Laurila: Bob Tewksbury’s notes on the 1992 Cubs
From SABR member David Laurila at FanGraphs on July 10, 2013:
Bob Tewksbury had a lot of success in 1992. Pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals, the right-hander went 16-5 with a 2.16 ERA. A control artist, he walked 20 batters in 233 innings.
He had less success against the Chicago Cubs. In five starts, he allowed 18 runs — 14 of them earned — in 34 innings. Andre Dawson, Mark Grace and Ryne Sandberg went a combined 26 for 65, with 10 extra-base hits, against him.
Tewksbury knows why he struggled against the Cubs, and why he had success against the rest of the National League. The internet age was still a few years away, but notebooks weren’t. Tewksbury logged scouting and statistical information after every game he pitched.
Tewksbury still has the notebook. Within its pages is a sheet that breaks down key facets of his 1992 season. He faced 876 batters and threw first-pitch strikes to 559 of them. He ultimately retired 80% of those hitters. When the first pitch was put in play, he recorded 121 outs and allowed 52 hits. Of the 2,809 pitches he threw that season, 69% were strikes and 64% were fastballs.
Read the full article here: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/tewksburys-notebook-notes-on-the-cubs-1992/
Originally published: July 10, 2013. Last Updated: July 10, 2013.