Second Best CAN BE VERY GOOD.(finding a good replacement pitcher is key to successful teams)

In a pitching rotation, No. 2 starters frequently turn out to be the most valuable member of a staff

EVERY TEAM WANTS A TOP-NOTCH number one starting pitcher, but takes more than a single quality hurler to compete.

Look no further than Pedro Martinez for proof. Despite his status as the most dominating pitcher in the majors, the Red Sox finished well out of the running for postseason play in 2000.

The team's weak offense was a major factor, but the main reason for Boston's 85-77 record was a complete lack of pitching depth behind Martinez.

Having a second starter who was merely competent would have been an improvement. None of the other Red Sox starters even threw enough innings (162) to be eligible for the American League ERA title. That shortage of pitching would keep any team out of the playoffs.

How about a career 247-game winner as a team's number 2 pitcher? "Iron Man" Joe McGinnity combined with 373-game winner and fellow Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson for the New York Giants in the early 1900s.

Both McGinnity and Mathewson won 30 games in 1903, and they repeated the feat in 1904. In those season, McGinnity went 31-20 and 35-8, while Mathewson was 30-13 and 33-12.