Felipe \u2013 Matty \u2013 Jesus … The Anti-Carlton Gene<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n If you were putting together a lineup to face off against Hall of Fame southpaw Steve Carlton, placing the\u00a0 Alou family across the outfield might be a good place to start.\u00a0 In\u00a0 135 at bats against Carlton,\u00a0 Felipe, Jesus and Matty Alou hit a combined .400 (54-for-135). Individually, Jesus hit .436, Felipe hit .421 and Matty a miserly .333.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Who’s Your Daddy \u2013 A Baseball Roundtable Series<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In this series, BBRT presents lineups of players who performed\u00a0unexpectedly\u00a0well against baseball’s top pitchers. (An explanation of the inspiration behind the Who\u2019s Your Daddy?<\/em> series can be found the end of this post.)\u00a0\u00a0As always, I would stress that the pitchers included in the Who’s Your Daddy? series are among the “best in the business.”\u00a0 They are selected not because of the players who performed well against them, but rather because success among hitters when they were on the mound was the exception rather than the rule.\u00a0 We’ve looked at pitchers from a wide range of eras – from Bob Feller to Nolan Ryan to Max Scherzer.\u00a0 As noted, in this post, we\u2019re looking at one of MLB\u2019s all-time great southpaws, Steve Carlton.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Before we get started on this edition,\u00a0 here are links to the previous editions of this series. Please note: For still active pitchers, the stats are as they stood on the date of the post.<\/p>\n Lefty (Carlton) was a craftsman, an artist. He was a perfectionist. Stroke, stroke, stroke and when he got through (<\/b>pitching<\/b><\/span> a game), it was a masterpiece.<\/b><\/p>\n Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn<\/span><\/p>\n Carlton does not pitch to the hitter, he pitches through him. The batter hardly exists for Steve. He’s playing an elevated game of catch.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Tim McCarver<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Let’s start with a\u00a0 look at Carlton\u2019s credentials. \u00a0\u00a0Carlton\u2019s Hall of Fame MLB career spanned 24 seasons (1965-88) \u2026 primarily with the Phillies (15 seasons) and Cardinals (seven seasons). He also played briefly, at the end of his career, with the Giants, White Sox and Twins. He won 329 games (11th all-time and second\u00a0 all-time among left-handers) against 244 losses.\u00a0 His 4,136 strikeouts are fourth among MLB pitchers and second among lefties. Carlton was a ten-time all Star and four-time Cy Young Award winner. He won 20 or more games in a \u00a0season six times, leading the NL in wins four times. He led the league in ERA once, complete games three times, shutouts once, innings pitched five times and strikeouts five times.<\/p>\n A Balancing Act<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Steve Carlton racked up MLB\u2019s \u00a0fourth-most career strikeouts \u00a0(4,136); and the second-most career walks (1,833). Carlton also had the most career pick-offs (144); and the most career balks (90). In addition, \u00a0he led the NL in wins in four seasons; and led in losses twice.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n _______________________________________________________<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 1972 \u2013 One for the Ages<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n In 1972, Steve Carlton delivered one of the most dominating\u00a0 seasons ever. Pitching for the last-pace Philadelphia Phillies – a team that finished with a 59-97 won-lost record \u2013 Carlton led MLB with 27 wins (ten losses) and topped MLB with 30 complete games, while also\u00a0 posting the NL\u2019s lowest earned run average (1.97) and leading the NL in strikeouts (310),\u00a0 games started (41) and \u00a0innings pitched (346 1\/3). From June 7 through August 17 of that season, Carlton started 18 games \u2013 going 15-0 (the team won 17 of those 18 starts), with a 1.51 ERA, 14 complete games and five shutouts. In games Carlton didn\u2019t start during that span, the Phillies went 9-39. Carlton\u2019s 1972 performance earned him the unanimous selection as the NL \u00a0Cy Young Award winner \u2013 and he is still the only pitcher ever to win the CYA while pitching for a last-p[lace team.<\/strong> It was indeed a season for the ages.<\/em><\/p>\n _______________________________________________________________________<\/strong><\/p>\n Now, let\u2019s look at the lineup of players who showed they could acquit themselves well against Carlton\u2019s overpowering arsenal. \u00a0A \u00a0couple of notes here.\u00a0 As I evaluated hitters (against Carlton), I looked not just at hits or average, but the productivity of those hits (RBI, extra-base hits). I also looked at such factors as plate appearances against Carlton (the bigger the sample size, the stronger the evidence), strikeouts-to-walks ratio and at what point in Carlton\u2019s career the hits were put on the board. Through his age-39 season, for example, Carlton was 313-107, with a 3.04 ERA, while in the three seasons after turning age 40, he went 16-37, 5.21. With that in mind, I adjusted the value of offensive damage done in Carlton\u2019s final three seasons.\u00a0 (Only regular-season stats are included.) As usual, I expect the choices here to be \u00a0the subject of discussion and debate, but aren\u2019t discussion and debate a great part of being a fan of the national pastime?<\/p>\n —-BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE \u201cWHO\u2019S YOUR DADDY?\u201d STEVE CARLTON LINEUP—–<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Catcher \u2026 \u00a0Johnny Bench \u2013 12 homes run and 30 RBI<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Johnny Bench hit more home runs (12) and drove in more runs (30) against Steve Carlton than any other player. Notably, those were also Bench\u2019s highest total in home runs and RBI against any pitcher over his \u00a0own career. (He also hit 12 career long balls against Don Sutton.) Bench hit .300 or better versus Carlton in nine\u00a0 of the 16 season he faced him. His best season against Carlton was 1970, when he hit .500 (6-for-12), with three home runs and seven RBI in four games.<\/p>\n Two-for-Three<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Johnny Bench hit three home runs in a game against Steve Carlton – TWICE.\u00a0 On July 26, 1970, Bench hit a three-run homer off Carlton in the first inning, a two-run shot in the second and a solo home run in the fifth – as the Reds topped Carlton and the Cardinals 12-5. On May 9, 1973, Bench touched Carlton for a two-run homer in the first inning; a three-run shot in the third; and a another two-run homer in the seventh – as the Reds defeated the Phillies 9-7.\u00a0 Bench had three three-home run games in his career.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n In \u00a0a 17-season Hall of Fame career (1967-83, Reds), Bench hit .267, with 389 home runs and 1,376 RBI. He was the 1968 NL Rookie of the Year,\u00a0 an All Star in 14 seasons, a two-time MVP and ten-time Gold Glover. He twice led the NL home runs and three times led in RBI.<\/p>\n Catcher Honorable Mentions: <\/em>Gary Carter,<\/strong> .309-11-23 in 39 games versus Carlton; with 17 walks versus seven whiffs. Cliff Johnson<\/strong>, 14 walks in 12 games versus Carlton, which turned a .250 average (six-for-24) into\u00a0 a .526 on-base percentage.<\/p>\n I Just Can’t Figure this Guy Out<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Catcher Mikey Ryan hit just .193 over his 11-season MLB career (1964-74 …. Phillies, Red Sox, Pirates), and he clearly had trouble with Steve Carlton.\u00a0 He was 0-for-26 in his career against Carlton (he did draw three walks) – the most at bats of any player with a .000 average versus Carlton. Surprisingly, Ryan did put the ball in play, fanning just four times in those 26 at bats.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n First Base \u2026 Keith Hernandez\u00a0 – 44 hits and a .321 average<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I’m Keith Hernandez<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Keith Hernandez appeared in the last episode of Seinfeld, where his key line was\u00a0 “I’m Keith Hernandez,” which later became the title of his best-selling memoir. <\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Keith Hernandez played 17 MLB seasons (1974-90 \u2026 Cardinals, Mets, Indians), hitting .296, with 162 home runs and 1,071 RBI. He was the 1979 NL MVP (Cardinals), \u00a0when he won the batting title (.344) and led the NL in doubles (48 ) and runs scored (116). He was an All Star in five seasons an 11-time Gold Glover.<\/p>\n Second Base \u2026 \u00a0Tommy Helms \u2013 23 games, 65 plate appearances, not a single strikeout<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Putting the Ball in Play<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Tommy Helms 65 plate appearances without a strikeout against Steve Carlton are the most career PA\u2019s against Carlton of any hitter who never fell victim to a Carlton \u201cK.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Tommy Helms got off to a good start against Steve Carlton, two singles and a double in his first three plate appearances against him.\u00a0 He went on to put the ball in play often (and effectively) putting up a .317 average (with one home run and seven RBI) over 23 games. Tommy Helms played in 14 MLB seasons (1964-77 \u2026 Reds, Astros, Pirates, Red Sox). He was a career .269 hitter, with 34 home runs and 477 RBI (1,435 games). He was the 1966 NL Rookie of the Year (Reds), when he hit .284-9-49 in 138 games. He was a two-time All Star and two-time Gold Glover.<\/p>\n Second Base Honorable Mentions:<\/em> Steve Sax<\/strong>, who hit .423 against Carlton in 26 at bats (an average second only to Jesus Alou among players with at least 20 career at bats against Lefty). The smaller sample size, and the fact that he had only one extra-base hit and and just three RBI, puts him behind Helms in this lineup. Davey Lopes<\/strong>, a career .263 hitter, raked at a .382 pace against Carlton in 55 at bats (.433 on-base percentage), with one home run and five RBI.<\/p>\n Third Base \u2026 Ray Knight – .356 average with 20 RBI<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Ray Knight hit Steve Carlton at a .356 clip over 30 \u00a0games. His 31 hits are the 13th<\/sup> most against Carlton and his 20 RBI rank fifth. He batted against Carlton in ten MLB seasons and hit .350 or better against the southpaw in five (.400 or better in four). He hit the second-most career triples against Carlton (3). Thirteen of his 31 hits versus Carlton went for extra buses, giving him a .632 slugging percentage, sixth-highest among players with at least 20 at bats against Carlton.<\/p>\n Oops – For the Win<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Ray Knight scored the famous (or infamous) winning run in the tenth inning of Game Six of the 1986 World Series (as the Mets edged the Red Sox 6-5). Knight, who had singled and moved to second on a wild pitch, scored as Mookie Wilson’s ground ball went between the legs of Red Sox’ 1B Bill Buckner.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Knight played 13 MLB\u00a0 seasons (1974, 1977-88 \u2026 Reds, Astros, Mets, Orioles, Tigers), primarily as a corner infielder.\u00a0 The two-time All Star hit .271-84-595 in 1,495 games. His best season was 1979, when he hit .318-10-79 for the Reds.<\/p>\n Third Base Honorable Mention:<\/em> Ken Reitz\u2019<\/strong> 36 hits were the sixth-most against Carlton, however, his .286 career average, eight extra-base this and 13 RBI all trailed Knight (who had 35 fewer at bats against Carlton than Reitz).<\/p>\n Shortstop \u2026. Tim Foli \u2013 36 hits, .295 average.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Tim Foli\u2019s 36 hits are tied for the sixth-most against Carlton, He was especially strong against Lefty in 1978, when he went 7-for-ten (.700), with one double and two RBI\u00a0 He also drew six career walks off Carlton, while only fanning seven times in 131 plate appearances.\u00a0 Foli’s 36 career hits against Carlton are the most he had against any MLB pitcher.<\/p>\n Tim Foli played 16 MLB seasons (Mets, Expos, Giants, Pirates, Angels, Yankees). He was a .251 career hitter, with 25 home runs and 501 RBI.<\/p>\n It\u2019s Been a Hard Day\u2019s Night<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The Expos’ Tim Foli is the only player to start a cycle one day and complete it the next. On April 21, 1976, Foli collected a single, double and triple in a contest against the Cubs that was suspended (pre-Wrigley lights) in the top of the seventh due to darkness. When play resumed the following day, Foli added an eighth-inning home run. (The Expos prevailed 12-6.)<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Shortstop Honorable Mentions: \u00a0<\/em>It\u2019s nice to have a surprise on this list (especially one with Minnesota Twins ties).\u00a0 Therefore, Ron Gardenhire<\/strong> gets a shout out.\u00a0 In nine games against Carlton, Gardenhire went 11-for-30 \u2013 a .367 average that ranks 14th<\/sup>\u00a0 among batters with at least 20 career at bats against Carlton. In his first four games against Carlton, Gardenhire batted \u00a0in the eight-hole, but apparently showed something.\u00a0 In his final five starts against Carlton, he batted lead off twice, second once and in the eight-spot once.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t do a lot of damage with those safeties \u2013 one home run, one RBI.\u00a0 So why is he a surprise? Gardenhire played in five MLB seasons (1981-85), all with the Mets. He hit .232-4-49 in 285 games (and swiped 13 bases) – but he apparently had Steve Carlton’s number.\u00a0 Gary Templeton<\/strong> only hit .261 against\u00a0 Steve Carlton during his career, but he made those hits count, his fourteen RBI are the 17th<\/sup> most against Carlton and his seven doubles place tenth.<\/p>\n Outfield \u2026 Henry Aaron – .343 with six home runs and 17 RBI<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Two is Company<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Henry Aaron and Eddie Mathews hit more home runs while teammates (863) than any other pair of teammates in MLB history.\u00a0 Second place?\u00a0 Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig at 859.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Aaron played 23 MLB seasons (1954-76 \u2026 Braves, Brewers) and\u00a0 hit .305, with 755 home runs, an MLB-record 2,297 RBI, 3,771 hits and 240 steals.\u00a0 He was an All Star in all but his first and final seasons, the 1957 NL MVP and a three-time Gold Glover. He led the NL in hits twice, runs three times, home runs four times, RBI four times, total bases eight times and batting average twice. There’s more, but you get the idea.\u00a0 No surprise he’s in this lineup.<\/p>\n Outfield \u2026 Rusty Staub\u00a0 32 hits, 25 RBI<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Rusty Staub hit .308 and drove in 25 runs in 34 regular-season games versus Steve Carlton. His 32 hits are 11th all-time against Carlton, while his 25 career RBI against the southpaw are second only to Johnny Bench (30). On May 30, 1972 \u2013 as Staub\u2019s Mets topped Carlton and the Phillies 7-0 in NY \u2013 Staub touched Carlton for a two-run single in the first inning; an RBI single in the third; and a RBI single in the fifth. He added a double off reliever Wayne Twitchell in the seventh to complete a four-for-four day.\u00a0 In 12 campaigns against Carlton, Staub hit .300 or better six times.<\/p>\n Staub played 23 MLB seasons (1963-85 \u2026 Mets, Astros, Expos, Tigers, Rangers), hitting .279-292-1,466. He was a six-time All Star.<\/p>\n Spreading the Hits Around<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Rusty Staub is the only MLB player to collect at least 500 hits for four different teams:\u00a0 Astros (792 hits); Mets (709); Tigers (582); and Expos (531). He had 2,716 total MLB safeties.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Outfield \u2013Tie:\u00a0 \u00a0Lee Lacy (.373 average, 32 hits) and Ellis Valentine (.404 average. .702 slugging percentage).![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Stevie.jpg\")
<\/a>In this post, the 14th<\/sup> in the Baseball Roundtable \u201cWho\u2019s Your Daddy?\u201d<\/strong><\/em> series, we\u2019ll look at a Baseball Roundtable-selected\u00a0 lineup that performed exceptionally well against Steve Carlton over their careers. You might be surprise to find that none of the Alou brothers made the starting nine and Ron Gardenhire came close.\u00a0 More on that later, but first a look at what \u201cWho\u2019s Your Daddy?\u201d is all about.<\/p>\n\n
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<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>No one collected more career hits against Steve Carlton than Keith Hernandez\u2019 44 safeties (.321 average). Hernandez also collected more hits off Carlton than he did against any other pitcher. Hernandez\u2019 11 doubles were also the most two-baggers hit off Carlton by any batter. Earlier, \u00a0I noted that Carlton\u2019s ERA was 3.04 before his fortieth birthday and \u00a05.21 in the three seasons he played after turning forty. I found in interesting that Hernandez did his damage before Carlton reached forty. Hernandez hit .352-2-11 against Carlton before his age-40 season and was just 1-for-15 after.\u00a0 In 1980 \u2013 when Carlton won his third Cy Young Award –\u00a0 Hernandez hit him at a .368 pace (7-for-19) and a .500 on-base percentage (five walks\/two whiffs). Still, little damage was done (he did not have an RBI versus\u00a0 Carlton that season).<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Henry Aaron\u2019s six home runs are the sixth-most against Carlton, while his 17 RBI are 11th, Add in a .343 average and the fact that he did that damage in just 73 at bats and Aaron leads this outfield.\u00a0 (Aaron had the fewest at bats against Carlton of any player with at least 15 RBI against him.) In 1971, Aaron had ten at bats in three games against Carlton and hit .500, with three home runs and 10 RBI.\u00a0 In 1972, Carlton\u2019s sparking CYA season, Aaron again batted .500 against him (7-for-14).<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n