Whenever Kevin Brown's name is mentioned when Sox fans are comparing the Sox and Yanks rotations, I see that a lot of the time they will just dismiss Brown as if it is a fact that he'll get hurt. This is a Big Mistake, IMO. I don't know why Brown hasn't gotten the props of the Pedro's, Schilling's and Johnson's, because he sure deserves it. In 7 of the last 8 seasons Brown has had an ERA of 3 or lower. I haven't done the research but probably the only other pitcher you'll find with that is Pedro (seven straight season with an ERA below 2.90), and of those 7 seasons Brown has accomplished the feat, he's pitched over 210 innings six times and 230+ IPs five times. Now, he probably isn't capable of 230 anymore, but he DID pitch 211 last year. That is more than Pedro. More than Lowe. More than Schilling, although he was out. More than Wakefield. To go with it, he had a 2.39 ERA and was actually slightly better on the Road than Pitchers Paradise Park a.k.a. Dodger Stadium.
Here is a comparison of Brown and Schilling since 1996 using the two most valuable stats when evaluating starting pitchers: IPs and ERA.
Kevin Brown
1996: 32 GS, 233 IP, 1.89 ERA
1997: 33 GS, 237 IP, 2.69 ERA
1998: 35 GS, 257 IP, 2.38 ERA
1999: 35 GS, 252 IP, 3.00 ERA
2000: 33 GS, 230 IP, 2.58 ERA
2001: 19 GS, 116 IP, 2.65 ERA
2002: 10 GS, 64 IP, 4.81 ERA
2003: 32 GS, 211 IP, 2.39 ERA
Curt Schilling
1996: 26 GS, 183 IP, 3.19 ERA
1997: 35 GS, 254 IP, 2.97 ERA
1998: 35 GS, 269 IP, 3.25 ERA
1999: 24 GS, 180 IP, 3.54 ERA
2000: 29 GS, 210 IP, 3.81 ERA
2001: 35 GS, 257 IP, 2.98 ERA
2002: 35 GS, 259 IP, 3.23 ERA
2003: 24 GS, 168 IP, 2.95 ERA
NOTE: IP totals rounded off.
I was actually shocked when I made this comparison... not only has Kevin Brown been much more dominant, but he's also been able to match a bonifide workhorse like Schilling inning-for-inning. A lot of people like to look at 2001-2002 and kind of brush off the fact that he did start 32 games last year, he did have 211 IPs and he did have the 3rd best ERA in the majors. He is easily a Top 5 pitcher when he is healthy. Overlooking him may comeback to slap some Sox fans in the face, because quite frankly - He's nasty, and he's a competitor. Vazquez is another not to overlook - 231 IP with a 3.24 ERA last season.. along with 241 K's. A lot of people like to talk about his 13-12 record but ignore the fact that he was 111th in run support last year... that is NO JOKE.
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I've kind have been brushing him off as doomed for another injury, kind of like Ken Griffey Jr. Hopefully in his age he'll be losing his stuff, but I doubt it. Amid the whole A-rod thing, Brown and Vadge have been pushed to the backburner, so we've almost forgotten about them.
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