Best lefty off all time? My vote is Koufax!

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by cardsagain74

You keep repeating this highly inaccurate "simply the 22nd best lefty" representation of the WAR numbers. It's a lifetime cumulative total, so obviously Koufax's WAR is far less than many other lefties (since he pitched half many innings as most other all-time greats).

Look at ERA+ and WAR per season. Those represent how effective someone was

Alright, let's go with that. Warren Spahn has a 92.5 career WAR. That's an average of 4.40 over 21 years. And his WAR was actually negative his rookie year. He had a 93 WAR over his last 20 seasons - 4.65.

Sandy's WAR per is 4.42.

So...12 years of 4.42 or 21 years of 4.40 (20 of 4.65)? Easy choice.

Also, FWIW, WAR says that Steve Carlton's 1972 was the best year for any lefty in the live ball era.

[cardsagain74]

Originally Posted by Tabe

Alright, let's go with that. Warren Spahn has a 92.5 career WAR. That's an average of 4.40 over 21 years. And his WAR was actually negative his rookie year. He had a 93 WAR over his last 20 seasons - 4.65.

Sandy's WAR per is 4.42.

So...12 years of 4.42 or 21 years of 4.40 (20 of 4.65)? Easy choice.

Also, FWIW, WAR says that Steve Carlton's 1972 was the best year for any lefty in the live ball era.

I never said that I would choose Koufax over someone like Spahn. There or anywhere.

The point was that simply saying "he's not even in the top 20, just because of this cumulative career number" is not that logical and knocks him down too far. Not that I consider him higher on the list than a top 5 guy. Big difference

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Tabe

Alright, let's go with that. Warren Spahn has a 92.5 career WAR. That's an average of 4.40 over 21 years. And his WAR was actually negative his rookie year. He had a 93 WAR over his last 20 seasons - 4.65.

Sandy's WAR per is 4.42.

So...12 years of 4.42 or 21 years of 4.40 (20 of 4.65)? Easy choice.

Also, FWIW, WAR says that Steve Carlton's 1972 was the best year for any lefty in the live ball era.

FWAR also says that Koufax had 3 seasons better than any year Grove had. Koufax had 4 years that were better than any year Spahn had. That includes Koufax's 1961 season which several here are trying to discount as being mediocre. Koufax's 1962 and 1964 seasons are real close to Spahn's best year only because Koufax missed time due to injuries. It is an easy choice, Koufax for 6 brilliant years is better than a lesser pitcher for a longer period of time.