Who Is Baseball's Greatest Pitcher?

In this engaging book, sportswriter Jeff Kisseloff gives readers the facts, along with tips, for analyzing, comparing, and deciding for themselves who might be baseball's greatest pitcher. Given the longevity of the game and the many candidates, it's not as easy as it seems. How to compare the stats of a righthanded pitcher throwing a 19th-century baseball with those of a lefty from the next century with the latest training and state-of-the-sport equipment? A companion to Who Is Baseball's Greatest Hitter?, this book helps readers understand the variables: how lively the ball was in various eras, how far the mound was from home plate, and how many games were played in a season. The introduction offers a thumbnail sketch of the game's history, while the two- to five-page discussions of each pitching champ offer vivid profiles of the men, their achievements, and the elusive qualities that made them the winners they were. Arranging his subjects in alphabetical order, and including profiles and statistics for 38 great pitchers, Kisseloff makes the case for each pitcher and includes suggestions for further reading.