Yesterday the inaugural Anthony Young award was handed out to the National League’s worst starting pitcher. But while there were some pretty lousy hurlers in the NL in 2006, they simply could not hope to compete with the American League bunch. I mean parents with small children should not allow them to see the numbers at the end of this list. They can scar a fan for life.

Consequently, I also warn that the fans of a certain team probably should either seek mental help or a lawyer to compensate them for damages soon. It really isn’t right that anyone has to root for that bunch.

Finally before we get underway, there were three near misses I feel I should point out. First a pair of Orioles; Adam Loewen and Bruce Chen. Lowen missed the cut because he struck out a lot of hitters (7.85) and had a fair GB/FB ratio (1.58). Chen missed out because he was horribly unlucky with a .344 BABIP and a 17.4 HR/FB %. For a guy who struck out 6.39 per nine that was way too high.

Finally Jason Johnson. He was awful for Boston but it seems as though he was not one for luck either, with a .351 BABIP, something that directly correlates with the fact Cleveland (where he threw most of his innings) had one of the worst defenses in baseball. His 2.55 GB/FB ratio allowed him to escape the dregs of this top ten.

All three would have made the National League. But here, they fall just short.

Note: I should have said yesterday, but thanks to FanGraphs.com for the info. And to clarify, average BABIP is .290 and HR/FB is 10%.

10. Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox, 33 games, 33 starts

Stats: 204.2 IP, 16-11, 5.01 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 6.95 K/9, 2.15 K/BB, 1.58 HR/9, 1.20 GB/FB, .270 BABIP, 15.4% HR/FB

The Skinny: Beckett was luckier than normal in BABIP but was about as unlucky as you can get with home runs. Despite the fact that his GB/FB ratio remained the same, and he moved to one of the best homer suppressing parks in the majors, his HR/FB went from 8.2% in 2005 to 15.4% this year. It almost doubled. That aien’t normal.

However, his strikeout rate dropped and his K/BB fell beyond the acceptable rate for a pitcher who is neutral GB/FB at best. For those who think a bounce back 2007 is a sure thing; be careful. Not only did his peripherals decline in 2006, but he crossed the 200 innings threshold for the first time. Often that can take a toll on a pitcher’s arm, especially one who’s never thrown that many before because of injuries.

Yet, Beckett was probably the second best pitcher on the Sox seeing as Tim Wakefield was injured the entire second half. And people wonder why Boston missed the postseason.

9. Randy Johnson, New York Yankees, 33 games, 33 starts

Stats: 205.0 IP, 17-11, 5.00 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 7.55 K/9, 2.87 K/BB, 1.24 HR/9, .98 GB/FB, .290 BABIP, 10.8% HR/FB

The Skinny: Some pitchers suffer from bad luck which makes a bad season look horrible. Randy Johnson’s terrible 2006 was the result of many things, declining peripherals, injuries and age; but bad luck was nowhere to be found.

Now for a guy with those peripherals a 5.00 ERA doesn’t look right, but we see that his BABIP was right at the average and his HR/FB is very slightly above normal. A closer inspection shows that he stranded just 61.8% of base runners this year. Think about that; nearly forty percent of the guys who reached base against the Unit scored. That is what losing three strikeouts per game from just two years ago can do to you.

Unfortunately for the Yankees, this problem looks like age. That is something neither surgery nor pitching coach Ron Guidry can fix.

8. Carlos Silva, Minnesota Twins, 36 games, 31 starts

Stats: 180.1 IP, 11-15, 5.94 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 3.49 K/9, 2.19 K/BB, 1.90 HR/9, 1.28 GB/FB, .322 BABIP, 16.1% HR/FB

The Skinny: Only Chien Ming Wang pitches more to contact than Carlos Silva. One big difference: Wang induces many, many ground balls. As a result, he doesn’t give up home runs and gets lots of double plays. Silva does give up home runs and doesn’t get a lot of twin killings. (Actually not true; he killed the Twins plenty in 2006)

Which is why while his .322 BABIP and 16.1% HR/FB ratio are a bit of bad luck, I won’t chalk it up to that entirely. Silva’s stuff just isn’t that good, so the fact he’s surrendering that many hits and home runs are likely part testament to that as well.

The Twins just brought Silva back for another season at 4.35 million dollars. I know he’s a major leaguer who had a solid 2005, but that was when he had control that not even Greg Maddux in his prime was touching. (.43 BB/9!) That’s not happening again, so the Twins probably could have invested that money better elsewhere.

7. John Koronka, Texas Rangers, 23 games, 23 starts

Stats: 125.0 IP, 7-7, 5.69 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 4.39 K/9, 1.31 K/BB, 1.22 HR/9, 1.10 GB/FB, .291 BABIP, 10.1% HR/FB

The Skinny: Ameriquest Field doesn’t make things easy on pitchers. But when you’re a predominantly fly ball pitcher who strikes out less than five batters per nine and walks nearly as many, you’re not exactly making things easy on yourself either.

For Koronka, he was right at the averages for BABIP and HR/FB%. His lousy season is completely attributed to his lousy stuff and even lousier control.

See, there comes a point and time when you can’t blame the ball park for everything. The Rangers, like the Rockies, have thrown their hands up in the air and said “We have a hitter’s park so we just can’t find pitchers!” (By the way, whose fault is it that you have a hitter’s park?) Then they throw out guys like Koronka and it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

If you were the Rangers or Rockies, ground ball pitchers are the way to go. Jake Westbrook, Wang, heck, even low end options like Jason Johnson or Jamey Wright. They’re a better choice than putting out fly ball pitchers who can’t strike anyone out.

But hey, what do I know? I’m just an idiot blogger, right? Lord knows I wouldn’t be smart enough to throw big contracts at Chan Ho Park and Kevin Millwood.

Nope, not smart enough.

6. Joel Pineiro, Seattle Mariners, 40 games, 25 starts

Stats: 165.2 IP, 8-13, 6.36 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 4.73 K/9, 1.36 K/BB, 1.25 HR/9, 1.63 GB/FB, .329 BABIP, 13.4% HR/FB

The Skinny: This is a case where I actually was not smart. I apparently missed the memo when Pineiro went from hyped prospect to complete and utter bust. That’s why I drafted him on my fantasy team in 2005 and why I actually suggested the Mets trade for him in the same year.

Well the Mets probably could have him now, but unless he’s going to be filling out their AAA roster, I’d rather not see it.

Piniero was unlucky considering his GB/FB ratio is solid, but again, his low K rate and K/BB didn’t do him any favors. Plus he did have the benefit at pitching half his games at Safeco Field. So don’t feel too sorry for him.

Still, I’m guessing he ends up on someone’s opening day roster next season. Former top prospects don’t die, they just fade away, ever so sloooooooowly.

5. Seth McClung, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 39 games, 15 starts

Stats: 103.0 IP, 6-12, 6/7 SV, 6.29 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 5.16 K/9, .87 K/BB, 1.59 HR/9, .87 GB/FB, .314 BABIP, 9.2% HR/FB

The Skinny: Proof the AL’s worst pitchers obliterate the NL guys: I made fun of Steve Trachsel yesterday for walking one less batter than he struck out. Well McClung had that beat; he walked nine more than he struck out.

Eventually, it got so bad the D-Rays yanked him from the rotation after 15 starts and sent him to the minors. The plan was to turn him into a closer and he was eventually brought back. 6/7 in save chances proves nothing however and his hold on that role is about as certain as his ability to throw strikes. (Read: not very)

Coming into this season, I was high on Tampa’s young arms. As it turns out, only Scott Kazmir proved himself to be worth a major league roster spot.

4. Casey Fossum, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 25 games, 25 starts

Stats: 130.0 IP, 6-6, 5.33 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 6.09 K/9, 1.40 K/BB, 1.25 HR/9, 1.40 GB/FB, .271 BABIP, 13.0% HR/FB

The Skinny: Again, only Kazmir proved himself worthy of a roster spot.

Of course, Fossum’s stuff makes him tantalizing since a lefty who can strike out over six batters per nine should have a role as at least a lefty specialist right? Well that might be all Fossum will be in the bigs because at the age of 28, he will likely never turn it around. His K/9 dropped to under 7.00 for the first time in years and his control actually got declined. That’s pretty much the worse combination you can get. The only redeeming quality is that he went from a fly ball pitcher to a neutral one, but he’ll need to become an extreme ground ball one if he wants to start.

Since that’s probably not happening, someone should turn him into a reliever. We’ll see if it occurs this off season, though I doubt it. Either the Rays or someone else will give him the chance to start because he’s a lefty with above average stuff.

3. Mark Redman, Kansas City Royals, 29 games, 29 starts

Stats: 167.0 IP, 11-10, 5.71 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 4.10 K/9, 1.21 K/BB, 1.02 HR/9, 1.25 GB/FB, .300 BABIP, 9.4% HR/FB

The Skinny: The All Star. Yes an American League all star was the third worst pitcher in his league the same season he was on the team. If that doesn’t make a mockery of the selection process and the fact this thing decides home field advantage in the World Series, I don’t know what does.

If it’s any consolation to Redman, he wasn’t the worst pitcher on the Royals. I suppose that’s an accomplishment. However, when league average BABIP and HR/FB % produces a 5.71 ERA, it’s an accomplishment to somehow pitch worse than that.

But apparently possible. Let’s just say it’s going to be a “regal” finish.

2. Runelvys Hernandez, Kansas City Royals, 21 games, 21 starts

Stats: 109.2 IP, 6-10, 6.48 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 4.10 K/9, 1.04 K/BB, 1.81 HR/9, 1.01 GB/FB, .322 BABIP, 14.6% HR/FB

The Skinny: Two Royals in the top three? To steal from Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green; that’s why “They were what we thought we were!!!” (But wait it gets better, I promise)

And yet, the Tigers somehow managed to get swept by them the last weekend of the season. Yeah, I have no idea how the Cardinals ever stood a chance against a team that was two weeks removed from losing three straight to the Royals. Greatest miracle in sports history.

So on to the man whose name makes me glad I write, not broadcast. There isn’t anything redeeming about him. I guess if he had normal luck his ERA would have been a more respectable 5.50. That would have made all the difference in Kansas City’s season. Really it would have. (This is why luck is a factor but not everything)

Besides I wanted to use this spot for saying that when the Chicago Bears get waxed by some NFC team in January, someone will look back and say: “well they almost got beat by the Cardinals; we should have seen this coming.”

No, you just shouldn’t make assumptions come the postseason. On any given day, even the Royals can be the best baseball team in Missouri.

1. Scott Elarton, Kansas City Royals, 20 games, 20 starts

Stats: 114.2 IP, 4-9, 5.34 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 3.85 K/9, .94 K/BB, 2.04 HR/9, .56 GB/FB, .249 BABIP, 12.7% HR/FB

The Skinny: A clean sweep! The Royals seize the top three spots. Even for a bad team this is an accomplishment. It’s one thing to get two guys into the top ten, but to get three in the top three spots; that is not easy. Allard Baird, I have no idea why you got canned.

As for Elarton, you can see by the peripherals how Royals pitchers go from horrifically bad, historically bad to legendary levels of ineptness. In short, Elarton makes Jason Marquis look like Chris Carpenter.

In long, he walks more batters than he strikes out and strikes out less than four guys per nine. Groundballs come less frequently than wins do for Elarton; and given his peripherals it’s amazing he actually won a game in 2006.

But if you look at the numbers you realize Elarton was probably the luckiest pitcher in baseball. Despite striking no one out and falling behind everyone in the count, he had a BABIP that was forty one points below league average. Then he got hurt and missed the rest of the year, which meant that never got a chance to even out his BABIP allowing his ERA to approach 7.00.

So, in what turned out to be a rout (as often happens when he pitches), Scott Elarton wins the inaugural Anthony Young award for the American League. And as a reward for his success, he gets come back to pitch another season in Kansas City at four million bucks a season because Mr. Baird decided to hand him a two year contract before 2006 off a season where his ERA was a paltry 4.81. Brilliant. Like I said, KC fans, seek legal counsel.

Oh and the Red Sox just made Baird their assistant General Manager. That, more than anything else, proves Theo Epstein or whoever is running the Sox is losing their mind.

Tomorrow we wrap up the 2006 baseball season with teams; the first team MLB and worst team MLB. I’m guessing my first team will somehow beat John Kruk’s that has Nick Swisher in right field and Sean Casey at first base, but we’ll find out tomorrow.

The Homer Bush Award (LVP): National League, American League

The Anthony Young Award: National League