So you have your all time team... Now

[EvilKing00]

Now pick one starter, in his prime totally healthy to pitch one game against another members all time team that u must win. He will not be hitting just pitching. He dosnt have to pitch a compleat game figure at least 7 innings. Whos your ace???


I will probably take slot of flack for my pick but after alot of thought i would take pedro martinez at his best over any other pitcher.

[KCRfan1]

Give me Koufax.

[39special]

Originally Posted by KCRfan1

Give me Koufax.

+1

[Sean]

Walter Johnson.

If you want someone that I've actually seen, either Gibson or Koufax.

[Stonepony]

Seaver

[AMBST95]

Originally Posted by EvilKing00

Now pick one starter, in his prime totally healthy to pitch one game against another members all time team that u must win. He will not be hitting just pitching. He dosnt have to pitch a compleat game figure at least 7 innings. Whos your ace???


I will probably take slot of flack for my pick but after alot of thought i would take pedro martinez at his best over any other pitcher.

Before I read your last sentence I was thinking the same thing.

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by KCRfan1

Give me Koufax.

+1. Koufax in his prime was nearly unhittable.

His last 4 seasons, he was 97-27 (.782) with a 1.86 ERA. In 1,192 2/3 IP he struck out 1,228 batters while walking only 259. He allowed a laughable 6.2 hits per 9 innings, and his whip was a ridiculous 0.909.

Imagine what his career numbers would have been if he didn't have to retire at age 30. He was 28-9 with a 1.73 ERA and 317 Ks in 1966. His ERA + was 190, the best of his career.

He did all this while in constant pain.

For my money, Koufax achieved a level of pitching mastery that has never been equaled. Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux and a handful of other modern pitchers, combined with Bob Gibson, Bob Feller, Christy Mathewson, Ed Walsh and Walter Johnson...are all on my short list. But Koufax could throw a no hitter any time he took the mound.

There is one guy that is quickly moving up my list, and he's young. Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in the game now, and he's looking like an all-time great. The kid is just scary good. Compare him to Koufax. Kershaw's ERA + is 190 in 2013, and I think he has one more start. He's matched Koufax's best season, and he's only 25.

[ZenPop]

Since it would be the first time the all-time greats would see him... and he'd be at his best...

I'll take Tim Lincecum.

(Marichal, Carl Hubbell (you saw what he did in the all-star game to the greats) and Matty would be right up there!

Non-Giants Division: Satchel Paige

[conor912]

Originally Posted by AMBST95

Before I read your last sentence I was thinking the same thing.

It would even be hard to pick a year Pedro. The five from 1997 to 2002 (not counting his injury plagued 2001) he was pretty much lights out. Though I'm biased from Boston. I would, however, refrain from any pitcher after 1970 given their propensity to run out of steam in late innings. For such an important game I wouldn't want to rely him going the distance.

[t206fix]

Randy Johnson

No question...at the top of his game, no one could hit him!

[Mark]

Best big game pitcher whom I saw was Gibson. But if someone also saw Hubbell and told me that he was better, I would believe it.

[RCMcKenzie]

This question is often asked on sports radio talk shows as, ""Who would you pitch to save the planet?"

Greg Maddux with Ron Kulpa behind the dish.

[mattsey9]

To be the contrarian, I'm picking a good guy who was great in a lot of big games.

Allie Reynolds.

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by ZenPop

Since it would be the first time the all-time greats would see him... and he'd be at his best...

I'll take Tim Lincecum.

(Marichal, Carl Hubbell (you saw what he did in the all-star game to the greats) and Matty would be right up there!

Non-Giants Division: Satchel Paige

I love the Giants love!!

I'd still go with Koufax, but Timmy was absolutely amazing for those first 2 full seasons when he was still blowing 98 MPH gas.

[xcgrammer]

I might have to take Maddux or Pedro via a coin flip. For the simple reason that they dominated in The Steriod Era!!! Unreal what they did. Pedro was lights out in the complete epicenter, eye of the hurricane, heart of the most hitter dominated (by cheating) era of all time.

[Vol]

Greg Maddux

No doubt in my mind.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by xcgrammer

I might have to take Maddux or Pedro via a coin flip. For the simple reason that they dominated in The Steriod Era!!! Unreal what they did. Pedro was lights out in the complete epicenter, eye of the hurricane, heart of the most hitter dominated (by cheating) era of all time.

Maddux, to me, was more of a "body of work" guy. He was so good for so long that he put together a stellar career, but never for a second would he cross my mind as my go-to guy for one game. But again, maybe if I was from Atlanta I'd feel differently.

[RCMcKenzie]

Originally Posted by conor912

Maddux, to me, was more of a "body of work" guy. He was so good for so long that he put together a stellar career, but never for a second would he cross my mind as my go-to guy for one game. But again, maybe if I was from Atlanta I'd feel differently.

The OP was asking about a pitcher at his best. In 1995 Maddux was 19-2 with a WHIP of 0.811. Those were my gambling days and you had to lay 380 to win 100 in a baseball game. If you had an umpire with a wide strikezone, it was game over.

[71buc]

Mr. Bob Gibson even if my life depended on it.

[billyb]

On his best days, Ryan.

[glynparson]

If he were unavailable Koufax

[Hankphenom]

I don't have to look very far, do I? I'll take Johnson, and no need for any seven-inning limitation. If he's the greatest of all time, he's OK for one game, too. One out of six starts were shutout wins. If we're going with pitchers in their prime, his lasted 10 years, 1910-1919, during which he won 35% of his team's games. Of those I actually saw, I'd be very happy with Sandy.

[howard38]

/

[CW]

at his absolute peak, I'd have to go with Maddux (actually a bit surprised I'm not the first, but the 5th person to mention him in this thread).

honorable mention goes to Verlander (at his peak).

[AndrewJerome]

Top 5 in my opinion for a single game in their prime: Walter Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Lefty Grove, Randy Johnson, and Greg Maddux. All were lights out at the height of their powers.

Best single season ERA+ for each:

259 Walter (second best for a season was 240)
291 Pedro (second best for a season was 243)
217 Lefty (second best for a season was 189)
195 Randy (second best for a season was 193)
271 Greg (second best for a season was 260)

ERA+ gets me down to Walter, Pedro, and Greg. Facing ATG lineups would be beyond brutal. You'd need to somehow be able to go deep into the game, and an increased strikeout rate would also help against ATG lineups to get out of trouble. A tough call between the three, but I'd go with Walter since he has a better chance at pitching deep into the game while also getting some strikeouts to get out of trouble.

[ZenPop]

Originally Posted by itjclarke

I love the Giants love!!

I'd still go with Koufax, but Timmy was absolutely amazing for those first 2 full seasons when he was still blowing 98 MPH gas.

I could see that... Timmy was elite when he was dominant... but wouldn't argue against Koufax, either (obviously)

[ZenPop]

I guess you also look how pitchers perform in big games... and I'm not saying that Maddux wasn't a stellar pitcher (one of the very best ever)... but I keep seeing Will Clark absolutely destroying him in Game 1of the '89 playoffs. That does color my thinking...

[TheBig6]

Koufax or Gibson (flip a coin)

J.R. Richard would be my (Homer Pick)

[drmondobueno]

I've seen Koufax, Gibson and Maddox pitch. Take a look at their playoff/world Series body of work. Maddox to me is definitely a step below.

Koufax # 1, Gibson a close second. Never saw Paige, way too young to have seen anyone prior to 1958. But my grandfather, when he quit swearing, said Paige was crafty and unhittable the times he saw Satchel pitch..

[oldjudge]

I'll take my chances with the 1968 version of Bob Gibson. Close seconds are '63 Koufax and '78 Guidry.

[sbfinley]

Originally Posted by VOLnVEGAS

Greg Maddux

No doubt in my mind.

This.

[margoaepi]

1985 Doc Gooden please, thank you, and good luck!

[kmac32]

Here is my pitching rotation.

Walter Johnson
Christy Matthewson
Fergie Jenkins
Bob Gibson
Greg Maddux
Carl Mays

And the rest of the team

Ty Cobb
Babe Ruth
Johnny Bench
Ernie Banks
Barry Bonds (with Roids)
Mike Schmidt
Pete Rose
Albert Pujols
Hank Aaron

And my closer Mariano Rivera
With Randy Johnson in my bullpen

[BearBailey]

Greg Maddux, without a question!

[dabigyankeeman]

Originally Posted by t206fix

Randy Johnson

No question...at the top of his game, no one could hit him!

Totally agree, my choice too. He was great, and batters feared him.

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Originally Posted by EvilKing00

i would take pedro martinez

My thoughts exactly