Glavine’s Place in History
May 16, 2007 by Geoff Young
Filed under Feats and Accomplishments, History, Personalities
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 …read more
