Tim Wakefield: Retirement Marks a Big Change, No More 200-Game Winners

With the retirement of Tim Wakefield, MLB loses its only active member of the 200-win club.  It’s a sharp and sudden turnaround from just a few years ago, when the game was rich in guys who were climbing up the all-time win charts.

It's also the first time there have been no active 200-game winners since the 19th century.

At the end of 2006, there were active pitchers with loads of wins out there. 

Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens had 333 and 348 wins, respectively.  Randy Johnson had 280.  Tom Glavine had 290.  Mike Mussina had 239.  Jamie Moyer had 216. 

David Wells was still pitching and had 230 wins.  Pedro Martinez had 206.  Kenny Rogers had 207, as did Curt Schilling. 

That a drop from 10 to none in six years, with no one stepping in.

This year, it is possible that the 200-win club will be reopened.  The leading candidate to go on in, turn on the lights and make himself comfortable is Roy Halliday. Halliday is sitting on 188 wins currently.  He’s won at least 12 games every year except one since 2002, and he shows no signs of slowing down. 

After that, though, it’s a pretty long shot for anyone else to join.  Tim Hudson is 19 wins away, at 181, but he hasn’t won 19 games in a season since the year 2000.  CC Sabathia would need a monster year to pick up the 24 wins he is short.  Livan Hernandez is next among active pitchers, but I wouldn’t bet on him picking up the 26 wins he needs—not this year and not ever.  The same story is true for Derek Lowe and the 34 wins he needs.

The 200-win club has 111 members, but not a single one will be on a team’s active roster when the season begins this year.  Fortunately, baseball is always making more of them!