Baseball's Best Decade by Carroll Conklin Page A

Koufax was the National League ERA champ from 1962 until his retirement after the 1966 season, the most impressive display of ERA dominance since Lefty Grove. Bob Gibson’s 1.12 ERA in 1968 was the lowest in the major leagues in 54 years.  Three times during the decade, the best ERA posted in the American League was less than 2.00.
    Who almost made the list? Don Drysdale, Whitey Ford and Bob Veale at 2.83.
                 
    1970s – Run scoring – and with it, earned run averages – rose slightly in the 1970s from their lows the previous decade. Yet the best pitchers still maintained ERAs under 3.00 for the decade.  Jim Palmer and Ron Guidry were 2-time ERA champs in the American League. Three times Tom Seaver had the National League’s lowest ERA.
    Who almost made the list? Frank Tanana at 2.93, Jon Matlack at 2.97, Don Wilson at 3.01.

    The Best In dividual ERAs for Each Decade (1980s-2000s)
     
    1980s
Dwight Gooden
2.64
Orel Hershiser
2.69
Roger Clemens
3.06
Dave Righetti
3.08
John Tudor
3.13
     
    1990s
Greg Maddux
2.55
Jose Rijo
2.74
Pedro Martinez
2.83
Roger Clemens
3.02
Randy Johnson
3.15
     
    2000s
Pedro Martinez
3.01
Johan Santana
3.12
Roy Oswalt
3.23
Jake Peavy
3.26
Brandon Webb
3.27
     

    1980s – While scoring and ERAs continued to rise during the 1980s, someone forgot to tell Dwight Gooden. The New York Mets right-handed ace was a dominating pitcher early in his career, and posted the decade’s best ERA though leading the National League only once, with a 1.56 ERA in 1985. Roger Clemens had the American League’s lowest ERA for the decade, though leading the league only in 1986. The 1980s were the first decade when no pitcher in either major league won more than one ERA title.
    Who almost made the list? Dave Dravecky at 3.13, Nolan Ryan at 3.14, Fernando Valenzuela at 3.19.
     
    1990s – Right-hander Greg Maddux cruised through the 1990s with the second-lowest decade ERA (to Sandy Koufax) of any pitcher since 1920. Maddux posted the lowest ERA in the majors 4 times during the 1990s. Pedro Martinez was the National League ERA leader twice in the decade (and won 3 more ERA crowns after 2000). The American League’s best ERA for the decade belonged to Roger Clemens, who led the league in ERA 5 times in the 1990s (7 ERA titles in all during his career).
    Who almost made the list? David Cone and Tom Glavine at 3.21, Curt Schilling at 3.31.
     
    2000s – Pedro Martinez was the American League ERA champion 3 times during the 2000s, and posted the lowest single-season earned run average in the decade with a 1.74 ERA in 2000. Johan Santana won the American League ERA title twice and led the National League in 2008. Randy Johnson and Jake Peavy each led the National League twice during the decade.
    Who almost made the list? Roger Clemens at 3.34, Roy Halladay at 3.40, Tim Hudson at 3.50.

    The Be st Team ERAs for Each Decade (1920s-1940s)
    192 0s
Pittsburgh Pirates
3.28
Philadelphia Athletics
3.54
New York Giants
3.66
New York Yankees
3.73
Brooklyn Dodgers
3.78
     
    1930s
New York Giants
3.60
Chicago Cubs
3.69
St. Louis Cardinals
3.83
Boston Braves
3.86
Pittsburgh Pirates
3.86
     
    1940s
St. Louis Cardinals
3.23
Chicago Cubs
3.32
New York Yankees
3.41
Cleveland Indians
3.49
Detroit Tigers
3.51
     
     
     
    The Pittsburgh Pirates posted the major leagues’ best team ERA during the 1920s, led by outstanding starting pitchers like Wilbur Cooper (left) and Ray Kremer.
     

    Dolf Luque led the National League twice in ERA. He was 27-8 with a 1.93 earned run average in 1923 for the Cincinnati Reds.
     
     
      Mort Cooper                                   Max Lanier
     
       
       Howie Pollett                                  Harry Brecheen
     
    The St. Louis Cardinals posted the best ERA among major league teams in the 1940s, leading the National League 6 times during the decade. The Cardinals had 4 individual ERA champions during the