Nolan Ryan, What Hath Your Texas Rangers Wrought Upon MLB?

When Nolan Ryan became President of the Texas Rangers three seasons ago, he vowed to forge a pitching staff in his own gritty, competitive image and likeness – guys who wanted the ball when it was their turn to pitch and didn’t want to put it down until the job was done. 

Nolan sounded like a heretic in this age of pitch counts and inning limits…but has a World Series appearance changed some minds?

Let’s pull out the old Abacus and see what it Reveals.

At the All-Star break, there had been 114 complete games thrown in MLB.  That’s two more than were pitched in the entire 2007 season, ironically the year prior to Ryan’s arrival in Arlington.  MLB pitchers have not gone the distance at this rate of frequency, roughly one-a-day, since the 2005 season’s 189 CG’s. 

Those 114 CG’s represent about 1/12 of the 1,367 games played to that point.  That’s 2,734 starts.  Check this out: 951 of those starting opportunities have lasted at least 7 innings.  The starting pitcher is getting at least 21 outs more than a third of the time this season.

Foremost among this year’s Ironmen are Tampa Bay’s James Shields and Phillies’ stud Roy Halladay.  Big Game James leads Roy by one in both CG’s (7-6) and Long, 7-inning Starts (17-16). 

Last year’s Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez, no-hit specialist Justin Verlander, and CC Sabbathia (all ALers, Abacus notices) match Halladay’s 16 Long Starts.

Not surprisingly, the Philadelphia Phillies and their HOF trio of Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Cliff Lee lead the majors in both CG’s (11) and Long Starts (50 at the All-Star Break).  Shields’s Rays and Ryan’s Rangers rank an AL second in CG’s, one behind Seattle’s league-leading nine.

Rather surprisingly, seven of those Mariner CG’s belong to guys named Vargas and Fister.  Seattle was also atop the mid-point league rankings in Long Starts with 48, one of 6 AL teams (Angels, White Sox, Rays, Rangers, and Twins the others) with 40 or more Long Starts in those first 90 games or so. 

The World Champion San Francisco Giants rank second in the NL to Philadelphia with 35.

Pardon Abacus as he transfers to Percent Mode so we can delve further into all these Long Starts…Ready?

As the season hit the Quarter Pole – about 40 games, through May 15 – 16 pitchers had notched Long Starts in at least 60% of their outings.  Shields topped the list at 88% (7 out of 8); Halladay was next at 78% (7 out of 9). 

About a month later, June 19, there were 18 guys above the 60% level, 8 of them hold-overs from the May group.  Our old friends James and Roy remained at the top, knotted at 87% (13 out of 15). 

As of Thursday, July 21, Shields (81%, 17 out of 21) and Halladay (80%, 16 out of 20) lead the 14 current members of this 60% Club. 

The only other members at all three meetings have been Florida’s Josh Johnson (67%, but only 6 out of 9), Hamels, Lee (both 70%, 14 out of 20), and Mr. Ryan’s ace C.J. Wilson (71%, 15 out of 21).

And what of Mr. Ryan’s defending American League champs, anyway?  He started all this, didn’t he?

Well, a set 5-man rotation has started all but three Ranger games thus far, anchored by All-Star Wilson and young phenom Alexi Ogando, a replacement All-Star himself. 

All five have started at least 10 Ranger victories, all have winning records, each has at least seven Long Starts, and the Texas Rangers lead the AL West as Nolan recuperates from his recent health scare.

Abacus presumes the charges of heresy have been dismissed.