Greatest Pitcher of His Generation?

Monday after Roger Clemens was found not guilty, ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian quickly came to his defense, calling him the best pitcher of his generation, and arguing for his insertion into the Hall of Fame. While most 300 game winners are almost guaranteed first-ballot HOF entry, the shadow of steroids has put Clemens HOF status in considerable doubt. In that regard Roger has joined the ranks of McGwire, Bonds, Sosa, and Palmerio.

Kurkjian’s statement that Clemens was the best pitcher of his generation should not go unchallenged. Down south, purposely out of the media spotlight, Greg Maddux posted numbers superior to Clemens…without the hint of a steroid scandal.

Over their most productive 19 years:
Maddux won 15 games 18 times (17 in a row), and totaled 325 wins.
Clemens won 15 games 12 times (7 in a row), and totaled 312 wins.

Other Career Statistics:
Wins: Maddux 355, Clemens 354
Seasons: Maddux 23, Clemens 24
Games: Maddux 744, Clemens 709
Innings Maddux 5008, Clemens 4916
K/BB: Maddux 3.37 (24th all-time), Clemens 2.96 (44th)
WHIP: Maddux 1.143, Clemens 1.173

Who was the greatest pitcher of their generation? In my book, it was Greg Maddux.