3+ CG Shutouts Since 1973 With Less Than 100 Pitches
Posted by Steve Lombardi on July 6, 2011
Since 1973, how many pitchers had 3+ CG shutouts where they threw less than 100 pitches in the contest?
Here is the list -
| Rk | Player | #Matching | W | L | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greg Maddux | 14 | Ind. Games | 14 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 122.0 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 71 | 0.48 |
| 2 | Zane Smith | 7 | Ind. Games | 7 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 63.0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 20 | 0.49 |
| 3 | Bob Tewksbury | 6 | Ind. Games | 6 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 54.0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 0.54 |
| 4 | Tom Glavine | 6 | Ind. Games | 6 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 51.0 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 0.65 |
| 5 | Roy Halladay | 5 | Ind. Games | 5 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 46.0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 0.37 |
| 6 | Jamie Moyer | 4 | Ind. Games | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 36.0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0.39 |
| 7 | Bartolo Colon | 4 | Ind. Games | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 36.0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 0.56 |
| 8 | Chris Bosio | 4 | Ind. Games | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 36.0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 0.36 |
| 9 | David Wells | 3 | Ind. Games | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 27.0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 0.59 |
| 10 | Ismael Valdez | 3 | Ind. Games | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 27.0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0.44 |
| 11 | James Shields | 3 | Ind. Games | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 27.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 0.37 |
| 12 | Curt Schilling | 3 | Ind. Games | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 27.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 0.37 |
| 13 | Brad Radke | 3 | Ind. Games | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 27.0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 0.56 |
| 14 | Roy Oswalt | 3 | Ind. Games | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 27.0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0.30 |
| 15 | Jaime Navarro | 3 | Ind. Games | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0.44 | |
| 16 | Terry Mulholland | 3 | Ind. Games | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 27.0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0.59 |
| 17 | Jason Marquis | 3 | Ind. Games | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 27.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0.33 |
| 18 | Tim Hudson | 3 | Ind. Games | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 27.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 0.37 |
| 19 | Doug Drabek | 3 | Ind. Games | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 23.0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.39 |
| 20 | Tom Browning | 3 | Ind. Games | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 27.0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 0.52 |
| 21 | Josh Beckett | 3 | Ind. Games | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.00 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 27.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0.33 |
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Mad Dog was a master. You expect to see him top this list. But, any other names here that surprise you?
July 6th, 2011 at 11:05 am
Very cool list. Slightly surprised to see some of the strikeout pitchers (like Schilling) on there since their pitch counts tend to be higher. Overall, it looks like a list of some of the top control pitchers of the past 30 years.
July 6th, 2011 at 11:09 am
Steve, David Wells makes me raise an eyebrow. I don't remember him as being particularly economical with his pitches although he could be dominant.
July 6th, 2011 at 11:10 am
This list is extremely incomplete since we don't have pitch data back to 1973. It's only mostly complete back to 1988.
And without going through every game on the list, I wouldn't be surprised if a couple don't actually qualify. I have seen logs for the early pitch data days in which pitch data is missing for some PA, but the boxscore still gives the incomplete pitch count as if it were real.
July 6th, 2011 at 11:15 am
My second caveat may no longer be apt. I could have sworn I had seen games on here where someone apparently threw 9 IP in 46 pitches, because some of the pitch data didn't exist. But maybe Sean (properly) removed the pitch counts from those boxscores because I'm not finding them now.
July 6th, 2011 at 11:46 am
Drabek's total contains a 5 inning 0-0 tie, which really isn't in the spirit of the accomplishment.
July 6th, 2011 at 11:59 am
Completely expected to see Radke listed there.
July 6th, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Lots of strike throwers on there. Not at all surprised to see Wells or Schilling as they kept the pill in the zone.
I'm a little surprised to see Jamie Junkball Moyer on there, but I guess that's a result of longevity more than skill. I mean ... if you pitch for 195 years you're bound to rack up some counting stats.
July 6th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
Agree with everyone above - lots of strike-throwers, not a lot of "strikeout" guys - mostly just Halladay, which is the one that surprises me most of all. His K/game on this list (7.0) is the highest other than Shields (7.33), who has done it twice fewer. Maddux is next (5.14). No one else really strikes anybody out, which I suppose is how one becomes economical with pitches. Makes sense.
July 6th, 2011 at 12:16 pm
July 22 1997 - Greg Maddux threw a 9 inning complete game on 76 pitches. He gave up 1 run, but still... 76 pitches! 63 strikes!
What's the fewest pitches ever thrown in a 9 inning complete game?
July 6th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Re my #3 and 4: Yes, there are still games in the system which are presenting incorrect, incomplete pitch counts as real. For some reason, a lot of them were played at San Francisco in 1979.
***
Mrbmc, the fewest pitches in a 9-inning CG was probably during the deadball era. Or at least, it was almost certainly in a game for which no pitch count data exists. Of the games in the database (and which I'm pretty sure are accurate), Carlos Silva had a 74-pitch effort in 2005, and Aaron Cook matched him in '07.
July 6th, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Zane Smith being second on this list surprises me. He was actually a better pitcher than I recall him being from watching him when I was a kid. Seemed like anytime I saw him, he got shelled.
July 6th, 2011 at 1:24 pm
Am I the only one surprised by Zane Smith? He's the only one other than Ismael Valdez that I haven't heard of at all and looking at his career he was never an all-star or got a single CYA vote.
July 6th, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Dr. Doom, re: "strikeout guys." Five of those 21 pitchers had at least 1 season of 200 Ks (including 3 seasons over 300 Ks by Curt Schilling). Four more had a season of 180 Ks.
Also, Schilling's 7.33 K/G for the games on this list matches Shields.
July 6th, 2011 at 1:47 pm
11 I remember him giving the Mets fits.
July 6th, 2011 at 1:49 pm
@9/Mrbmc Says: "... What's the fewest pitches ever thrown in a 9 inning complete game?"
I realize pitch-count records are quite incomplete, but I came across several references to this game:
Charlie "Red" BARRETT of the Boston Braves, on August 10, 1944:
- a 58-pitch, 1 hr 15 min (!) game
- two hits and no walks against his former team the Reds
-he also had no K's
July 6th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
I was surprised to see that Mike Mussina didn't accomplish this feat.
July 6th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
@10, 15
in the DBE there were lower pitch counts for cg in general. i have read about several 75 pitch, 1.5 hour games and it seems they were not all that unusual.
July 6th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
Bob Tewksbury did this 6 times, but only had 7 career shutouts. In the one other shutout, he threw 116 pitches.
July 6th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
@17/ Jason Says: "@10, 15 in the DBE there were lower pitch counts for cg in general..."
Jason, 1944 is not the "deadball era", although the ball was a little less lively from 1943-45, due to WWII restrictions on certain raw materials. Truth is, we'll never really knew the CG with fewest pitches thrown.
July 6th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Following up on Mrbmc: Maddux threw a CG shutout on 7/2/97, 61/84 strikes, 28 batters faced. I was there in Yankee Stadium for that one, Mad Dog vs. Doc Gooden. The key, though: John Hirschbeck behind the plate. The strike zone was as wide as the Bronx itself. Game over in 2:09, and it seemed shorter than that. My infant son fell asleep shortly before it began, and slept all the way until it was done and they cranked up "New York, New York" and hustled everyone out.
July 6th, 2011 at 3:10 pm
In Maddux's last season, I watched this game:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/COL/COL200809140.shtml
It was vintage Mad Dog, with weak grounders and pop ups galore. He only threw 68 pitches through 7 innings, but was taken out for a pinch hitter with the scored tied at 0-0, no runners on, and two outs. It was the single most infuriating managerial decision I've ever seen that didn't involve Grady Little and Pedro Martinez.
He only pitched two more games, and it was the last time he made it past 6 innings. Taking an all-time great out under such circumstances... so disappointing.
July 6th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Maddux might have pulled himself out. He often did.
July 6th, 2011 at 4:30 pm
I seem to remember Maddux having one of his extremely economical games in the first game of a double header. The non-sensical fan in me was thinking that the Braves could have pulled him after 7 innings comfortably ahead, and then pitch him again in game 2.
July 6th, 2011 at 4:51 pm
@16 - Its likely that Mussina did do this. Here are his career shutouts sorted by pitches. He had one with 99 and another with 93. There is a also a game from 1997 that does not have pitch data, in which he allowed 1 hit and no walks .
July 6th, 2011 at 4:57 pm
Well, I found it thanks to the game-log.
It was July 22, 1997. Maddux threw a complete game 4-1 victory over the Cubs in only 76 pitches. 59 pitches in the first 7 innings, a rest as though it were a long rain delay, and then back out there for game 2. Of course the Braves were so loaded with pitchers that they were able to schlep eventual 20 game winner Denny Neagle out there for game 2.
July 6th, 2011 at 5:16 pm
@24
And what a game from 1997 it was Raphy! He was facing this lineup from Cleveland:
Marquis Grissom
Julio Franco
Jim Thome
Matt Williams
David Justice
Manny Ramirez
Tony Fernandez
Sandy Alomar
Omar Vizquel
Every player in this lineup made the All-Star team at least twice. 38 All-Star appearances altogether and a total of 2519 cumulative career home runs (and counting).
Quite a lineup sent down by the Moose.
July 6th, 2011 at 6:09 pm
Yikes, I shortchanged them: 43 combined All-Star appearances.
July 6th, 2011 at 8:12 pm
I'm shocked Buehrle isn't up there.
July 6th, 2011 at 11:04 pm
I'm a little surprised not to see Cliff Lee on here. I have a feeling he could join it one day.
July 7th, 2011 at 2:28 am
@7 I love and expected to see Moyer here! Not just from longevity (which is true for many on list) but after he "found it" around 1998, he was occasionally as brilliant as Maddux for pop-up inducing ability, batter frustration levels, etc. -- almost more impressive, due to slowness, age, general sense that he was doing it without "raw skill," just guile alone. Of course, he was also capable of getting shelled any given day, but there are many more surprising names on this list. Jaime Navarro?!?
July 12th, 2011 at 6:50 pm
Surprised that former San Diego Padre lefty Randy Jones is not on this list. He always had low pitch counts.