from Amazon
Monday, November 02, 2009
Fewest top-end pitchers for a World Series team
Dave notes:
Just like in the ALCS, 84 percent of the innings thrown by Yankee pitchers have been handled by CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera. Eighty-four percent.
Since 1969, if we look only at pitchers who made up at least 20% a team’s innings in the World Series, the leaders for the 2-pitcher group is the anomolous A’s of 1989 (think Earthquake and one week layoff). Otherwise, it’s the 1969 Orioles, where they had 2 pitchers totalling 74% of its innings. For the 3-pitcher group, it’s the 1974 Dodgers, totalling 86% of its innings. The Royals in 1985 and Orioles in 1970 are at 81 and 80%. The 1971 Orioles are near the top as well.
Those 1969-1971 Orioles: 149 team innings, with the top 3 pitchers (Cueller, Palmer, McNally) pretty much splitting evenly 119 of those innings, or 80%. That is one incredible three-year run.