Who had the best career ERA Min 500 innings pitched since 1900?

Answer 1

Here's the all-time list as of the start of the 2008 season:

CAREER

MODERN (1900-)

INNINGS PITCHED >= 500

ERA ERA IP

1 Ed Walsh 1.82 2965

2 Addie Joss 1.89 2327.1

3 Jack Pfiester 2.02 1067.2

4 Joe Wood 2.03 1437.1

5 Three Finger Brown 2.06 3172.1

6 Rube Waddell 2.13 2868.1

7 Christy Mathewson 2.13 4780.1

8 Walter Johnson 2.17 5914.2

9 Glenn Liebhardt 2.19 612.1

10 Cy Young 2.19 3634.1

11 Jake Weimer 2.23 1473

12 Orval Overall 2.23 1535

13 Bill James 2.28 541.1

14 Babe Ruth 2.28 1220.1

15 Ed Reulbach 2.28 2633

16 Nick Maddox 2.29 605

17 Jim Scott 2.32 1870.1

18 Reb Russell 2.33 1292

19 Eddie Plank 2.35 4495.2

20 Andy Coakley 2.35 1071.2

21 Mariano Rivera 2.35 953

22 Rube Foster 2.35 841.2

23 Sam Leever 2.35 2248.2

24 Eddie Cicotte 2.37 3223

25 George McQuillan 2.38 1577

26 Ed Killian 2.38 1598

27 Doc White 2.39 3040.2

28 Harry Coveleski 2.39 1248

29 Billy Wagner 2.40 771

30 Carl Lundgren 2.42 1322.1

31 Ed Summers 2.42 999.1

32 Joe Benz 2.42 1358.2

33 Nap Rucker 2.42 2375.1

34 Jeff Tesreau 2.43 1679

35 Chief Bender 2.45 3018

36 Ernie Shore 2.47 981.2

37 Hooks Wiltse 2.47 2111

38 Lefty Leifield 2.47 1838

39 Bugs Raymond 2.49 854.2

40 Hippo Vaughn 2.49 2730.1

41 Bob Ewing 2.49 2301.2

42 Jack Taylor 2.50 2220

43 Harry Krause 2.50 525.2

44 Deacon Phillippe 2.50 2286.2

45 Cy Morgan 2.51 1445.2

46 Noodles Hahn 2.52 1720.1

47 Charlie Chech 2.52 606.2

48 Hoyt Wilhelm 2.52 2253

49 Ray Collins 2.53 1336.1

50 Hank Robinson 2.53 701

51 Lew Richie 2.53 1360

52 Frank Owen 2.55 1368.1

53 Tom Hughes 2.56 863

54 Heinie Berger 2.56 609

55 Grover C Alexander 2.56 5189

56 Slim Sallee 2.57 2821

57 Nick Altrock 2.58 1445

58 Russ Ford 2.59 1487.1

59 Frank Smith 2.59 2273

60 Ed Siever 2.60 1507.1

61 Jesse Tannehill 2.60 1940

62 George McConnell 2.60 841.2

63 Jack Chesbro 2.61 2747.2

64 Barney Pelty 2.61 1918.2

65 Bob Rhoads 2.61 1691

66 Harry Howell 2.62 2340.1

67 Fred Glade 2.62 1073

68 Hod Eller 2.62 862

69 Vic Willis 2.62 3343.1

70 Pete Schneider 2.63 1282

71 Wild Bill Donovan 2.63 2851.2

72 Red Ames 2.63 3197

73 Ned Garvin 2.64 1188.2

74 Jimmy Dygert 2.65 985.2

75 Claude Hendrix 2.65 2372

76 Joe McGinnity 2.65 3074.2

77 Dick Rudolph 2.66 2048

78 Tom Henke 2.67 789.2

79 Dave Smith 2.67 809.1

80 Carl Weilman 2.67 1520.1

81 Johnny Lush 2.68 1238.2

82 Tully Sparks 2.68 2158.1

83 Cy Falkenberg 2.68 2275.1

84 George Kaiserling 2.68 536.2

85 Fred Toney 2.69 2206

86 Harry Gaspar 2.69 825.2

87 Bill Burns 2.69 725

88 Larry Cheney 2.70 1880.1

89 Vean Gregg 2.70 1391.1

90 Tim Burke 2.72 699.1

91 Bob Wicker 2.73 1036

92 Trevor Hoffman 2.73 942.2

93 Nick Cullop 2.73 1023.2

94 Mike O'Neill 2.73 694.1

95 Mike Prendergast 2.74 908.2

96 Whitey Ford 2.74 3171

97 Luther Taylor 2.75 1914.2

98 Roy Patterson 2.75 1365.1

99 Babe Adams 2.75 2994.2

100 Howie Camnitz 2.75 2086

101 Bob Locker 2.76 878.1

102 Sandy Koufax 2.76 2325

103 Dan Quisenberry 2.76 1043.1

104 Dutch Leonard 2.76 2192

105 Jeff Pfeffer 2.77 2408.1

106 Al Demaree 2.77 1424

107 Earl Moore 2.78 2775.2

108 Jack Coombs 2.78 2320.2

109 Bert Humphries 2.78 799

110 Ron Perranoski 2.79 1175.2

111 Ed Karger 2.79 1087.1

112 Frank Corridon 2.80 1215.2

113 Phil Douglas 2.80 1709.1

114 Pedro Martinez 2.80 2673.2

115 Red Donahue 2.81 1784.1

116 Charlie Smith 2.81 1350.2

117 Ray Fisher 2.82 1755

118 George Mullin 2.82 3686.2

119 Fritz Coumbe 2.82 752.1

120 Bill Dinneen 2.82 2566

121 Bruce Sutter 2.83 1042.1

122 John Hiller 2.83 1242

123 Spud Chandler 2.84 1485

124 Elmer Stricklett 2.84 766

125 Joe Lake 2.85 1318

126 George Bell 2.85 1086

127 Kent Tekulve 2.85 1436.1

128 Frank Linzy 2.85 817

129 Fred Anderson 2.86 986.2

130 Jim Palmer 2.86 3948

131 Doc Ayers 2.86 1430

132 Andy Messersmith 2.86 2229.2

133 Tom Seaver 2.86 4782.2

134 Harry Harper 2.86 1256.2

135 Fred Beebe 2.87 1294

136 George Winter 2.87 1656

137 Willie Mitchell 2.87 1632.2

138 Sparky Lyle 2.88 1390.1

139 Stan Coveleski 2.88 3093

140 Kid Nichols 2.88 1071.1

141 Pol Perritt 2.89 1470

142 John Franco 2.89 1245.2

143 Juan Marichal 2.89 3506

144 Wilbur Cooper 2.89 3482

145 Al Mamaux 2.89 1294

146 Jack Powell 2.90 3448

147 Eddie Watt 2.90 660.1

148 Rollie Fingers 2.90 1701.1

149 Art Fromme 2.91 1437.1

150 Bob Gibson 2.91 3885

151 Carl Mays 2.92 3020.2

152 Vive Lindaman 2.92 904

153 Doc Crandall 2.92 1548

154 Harry Brecheen 2.92 1905.1

155 Dean Chance 2.92 2148

156 Norwood Gibson 2.92 609.1

157 Gary Lavelle 2.93 1085

158 John Wetteland 2.93 765

159 Frank Allen 2.93 970.1

160 Dave Davenport 2.93 1537

161 Clay Carroll 2.94 1353

162 Weldon Henley 2.94 722

163 Joe Boehling 2.94 926.2

164 Tex Hughson 2.95 1375

165 Don Drysdale 2.95 3432

166 Lefty Tyler 2.95 2228

167 Lew Moren 2.95 882

168 Scot Shields 2.95 570

169 Chief Johnson 2.95 688.1

170 Don McMahon 2.96 1312

171 Erskine Mayer 2.96 1427

172 Joe Beggs 2.96 693.1

173 Bill Wolfe 2.96 510.2

174 Mort Cooper 2.96 1843

175 Mel Stottlemyre 2.97 2662

176 Otto Hess 2.97 1419.1

177 Bill Doak 2.98 2782

178 Ken Sanders 2.98 656

179 Carl Hubbell 2.98 3591

180 Al Holland 2.98 646

181 Robb Nen 2.98 715

182 Pat Ragan 2.99 1610

183 Joe Hoerner 2.99 563

184 Doc Scanlan 3.00 1252.1

185 Mark Eichhorn 3.00 885.2

186 Joe Nathan 3.00 548.2

187 Max Lanier 3.01 1618

188 Earl Moseley 3.01 855.1

189 Goose Gossage 3.01 1809.1

190 Frank Miller 3.01 1009.2

191 Gary Lucas 3.01 669

192 Gene Packard 3.01 1409.2

193 Dizzy Dean 3.02 1967.1

194 Troy Percival 3.02 651.2

195 Clark Griffith 3.02 1220

196 Lee Smith 3.03 1289.1

197 Steve Howe 3.03 606

198 Joe Sambito 3.03 629

199 Steve Mingori 3.04 584

200 Ed Poole 3.04 595.1

201 Jean Dubuc 3.04 1443

202 Slim Love 3.04 517.1

203 Mike Lynch 3.05 655.2

204 Bill Steen 3.05 596.1

205 Hal Newhouser 3.06 2993

206 Roger Nelson 3.06 636

207 Steve Hamilton 3.06 662.1

208 Bill Hogg 3.06 730

209 Lefty Grove 3.06 3940

210 Tiny Bonham 3.06 1553

211 Jim Shaw 3.06 1599.2

212 Jim Brewer 3.07 1041

213 Chuck Taylor 3.07 607

214 Roy Oswalt 3.07 1413.1

215 Bill Bernhard 3.07 1659

216 Jack Rowan 3.07 671

217 Scott Perry 3.07 893.2

218 Rube Marquard 3.07 3307.2

219 Bob Veale 3.07 1926

220 Ed Willett 3.08 1773

221 Gary Nolan 3.08 1675

222 Bill Bevens 3.08 643

223 Long Tom Hughes 3.08 2643

224 Hugh Bedient 3.08 937.1

225 Sea Lion Hall 3.08 910.2

226 Warren Spahn 3.08 5245.2

227 Rube Benton 3.08 2517.2

228 Jimmy Lavender 3.09 1207.1

229 Todd Worrell 3.09 693.2

230 Bob Shawkey 3.09 2937

231 Greg Minton 3.10 1130.2

232 Togie Pittinger 3.10 2040.1

233 George Pearce 3.10 510.2

234 Bob Groom 3.10 2337.1

235 Al Hrabosky 3.10 722

236 Joe Horlen 3.10 2003

237 Gaylord Perry 3.11 5350.1

238 Alejandro Pena 3.11 1057.2

239 Armando Benitez 3.11 772.2

240 Willie Sudhoff 3.11 1403.1

241 George Suggs 3.11 1652

242 Ad Brennan 3.11 677

243 Jim Bagby 3.11 1822.1

244 Bill Duggleby 3.11 1677.1

245 Don Gullett 3.11 1391

246 Greg Maddux 3.11 4814.1

247 Irv Young 3.11 1384

T248 Darold Knowles 3.12 1092

T248 Jim Pastorius 3.12 728

250 King Cole 3.12 730.2

251 Jack Warhop 3.12 1412

252 John Tudor 3.12 1797

253 Patsy Flaherty 3.12 1264.2

254 Roger Clemens 3.12 4916.2

255 Earl Hamilton 3.13 2341

256 Dick Radatz 3.13 693.2

257 Ernie Koob 3.13 500.1

258 Al McBean 3.13 1072.1

259 Marius Russo 3.13 681

260 Guy Morton 3.13 1629

261 Lefty Williams 3.13 1186.1

262 Dave Dravecky 3.13 1062.2

263 Fred Gladding 3.14 600

264 Cecil Upshaw 3.14 562.2

265 Leon Cadore 3.14 1257.1

266 Rube Manning 3.14 502.1

267 Wayne Granger 3.14 640

268 Tug McGraw 3.14 1514.2

269 Bert Gallia 3.14 1276.1

270 Mike Cuellar 3.14 2807

271 Mike Marshall 3.14 1386.2

272 Fred Blanding 3.14 813.1

273 Tom Seaton 3.14 1340

274 Don Wilson 3.15 1748

275 Larry Andersen 3.15 995.1

276 Eppa Rixey 3.15 4494

277 Red Faber 3.15 4087

278 J.R. Richard 3.15 1606

279 Terry Leach 3.15 700

280 Sal Maglie 3.15 1722

281 Lou Fette 3.15 691

282 Elmer Knetzer 3.15 1267

283 Jeff Reardon 3.16 1132.1

284 Urban Shocker 3.16 2681.1

285 Hi Bithorn 3.16 510

286 Jesse Orosco 3.16 1295

287 George Kahler 3.17 628

288 Sam McDowell 3.17 2492

289 Steve Rogers 3.17 2837.2

290 Jon Matlack 3.18 2363

291 Jim Hardin 3.18 752.1

292 Bruce Howard 3.18 528.2

293 Lon Warneke 3.18 2781

294 Jesse Flores 3.19 972

295 Jim Maloney 3.19 1849

296 Pete Richert 3.19 1165

297 Beany Jacobson 3.19 612

298 Nolan Ryan 3.19 5386

299 Randy Myers 3.19 884.2

300 Oscar Jones 3.20 875

301 Art Nehf 3.20 2708.1

302 Jock Menefee 3.20 643.1

303 Buster Brown 3.21 1451.1

304 Mike Henneman 3.21 732.2

305 Bill James 3.21 1179

306 Ed Lopat 3.21 2438.2

307 Sonny Siebert 3.21 2152

308 Al Orth 3.21 2393

309 Jesse Barnes 3.21 2571.1

310 Earl Yingling 3.21 568.1

311 Marty O'Toole 3.22 599

312 Steve Carlton 3.22 5217.1

313 George Baumgardner 3.22 685.2

314 Al Downing 3.22 2269.1

315 Harry McIntire 3.22 1650.2

316 Johnny Niggeling 3.22 1250

317 Ray Caldwell 3.22 2242.2

318 Johan Santana 3.22 1308.2

319 Jim Turner 3.22 1132

320 Brandon Webb 3.22 1089

321 Doc Newton 3.22 1200.2

322 Randy Johnson 3.22 3855.1

323 George Mogridge 3.23 2256

324 Terry Forster 3.23 1105.2

325 Dizzy Trout 3.23 2726.1

326 Tom Burgmeier 3.23 1258.2

327 Mike Proly 3.23 545.2

328 Gene Krapp 3.23 757

329 Bob Lemon 3.23 2849

330 Jose Rijo 3.24 1880

331 Dave McNally 3.24 2730

332 Wilbur Wood 3.24 2682

333 Dazzy Vance 3.24 2966.1