When you ask hitters who were the toughest pitchers they faced, or vice versa, you tend to get interesting answers.
The best answer I ever heard was during a 1999 Phillies pregame radio show I hosted with Tug McGraw, the former Mets and Phillies reliever and one of the game's great personalities, as the guest. The question came from a caller who asked Tug who was the toughest hitter he ever faced.
"The toughest guy I ever faced was Roberto Clemente," McGraw said.
Not all that surprising an answer, but then Tug continued.
"And the reason I say that is because he's DEAD!"
Me at that moment: ?????
"I would never mention the name of a living hitter who was a tough out for me," McGraw explained. "I wouldn't want him to have the pleasure of knowing that. But in fact Roberto was about as tough as it gets up there."
That was quite a jam McGraw got himself into before escaping with a good save.
Vintage Tugger.
