Three PITCHERS Best at Age 30 in the 1960s

 

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Last week we looked at the three best offensive players in the major leagues at age 30 during the decade of the 1960s. But what about the best pitchers at age 30 during the era? Arguably the top three would include Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal and Sandy Koufax. The case could be made for Don Drysdale, Jim Bunning and several more so we'll  give them honorable mentions here.

Bob Gibson was the king of the 1960s. At age 30 he was still two years away from his immaculate season where he posted a 1.12 ERA. At 30 he went 20-12 for the St. Louis Cardinals with a 2.44 ERA over 280 innings. In 1966 he tossed five shutouts among his 20 complete games and posted a 1.027 WHIP. The All-Star struck out 225 batters and walked only 78. He would pitch from 1959 into the 1970s and every player who ever faced him would talk about being intimidated by Gibson.  

At the plate he had four doubles, a home run, while driving in eight runs, batting .200. Oh, and he stole three bases. In addition to all of that he won a Gold Glove for fielding. Pretty remarkable.

Juan Marichal was nothing short of amazing. 1968 at age 30 Marichal had his best season. He went 26-9 with a 2.43 ERA and a 1.047 WHIP. It can be argued his best season was a couple of years earlier when he won 25 with a WHIP under 1.00 but the added win at age 30 cannot be underestimated. He started 38 games and completed 30 with five shutouts and 325 innings pitched. 

It was his seventh straight All-Star season and he even finished fifth in the MVP voting. Hitters were baffled by the Giants right-hander because he threw all different kinds of pitches from multiple angles which confused hitters especially at night. 

Sandy Koufax. You really need say no more. Age age 30 Koufax would pitch his last season in the big leagues and it was absolutely his best. Few pitchers in baseball had a season like Koufax did in 1966. Unfortunately, it was his last due to extreme arthritis in his left arm.  

At age 30 the Dodger hurler won the Cy Young Award and finished second to Roberto Clemente in the MVP voting. His 27-9 record showed how many of the Dodgers 95 wins he had in leading the club to the National League Pennant. Over 323 innings he struck out 317 batters and gave  up only 241 hits, while compiling a 1.73 ERA and a 0.985 WHIP, adding five shutouts. 

Koufax led the league in starts (41), Wins, Innings, Strikeouts, Complete Games (27), and among other things strikeouts per nine innings (8.8). Truly amazing in that he also made only one error while on the mound for over 300 innings.

From 1961 until the end of his career in 1966 he went 129-47 and in 1965 he set a new record with 382 strikeouts, 3 times surpassing 300 K's in his career.

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