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Cool and Cole-lected
2007-06-13 09:06
by Mike Carminati

Cole Hamels is leading the NL in an odd collection of statistics. The fact that he is leading in wins (9) and strikeouts (104) is indicative a young pitcher who has not only clearly ascending to the lofty position of team ace; he is one or the premier pitchers in the league at the tender age of 23.

However, oddly, he leads the NL in home runs (16). The last pitcher to lead his league in home runs allowed and wins was Curt Schilling with the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks (actually tied for the lead in both categories). It is something that has been done just once in the last 28 seasons and just 26 times in baseball history, with 15 of those coming after Babe Ruth revolutionized the game with the long ball.

Here are the pitchers to do it since 1950:

PitcherYrWHR
Cole Hamels2007916
Curt Schilling20012237
Phil Niekro19792141
Andy Messersmith19742024
Fergie Jenkins19712429
Mike Cuellar19702434
Denny McLain19683131
Mudcat Grant19652134
Ralph Terry19622340
Jim Perry19601835
Lew Burdette19592138
Robin Roberts19552341
Robin Roberts19542335
Bob Feller19512222

As for leader one's league in wins, home runs, and strikeouts, that's even rarer. It's happened just five times in baseball history and just once since the Deadball era:

PitcherYrWHRK
Cole Hamels2007916104
Robin Roberts19542335185
Walter Johnson1913369243
John Clarkson18855321308
Tommy Bond1878405182
Tommy Bond1877405170

All this made me wonder if Hamels, given the historically high rate of home runs and strikeouts in the game today along with the fewer innings being pitched by starting pitchers, is on a pace to record more strikeouts and home runs per innings pitched any other pitcher in baseball history.

To determine this I created a new stat that I'll refer to as a Herkup, as an homage to former Royal GM Herk Robinson and my favorite bodily function—eh, why not? It actually stands for home runs plus strikeouts per innings pitched, but it sounds better that way, like WHIP.

I ran the numbers for the highest recorded Herkup. Here are they are—note that Biitner was a first baseman who had one abysmal outing in a 19-3 route of the Cubbies at the hands of the late lamented Expos on July 4, 1977. In his only pitching appearance, Biitner allowed six runs in 1.1 innings for a 40.50 career ERA:

PlayerYrHRSO IP Herkup
Edgar Gonzalez200511 0.3 6.000
Larry Biittner197733 1.3 4.500
John Papa196113 1.0 4.000
Mike Johnston200522 1.0 4.000
Ryan Nye199813 1.0 4.000

However, this throws Hamels in with a bunch of players whose numbers are skewed by pitching so few innings. As far as pitchers who qualified for the ERA title in their league, Hamels' 2007 Herkup ranks 46th all time. Here are the highest:
PlayerYrHRSO IP Herkup
Randy Johnson200119372 249.7 1.566
Pedro Martinez19999313 213.3 1.509
Randy Johnson200023347 248.7 1.488
Kerry Wood199814233 166.7 1.482
Randy Johnson199720291 213.0 1.460
Randy Johnson199930364 271.7 1.450
Randy Johnson199512294 214.3 1.428
Henry Porter1884171 51.0 1.412
Pedro Martinez200017284 217.0 1.387
Randy Johnson200226334 260.0 1.385

Adjusting for era, we get:

PlayerYrHRSO IP Herkup Lg Herkup Adj Herkup
Henry Luff1875213 69.7 0.215 0.069 3.108
Johnny Ryan1875111 59.3 0.202 0.069 2.919
Pidgey Morgan187508 42.0 0.190 0.069 2.749
Rube Waddell19027210 276.3 0.785 0.308 2.546
Dazzy Vance19267140 169.0 0.870 0.346 2.512
Dazzy Vance192411262 308.3 0.885 0.353 2.509
Cy Seymour18984239 356.7 0.681 0.285 2.391
Dazzy Vance19258221 265.3 0.863 0.369 2.339
Bobby Mathews1873575 443.0 0.181 0.081 2.225
Cherokee Fisher1873114 84.3 0.178 0.081 2.191
Bill Parks1875512 112.0 0.152 0.069 2.191
Lefty Grove19266194 258.0 0.775 0.354 2.187

To avoid Deadball eccentricities, here are the best since 1930. Hamels comes in just 207th:

PlayerYrHRSO IP Herkup Lg Herkup Adj Herkup
Johnny Vander Meer19418202 226.3 0.928 0.451 2.059
Nolan Ryan197613327 284.3 1.196 0.588 2.035
Herb Score195518245 227.3 1.157 0.577 2.004
Dizzy Dean193311199 293.0 0.717 0.362 1.978
Nolan Ryan197812260 234.7 1.159 0.587 1.975
Nolan Ryan198917301 239.3 1.329 0.694 1.913
Bob Feller193813240 277.7 0.911 0.476 1.913
Nolan Ryan197318383 326.0 1.230 0.655 1.877
Bill Hallahan193015177 237.3 0.809 0.433 1.868
Dazzy Vance193112150 218.7 0.741 0.397 1.864
Bob Feller193913246 296.7 0.873 0.470 1.856
Red Ruffing193216190 259.0 0.795 0.429 1.855
Nolan Ryan197418367 332.7 1.157 0.624 1.854
Dwight Gooden19847276 218.0 1.298 0.701 1.853
Lefty Gomez193316163 234.7 0.763 0.415 1.838

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