Expert: Tony Hutchens - 3/9/2001

Question
cleveland had 4 20 game winners in one season (wynn, feller, garcia, and lemon).  the orioles also did it with palmer, mcnally, cuellar (spelling dont count), and ? this probably was in the late 60s?
oakland also did it (i think) in the 70s.  they had hunter, holtzman, blue and ?
this is driving me nuts?  help!!!!!!!
ps:  how many times has there been 4 20 game winners in one season on one team?
thank you VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!


Answer
Hello Bob,

  Only twice in the history of major league baseball has one team fielded four twenty game winners the same season. The first time it happened was in 1920 when the Chicago White Sox done it the year after the famous "Black Sox Scandal" in which several teammates accepted bribes to throw the 1919 World Series. Red Faber won 23 games, Lefty Williams won 22, Dickie Kerr won 21, and Eddie Cicotte won 21.

  The Orioles became the only other team to do it in 1971 when Dave McNally won 21 and Mike Cuellar, Jim Palmer, and Pat Dobson each won 20.

  Cleveland came close in 1951 as Bob Feller won 22, Mike Garcia won 20 and Early Wynn won 20 but Bob Lemon only won 17 that year. Ironically, that was the only season between 1950 and 1954 in which Lemon failed to reach 20 wins.

  Oakland also had three 20 game winners in 1973 when Catfish Hunter won 21, Ken Holtzman won 21, and Vida Blue won 20. However, no other teammate won more than 7 games that season.