Why Cubs great Jenkins' career stats 'hard to even fathom' originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
It’s almost hard to believe the numbers Cubs Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins posted in his career.
Well, at least in the context of the modern game.
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“The stats back then are just kind of laughable when you compare it to pitching these days,” Cubs starter Drew Smyly said. “It's hard to even fathom how they did all that, how they managed those innings.
"It’s just a different game. It’s very impressive to stay that healthy and to just be that durable and that good for that long of a time. It’s wild.”
Starting pitchers’ innings are limited more than ever and ‘bullpening’ has become such a pronounced strategy across baseball in recent years.
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In 2019, the last full 162-game season before COVID-19, Justin Verlander led MLB with 223 innings pitched.
Jenkins routinely eclipsed that number in his career and did so easily. He averaged 243 innings in his 19 career seasons and pitched 300+ innings five times.
He made 36 or more starts 10 times, and his career-highs are 328 1/3 innings (1974) and 42 starts (1969).
The Cubs unveiled a statue in Jenkins' honor outside of Wrigley Field before Friday's game.
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“That's what stands out to me. I mean, those guys [in that era] didn’t come off the mound,” Cubs manager David Ross said, laughing.
Not only was Jenkins durable, but he was reliable. He won 20-plus games, a rare feat in today's game, in six straight seasons (1967-72).
“His streak of 20 straight wins, which is ridiculous," said Smyly of what comes to mind when he thinks of Jenkins' career.
"It’s something that will never happen again."
Racking up as many innings he did obviously meant Jenkins went the distance often. He threw 267 complete games in his career and 49 shutouts.
He ranks 11th and fourth in Cubs history in those two categories (154 complete games, 29 shutouts).
For reference, the Cubs have thrown 293 complete games since 1984 — the first year of Jenkins’ retirement.
“That's too bad, way too bad,” Jenkins said when asked about the way pitchers work now. “I don't think [teams] give them an opportunity to show what their ability is all about.”
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Ross was asked if he could even imagine a starter throwing 325 innings in the present day.
“Well, what I think about is what [Jenkins] might do to me if I had to take him out in the fourth or fifth,” Ross said with a smile.
“Can you imagine that? I'd like to hear his quotes on that.”
Five innings per start was the MLB average entering Friday.
So, what would Fergie do?
“I’d give [the ball] to him,” Jenkins said of Ross. “I never had a problem with managers taking from me.
“I used to give it to Leo [Durocher], [Don] Zimmer, Billy Martin, Bobby Hunter, Gene Mauch. If they wanted the ball, hand it to them.”
There you have it.
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