Best lefty off all time? My vote is Koufax!

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Originally Posted by G1911

Koufax is in the majors but not producing much at age 19, which I really wouldn't hold him against as he was developing like most players this age. The bonus baby rule kept him on the roster, as someone else noted.

Koufax became an above average player at 25.

Koufax broke out into a star at age 26 the next year.

Koufax was truly great, from ages 26-30.

He was done at age 30.


Meanwhile:

Grove entered the majors at 25, held hostage in Baltimore. He was not very good that season.

He became a star at age 26, when he led the league in ERA for the first time. The same exact time Koufax did.

Grove was great from ages 26-30.

At this point there careers are very similar, Sandy's years probably slightly greater. Koufax has a 167 ERA+ from 26-30, Grove has a 157. Both are absolutely dominating their leagues. This is the point of comparison in their careers most favorable to Koufax, and he is barely winning.

After age 30, Grove won 6 more ERA crowns, career years in which Koufax was producing absolutely nothing. He went 185-84 with a 150 ERA+ after age 30. He was a truly great pitcher at age 39, above average at 40, done at 41.

I guess if Grove had been sitting at home retired instating of leading the league in ERA 6 times and dominating the AL, he could be the GOAT.

By what rational standard can this, that Sandy's early retirement and his career ending at 30, possibly be a point in favor for Koufax? I don't see a winning argument for Koufax, but there are much, much better arguments than this kind of absurd trolling. Can we not ask ourselves "does this make any sense whatsoever?" before making a claim?


If press headlines and sportswriters are our determining factor, lets see this applied to every player and position. Jeter is the GOAT shortstop, Dimaggio the greatest CF, Jackie the best 2B of all time by a country mile. The most famous is the best.

If it's based on accolades and awards, it's still not Koufax, it's Randy Johnson, 5 time Cy Young winner, 10 time all star, 97.3% Hall of Fame vote receiver (Koufax only got 86.9%), the most decorated lefty in baseball history. This is simply not a point for Koufax if you want to go by the hardware.

If it is based on their peers, players from the 30's thought Grove was the toughest lefty they faced, players in the 60's Koufax, and players in the 00's Johnson. Nobody wins this.

These arguments are silly and even if they weren't, still don't show Koufax as #1.

Well since you declared these arguments to be silly, I guess we will not hear from you again.