a teenager when he entered the league. When Spahn's career effectively started, he was already 25 years old. And while his military service during WW2 is admirable, it doesn't really tell us anything about his pitching abilities. Koufax was just a kid when his career began. I think it's more than fair to give him a pass while he tried to figure things out. Today, he would have been on a minor league team until he did. Look at their numbers from 25 years old and up (when Spahn's career effectively started) and compare them. If you do that, then it's like comparing my golf game to Jack Nicklaus (my handicap is probably at least 25 these days, though I wouldn't know).