An Enquirer Article That Reminds Me

That it was 1977 when Seaver had such a low ERA for the Reds. Mom was alive. I was with the boutique law firm of Steer, Strauss, White & Tobias, doing utility law for large steel companies and Ohio municipalities.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080518/SPT04/805180428/1071/CINCI

Genny was nine; Becca was seven. Sissy was 36; Me: 38.


Volquez on historic run
Adjusted ERA pace would be best in history
BY RICHARD SKINNER ENQUIRER


Edinson Volquez is off to a start that has him on pace for an unprecedented season for not only a Reds starting pitcher, but as the greatest by any starting pitcher in major league baseball history.
While his projected 24 wins (based on the six wins he has heading into today's start against the Cleveland Indians) will fall well short of even Denny McLain's modern record of 31 set in 1969, his projected ERA of 1.12 would match the modern record set by Bob Gibson in 1968 and he would shatter the single-season record in a little-known but important category: Adjusted ERA (also known as ERA+).
The Web site baseball-reference.com defines Adjusted ERA as a pitcher's earned-run average that also takes into account the affects of the ballparks he pitches in and how his ERA rates in accordance to the league average (a good measuring stick because it takes into account what are considered pitchers' years, like 1968, and hitters' years). An Adjusted ERA of 100 is considered average (the higher the number the better), and according to baseball-reference.com only 503 times have pitchers posted an Adjusted ERA of 149 or higher, many that occurred prior to 1930.
The all-time Adjusted ERA record is 294 set by Tim Keefe in 1880, while the modern record is 291 set by Pedro Martinez in 2000, thanks in large part to his ERA being a staggering 3.33 less per game than that season's league average. Only 35 times in history has a pitcher finished over 200.
Through eight starts this season, Volquez's Adjusted ERA is a staggering 397 thanks in large part to his ERA being a little over three runs better than the league average of 4.44 (it should be noted that today's Indians starter, Cliff Lee, who is 6-0 with a 0.67 ERA this season, has an Adjusted ERA of 620). For comparison sake, Arizona Diamondbacks ace Brandon Webb, who is 9-0 this season with a 2.56 ERA, has an Adjusted ERA of just 175.
TOP-10 ALL-TIME (SINCE 1930)
PLAYER, TEAM
YEAR
W
L
ERA
LEAGUE ERA
ADJUSTED ERA
10. Kevin Brown, Florida Marlins
1996
17
11
1.89
4.10
216
9. Pedro Martinez, Montreal Expos
1997
17
8
1.90
4.17
219
8. Roger Clemens, Toronto Blue Jays
1997
21
7
2.05
4.53
221
7. Roger Clemens, Houston Astros
2005
13
8
1.87
4.23
226
6. Dwight Gooden, New York Mets
1985
24
4
1.53
3.49
228
5. Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox
1999
23
4
2.07
5.02
243
4. Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals
1968
22
9
1.12
2.90
258
3. Greg Maddux, Atlanta Braves
1995
19
2
1.63
4.27
262
2. Greg Maddux, Atlanta Braves
1994
16
6
1.56
4.22
271
1. Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox
2000
18
6
1.74
5.07
291
Edinson Volquez
2008
6
1
1.12
4.44
397
TOP EIGHT REDS STARTERS ALL-TIME (SINCE 1930)
PLAYER
YEAR
W
L
ERA
LEAGUE ERA
ADJUSTED ERA
8. Jose Rijo
1991
15
6
2.51
3.83
153
7. Bucky Walters
1940
22
10
2.48
3.81
154
6. Gary Nolan
1972
15
5
1.99
3.21
161
5. Elmer Riddle
1941
19
4
2.24
3.63
162
4. Jose Rijo
1993
14
9
2.48
4.05
163
3. Ewell Blackwell
1947
22
8
2.47
4.11
166
2. Bucky Walters
1939
27
11
2.29
3.84
168
1. Tom Seaver*
1977
14
3
2.34
3.95
169
Edinson Volquez
2008
6
1
1.12
4.44
397 * Seaver was traded to the Reds on June 15 and his statistics reflect only the 20 starts he made for the Reds that season.
E-mail raskinner@fuse.net