There isn't a lot to distinguish between the top five pitchers
of this group. Roe had an eye-popping won-loss record; he was 36 years
old, and was in the middle of a string of brilliant seasons with the Dodgers
that he ended his career with. But Maglie had a better ERA, and pitched 40
more innings. Warren Spahn also had a great ERA, and won 22 games. I'll give
Maglie the edge, followed by Roe and Spahn.
Maglie is perhaps best remembered as the losing pitcher in Don
Larsen's 1956 perfect game. He also had a great nickname, "The
Barber", apparently given to him because he liked to throw at
batter's heads (close enough to shave them; get it?). He was also a pretty good pitcher. He led the league in wins,
was second in ERA, and led his team to the pennant. That sounds to me
like a Cy Young winner.
Larry Jansen also pitched for the Giants, and had a terrific
year. Jansen had a great rookie year back in 1947, when he posted a 21-5 record. He was
an old rookie, 27 years old; he followed up with five very good seasons, including
this one. Jansen and Robin Roberts had very
similar numbers; Roberts had an edge in innings pitched and shutouts. But Jansen had a much better
won-loss record, so I'll give him the edge. This was Jansen's last good season, at age 31.
Murry Dickson was a pretty good pitcher in the
majors for 18 years. He started his career with St. Louis in 1939, but didn't
get a real opportunity until after the war ended. He
was later dealt to the Pirates, and this year had his best season. Unfortunately,
the Pirates were headed into an incredible nosedive that started next season
when star slugger Ralph Kiner hurt his back. The Pirates were a horrible team
for much of the 1950's; over the next three seasons, Dickson had a record of
34-60, despite pitching decent ball. Dickson survived, and continued to pitch
until 1959; he retired with 172 wins, 181 losses.
