There once was a little worm who lived in a rotten apple. The worm was happy living in the rotten apple because it (we can't say "he" or "she" because worms are hermaphrodites) always had been in the rotten apple, and didn't know that there were other apples that weren't rotten. This brings us to many of today's baseball fans. They are similar to the worm in that they think pitchers who allow more hits than innings pitched and who allow about five runs a game are acceptable. Enter Josh Towers, a prime example of a minor league pitcher who is in today's major leagues.
Josh Towers is Coming Off One of the Worst Seasons of Any Pitcher
Josh pitches for the Toronto Blue Jays, a team that has won 57 games, lost 56, and has a miniscule chance of making the playoffs. Towers is 5-9, allowing 116 hits in 99 innings with a 5.36 ERA. Now, you might think that Josh is having a bad season, and you would be right, but he is not coming off a good season, which might explain why the Blue Jays are sticking with him. No, Josh is coming off one of the worst seasons any pitcher ever had. Last year, he was 2-10, allowing 93 hits in 62 innings with an 8.42 ERA. Josh Towers allowed 3 hits every two innings and gave up about 1 run for every inning he pitched.
A 3.00 ERA Was the Benchmark
It wasn't always this way. There was a time when an ERA of 3.00 was the benchmark. If a pitcher had an ERA below 3.00, he was considered to have had a good season. ERA's between 3.01 and 3.50 were good, but a little suspect, ERAs between 3.51 and 3.99 were borderline acceptable, and any pitcher with an ERA of 4.00 or more was considered to be inefficient.
The 1954 Philadelphia Athletics' Starting Pitchers
The 1954 Philadelphia Athletics were one of the worst teams in history. They had a 5.18 team ERA with a 51-103 record. Here are the records of their top five starting pitchers:
- Arnie Portocarrero 9-18, 4.06
- Alex Kellner 6-17 5.39
- Mariano Fricano 5-11 5.16
- Bob Trice 7-8 5.60
- Johnny Gray 3-12 6.51
Tampa Bay's Starters Are Worse
Not exactly Palmer, McNally, Cuellar, and Dobson. The 1954 Philadelphia Athletics had one of the worst pitching staffs of all time, but today's American League, with the designated hitter, has a 4.48 ERA. Now, it might be difficult to believe (on second thought, it really isn't), but in today's American League, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have a 5.68 team ERA. Yes, it is worse than the 1954 Athletics' team ERA. Jae Weong Seo has allowed 84 hits in 52 innings with an 8.13 ERA, J.P. Howell has given up 58 hits in 40 1/3 innings with a 7.36 ERA, and Andy Sonnanstine has allowed 88 hits in 75 innings with 6.12 ERA. These guys compare favorably with some of the Athletics' starters.
Give Their Team a Chance to Win
Today, fans want to see teams score. They want the assurance that, even if their team is down by five or six runs, their team may still come back. Starting pitchers are no longer supposed to win games. No, all they are expected to do is "give their team a chance to win." Like the worm in the rotten apple, most young fans have not known anything else. They are happy watching Arena Baseball. That's why Josh Towers, Jae Weong Seo, J.P. Howell, and Andy Sonnanstine are starting pitchers. Enjoy it.
