Comments on: Hershiser’s scoreless innings streak

By: scoreless

scoreless — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:33:15 +0000

The record should be Drysdale's because the call that extended Orel's streak was purely a joke, just like his Nickname(Bulldog) but they knew by the year 2009 most people would not remember that

By: kayde

kayde — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 04:24:18 +0000

Found the details:

During the third inning of a Sept. 23 game, Hershiser watched as umpire Paul Runge ruled that Brett Butler obstructed Dodgers shortstop Alfredo Griffin as he attempted to complete a double play. Even though Jose Uribe crossed the plate, the run didn't count. Hershiser's streak extended to 49 consecutive shutout innings.

By: kayde

kayde — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 04:18:44 +0000

Just going from memory, but I seem to recall the Hershiser "controversy" being in a game vs. the Giants also. There were runners on 1st and 3rd with one out when an infield grounder retired the runner at second base for the 2nd out and the batter was safe at first, apparently scoring a run. The second base umpire, however, also ruled the batter out, saying the runner going into second slid away from the base too far in trying to take out whichever middle infielder was trying to make the relay throw to first. Thus, a double play and no run scored. That's the way I remember it anyway. I'll see if I can find out for sure.

By: splint

splint — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:50:45 +0000

yes but there's a long standing history of not counting post-season games in streaks and towards stats.

Plus, it's moot as long as you calculate them all in the same fashion. You wouldn't count Hershiser as 60 but Drysdale at 58. It's either 58 and 59 or 58 2/3 and 60.

By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:22:54 +0000

Well even if someone gets, say, a 63-inning streak, it will be debated due to the fact that Hershiser had 8+ scoreless innings in game 1 of the NLCS. Adding those to his 59 regular-season gives a streak of 67 innings.

By: splint

splint — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:16:33 +0000

Yeah, seems like the only time it would matter is when two pitchers had the same number of scoreless innings and in the exact "less than two out" situation, a groundout scored a run. Then you'd have the situation is determing whether to count the out or the run first. But we're really only talking about a third of an inning.

So I'd say that the records are 58 2/3 and 60.

Now watch, someone will have 60 scoreless innings and then with one out a groundout will score a run and we debate it for the rest of time.

By: AMusingFool

AMusingFool — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:43:47 +0000

This seems like merely a semantic issue, which I could certainly see going either way (though that explanation for only counting full innings makes a lot of sense; of course, on the flip side, what about relievers who come in in the middle of an inning? or pitchers that leave in the middle of an inning?).

In any event, what rather blows my mind here is that MLB would have rules for streaks. Seriously, it has no effect on the play of the game, so why does MLB have any say in the matter whatsoever? What happens if, for instance, they try to "officially" redefine OPS+ (say, to make it not park-adjusted)?

By: wboenig2

wboenig2 — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:59:52 +0000

The Drysdale controversy occurred in a game against the Giants where Giants catcher Dick Dietz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, but the umpire invoked rule 6.08(b)(2) which states (not verbatim) that a batter shall not be awarded first base upon being hit by a pitch if, in the opinion of the umpire, the batter made no attempt to avoid being hit by the pitch. Dietz was called back to the plate, subsequently retired, and no runs scored that inning.

The official scorer has no say in whether or not a run has scored.

I'm not sure what the Hershiser controversy is that you refer to, but I do recall that he had to pitch 10 innings in his last game of the season to set the record, and that there was some speculation that the Dodgers may not have been making much of an effort to score runs, just so the game would go that long.

Corrections to my memory are welcome.

By: kingturtle

kingturtle — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:22:30 +0000

I remember during Hershiser's streak there was a lot of talk about an controversial incident (maybe involving an official scorer's decision) in Drysdale's during an certain inning in the streak - and then lo-and-behold when Hershiser got to the same inning in the streak, he had his own controversial incident (maybe involving an official scorer's decision).

I was actually working at Elias in 1988, but I was not involved in this event.

By: wboenig2

wboenig2 — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:38:23 +0000

I do remember this change in the rule going into effect, and if you think about it, it makes some sense. Consider the scenario where a team has a runner on third with less than two outs and the batter drives home the runner with a groundout. Under the old rule (Drysdale era), it would matter as to whether the run scored before the batter was retired or after. And who wants to make that call?

I believe this change happened around the same time as the removal from the books of several less-than-nine-inning no-hitters, but I may be wrong.