the "Who's greater" debate
Cy Young, Mathewson & Johnson have somany Wins, and their win/loss percentage is so high, they must be greater than, say, Nolan Ryan.
Hmmm. Not so fast.
Physiologically, Young, Matty & Johnson DID NOT have superior arms vs. Ryan (or Seaver, or Carlton, or Randy Johnson, etc).
So how did Cy Young amass over 500 wins? Simple - he was able to "save" his arm by not having to use his best stuff to get out a lot of hitters. If Cy Young pitched today, he ABSOLUTELY needs to be hurling his best stuff to all hitters, at all times. He would be crushed if he "laid off" like he was able to do around 1900.
The overall talent level in modern times is so very much closer than ever before.
Conclusion: Stats can start to tell a tale of greatness. But stats can only go so far. Be careful to not read too much into stats. Use Bill James cautiously - as a general guide. How many no-hitters would Nolan Ryan had if he played in the dead ball era? Wow, boggles the mind!
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