Birthdays this past week - Winning Pitchers

Last week I featured home run hitters, this week I'll feature winning pitchers. I think I'll alternate each week between hitting and pitching stats. I was hoping to mostly feature cards I own but this week, 4 of the players are old-timers (some really old). So I'll pull card images from Beckett.com when I have to. It was kind of fun to see some of these old cards anyway.

January 8
1996 Bowman #259 Carl PavanoJanuary 8 was not a good day for pitchers. Of the 51 players born on this date only 20 were pitchers. Pavano leads that group with a 97-89 record and is the only pitcher in this week's list to still be playing. Although he was drafted by the Red Sox, he never actually played for them. He started his career with 4 years with the Expos and currently is with the Twins. He pitched for the 2003 World Series Marlins and was an All-Star in 2004.

January 9
1958 Topps #169 Ralph TerryRalph was born in 1936 in Big Cabin OK. He had a 109-99 record with an ERA of 3.62. In his 12-year career he played for the Yankees for 8 years (in several stints). He also put in time with the KC A's, and the Indians and finished his career with the Mets. In 1962 he was 23-12 with the Yankees which got him in both of the All-Star games played that year. In 1962 the Yankees won the World Series and Ralph was the MVP. It was a good year for him. I don't own this card.

January 10
1989 Donruss #277 Richard DotsonRich Dotson was born in 1959 in Cincinnati, OH. He had a career record of 111-113, the only winning leader this week with a career losing record. He pitched 8 years for the White Sox but finished his career with the Yankees and then the Royals. He was an All-Star in 1984 with a record of 14-15. The year before he was a 20-game winner.

January 11
1989 Edgerton R. Williams Game #15 King Silver/John TenerHere's the first of the real old-timers. One of the guys pictured on this card is King Silver, the winningest pitcher born on January 11. I couldn't tell you which is which. Charles Frederick (aka Silver) King was born in 1868 in St. Louis, MO. He won 203 games against 153 loses. He started his career with the Kansas City Cowboys in 1886. In 1888, while with the St. Louis Browns he won 45 games and lost 20. He started 64 games and pitched 584 innings. Can you imagine a pitcher today coming any thing close to that? The three top pitchers born this day all had colorful names. After King we have General Crowder (with 167) and Schoolboy Rowe (with 158). I don't own this card but I sure wish I did.

January 12
1906 Fan Craze NL WG3 #44 Togie Pittinger
Togie (born Charles) was born in 1972 In Greencastle PA. He played 5 years for the Boston Beaneaters and 3 years with the Phillies. He had a career record of 115-113 with an ERA of 3.10. He had 27 wins in 1902 but followed in 1903 with 22 loses. Another fun thing about these old-timers is the crazy cards and the crazy teams they played for.

January 13
1989 Donruss #118 Bob ForschBob was born in 1950 in Sacramento CA. He spent the first 15 years of his career with the Cardinals but finished his 16-year career with the Astros. He had a record of 168-136 with an ERA of 3.76. He was with the World Series Cardinals in 1982, and when they lost the World Series in 1985 and 1987. He was a 20-game (20-7) with the Cardinals in 1977. He was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 1995 but only got 0.4% of the votes.

January 14
1906 Fan Craze NL WG3 #44 Jack Taylor
Another real old-timer. Jack Taylor was born in 1874 in New Straitsville, OH. He played between 1989-1907, mostly for the Chicago Orphans. Jack's career record as 152-139, with an ERA of 2.65. I don't own this card either.