Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim65
In G1911's original post, his point was that Ryan did it over 27 years. No mention was made of innings.
But OK, Phil Niekro had more innings pitched than Ryan 5404 to 5386, Niekro had a higher ERA+ than Ryan 115 to 112. I've never seen anyone claim Niekro was an all time great.
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I think my point was that he was effective for an absurdly long career. Years, innings, by any definition Ryan had the or one of the longest pitching careers in all of baseball history. If you want to get technical you couldn’t name a single one who matched 27 years. Maybe that’s a sign of being extraordinary, doing something no one else has.
Phil Niekro had a phenomenal (remarkable, extraordinary) career too, with a very unusual trajectory and path. His remarkable career is probably why he is in the Hall of Fame and being remarked upon. If he did not have a phenomenal career, then almost no one did. Who are we to remark on if even these guys are not remarkable? If these are not extraordinary careers, I’m hard pressed to think of any that are.
In my opinion Nolan Ryan is probably the most overrated starting pitcher in the entirety of baseball history. But he still had a phenomenal, remarkable, extraordinary and unique career.