Comments on: Complete-game losses ending on a walk-off homer

By: Johnny Twisto

Johnny Twisto — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 04:25:26 +0000

Gabe, yes. See Sabathia's 4/16 start: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?n1=sabatc.01&t=p&year=2010

Incidentally, it seems such boxscores should note that the game was called for rain. Maybe it's obvious? But occasionally games get called for other reasons (not that I can think of any good examples right now, besides darkness back in the pre-lights era).

By: Gabe

Gabe — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:10:22 +0000

Andy - thanks for the reply. So if a game was called early after like 6 innings (due to rain or whatever), and a team had only one pitcher on the mound for them, he would get credit for a CG?

By: Johnny Twisto

Johnny Twisto — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 22:47:45 +0000

I felt like the Blue Jays kept churning out young outfielders in the late 80s/early 90s. Derek Bell probably had the best career, though it ended ignominiously. Hill and Whiten were solid and certainly had their great moments. Rob Ducey, Sil Campusano, and Junior Felix (not to be confused with Felix Jose) never amounted to much, but it seemed like they were highly touted when they came up.

Hill was a midseason trade to the Yankees in 2000 and just crushed the ball. Odd that his career ended just a couple months into '01. I don't remember his being a clubhouse cancer. Any reason no one else gave him another chance? Was his defense that bad?

By: Gerry

Gerry — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:01:53 +0000

BunnyWrangler, thanks - not what I expected. For what it's worth, if I'm interpreting the numbers right, Gaylord Perry had 76 CG losses, one more than Blyleven.

By: Bryan Mueller

Bryan Mueller — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 17:29:58 +0000

Andy, thanks for the post, I really appreciate it. Lots of interesting facts. In response to Glenallen Hill...remember that home run he had for the Cubs that landed on the building across the street? Has to be one of the longest of all-time. Man that dude could crush.

By: BunnyWrangler

BunnyWrangler — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 11:14:02 +0000

would + have + had + to + have + lost

By: BunnyWrangler

BunnyWrangler — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 11:13:23 +0000

From 1942-1949, Spahn had 10 complete-game losses. From 1952 through the end of his career, he had 40. Retrosheet doesn't cover 1950 and 1951, but Spahn would have had to lost 25 complete games over those two seasons to get to 75.

By: Gerry

Gerry — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 05:38:47 +0000

Buck, I'd say that depends on what you call "modern". I'd be surprised if Warren Spahn didn't have more than 75 CG losses, and, by most definitions, he qualifies as modern.

By: Buck

Buck — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 00:44:23 +0000

Now give it up for Bert Blyleven, who I'm guessing is the modern career leader with 75 complete game losses. I'd like to see a a full list of career won-loss % for CGs if it's out there...
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?n1=blylebe01&year=Career&t=p#outco_extra

By: Gerry

Gerry — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 22:43:39 +0000

As a companion to the piece on consecutive starts of 9+ innings without a complete game, could we see one on consecutive starts with fewer than 9 IP, each resulting in a complete game? I think the Play-Index era record for consecutive CG, at most 8 IP, is 5, and in 1961 someone got CGs in two consecutive starts in which he pitched 7 innings or less.