Amid the hubbub of Roger Clemens returning to the Houston Astros last week was a remark on ESPN by Harold Reynolds that the Rocket now had a chance to break the “modern” record for pitching victories of 363 held by Warren Spahn.
Spahnie’s win total is correct and he is the all-time leader for victories by a left-hander. But “modern” record?
Pardon me, Harold, but what book did you find that in?
Most baseball historians will tell you the so-called “modern” era began with the advent of the American League in 1901. Using that criteria, Walter Johnson’s win total of 417 makes him No. 1, a good 54 ahead of Spahn. Clemens has 341 career victories at the moment, 22 short of Spahn and 76 behind the Big Train. I’d rate Roger’s chances of catching Walter as extremely slim.
To be on the safe side, I called Tim Wiles, Director of Research at the National Baseball Hallof Fame Library in Cooperstown. He pretty much agrees with me.
“I personally have never heard anyone distinguish modern and ancient records for total career wins,” Wiles said. “I think some are aware that no one will win 500 games again [Cy Young, 511] or 59 in a season [Old Hoss Radbourn, 1884], or start every other day, but I have never once — in a lifetime of baseball experience — heard a statement like that.”
Wiles feels if there was a “modern” record, he’d award it to Johnson. His research associate in Cooperstown, Gabriel Schecter, is of the same opinion.
“I’ve heard of two ways to mark the start of the “modern” era — the arrival of the American League in 1901, or with moving the pitcher’s mound back from 50 feet to 60 feet, 6 inches,” Schecter said. “In either case that leaves Cy Young out and makes Johnson the record holder.”
Thank you.
I tend to think Reynolds was thinking in terms of post-World War II baseball, from 1946 through baseball’s integration to the present time. In that circumstance, Spahn is indeed the record holder. He actually began his career with the Braves in 1942 but didn’t win a game until returning from the service in 1946.
The main point, however, is there is currently no specific post-war or post-integration category in the record book. When someone of Harold Reynolds’ stature — which is considerable insofar as pure baseball credibility goes — starts talking about a new record, viewers tend to think he knows exactly what he’s talking about.
Walter Johnson won 417 games in the major leagues, all for Washington. In fact, when he retired, his win total was listed as 414. It was only years after he had passed away that researchers did a recount and found the other three. He spent 21 years in the major leagues and his team had a sub-.500 record in 11 of them.
Roger Clemens may be the closest thing we have to Johnson these days.But there’s nothing he can do to supplant the Big Train as the greatest pitcher ever.
Phil Wood has covered sports in the Washington-Baltimore market for more than 30 years.
