View from the Ivory Tower: Need a win

First, our knowledgeable baseball fans could pick three hurlers: a starter, a closer and a wild card.
Second, they had to pick a year and explain why they picked the pitcher.
While there were no surprises - yes Calvin Maduro fans, your boy was not picked - there were some interesting points when one looks at the selections as a whole.
First, our committee: York Daily Record reporter and avid Robert Person fan Jeff Frantz, York Daily Record sports reporter and proud Frank Tanana rooter Steve Navaroli, York Daily Record night metro editor and Bill Pulsipher supporter Matt Eyer, and York Daily Record York Revolution beat writer and owner of a Craig Lefferts jersey Jim Seip.

Here's Mr. Eyer's selections:

• Starter: Pedro Martinez, 2000: He only lost six games, collected 284 Ks, posted a 1.74 ERA, and walked a paltry 32 batters. So he had a ridiculous WHIP.


• Reliever: Dennis Eckersley, 1990: Going the closer route on this one. Only gave up five runs all year in 90.


• Wild card: Dwight Gooden, 1985: It's called a wild card, so I'll go with the Doc for the fun of it. only lost four games, had 268Ks, a 1.53 ERA, 16 complete games, and it's pre-druggie, as far as I know.

Of course, a Mets fan would pick two players who spent time with the Mets. It's interesting that he did not select Tom Seaver. But Matt makes some good calls. Dwight Gooden put up some insane numbers at that time.

Mr. Frantz' selections:

• My starter is Pedro Martinez, 1999: The day before the All-Star game. Remember Pedro had already won 15 games by that point, but got hurt because he threw nothing but gas at the All-Star game at Fenway. Pedro in the first half of '99 was the most dominant pitcher I've personally seen. Even with a less than stellar second half, he still had 313 strikeouts to 37 walks.


• Mo Rivera, 2001. Not the flashiest save totals, but he got the job done and, he pitched multiple innings, especially in September and October. 83 strikeouts to 12 walks.


• Sandy Koufax in 1965: I'll take his mastery over Gibson's intimidation, as well as his 382 Ks to 71 walks that year, compared to Gibson's 286/62 in 68, with almost no difference in WHIP. And that year Koufax had a complete game shutout in game 7 of the World Series.


• Next in line: Gibson in 68, Maddox in 95, Christy Mathewson in 1909, Walter Johnson in 1913, when he had a .780 WHIP, insane even for the deadball era.

Jeff has some good picks and strong insight. It's also good that he dropped in the honorable mentions.

Mr. Seip spent a lot of time on his thoughts.

• His starter, Tom Seaver 1971: 1.76 ERA struck out 289 batters. He is tied for seventh with 61 career shutouts, and I believe only non-deadball pitchers Nolan Ryan (61) and Warren Spahn (63) rank ahead of him.
  


• The Closer: Jim's gut says to go with Goose Gossage from 1978, helped Guidry have the Cy Young season and could pitch three innings, but he chose Dan Quisenberry after looking at those numbers in the early to mid-1980s -- when he ranked 11th or better in MVP voting four straight years. He posted a 1.94 ERA that year with a 5-3 record and 45 saves. Gotta think he deserved a closer look from Hall of Fame voters.
  


• His wild card: 1933 Carl Hubbell: Left-handed screwball pitcher. Seip said it was in the midst of five straight 20-win seasons. It was also his MVP season. Seip said Red Barber picked him to pitch the game if his life was held in the balance and that Roger Kahn said he was more scary than any prizefighter he ever interviewed
  

Jim Seip is one of the smartest baseball people I know and comes up with gems here. The Hubbell pick is inspired. Jim doesn't mention that he once struck out five straight Hall of Famers, a feat never repeated.

Now, for Mr. Navaroli's perspective. He's succinct and doesn't mince words:

• Bob Gibson, 1968: 1.12 enough said
• Rivera, 2000: an automatic game over, especially in big games
• Curt Schilling, 2001: Would put his team on his back to win a game.

A very solid selection by Navs. The problem for me, however is that it is almost the exact same as what I was going to pick.

My selections: Also Gibson. Also Schilling. But a bit different.

• Gibson, 1968: Mr. Navaroli said it best and it bears repeating, "1.12 enough said."
• Schilling, 1997, not 2000 however: For a team that went 68-94, Schilling finished 17-11. And in those 11 losses, he had four games where he gave up three earned runs or fewer. But he also struck out 319 batters, had a 2.97 ERA, walked just 58 and pitched the most amazing game I've ever seen. Against the New York Yankees on Sept. 1, he struck out 16, walked none and scattered seven hits. And Derek Jeter, roughed him up for four Ks. It was beautiful.
• Closer, John Smoltz, : Mr. Frantz said this is almost a backdoor move, considering he spent most of his years as a starter. But Smoltz had 45 saves and a 1.12 ERA.
• That means my staff had two pitches with a 1.12 ERA.

It is interseting that of the five people, none chose Trevor Hoffman. Does that mean he's underrated? Also, most of the selections were post 1950, so short-term memory is big. In addition, no one picked Nolan Ryan or Roger Clemens.
Which three pitchers would you pick?