The Cardinals were the last team that manager Whitey Herzog would
lead into the playoffs. Herzog began his managerial career with Texas
in 1973, then began it for real with Kansas City in 1975. The "White Rat"
led the Royals to three straight division titles, but couldn't get them
into the World Series. He became the Cardinals manager in 1980, and led
them to a World Series victory in 1982. Two more pennants followed, in
1985 and 1987. Herzog's teams were usually built around speed; he also loved
young players, and his best teams had lots of youth in their lineups.
This year is probably my biggest off-the-wall selection. I'm choosing
Tim Burke for the Cy Young Award; he may seem like an odd choice, but I
don't see how I can help it. Some fans may remember Burke as a solid reliever
for the Expos; others may remember him for his battles with alcoholism. Burke
did not receive a single vote in the Cy Young balloting his entire career,
and was never a star. But, hell's bells, if the writers can pick Steve Bedrosian,
I can pick Tim Burke.
Bedrosian led the league with 40 saves; a good
total, but not a great one. Burke saved 18 games, and did everything else
much better; his ERA was only 1.19, and he won all seven of his decisions. Burke
had much better control than Bedrosian, and was much tougher to hit. There
is absolutely no doubt that Burke was the more valuable pitcher; the Expos
were also a much better team than the Phillies.
Burke had some other good seasons, though this
was clearly his best. His won-loss record as a reliever (49-33) is actually
very impressive. Bedrosian also peaked this year; he hung around for awhile
in various roles, but never again was an All-Star closer.
Then there are the starters. Orel Hershiser
was probably the best starter in the league. He didn't have a winning record,
thanks to the Dodgers' perfectly awful offense. Rick Sutcliffe led the NL
in wins, which is impressive because the Cubs were also a terrible team. Rick
Reuschel was also very good, leading the Giants to the division title. The
Cardinals were the best team in the league, but none of their pitchers had
big win totals.
I don't know who to pick. I guess I'll take
the two Dodger pitchers, Hershiser and Welsh. I'll also take Reuschel ahead
of Sutcliffe and Bedrosian. Also note the strange, incredibly unlucky season
that Nolan Ryan had. Nolan led the NL in both ERA and strikeouts by large
margins, but still had a losing record. And it was more than just a losing
record; it was a
bad losing record. Even the best pitchers can have
tough luck.
