Phillies: Top ten starting and relief pitchers of the 1970’s
As the Phillies look ahead to the 2018 season, we look back at the best players at each position. Today, we examine the best pitchers of the 1970’s.
As we endure the winter anxious for what lies ahead for the Phillies in 2018 and beyond, we continue our trek back for the best at each position. Today, we examine the top pitchers of the 1970’s.
10 – Joe Hoerner (1970 – 1972, 1975)
Hoerner’s time in Philadelphia was limited, but had a good amount of success, particularly in 1970 and 1971. He was an all-star in 1970, compiling a record of 9-5 with a 2.63 ERA. He was even better in 1971, allowing just 57 hits in 73 innings with an ERA of 1.97. Hoerner had 13 wins and a 2.28 ERA in 133 games.
9 – Wayne Twitchell (1971 – 1977)
Twitchell had his best season in the Phillies in 1973, when he was an All-Star, winning 13 games with an ERA of 2.50. He allowed only 172 hits in 229 1/3 innings. While Twitchell was up and down the rest of his time in Philadelphia, he finished with a respectable 3.57 ERA in 188 games.
8 – Dick Ruthven (1973 – 1975, 1978 – 1983)
Ruthven had two stints in Philadelphia, pitching his second time around with the team. He was instrumental for the 1980 World Series championship team, but that doesn’t come into play for this list. He was a 13-game winner in 1978 with a 2.99 ERA and had 37 wins with a solid 3.88 ERA during the 1970’s in Philadelphia.
7 – Rick Wise (1964, 1967 – 1971)
Wise pitched only two seasons with the Phillies in the 1970’s but makes this list because of excellent 1971 season. He was an all-star and pitched a no-hitter en route to a 17 win season, 17 complete games, four shutouts and an ERA of 2.88. Wise was traded for Steve Carlton before the 1972 season and finished with 188 career wins in 18 seasons.
6 – Gene Garber (1974 – 1978)
Garber was a top relief pitcher for Philadelphia during this era. He threw 100 or more innings in 1975 and 1977 and lead the league with 71 appearances and 47 games finished in 1975. His ERA’s from 1976 through 1978 were 2.82, 2.35 and 1.40, respectively. Garber finished his Phillies tenure with a 2.68 ERA in 250 games, covering 392 2/3 innings.
5 – Larry Christenson (1973 – 1983)
Christenson was a big right-hander whose career was shortened due to injuries. He was a 19-game winner in 1977 and had four consecutive ten-plus win seasons and two consecutive with 200 or more innings pitched. Christenson was 63-49 with a 3.87 ERA during the 1970’s.
4 – Jim Lonborg (1973 – 1979)
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Lonborg enjoyed two of his best seasons of a 15-year career while with the Phillies. He logged 283 innings and went 17-13 with a 3.21 ERA in 1974. Two years later, he went 18-10 with a 3.08 ERA in 222 innings. Lonborg won 75 games in a Phillies uniform with a 3.98 ERA.
3 – Ron Reed (1976 – 1983)
Perhaps one of the most underrated relief pitchers of his time, Reed was solid and sometimes dominant. He won 31 games and saved 51 during the 1970’s with the Phillies, while pitching in 100 or more innings each season. In 246 games, Reed threw 463 innings and had an ERA of 2.86.
2 – Tug McGraw (1975 – 1984)
The man who was on the hill to record the last out of the 1980 World Series was the best reliever for the Phillies during the 1970’s. An all-star in 1975, McGraw compiled a record of 9-6 with an ERA of 2.98. He followed with ERAs of 2.50, 2.62 and 3.21 from 1976-1978. An off season in 1979, McGraw still finished the 1970’s with a record of 35-25, 59 saves and an ERA of 3.26.
1- Steve Carlton (1972 – 1986)
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The best by a huge margin, Steve Carlton dominated from the moment he set foot on the mound as a Phillie. He won 27 games for the 1972 team that won only 59. He completed 30 games that season alone with eight shutouts, threw 346 1/3 innings, struck out 310 and had a 1.97 ERA. He had eight consecutive seasons of 200 or more innings pitched, five time all-star, and two time Cy Young award winner. That was only in the 1970’s, let alone what he added in the 1980’s.
Next: Early projection of Phillies 2018 roster
Carlton simply was the best Phillies pitcher ever and the best of the 1970’s