Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Rivera, Soriano, Chamberlain? Ryne Duren was the man.

Some Yankee fans are thrilled that Joba Chamberlain, Rafael Soriano and Mariano Rivera are settling in and pitching one inning each: 7,8,9.

Monday night their three innings resulted in only 2 strike outs.  I'm not very impressed.  I want one inning pitchers to be much more dominating.  Like Ryne Duren.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/durenry01.shtml

1960 SO/9

Ryne Duren 12.3!  49 innings.

AL 4.9

12.3/4.9 = 2.51

TWO AND A HALF times the AL average!

Duren was in double digits four consecutive seasons: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 (5 innings with Yanks, 99 innings with Angels)

1958 10.3 75 innings    10.3/4.9 = 2.10
1959 11.3 76 innings    11.3/5.0 = 2.26
1960 12.3  49 innings    12.3/4.9 = 2.51
1961 10.0 104 innings    10/5.2 = 1.92
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2010 SO/9 (requiring at least 49 Innings Pitched):

In 2010 only four pitchers, all NL, exceeded Duren's 12.3 in 1960:

Carlos Marmol 15.99    77 innings    15.99/7.4 = 2.16
Billy Wagner 13.50    69 innings    13.50/74. = 1.82
Joel Hanrahan 12.92    69 innings    12.92/7.4 = 1.75
Rafael Betancourt 12.85    62 innings    12.85/7.4 = 1.74

NL 7.4

Top AL 2010 SO/9:

Matt Thornton 12.02 60 innings    12.02/6.8 = 1.77
Joaquin Benoit 11.19 60 innings    11.19/6.8 = 1.65
Brandon Morrow 10.95 146 innings     10.95/6.8 = 1.61

13. Joba Chamberlain 9.7 71 innings    9.7/6.8 = 1.42
36. Rafael Soriano 8.23 62 inning    8.23/6.8 = 1.21
72. Mariano Rivera 6.75 60 innings    6.75/6.8 = .99  Rivera's strike out numbers in 2010 seem especially puny, only about equal to the league average.

AL 6.8
______________________________

I ran this query:

For single seasons, From 1903 to 2010, (requiring SOp9>=12 and At least 49 Innings Pitched), sorted by greatest Strikeouts per 9 IP

Including Duren in 1960 there are 77 seasons.  Of those 77 seasons the only one before 1987 was Duren in 1960.  Including Duren only five were before 1990.

Tops:

2010 Carlos Marmol 15.99    77 innings    15.99/7.4 = 2.16

 Joba Chamberlain?  Zip.
2009 Rafael Soriano 12.13 75.2 innings    12.13/6.9 = 1.76
 Mariano Rivera?  Zip.

How about matching against Duren's other three seasons with at least 75 innings?

For single seasons, From 1903 to 2010, (requiring SOp9>=10 and At least 75 Innings Pitched), sorted by greatest Strikeouts per 9 IP

178 seasons.

Four before 1960: Koufax 1957, 1959; Duren 1958, 1959.

1960 through 1966: 9
1970 through 1979: 14
1982 through 1989: 19
1990 through 1999: 47
2000 through 2010: 85

These pitchers did it and led the league in innings:

1965 Sandy Koufax 10.24 335 innings
1986 Mike Scott 10.00 275 innings
1999 Randy Johnson 12.03 271 innings
1998 Curt Schilling 10.05 268 innings
2002 Randy Johnson 11.56 260 innings
2001 Curt Schilling 10.27 256 innings
2009 Justin Verlander 10.09 240 innings

Nine pitchers were >= 13 SO/9:

2010 Carlos Marmol 15.99 77.2 innings
2003 Eric Gagne 14.98 82 innings
2004 Brad Lidge 14.93 94 innings
1999 Armando Benitez 14.77 78 innings
1991 Rob Dibble 13.55 82 innings
2009 Jonathan Broxton 13.50 76 innings
2001 Randy Johnson 13.41 249 innings
1999 Pedro Martinez 13.20 213 innings
2004 Francisco Rodriguez 13.18 84

Duren placed #55 (1959) and #124 (1958).  Note: Duren's 10.0 in 1961 was actually below 10 and rounded up: (9*115)/104 = 9.95192307692

Chamberlain placed #97 (2008)
Soriano placed #27 (2009)
Rivera placed #78 (1996) - his most innings: 107.

Let's compare them against the league average in those seasons.

Duren 1959 11.3 76 innings    11.3/5.0 = 2.26
Duren 1958 10.3 75 innings    10.3/4.9 = 2.10
Soriano 2009 12.13 75 innings    12.13/6.9 = 1.76
Rivera 1996 10.87 107 innings    10.87/6.2 = 1.75
Chamberlain 2008 10.58 100 innings    10.58/6.6 = 1.6
______________________________

Ryne Duren was striking them out when they weren't striking out.

So, I ask again: 1960 World Series game 7: why didn't Stengel use Duren? FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2010

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