Actual Pitch Log for Koufax, game-by-game (June 20, 2003)
205, 193, 175. Those were how many pitches Koufax threw in Sept 61, May 60, and May 60 again.
From 1957 to 1964, he threw at least 150 pitches 16 times, or twice a year.
--posted by TangoTiger at 10:47 AM EDT
Posted 11:03 a.m.,
June 20, 2003
(#1) -
Rally Monkey
Thanks, Tango!
Posted 12:36 p.m.,
June 20, 2003
(#2) -
Rally Monkey
He also had quite a few starts with very low pitch totals, many under 30. I wonder if he was hurt in some of those starts, just got hammered, or possibly just fell behind a few runs and was pinch hit for.
Today, if your pitcher was losing 3-0 in the second inning but not hurt or struggling, you leave him in there and hope he can keep you in the game. In the past, I think managers would have been more likely to use a pinch hitter.
Posted 1:21 p.m.,
June 20, 2003
(#3) -
tangotiger
(homepage)
Keith Woolner passed on the above link to me, which I rememeber reading, but I quickly forgot. Some excellent stuff in there, specifically about how the avg pitches / start was the same between the Old Dodgers, and our current pitchers, but that the distribution was much different, with starters being pulled out much much faster than today (and as well kept going longer and longer in other outings). Seems like managers have all agreed in the last 60 years that 100-120 pitches is what your top starter should average per start, but have not agreed on how that distribution should be reached.
Posted 7:04 p.m.,
June 22, 2003
(#4) -
Rej
Excellent stuff Tango!
When you had the averages the other day, I meant to ask if you were going to do this, or at least give us the standard error on the average to see how evenly distributed the average really is.
Very cool.
Posted 2:27 p.m.,
June 24, 2003
(#5) -
tjmds
Thanks, Tango.
I'm surprised to see that Koufax continued posting high counts throughout his career, even after vastly improving his BB rates between '61-'63. The greater number of complete games was probably part of that, but I'd still have expected to see fewer 150-pitch games.
Posted 2:41 p.m.,
June 24, 2003
(#6) -
tangotiger
Well, if you maintain your pitch count level and improve your BB rates, then you'll get to face more batters (which is what happens here). On top of which, he got better, meaning he got more outs/batter, and increased his chances for a CG.
I'm still shocked his overall average is essentially what a 1990s starter would get.