Glavine’s Place in History

The Baseball Crank examines Tom Glavine’s march toward 300 victories in the context of those who have gone before him. I didn’t realize that only four left-handed pitchers in the history of MLB have reached that hallowed mark.

The Crank digs deep, back into the 19th century, and finds that early southpaws weren’t particularly effective. He cites the creation of the American Association in 1882 as the first breakthrough for lefties, noting that “startup leagues are often quicker to process innovation.” The second key point came two years later, when pitchers began throwing overhand.

Fascinatingly, in 1919, there were eight right-handers with 300 career wins and only one left-hander (Eddie Plank). In fact, Plank was the only lefty in history with even 200 wins to that point.

It’s interesting, to me, to see how various trends evolve over time. The Crank’s piece on the place of left-handed pitchers in the history of baseball makes for a thought-provoking read…