A pitching club more exclusive than perfect games
The Black Aces consist of African American 20-game winners
Dan Cichalski
@NJ_baseballIn 2007, former pitcher Jim ¡°Mudcat¡± Grant published a book that was part memoir, part baseball history, coining a term and founding a club in the process.
¡°The Black Aces: Baseball¡¯s Only African-American Twenty-Game Winners¡± recounts Grant¡¯s upbringing in Lacoochee, Fla., before looking back at notable pitchers in the Negro Leagues, the integration of the Major Leagues, and the 13 Black pitchers (to that point) who had won 20 games in a season in the American and National leagues.
Over nearly 500 pages, Grant and co-authors Tom Sabellico and Pat O¡¯Brien tell the stories of these hurlers (as well as highlighting 10 aces from the Negro Leagues).
¡°[T]he pitchers I have featured in this book were not only successful black pitchers, they were successful pitchers period!¡± Grant wrote in his introduction. ¡°They were incredible athletes, fierce competitors and highly accomplished professionals. In a sense, they lived with a separate and similar ¡®twoness¡¯ as both a ballplayer and as a black ballplayer. If I were writing this book about all twenty-game winners in the twentieth century, and the pitchers with the greatest impact on the game, these men would play a prominent part in it at any rate, without regard to their color.¡±
There are now 15 Black Aces, including those who have joined the club since the book¡¯s publication ¨C still fewer than the number of pitchers who have thrown perfect games. Here¡¯s a look back at them, in chronological order.
Don Newcombe: 1951 (20-9), 1955 (20-5), 1956 (27-7)
This Brooklyn Dodgers right-hander has a lot of firsts to his name: the first Black pitcher to start a World Series game (1949), the first Black 20-game winner (¡¯51), the first Cy Young Award winner (¡¯56) and, by extension, the first player to win a Rookie of the Year Award (which he had done in ¡¯49), Cy Young and MVP (which he also won in ¡¯56, making him the first to win the Cy-MVP double). When he won 20 games again in ¡¯55 and ¡¯56, became the first Black pitcher to do so in multiple seasons, all before another African American hurler would join him.
Sam Jones: 1959 (21-15)
A right-hander who pitched in the Negro Leagues, ¡°Toothpick¡± Jones ¨C so named for the wood clenched between his teeth and (probably) not for his 6-foot-4, 192-pound frame ¨C debuted with the Cleveland Indians in 1951. Behind the plate was another Negro League veteran, Quincy Trouppe, making the pair the first Black battery in the integrated American League. Seven years and two trades later, Jones became the first Black pitcher to strike out 200 batters in season when he fanned an MLB-best 225 while pitching for the Cardinals. Dealt to the Giants the following spring, Jones had another strong season, leading the NL with 21 wins, a 2.83 ERA and four shutouts and striking out 209.
Jim ¡°Mudcat¡± Grant: 1965 (21-7)
The third pitcher to win 20 games ¨C by a week ¨C Grant was the first to do it in the AL, 14 years after Don Newcombe first did it in the NL. His 21 wins, .750 winning percentage and six shutouts for the Twins led the AL. He made his second of two All-Star teams in his career and finished sixth in AL MVP voting ¨C but got no Cy Young Award votes (before 1970, voters only named one pitcher, and Sandy Koufax was unanimous in ¡¯65).
Bob Gibson: 1965 (20-12), 1966 (21-12), 1968 (22-9), 1969 (20-13), 1970 (23-7)
Eight days after Mudcat Grant won his 20th in 1965, Gibson secured his. One of the top three pitchers of the ¡¯60s ¨C seriously, you try to pick one from this group ¨C the future Hall of Famer dominated the decade. He was part of three Cardinals pennant winners and two World Series champions, winning Series MVP both times (only the second player to do so). He surpassed Don Newcombe with five seasons of 20-plus wins, posting three of them consecutively. And when he struck out his 3,000th batter in 1974, Gibson was not only the first Black pitcher to reach that mark, he was just the second overall, after Walter Johnson had inaugurated the club 51 years earlier.
Earl Wilson: 1967 (22-11)
A converted catcher, Wilson was the first Black pitcher for the Red Sox, making his debut on July 28, 1959. Three years later, he became the first Black hurler to throw a no-hitter, blanking the Angels at Fenway Park. He homered in the 2-0 victory, becoming just the third pitcher to go deep in his own no-hitter. Wilson was traded to the Tigers during the 1966 season, when he won 18 games. A year later, he got to 20 with a complete-game win over the A¡¯s on Sept. 6 ¨C three weeks before the next pitcher on this list won 20 for the first time.
Fergie Jenkins: 1967 (20-13), 1968 (20-15), 1969 (21-15), 1970 (22-16), 1971 (24-13), 1972 (20-12), 1974 (25-12)
The premier ace of the Black Aces, the Hall of Famer¡¯s seven seasons of 20 or more wins are tied for third (with Bob Lemon) since integration behind Warren Spahn¡¯s 13 and Jim Palmer¡¯s eight. Jenkins leads all Black pitchers with 284 career victories and only Newcombe won more in a season when he went 27-7 in ¡¯56. With an 82.2 bWAR from pitching alone, Jenkins edges Bob Gibson to lead in that category, too (though Gibson edges ahead when factoring in hitting WAR). Jenkins ranks 24th all-time, according to Baseball Reference, with Pedro Martinez the only non-white pitcher ahead of him. After posting six 20-win seasons with the Cubs, Jenkins¡¯ last one was with the Rangers, making him the only pitcher on this list to accomplish the feat with two teams.
Vida Blue: 1971 (24-8), 1973 (20-9), 1975 (22-11)
It wasn¡¯t until 1967 that a Cy Young Award winner was determined for each league, and 1971 was the first year that a Black pitcher won both. With Fergie Jenkins winning in the NL, the 21-year-old Blue took the AL award (and AL MVP as well) in a 9.0-WAR season that saw him go 24-8 for the A¡¯s with 301 strikeouts, a 1.82 ERA, eight shutouts and an 0.95 WHIP ¨C the last three all leading the league. If he hadn¡¯t exhausted his rookie eligibility in 1970, he almost certainly would¡¯ve won that in ¡¯71, too (Cleveland¡¯s Chris Chambliss won it after hitting .275 with nine homers and 48 RBIs in just 111 games for a 0.5 WAR). Blue also holds another distinction: He¡¯s the most recent switch-hitter to win AL MVP, at least through the 2024 season.
Al Downing: 1971 (20-9)
When Downing shut out the Braves, 2-0, in Atlanta on Sept. 24, 1971, he became the third Black 20-game winner that year, joining Fergie Jenkins and Vida Blue (whose 20th win way back on Aug. 7 got him into the Black Aces before Downing). Through 2024, Black pitchers have won 20 or more 31 times, and 14 of those instances occurred from 1965-71, with ¡¯66 the only season without two Black pitchers doing it (Gibson was the only one). The ¡¯71 season was Downing¡¯s first ¨C and best ¨C with the Dodgers, featuring a 2.98 ERA in a career-high 262 1/3 innings. He finished third behind Jenkins and Tom Seaver in NL Cy Young voting, and placed 10th in NL MVP balloting.
J.R. Richard: 1976 (20-15)
A towering presence on the mound at 6-foot-8, 222 pounds, Richard was the second overall pick in the 1969 Draft by the Astros. After struggling to find his footing during his first five seasons, he broke out in ¡¯76 at the age of 26, winning 20 games with a 2.75 ERA (his first under 4.00) and 214 strikeouts. He became the first NL right-hander in the Modern Era to fan 300 when he whiffed 303 in ¡¯78, then followed that up with 313 K¡¯s the next season. From 1976-80, Richard¡¯s 1,163 strikeouts were second only to Nolan Ryan¡¯s 1,351. That gap would¡¯ve been narrower had Richard¡¯s career not ended on July 30, 1980 ¨C three weeks after he started his only All-Star Game ¨C when he suffered a stroke while warming up before a game.
Mike Norris: 1980 (22-9)
Born in San Francisco, this right-hander played his entire career across the bay with the A¡¯s. Like J.R. Richard, he struggled in his first five seasons, never winning more than five games or posting an ERA below 4.77. Then in 1980, a 25-year-old Norris put it all together for one outstanding season: a .710 winning percentage, with a 2.53 ERA, 24 complete games and 180 strikeouts in 284 1/3 innings. He finished second to Baltimore¡¯s Steve Stone for the AL Cy Young Award and won the first of his two Gold Gloves. In ¡¯81, Norris made his only All-Star appearance and won his second Gold Glove award, but never was able to repeat his success after that. He went a combined 11-16 with a 4.41 ERA from 1982-83, then pitched a total of just 156 2/3 innings in the Minor Leagues from 1984-89 before a 14-game comeback as a reliever with the A¡¯s in ¡¯90.
Dwight Gooden: 1985 (24-4)
Like Vida Blue, Doctor K burst onto the scene as a young phenom. After winning NL Rookie of the Year at the age of 19 in 1984, the Mets right-hander followed it up with a Cy Young season. His 1.53 ERA is still the lowest qualifying mark since the mound was lowered following Bob Gibson¡¯s 1.12 in ¡¯68. In addition to wins and ERA, Gooden led MLB with a 12.2 bWAR and 268 strikeouts and paced the NL with 276 2/3 innings and 16 complete games. While he would win at least 15 games four more times (including 18 in ¡¯88 and 19 in ¡¯90), Gooden struck out 200 only two more times and never again led the league in any of the major categories.
Dave Stewart: 1987 (20-13), 1988 (21-12), 1989 (21-9), 1990 (22-11)
The ace of an A¡¯s dynasty, Stewart¡¯s four consecutive 20-win seasons overlap with three AL West championships (1988-90) that led to three World Series and one title (1989). His 84 victories are 21.7 percent of the A¡¯s total in that span and eight more than any other pitcher (Roger Clemens and Bob Welch each won 76). Despite his reliability and consistency, Stewart made only one All-Star team (in ¡¯89, the only one of his career) and finished third, fourth, second and third in AL Cy Young Award voting. The 1990 season was Stewart¡¯s best as a starter by many measures ¨C wins, ERA (2.56), shutouts (four), WHIP (1.16) and bWAR (5.2) ¨C but Welch¡¯s 27 wins won him the Cy Young, with Clemens (and his 10.2 bWAR) placing second. As of this writing, Stewart is the most recent Black Ace with multiple 20-win seasons and the most recent right-hander.
Dontrelle Willis: 2005 (22-10)
A lanky lefty with a funky delivery, Willis grew up in the Bay Area a fan of the A¡¯s and Dave Stewart in particular, so it¡¯s fitting that he would join his idol in the Black Aces as the first of the 21st century. After winning NL Rookie of the Year and the World Series with the Marlins in 2003, going 14-6 with a 3.30 ERA, Willis had a down year in ¡¯04 (10-11, 4.02 ERA). But he bounced back a year later, posting career bests in wins, ERA (2.63), complete games (seven), shutouts (five), innings (236 1/3), strikeouts (170), WHIP (1.13) and home run rate (an MLB-best 0.4 per nine innings). He finished second to St. Louis¡¯ Chris Carpenter for the NL Cy Young Award.
CC Sabathia: 2010 (21-7)
After winning the AL Cy Young Award with Cleveland in 2007 and carrying the Brewers to the playoffs after a midseason trade in ¡¯08 (he went 11-2 with seven complete games and three shutouts in 17 starts with Milwaukee), Sabathia joined the Black Aces in his second season with the Yankees ¨C and three years after Mudcat Grant¡¯s book was published. Over his 19-year career, the third Black Ace to be elected to the Hall of Fame averaged 15 wins per season and had three 19-win campaigns. Coming up in the Cleveland organization ¨C where Grant pitched for six-plus seasons before a trade to the Twins ¨C gave Sabathia a chance to meet the trailblazer at 18.
¡°I didn¡¯t understand what it meant to win 20 games as a Black starting pitcher,¡± Sabathia told MLB.com after his election to the Hall of Fame. ¡°[Grant] made sure that I understood what that would mean. He made sure I got to be that 20-game winner. I¡¯m very appreciative of having him in my life and my career. I was happy I was able to fulfill this dream that he put in front of me to be a Black Ace.¡±
David Price: 2012 (20-5)
As the first overall pick in the 2007 Draft, Price may have been destined to be a Black Ace. His MLB debut came a year later, when he made one start and four relief appearances in September for the Rays ¨C then came out of the bullpen five more times in the postseason as Tampa Bay reached its first World Series. Price won 19 games in 2010 ¨C just missing a chance to join Sabathia in the Black Aces that season ¨C then posted a career year two years later, going 20-5 with a 2.56 ERA on his way to the AL Cy Young Award. He won 15 or more games six times in a 14-year career.