Download or read book Charmed Circle written by Mel R. Freese and published by McFarland. This book was released on 1997-01-01 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since 1901, over 5,600 pitchers have toed the rubber in baseball's major leagues. Of them only 369 have won 20 or more games in a single season. (Only 168 of those to win 20 games have been able to repeat the feat, further illustrating how difficult it is to reach that plateau.) Season by season, this reference work documents major league 20-game winners from 1901 through the 1996 season (including the Federal League 1914-1915). A brief synopsis of each pitcher's season is provided, along with his complete pitching statistics. Some of the pitchers who won 20 games were all-time greats, but, interestingly, many were journeymen who had one great season. The work also shows the changes in the game, from the deadball era when pitching dominated to the present when the lively ball has made the 20-game winner even rarer than before.