Greg Maddux Gets His 300th Win August 7, 2004

On this day in Baseball History August 7, 2004, Greg Maddux of the Chicago Cubs becomes the 22nd player to reach the 300-win plateau with a 8-4 victory against the San Francisco Giants at SBC Park. Though it wasn't a Maddux-like performance, he still was able to win by giving up four runs, seven hits and three walks over five-plus innings while striking out three.

Here is the list of the other 21 300-game winners at the time Ryan joined the club (in the order in which they reached the plateau):

1. 1888 Pud Calvin
2. 1890 Tim Keefe
3. 1890 Mickey Welch
4. 1891 Charles Radbourne
5. 1892 John Clarkson
6. 1900 Kid Nichols
7. 1901 Cy Young
8. 1912 Christy Mathewson
9. 1915 Ed Plank
10. 1920 Walter Johnson
11. 1924 Grover Alexander
12. 1941 Lefty Grove
13. 1961 Warren Spahn
14. 1963 Early Wynne
15. 1982 Gaylord Perry
16. 1983 Steve Carlton
17. 1985 Tom Seaver
18. 1985 Phil Niekro
19. 1986 Don Sutton
20. 1990 Nolan Ryan
21. 2003 Roger Clemens

Maddux would go on to win a total of 355 games which places him at number eight on the all-time wins list. Here are the other seven pitchers that are ahead of Maddux on this list:

1. Cy Young 511 wins RHP
2. Walter Johnson 417 wins RHP
3. Pete Alexander 373 wins RHP
4. Christy Mathewson 373 wins RHP
5. Pud Galvin 365 wins RHP
6. Warren Spahn 363 wins LHP
7. Kid Nichols 361 wins RHP
8. Greg Maddux 355 wins RHP

Maddux won four consecutive National League Cy Young Awards (1992-1995), placed in the top five of NL Cy Young Voting nine times. He would make seven All-Star appearances and win a staggering eighteen Gold Gloves.

Maddux would retire in 2008 after 23-seasons and was inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer after having received 97.2% of the vote (555/571 ballots).

Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, Greg Maddux and Joe Torre

The Professor was one of the best we've ever seen play the game, doing so not through power and sheer force but through finesse and calculated pitching. Thanks for the memories.

Until Then Keep Playing Ball,
Baseball Sisco
#baseballsisco
#baseballsiscokidstyle

For Further Reading:
- Click Here to access Greg Maddux's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here to access the boxscore for Greg Maddux's 300th win on August 7, 2004 from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here to access the article Maddux welcomed into the 300 club by Carrie Muskat from MLB.com dated August 7, 2004

Tom Seaver Wins His 300th Game

On this day in Baseball History August 4, 1985, Tom Seaver of the Chicago White Sox wins his 300th game by throwing a complete game against the New York Yankees in front of 54,032 fans at Old Yankees Stadium. Stealing the thunder from Phil Rizzuto on Phil Rizzuto Day at the stadium, Seaver allowed only 6 hits and one walk, while striking out 7 ending the game by getting Don Baylor to fly-out.

Seaver became just the 17th pitcher to ever reach the 300-win plateau. Here is the list of the other 16 300-game winners at the time Seaver joined the club (in the order in which they reached the plateau):

1. 1888 Pud Calvin
2. 1890 Tim Keefe
3. 1890 Mickey Welch
4. 1891 Charles Radbourne
5. 1892 John Clarkson
6. 1900 Kid Nichols
7. 1901 Cy Young
8. 1912 Christy Mathewson
9. 1915 Ed Plank
10. 1920 Walter Johnson
11. 1924 Grover Alexander
12. 1941 Lefty Grove
13. 1961 Warren Spahn
14. 1963 Early Wynne
15. 1982 Gaylord Perry
16. 1983 Steve Carlton

Here is footage of Tom Seaver retiring Don Baylor for the final out in his 300th win:

Seaver would go on to finish his career with the Boston Red Sox in 1986 compiling a 311-205 career record with a 2.86 ERA in 20-seasons. Seaver was the 1967 National League Rookie of the Year Award a 12-times All-Star with 2 National League Cy Young Awards (1969/1973) and 5-top ten MVP votes.

Seaver would be inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA as Player in 1992 by a whopping 98.84% of the vote (425/430 ballots). Seaver holds the distinction of being the player to be inducted by the highest voting percentage in the baseball Hall of Fame history

While special that he won his 300th in New York City, it would have been even more so had it happened in Flushing while Seaver was wearing the Mets' pinstripes. Tom Seaver was truly terrific.

Until Then Keep Playing Ball,
Baseball Sisco
#baseballsisco
#baseballsiscokidstyle

For Further Reading:
- Click Here for Tom Seaver's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here to access the boxscore for Tom Seaver's 300th win on August 4, 1985 from Baseball Reference.com

Nolan Ryan Wins His 300th Game July 31, 1990

On this day in Baseball History July 31, 1990: Nolan Ryan earned the 300th win of his career as the Rangers defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 11-3 in front of 51,533 supporting fans at Milwaukee County Stadium. Ryan pitched 7.2 innings, striking out 8, walking 2 and giving up 6 hits. He was pulled after 146 pitches. Amazing. This made Ryan just the 20th player in history to reach the 300th win plateau.

Here is the list of the other 19 300-game winners at the time Ryan joined the club (in the order in which they reached the plateau):

1. 1888 Pud Calvin
2. 1890 Tim Keefe
3. 1890 Mickey Welch
4. 1891 Charles Radbourne
5. 1892 John Clarkson
6. 1900 Kid Nichols
7. 1901 Cy Young
8. 1912 Christy Mathewson
9. 1915 Ed Plank
10. 1920 Walter Johnson
11. 1924 Grover Alexander
12. 1941 Lefty Grove
13. 1961 Warren Spahn
14. 1963 Early Wynne
15. 1982 Gaylord Perry
16. 1983 Steve Carlton
17. 1985 Tom Seaver
18. 1985 Phil Niekro
19. 1986 Don Sutton

Here is some footage of Ryan winning his 300th game:

On a side note, does anyone out there remember The National Sports Daily aka The National? I remember the fanfare when Editor-in-Chief Frank Deford started publishing this sports newspaper. It just didn't last.

Until Then Keep Playing Ball,
Baseball Sisco
#baseballsisco
#baseballsiscokidstyle


For Further Reading:
- Click here for the box score for Nolan Ryan's 300th win against the Milwaukee Brewers July 31, 1990 from Baseball Reference.com

Who Is The Only 300 Game Winner To Play With Sandy Koufax

I just finished reading Jane Leavy's Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy (P.S) and I have to say that Koufax is an amazing person aside from being one of the best pitchers in the history of the game. I have a bunch of posts that I want to write based on situations that Ms. Leavy writes in her book and I want to start of with a bit of a surprising question. Who is the only 300 game winner to play with Sandy Koufax?

Though I know the answer from having read the book, I decided to look at the teams that Koufax played with in his short but illustrious career. Koufax played from 1955-1966 for both the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. Looking at some of the amazing pitchers he played with: Don Drysdale, Don Newcombe, Carl Erskine, Johnny Podres, Roger Craig, Ralph Branca, Sal Maglie and Claude Osteen, I had a hard time finding another pitcher that would become an eventual 300-game winner. I confirmed what the book had said when I searched the roster for the 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers team and saw the name of a 21-year old rookie by the name of Don Sutton.

Sutton compiled a 324-256 career record in 23 seasons with the Dodgers, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland A's and California Angels. In the only season that he played along side Koufax, Sutton went 12-12 with a 2.99 ERA in 37 games (35 starts). He struck out 209 batters while walking 52 and giving up 192 hits in 225.2 innings pitched for a WHIP of 1.081.

In what context did I find that Sutton was the only 300-game winner that played with Koufax? Allow me to let Ms. Leavy tell you as she did in her book:

In 1998, when the Dodgers retired Sutton’s uniform number, an invitation to the festivities never reached Koufax. O’Malley assumed Koufax knew he was invited based on an earlier conversation and did not want a form letter to be sent to him. So Koufax paid his own way, showing up at the stadium unexpected. There was no mention of him in the pre-written script. After the ceremony, Sutton told Koufax how much it meant that he had come. “How could I not?” Koufax replied. “You’re the only three-hundred-game winner I ever played with.” Leavy, Jane (2009-10-13). Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy (P.S.) . HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

There you have it. Don Sutton is the only eventual 300-game winner to play with fellow Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax. I'll have more on Koufax in the days to come.

Sisco Kid

For Further Reading:
- Click Here to access Sandy Koufax's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here to access Don Sutton's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com