Larry Lasalle - Steve Nebraska Golden Arm winner 1999

[Fat Nige]

Larry looked a bit special when he first got a September call-up to the MBBA in 1994 and in 1999 he finally delivered.

Entering 1999 Larry had made 140 MBBA starts going 60-43 with his 3.89 ERA in 1996 being his highest season mark; he also had logged over 230 innings pitched in each of his four full seasons, had averaged over 200 K's each season while his highest season free pass total was 44. Every year Larry, now the Monarchs Ace, had shouldered a bigger and bigger burden and was primed for breakout, after getting his name on 16 pitching stat leaderboards, leading the league in complete games and ground-ball percentage.


Larry's first two starts in 1999 yielded 17 innings pitched, two wins and a miserly 0.53 ERA, by the end of April he'd given up just three runs in 35 innings on the mound and had the JL pitcher of the month award on his mantlepiece. As June drew to a close he was approaching God status in Baltimore - his record stood at 10-3 with an ERA a shade over 2.00, he had already equalled his career high complete game record (10) and he was five strikeouts away from the landmark of 1,000 K's after just 4 1/2 years in the rotation. This was reached against Valencia on June 22nd in the bottom of the seventh when Aiden McNamara became his 1,000th victim.

July brought his first All-Star appearance and by the mid-point of the season he had a new career high for complete games (14), had pitched 153 innings, walked just 19 hitters while giving up 32 earned runs and owned a 1.88 ERA. In August he tied his season high mark for wins with 17 but suddenly the wheels came off. Through the back end of the month and the whole of September he only won two more games and finished the regular season with a 19-10 record, one win shy of his first ever 20-win season after winning just one of his final five games. Worse was to follow as the Monarchs crashed out in the first round of the play-offs with Larry going 0-2 in his two starts, pitching just nine innings and gave up 20 hits, 12 runs and owning an 11.57 ERA.

Despite that failure it was Larry's year. He had career highs in wins (19), innings pitched (272), K's (239), complete games (14), groundball percentage (71.3%) and quality starts (24, 70.6%). His regular season ERA was just 2.35, he only gave up 71 earned runs, 33 free passes and 0.36 homers per nine.

1999 was Larry's defining year, will the next millennium bring the rest of his expected stellar career?

Larry Lasalle 1999 Steve Nebraska Golden Arm Award Winner

[scottsdale_joe]

Great year.
Many more to come, I suspect.

[KCCardinalFan]

Might get his 100th victory this season as well.

[recte44]

30 years old so Larry's chances of 300 wins are non-existant, but he could win 200.

[Fat Nige]

Larry reached the MBBA too late really but if he pitches another five years or so 200 isn't without a chance. The main barrier to that could be the huge amount of innings he eats, if he keeps logging over 250 a season the wear and tear on his arm might end his career early

[braveheart]

30 years old so Larry's chances of 300 wins are non-existant, but he could win 200.

Even that will be tough.

[Fat Nige]

So he did fall six wins short of 200 in the end but 194 wins in just 411 appearances is good in any book. He also pitched 109 complete games out of 386 starts