Hall of Famer James Francis “Pud” Galvin racked up a total of ten (consecutive) seasons with 20 or more losses (1879-1888) during his 15-season MLB career. However, it was a different game back then. In nine of those seasons, Galvin also won 20 or more games and in eight of them he actually won more games than he lost. In 1884, Galvin, pitching for the National League Buffalo Bisons, won 24 games more than he lost – going 46-22, 1.99 in 72 starts (71 complete games and a league-topping 12 shutouts.) In games the stocky 5’8”, 190-pound righty didn’t start on the mound that season, Buffalo went 18-25.
During his ten-year streak of 20-loss seasons, Galvin went 301-253, with a 2.71 ERA and 535 complete games (50 shutouts) in 562 starts. Galvin is said to have featured great control of an excellent fastball; a serviceable off-speed pitch; a deceptive pick-off move; and exceptional fielding skills. Galvin finished his career with 365 wins (fifth all time), versus 310 losses (second all time), with a 2.85 earned run average. He ranks in MLB’s top ten in innings pitched (6,003 2/3 – second); games started (666 – tenth); and complete games (646 – second).
In MLB history, there have been a total of 499 seasons of 20 or more losses, accomplished (if that is the right word) by 231 different pitchers. Notably, 291 of those 499 seasons (58.3 percent) occurred before 1900 and since (and including) 1980, there have been only two 20-loss campaigns (A’s Brian Kingman, 1980 and Tigers’ Mike Maroth, 2003).
Here are a few more bits of 20-loss trivia.
- The 1884 season saw the most 20-loss campaigns, as 25 pitchers reached or exceeded twenty defeats. (The 1884 season featured 33 “major league” teams … National League, Union Association and American Association.)
- The most wins in a 20-loss season belong to Hall of Famer Guy Hecker, who went 52-20, 1.80 for the 1884 Louisville Eclipse of the American Association. (The Eclipse went 68-40 that season.) Hecker led the league in wins, earned run average, games (73), starts (73), complete games (72), innings pitched (670 2/3) and strikeouts (385). Hecker finished his nine-season MLB career at 175-46, 2.93, with a .282 batting average (he pitched in 336 games, played first base in 322 and outfield in 75).
On the Mound and at the Plate
Guy Hecker won the American Association ERA title in 1884 (1.80) and the league’s batting title in 1886 (.341).
- The fewest wins in a season with 20 or more losses is one, shared by: John Cassidy (1-21, 3.03 for the Brooklyn Atlantics (National Association) in 1875; and Jack Nabors (1-20, 3.47 for the American League Philadelphia Athletics in 1916). Cassidy pitched in 30 games as a rookie in 1875 and only took the mound twice more in his 11-season MLB career (1875-1885). He hit .246, primarily as an outfielder. Nabors pitched in just three MLB seasons, with 40 of his 52 appearance in 1916.
- In 107 of MLB’s 499 20-loss seasons, the pitcher put up a winning percentage of .500 or better, with Guy Hecker’s .722 (52-20) being the highest ever.
Baseball Roundtable’s 20-20 Guy
Since 1900, only one pitcher has TWICE put up a season of twenty losses immediately after a season of twenty wins. That would be the White Sox’ Wilbur Wood, who accomplished the feat between 1972 and 1975.
Wood – a southpaw knuckleball pitcher – started his MLB career primarily as a reliever, just 21 starts in 365 appearances between 1961 and 1970. He was converted to a starter by the White Sox in 1971 and won 20 or more games in each of the next four season. He played in 17 MLB seasons, going 164-156, 3.13, with 57 saves. He made a total of 651 appearances (297 starts). Wood was a three-time All Star and led his league in wins twice (losses once), games pitched three times, games started four times, and innings pitched twice.
Side note: Wood was primarily a fastball-curve pitcher in his early years (going 24-2 as a high-schooler and showing some success in the minor leagues (in 1962, he was 15-11, 2.84 at Single-A); but his stuff didn’t play at the major-league level. That is, not until 1966, when Hall of Fame knuckler Hoyt Wilhelm began working with him on a knuckleball that Wood occasionally used as a trick pitch.
- The most recent 20-loss season was “achieved” by the Tigers’ Mike Maroth, who went 9-21, 5.73 in 2003. Maroth, a 6’, 180-lb. southpaw, went 50-67, 5.05 in six MLB seasons. Of note is the fact that Maroth was actually the Tigers’ Opening Day starter (a 3-1 loss to the Twins in Detroit) and his nine wins led the Detroit ball club (no other pitcher won more than six games for the Tigers, who finished 43-119 and 47 games off the pace.)
- Pitchers have reached 20 ore more wins AND 20 or more losses in the same seasons 52 times.
Both Ends Now
The most recent pitcher to notch 20 or more wins AND 20 or more losses in the same season IS Braves’ Hall of Famer knuckleball specialist Phil Niekro, who went 21-20 in 1979, leading the NL in both wins and losses. (He tied his brother Joe in the wins category). Niekro, notably, led the NL in losses for four straight seasons (1977-80). Niekro pitched in 24 MLB seasons (1964-87), going 318-274, 3.35. He was a four-time All Star and led his league in wins twice, winning percentage once, earned run average once, complete games four times and innings pitched four times. He also earned five Gold Gloves.
- The most 20-loss seasons by a pitcher since 1900 is three – ten pitches share that mark.
- The lowest ERA for a pitcher with 20 or more losses in a season is 1.27, by the White Sox’ Ed Walsh in 1910 (18 wins and 20 losses). The league ERA was 2.52 that season.
- The highest earned run average for a pitcher in a 20-loss season is 6.43 for Les German (2-20 for the 1891 Giants and Senators). The league ERA was 4.36.
Leading the League … In A Way
Only three players have led their league in losses four times in a career, Phil Niekro, Bobo Newsom and Pedro Ramos. Ramos and Niekro accomplished the dubious feat in consecutive seasons: Ramos… 1958-61; and Niekro … 1977-80.
- The name game. Some pitchers (whose names stuck out for me) with 20-loss seasons under their belts: Steve Carlton; Walter Johnson; Jerry Koosman; Mickey Lolich; Don Larsen; Rube Marquard; Joe McGinnity; Denny McLain; Old Hoss Radbourn; Eppa Rixey; Robin Roberts; Red Ruffing; Amos Rusie; Mel Stottlemyre; Luis Tiant; Cy Young.
- Nicknames. Ah, those were the days. Here are some 20-game losers with nicknames that grabbed me (these are nicknames bestowed upon them by their peers, not selected on their own – as we now see on Players’ Weekend): Ice Box Chamberlain; Egyptian Healy; Phenomenal Smith; Tricky Nichols; The Only Nolan; Brickyard Kennedy; Bullet Joe Bush; Boom-Boom Beck; Pretzels Getzien; Cherokee Fisher; Pink Hawley; Sad Sam Jones; Bobo Newsom.
To wrap this up, let’s look at pitchers, since 1900, who have either followed up a 20-win season with 20 losses in the next campaign, or followed a 20-loss season immediately with a 20-win season.
Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com.
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