Suffering from stomach cancer former Orioles pitcher Mike Cuellar passed away yesterday in Florida. Cuellar was famous for being in one of the greatest rotations that has ever been.
In 1971, on their way to another World Series, Cuellar joined Pat Dobson, Dave McNally and Jim Palmer in a rotation that saw each of them win 20 games. A four-man rotation all 20-game winners. That is something we are not likely to see ever again without drastic changes to the dynamics of today’s game.
Just to put that feat in perspective:
- Only three other teams in the since that Orioles rotation have seen multiple 20-game winners, only one team has done it since 1980.
- Above that, no team has had more than two 20-game winners.
- Last year there were no 20-game winners in MLB. In 2001 there were seven 20-game winners in MLB
Today being a 20-game winner means you get a fat bonus and a Cy Young Award. When Mike played it was much more par-for-the-course. In 1971 Cuellar won 20 games but he did not receive a vote for the Cy Young Award that year. He won his only Cy Young in 1969 when he pitched to 23 wins, a 2.38 ERA and just over 290 IP.
The game just isn’t played that way anymore. Of the last four AL Cy Young winners only one was a 20-game winner and only one pitched more than 230 innings.
Mike Cuellar was an Oriole great, and now only Jim Palmer remains as a connection to a period of baseball history when the Baltimore Orioles were truly the dominant power in the game.
Mike Cuellar 1937-2010
