Sarris: Matt Cain, the Giants’ horse who changed pitching stats … twice
From SABR member Eno Sarris at The Athletic on September 27, 2017:
Matt Cain will always be The Horse. Maybe it’s not a nickname that will go down in the record books, maybe it’s not one his teammates used for him, but it is a nickname that puts his production with the Giants in focus.
He’ll retire Sunday 11th on the all-time Giants list in innings, but easily first in the free agency era, when starting pitchers have been used the way we’re used to seeing them used now. The righty put together eight years in which he averaged over 200 innings, during good times and bad times for the team. He threw the first perfect game in Giants history.
And yet … he lost more games than he won. That was part of his legacy, as well. There was even a #Cained hashtag for games in which he pitched well but the ‘pen or the lineup lost it for him.
Read the full article here (subscription required): https://theathletic.com/112361/2017/09/27/matt-cain-the-giants-horse-that-changed-baseball-stats-twice/
Originally published: September 27, 2017. Last Updated: September 27, 2017.