Eras divide baseball in more ways than one. Beyond statistics and debates, fans crave matchups that cannot exist due to the gates of time. However these matchups do take form in the hearts and minds of fans who dream them up. I will count down the Top 5 pitcher-batter match ups in baseball history that have never happened, but fans would like to see.
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No. 5: LHP Sandy Koufax (165-87, 2.65 ERA) vs. LHB Lou Gehrig (.340, 493 HR, 1997 RBI)
Imagine it; Sandy Koufax, the deadliest left-handed pitcher of the mid 20th century against Lou Gehrig, baseball's Iron Horse. This match up is the true definition of power against power. Koufax made his Major League debut in 1955, more than 13 years since Gehrig's passing. This meeting could never have taken place, but the numbers speak for themselves.
Gehrig “only” hit .310 in 2,344 at bats against left-handed pitching, thirty point lower than his career .340 batting average. It's obvious Gehrig was a weaker hitter against lefty pitching (if you can call .310 weaker.) Koufax held left-handed batters to a career average of .207. Ironically, left-handed batters had a better average against Koufax than right-handed batters did (right-handed batters hit .205 against Koufax). If they were to face today, despite Gehrig's great skills at the plate, Koufax would hold the edge.
No. 4 RHP Greg Maddux (355-227, 3.16 ERA) vs. LHB Ty Cobb (.366, 4189 Hits, 897 SB)
Greg Maddux and Ty Cobb are perhaps the two smartest players in baseball history. Maddux, known for his ability to out-think batters and pitch with near-perfect control, won four consecutive CY Young awards from 1992-1995. Cobb, a brilliant base-runner and noted strategist, has the highest batting average in Major League history. His ability to get on base was unparallelled.
Maddux had a similar pitching style to those who played in the early 20th century. He didn't beat batters based on speed, but rather crafted each at bat as if it were a masterpiece. In 5,008.1 career innings, Maddux only walked 999 batters; a ratio of 1.8 walks per nine innings. It's an incredible feat, though one Cobb saw during his illustrious career.
Cobb faced some of the game's greatest pitchers, including fellow Hall of Famer Walter Johnson. I believe if Maddux and Cobb were to square off, Cobb would have the advantage based on Maddux's pitching similarities of those who played in the early 20th century.
No. 3: RHP Walter Johnson (417-279, 2.17 ERA) vs. LHB Sadaharu Oh (.301, 868 HR)
The World's greatest pitcher squaring off against the World's greatest home run hitter. Can you imagine if this event were to have ever taken place? It would be a true Olympic event! Walter Johnson, who pitched from 1907-1927, died more than 12 years before Sadaharu Oh made his Japanese league debut in 1959.
Despite never having played in America, Oh is the world's most prolific home run hitter. His 868 career home runs is a world record for any major professional baseball league. On top of that, Oh was a .301 career hitter and drove in 2,170 RBI. He even faced off against Hank Aaron in an international home run contest during the mid-1970's. Aaron defeated Oh in the contest, 10-9, but the world saw Oh for what he was; a legendary hitter.
Johnson threw for more than 5,914 innings in his career while striking out 3,519 batters. When Johnson retired, he was baseball's all-time strikeouts leader for a pitcher. If these two were to face one another, it'd be a titanic battle. However, I believe Oh would come out victorious. In his 21-year career, Oh only struck out 1,319 times. In comparison, he walked nearly 2.400 times. He had a great eye at the plate and would've easily walked against Johnson before striking out.
No. 2: RHP Bob Gibson (251-174, 2.94 ERA) vs. RHB Josh Gibson (.350, 800-plus HR)
Bob Gibson is the definition of a competitor; strong, determined and unwilling to back down. He could be considered the most stubborn pitcher in baseball history because there was no challenge Bob wouldn't face. One challenge Bob couldn't face was that of Josh Gibson, the greatest hitter in the illustrious history of the Negro Leagues.
Josh was known as “the Black Babe Ruth,” for his amazing strength and ability to hit the baseball virtually anywhere. He is listed as a .350 hitter during his 16-year career, though historians have argued Josh could've been as high as a .384 career hitter. Allegedly, Josh once hit a home run right out of Yankee Stadium, one of his 800-plus career home runs. He was a force to be reckon with.
The question remains however, could Josh Gibson hit effectively against Bob Gibson? I believe Josh could've hit for power against Bob, though batting average would be another story. Lifetime, right-handed batter only hit .204 against Bob Gibson. Josh could certainly hit for power, however Bob wouldn't give in without a fight. If they were to face one another, except a few fastballs high and inside.
No. 1: LHP Babe Ruth (94-46, 2.28 ERA) vs. LHB Babe Ruth (.342, 714 HR, 2,220 RBI)
If you watched the television sitcom Seinfeld, then you may remember the episode where the following phrase was coined.
“A George divided against itself cannot stand!”
Well the question is, can a “George” Herman Ruth divided against itself stand?
Babe Ruth, Major League Baseball's greatest slugger, was once a promising, young, left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. Ruth was a two-time 20-game winner, and even led the American League in ERA during the 1915 season at 1.75. However as the legend goes, Babe traded in his glove for a bat, and thus the “Sultan of Swat” was born.
If Babe Ruth (the pitcher) was to ever face Babe Ruth (the batter), I believe the hitter would beat the pitcher. By the time Ruth entered his prime in the mid-1920's, he had already established himself as a pitcher and a hitter. Ruth learned how to hit all types of pitches, including his own. The fact is Ruth (the batter) would probably know what Ruth (the pitcher) would throw before throwing it. It's as if they're the same person or something!
Any baseball fan would be honored to see these match ups take place. While they will exist in the minds and hearts of fans, we should never forget the legacies each player brought to baseball. It is those legacies which preserve our love of the game, even to this day.
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