Review of a Decade; Part II

Four players captured the magic of the first decade like nobody else. Their names are universally recognized. Their skills are otherworldly. Quite simply, they are Sharkey's World.

Of course, we're talking about Nicholas Bryant, Dennys Shin, Christopher Ramirez, and Billy Hernandez.

During these 10 seasons, these four played 38 full ML seasons (Hernandez & Ramirez started season 1 in the minors). They played for six teams (Kansas City, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Trenton, Pawtucket & Texas). And they won, a lot.

That's what seperates these four from the rest. In the first 10 years of this world, every single world series game played featured at least one (and often times two or three) of these players.

World Series I: Shin & Bryant win. (KC)
World Series II: Hernandez wins. (Texas)
World Series III: Shin & Bryant win. (KC)
World Series IV: Ramirez defeats Shin & Bryant. (Paw over KC)
World Series V: Shin & Bryant defeat Ramirez. (KC over Paw)
World Series VI: Shin & Bryant defeat Hernandez. (KC over Texas)
World Series VII: Hernandez loses. (Texas)
World Series VIII: Ramirez wins. (Paw)
World Series IX: Shin & Bryant win. (Jax)
World Series X: Ramirez wins. (Charlotte)

Hernandez played in 3 series with one team. Ramirez played in four with two teams. Shin & Bryant each played in six series with two teams.

That's an astounding 19 league pennants & 14 World Series rings between four first ballot hall of famers.

And unbelievably, that's not their most impressive stat.

Here's a list of things these four also combined on.

3,733 hits.
3,019 runs.
618 doubles.
673 home runs.
2,274 RBIs.
1,237 stolen bases.
712 regular season starts.
136 complete games.
42 shutouts.
420 wins.
137 losses.
5,107 innings pitched.
4,183 strike outs.

#2 all-time at bats.
#4 all-time batting average.
#2 all-time doubles.
#3 all-time games played.
#1 all-time hits.
#1 all-time home runs.
#4 all-time intentional walks.
#1 all-time OBP.
#3 all-time OPS.
#1 all-time plate appearances.
#3 all-time RBIs w/ 2 outs.
#1 & #3 all-time runs scored.
#1 all-time RBIs.
#1 & #2 all-time runs created.
#1 & #4 all-time runs created per 27 outs.
#5 all-time sacrifice hits.
#1 & #2 all-time secondary average.
#1 all-time slugging percentage.
#1 all-time SB%.
#1 all-time stolen bases.
#1 & #4 all-time triples.
#1 & #3 all-time walks.

#2 & #3 all-time batters faced.
#1 & #4 all-time batters GIDP.
#1 all-time batting average allowed.
#1 all-time complete games.
#2 all-time ERA.
#1 & #3 all-time games started.
#1 & #2 all-time innings pitched.
#2 & #3 all-time pitches thrown.
#1 all-time pitches thrown per game.
#1 all-time OBP.
#1 & #2 all-time quality starts.
#1 & #4 all-time shutouts.
#1 all-time slugging percentage.
#2 all-time K/9.
#2 all-time K-to-BB ratio.
#1 & #3 all-time strikeouts.
#1 all-time whip.
#1 & #2 all-time winning percentage.
#1 & #2 all-time wins.

1 Rookie of the Year.
3 Gold Gloves.
1 All Star Game MVP.
2 Home Run Derby Championships.
14 Silver Slugger Awards.
31 All Star Game Appearances.
5 League MVPs.
12 Cy Young Awards.

Quite clearly, these four players owned the decade.

So it should come as no surprise that they are the four recipients of the Decade One AL MVP (Nicholas Bryant), NL MVP (Billy Hernandez), AL Cy Young (Dennys Shin) and NL Cy Young (Christopher Ramirez) awards.

Three of them are also First Team All Decade, but we'll get to that next week.