DEDICATED ROOKIE: 1975 DENNIS LEONARD

Today on the blog, we have a 1975 "dedicated rookie" for Kansas City Royals ace Dennis Leonard, who made his Big League debut in 1974:

Leonard appeared in five games for K.C. that season, four of those starts, going 0-4 with a bloated 5.32 earned run average over 22 innings of work.

Lucky for the Royals however, this was going to change in a big way, as Leonard would become their anchor on the mound, posting three 20-win seasons as they ascended to become a powerhouse later in the decade.

The man was a stud between 1975 and 1981, finishing near the top of the A.L. for wins each year while taking the mound every fourth or fifth day without fail, logging a boatload of innings, even leading the league in the strike-shortened 1981 season with 201.2 over his 26 starts.

Sadly arm injuries kicked in during the 1982 season, something he’d never recover from, missing the 1984 season and retiring soon after in 1986.

Over 12 seasons in the Majors, Leonard would finish with 144 wins and a 3.70 ERA over 312 appearances, with 23 shutouts and 1323 strikeouts, tossing 2187 innings which included two seasons of 290+ (1977/1978).

 

EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: 1979 A.L. STRIKEOUTS

Good day everyone!

On the blog today, as we near the end of this long-running thread of "expanded league leaders", we get the the top three American league strikeout pitchers of 1978, displayed on a 1979 expanded leader card:

Of course, if we're talking strikeouts in the American League during the 1970s we're most likely talking about all-time great Nolan Ryan, who prevented the New York Yankees Ron Guidry from a pitching triple crown by striking out 260 batters to Guidry's 248.

For Ryan, it was his sixth strikeout title in seven years, incredibly with another five to come, four of those during the late-80's/early-90's!

The man was not human, as he would go on to whiff 5714 batters over 27 seasons, with 15 seasons of 200+ K's under his belt. Just bonkers.

In second place with the aforementioned 248 K's, the Yankees Ron Guidry, who had a season for the ages in 1978, winning 25 games (against only 3 losses), with nine shutouts and a microscopic 1.74 earned run average.

Not only did he take home the Cy Young that year, but finished second behind Hall of Famer Jim Rice for the league MVP Award, which some may argue he should have won anyway.

In third place with 183 strikeouts, Kansas City Royals ace Dennis Leonard, who put in another great year for the American League West champs.

Leonard posted a career best 21 wins that season, completing half of his 40 starts while posting 294.2 innings of work, tossing four shutouts and posting an ERA of 3.33.

Three aces of the era led by one of the all-time greats in Nolan Ryan. Not too shabby!

EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: 1979 A.L. VICTORIES

On the blog today, we move on to the American League’s top winning pitchers for 1978 on an “expanded league leader” card, showcasing the top three players in each statistical category instead of the two top league leaders as Topps issued for a few years during the decade:

Of course, we begin with Mister “All-World” as far as pitchers go for 1978, the New York Yankees Ron Guidry, who put in an all-time year on the mound, leading Major League ball with his 25 wins.

Guidry was unstoppable that season, cruising to an incredible 25-3 record, helping the Yankees win their second straight championship while setting a new MLB record .893 winning percentage for 20+ win seasons, which still stands today.

Along with his 25 wins, “Louisiana Lightning” led the league with his nine shutouts and 1.74 earned run average, while finishing second with 248 K’s, a new Yankee record that stood until last season when Gerrit Cole topped the mark.

Of course, all of this led to Guidry taking home the league’s Cy Young Award, while finishing second in the MVP race to Jim Rice, who put in an equally superb year from the offensive side of the game.

In second place with 22 wins is a guy who happened to have his best MLB season at the wrong time, as he would have easily taken home the Cy any other year, Mike Caldwell of the Milwaukee Brewers, who went 22-9 with a brilliant 2.36 ERA and six shutouts, completing 23 of his 34 starts.

A solid starter between 1978 and 1983, the man had it all working in his first full year with the Brewers, tossing 293.1 innings and even picking up a save over his 37 appearances.

Originally somewhat of a journeyman pitcher in the National league between 1971 and 1977, he found his home in Milwaukee, playing the last eight years of his 14-year career there, even leading them to a World Series appearance in 1982 as well as a playoff in the strike-shortened 1981 campaign.

Tied for third with 21 wins apiece, Kansas City Royals pitcher Dennis Leonard and Baltimore Orioles legend Jim Palmer, who each put in solid years for their respective teams.

For Leonard, it was his second straight 20-win season for the A.L. West juggernaut Royals, posting a record of 21-17 over 40 starts, with an ERA of 3.33 over 294.2 innings of work, with 20 complete games and four shutouts.

After a 14-win season in 1979 he’d be back in the 20-win circle again in 1980, going 20-11, making it three times in four years the ace reached the elite level, as well as a 13-win season in 1981, just one off the league lead because of the strike.

For Palmer, it was “business as usual” for the Orioles Hall of Famer, posting his eighth 20-win season in nine years with a wonderful 2.46 ERA and six shutouts over 38 starts, just missing the 300-inning mark with 296, which broke his string of three such seasons between 1975 and 1977.

The man was top-three as far as pitchers are concerned for the 1970’s, in my book only behind Tom Seaver, but with Steve Carlton elbowing his way in the conversation.

A great group of hurlers here!

 

EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: 1978 A.L. STRIKEOUTS

Up on the blog today, we have a 1978 “expanded league leader” card that features the top three strikeout pitchers in the American League for 1977:

 

Of course we begin with the king, California Angels pitcher Nolan Ryan, who led the A.L. with his 341 strikeouts, almost ONE HUNDRED more than the runner-up!

It was the fifth time in six years Ryan reached the 300-strikeout plateau, something he would do one more time TWELVE years later when he’d K 301 with the Texas Rangers at the age of 42 in 1989. Just mind-boggling!

He would top 200+ strikeouts 15 seasons over his incredible Major League career, finishing with 5714 and atop the all-time list, something we may never see matched or broken.

In second place with 244 strikeouts, former Kansas City ace Dennis Leonard, who reached the 200-K mark for what would be the only time in his career.

Leonard also won 20 games that year, his first of three such campaigns for the perennial A.L. West powerhouse Royals of the late-70’s/early-80’s, while posting innings totals that would destroy a pitcher of today, with a high of 294.2 in 1978, which followed a 1977 season of 292.2.

Sadly arm troubles cut his career short by 1982, and he was out of baseball by 1986 after only 45 appearances the final three years of his Big League tenure.

In third place with 205 strikeouts, Nolan Ryan’s teammate Frank Tanana, who was still a fire-balling pitcher before he’d change his game to becoming a true “pitcher” after arm issues set in.

For Tanana, it was his third straight 200-strikeout campaign, leading the league with his 269 K’s in 1975 before a follow-up season of 261 in 1976.

What a one-two pitching punch Ryan and Tanana were for the Angels back then! Must have been something to witness.

There you have it! The top three power-pitchers of the American League in 1977, on an “expanded” league-leader card for 1978.

 

EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: 1978 A.L. VICTORIES

On the blog today, we move on to the American League and their top three winning pitchers for 1977, displayed on an “expanded” 1978 league leader card:

 

This card is unique that all three pitchers shown were tied for the league lead with 20 wins, beginning with the Minnesota Twins Dave Goltz.

The Twins’ ace had a career year in 1977, posting a record of 20-11 over 39 starts, with 19 complete games and a couple of shutouts, striking out 186 over 303 innings.

Goltz had a nice run between 1974 and 1979, posting double-digit wins, with the 20 in 1977 his career-best, as were his strikeout totals and games started.

Sadly, after a 1979 season when he went 14-13, he moved on to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and suffered career-derailing injuries that pretty much ended his career by 1983, still only 34 years of age.

Tied with his 20 wins in 1977, Kansas City Royals ace Dennis Leonard, who had a very nice season for the A.L. West champs, posting the first of what would be his three 20-win seasons over his career, which was also curtailed by injuries by the mid-80s.

Leonard went 20-12 for the Royals in 1977, completing 21 of his 37 starts while tossing five shutouts over 292.2 innings of work.

The man was a stud between 1975 and 1981, finishing near the top of the A.L. for wins each year while taking the mound every fourth or fifth day without fail, logging a boatload of innings, even leading the league in the strike-shortened 1981 season with 201.2 over his 26 starts.

Sadly arm injuries kicked in during the 1982 season, something he’d never recover from, missing the 1984 season and retiring soon after in 1986.

The third and final pitcher to tie for the league-lead with his 20 wins, all-time great Jim Palmer of the Baltimore Orioles, who posted yet another “Palmer-esque” year.

The man was indeed a win-machine, posting his seventh (of eight!) 20-win seasons in 1977, completing a league-leading 22 of his 39 starts and posting 319 innings of work, also tops in the A.L. that year.

Those numbers were good enough for a second place finish in the Cy Young race that year, getting beaten out by reliever Sparky Lyle of the New York Yankees.

If not for the Yankee reliever’s great season, Palmer would have been the first pitcher in Major League history with four Cy Young Awards instead of Philadelphia Phillies great Steve Carlton some five years later.

It was the third year in a row Palmer led the league in wins, on his way to 268 total over his 19-year career that also included 53 shutouts and a brilliant 2.86 ERA.

Well there you have it!

Onto the top National League strikeout men of 1977 next week!