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Originally Posted by Malleus Dei
I'll leave that to Gil Thorp and Rogmax11, because I clearly don't know how to put it into words that people can comprehend (witness the above). All I can really say is that he was almost transcendent when he was on. The nearest state to it I ever saw anyone reach was Hershiser in the 1988 World Series. Do you see Hershiser then? You KNEW what was going to happen. You could TELL.
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I was 3 years old in 1988, so while I may have seen it, I don't remember.
I will say, though, that Pedro did reach this level. In 1999, was there anyone ever more unhittable? The all-star game, where you knwe he was going to strike out the side. The relief appearance against the Indians in Game 5, the moment the bullpen door swung open, you KNEW it was over.
While I can't claim to have seen Koufax in that state, I can tell you now I have seen Pedro reach those heights. I have seen it. So have many others.
Also, I do understand how you feel about Sandy. Two of my all-time favorite baseball foibles are about him.
1) The great statement about Koufax: "It's as if he came down from a higher league." That speaks volumes. It wasn't just that he was good, it that he was too good to exist within the baseball world as it was currently known.
2) I've heard that many times batters used to walk away from Koufax, using the word "unfair." This is a word I use now, and I think it's incredibly profound. I told the first girl I ever loved that I found her, as a human being, "unfair." (Did this about 2 months ago...didn't turn out all to well lol) I interpret it to mean that to all us mortals, the very existence of this person in the same world as us cannot possibly be right. There is something fundamentally unfair about their very existence, they are too good.
So yes, I know what you mean, I think. And no, Pedro is not "unfair." So maybe you're right...