Baseball Roundtable is going to try out a new feature … Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday, a weekly (I hope) presentation of a baseball occurrence that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye. (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances or statistical coincidences.)These won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that caught my eye.
This first edition relates to the brothers Niekro – Joe and Phil. As most readers will know, in 1979, Joe (Astros) and Phil (Braves) tied for the National League in wins – with Joe at 21-11, 3.00 while Phil finished at 21-20. 3.39.
Photos: Phil Niekro – Texas Rangers via tradingcarddb.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Joe Niekro- Houston Astros via tradingcarddb.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
My Trivia(l) Tidbit is that this “coincidence” came down to the wire – with Joe and Phil each notching their league-topping 21st victory on September 30 and there was no tomorrow … it was the final game of the season for their respective teams. For the brothers to tie for the league lead, they had to both win, both lose or both end up with a no-decision as their squad closed out the season. Fortunately, they finished in style – both winning and accomplishing this unicorn (once in MLB history) occurrence of siblings tying for the league-lead in victories.
Of course, most fans also know that the 1979 marked:
- the most recent season in which an MLB pitcher (Phil Niekro) logged both twenty wins and twenty losses; and
- the most recent season in which an MLB player (Phil) led his league in both wins and losses; and, of course,
So, there’s my Trivia(l) Tidbit. Of course, for Baseball Roundtable one things always leads to another, so here’s more on MLB’s pitching brothers who were also 20-game winners (the brothers Martinez, Perry, Niekro and Coveleski).
The Top of the List
Only two sets of pitching brothers have combined for at least 500 MLB victories. Phil and Joe Niekro with 539 wins (Phil 318, Joe 221) and Gaylord and Jim Perry (Gaylord314, Jim 215).
The Niekros
Hall of Famer Phil Niekro went 318-274, 3.35 over 24 MLB seasons (1964-87 … Braves, Yankees. Indians, Blue Jays) – 21 seasons with the Braves. He was a five-time All Star and won 20 or more games in three seasons. The knuckleballer also had two seasons of 20 or more losses. Phil led his league in wins twice, losses four times, complete games four times, innings pitched four times and strikeouts once. Phil’s dancing knuckler also helped him lead the league in walks, wild pitches and hit-by-pitch three times each. His best season was 1969, when he went 23-13, 2.56 for the Braves. Niekro also earned five Gold Gloves. He pitched in the major leagues from age 25 through age 48. He 318 wins rank 16th all-time.
Leader of the Pack
In 1979, when Phil Niekro went 21-20, he led the NL in wins (21), losses (20), starts (44); complete games (23); innings pitched (342); hits allowed (311); home runs allowed (41); walks (113); and hit-by-pitch 11.
Joe Niekro had a 22-season MLB career (1967-88 … Cubs, Padres, Tigers, Braves, Astros, Yankees, Twins). He went 221-204, 3.59. The one-time All Star won 20 or more games in two seasons. He led his league in wins once and shutouts once.
So Close
In 1979, when Joe Niekro went 21-11, 3.00, he finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting to Cubs’ reliever Bruce Sutter (6-6, 2.22, with 37 saves) – in a very close vote. Sutter had 72 voting points and ten first place votes to Niekros 66 voting points and nine first place votes.
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Anything You Can Do …
Phil and Joe Niekro and Gaylord and Jim Perry are the only pairs of brothers to record 20 or more wins in the same season as their siblings. The Niekros in 1979, the Perrys in 1970.
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The Perrys
Gaylord Perry Photo: Gaylord Jay Publishing via tradingcarddb.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In 1970, Gaylord and Jim Perry became the first (and still only) brothers to lead the American and National League in victories in the same season. Jim, with the Twins, went 24-12, 3.04, earning the AL CYA. Hall of Famer Gaylord went 23-13, 3.20 for the Giants. The pair came close to becoming the only brothers to capture the AL and NL Cy Young Awards in the same season. Jim won the AL CYA (narrowly topping the Orioles’ Jim Palmer), while Gaylord finished second to the Cardinals’ Bob Gibson in the NL voting.
That Will Look good on the Mantle
Gaylord and Jim Perry Perrys are the only brothers to both capture Cy Young Awards. Gaylord was the CYA winner in 1972 with the Indians and in 1978 with the Padres. Jim won the CYA with the Twins in 1974.
Gaylord Perry pitched in 22 MLB seasons (1962-83 … Giants, Indians, Rangers, Padres, Braves, Yankees, Mariners and Royals). He won 20 or more games in five seasons (with three different teams) and finished with a 314-265, 3.11 stat line. He was a five-time All Star and led his league in wins three times, shutouts once, complete games twice and innings pitched twice. He ranks 17th all-time in wins.
Lucky Number Seven
Gaylord Perry is one of just seven pitchers (and the first) to win the Cy Young Award in both the National and American Leagues. The others are Pedro Martinez; Randy Johnson; Roger Clemens; Roy Halladay; Max Scherzer; and Blake Snell.
Jim Perry pitched in 17 MLB seasons (1959-75 … Indians, Twins, Tigers, A’s). He won 20 or more games in two seasons. A three-time All Star, he led his league in wins twice and shutouts once. His final regular-season stat line was 215-174, 3.45.
The Martinez(es)
Pedro and Ramon Martinez went a combined 354-188.
Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez had an 18-season MLB career (1992-2009 … Dodgers, Expos, Red Sox, Mets, Phillies). He went 219-100, 2.93. The eight-time All Star had two seasons of 20 or more wins. He led the league in wins once, earned run average five times, complete games once, shutouts once and strikeouts three times. From 1997 through 2003, Pedro went 118-36, 2.20, with 1,761 strikeouts in 1,408 innings pitched. During that period, he won all three of his Cy Young Awards: 1997 (17-8, 1.90 for the Expos); 1999 (23-4, 2.07 for the Red Sox); 2000 (18-6, 1.74 for the Red Sox).
Triple Crown
Pedro Martinez won the AL pitching Triple Crown with the Red Sox in 1999, leading the AL in wins (23), ERA (2.07) and strikeouts (313).
Ramon Martinez pitched in 14 MLB seasons (1988-2001 … Dodgers, Red Sox, Pirates – eleven seasons for the Dodgers). He went 135-88, 3.67 over his career. He was an All Star just once, in 1990, when he went 20-6, 2.92 for the Dodgers (his only 20-win campaign), led the league in complete games (12) and finished second in the CYA voting.
The Coveleskis
Stan and Harry Coveleski went a combined 296-197.
Add ‘Em UP
Stan and Harry Coveleski had a combined eight seasons of 20 or more wins – the most of any pair of MLB brothers. (Odds are, if the Cy Young Award had existed during their playing days, they might – like the Perrys – be a pair of brothers with Cy Young Awards.
Photos: Stan Coveleski (left) – The Sporting News via [1], Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Harry Coveleski (right) – Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Harry Coveleski played in nine MLB seasons (1907-1910, 1914-1918 … Phillies, Reds, Tigers). He had three seasons of 20 or more wins (1914-16, all for the Tigers). In those three campaigns, he averaged 22 wins per season, with a 2.30 earned run average.
Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com.
NEXT TUESDAY: The Tale of the Two Bob Millers … and other same name major leaguers.
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