November 29, 2004
Pedro Vs. Sandy?
Mr. Irrelevant makes a comparison some might consider heretical: Pedro Martinez vs. Sandy Koufax:
To avoid calling this a push, I’m considering that, at 33, Pedro is about to be given $25-50 million from someone expecting two, three or even four more high-quality seasons. At 33, Koufax had already been retired for two years and, as brilliant as he was, had only recorded six good seasons in all. If I could send one of them -- in their prime -- out to the hill for a Game 7, I'd go w/ Sandy. But if I could have one for their entire career, the choice is Pedro.
And as much as this hurts, I'm inclined to agree with him. Don't believe me, just take a look at the stats for yourself: Click here for Koufax and here for Martinez.
Pay special attention to the stat line slugged 162 Game Avg. These two guys are so close the difference between the two is almost imperceptible. But for me, the nod has to go to Pedro because his best years came in an era of offensive dominance -- and the performance gap between him and the pitchers in the rest of the league was far greater than it ever was for Koufax.
And you can't know how much that conclusion hurts to the son of a Brooklyn Dodgers fan.
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It isn't just the Pedro pitched in an era of offensive dominance, Koufax pitched in an an era where offense was at a nadir. The 60s were the worst time to be a hitter in major league history and Koufax was pitching half is games in one of the best pitcher's parks in history.
Koufax would've dominated anywhere he pitched. He was clearly amazing, but some of his stats are colored by WHEN and WHERE he was playing.
Posted by:
at November 29, 2004 11:56 AM
Agreed. I've actually always felt that Pedro deserves at least consideration when you're thinking about who you want on the mound in their prime for the future of the entire galaxy.
Posted by:
at November 29, 2004 05:01 PM
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12:03 AM