Los Angeles Dodgers: Fifty greatest Dodgers of all-time (45-41)
By Jason Reed
42. RHP Van Mungo (25.3 WAR)
Stats: 1739.1 IP, 102-99, 3.47 ERA, 1031 K’s, 4x All-Star
Another old name on this list, at number 42 we see right-handed pitcher Van Mungo checking in. Mungo played much more recently than Pinkley did, playing for the Dodgers throughout the 1930’s. A four-time All-Star with the Dodgers, Mungo played in a dry spell for the Dodgers when they failed to win a single pennant for 21 years – their longest drought until their current one.
Overall, Mungo’s numbers don’t really shout out as amazing when looking at them. Quite frankly, I do not know how Mungo ranked above other guys on this list, especially pitchers Tommy John and Kevin Brown who made the last edition of this list. His numbers are solid, but they don’t jump out as special.
The only real thing to explain why his Wins Above Replacement is higher is due to the level of play in his era. Pitchers were not as talented in the 1930’s as they were in the 1970’s or the 1990’s. Because of the reduced talent of replacement level guys, Mungo’s sabermetric numbers become inflated over other guys’.
Still, Mungo did have a solid career for the Dodgers and had some nice seasons along the way. In 1933 he has as low as a 2.72 ERA in 248 innings pitched. In 1936 he struck out 238 batters in 311.2 innings, making him the only pitcher that season to strike out 200 or more batters.