@ChitownPicks
May 4, 1977
Phillies at San Diego
Jim Kaat vs Randy Jones
Padres 4 Phillies 1
Game played in 1 hour 29 minutes
Kaat 6.1 innings
Ron Reed 1.2 innings
Jones complete game
I honestly believe the reason games go so long today.
1. Small strike zone. Pitchers are hitting high 90's low 100's and hitters can't touch those pitches.
A. Roger Clemons 1986 struck out 20 of 30 Mariners with a high rising fastball.
2. Pitchers and hitters take to long to get ready between pitches.
3. Pitching changes. Well now they changes the rules on that, but it's not enough.
4. Instant replay. That could add 5 minutes alone. Can you imagine a game with 5 or 6 times the umpires have to check a close play.
5. Pitch counts. Guys like Gibson and Jenkins (as you mentioned) pitched more complete games in 1 year than pitchers today will pitch in a career.
I got to meet and talk to Warren Spahn in 2001 and 02. I was dealing at the Stardust here in Vegas. Super nice guy. He started 665 games in his career with 382 complete games. At age 43 he had 1 of his best seasons.
23-7 33 GS 22 CG 259.2 IP 2.60 ERA
2014 Clayton Kershaw had his best season. 21-3 27 GS 6 CG 198.1 IP 1.77 ERA
2011 Justin Verlander Cy Young & MVP 24-5 34 GS 4 CG 251 IP 2.40 ERA
Verlander has 26 career complete games and Kershaw has 25. At age 43 Spahn had 22. That's a sad state of affairs for baseball.
The average game when I was a kid usually lasted 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Those days and the days of complete games are long gone. The game has changed so much in the past 25 to 30 years, and that's why we see longer games.
I can't remember who the Ump was that complained about the length of Yankee/Red Sox games during the Jeter era, but my comment was call the real strike zone. Every hitter saw 7, 8, or 9 pitches.
Remember twi night double headers? Long gone unless there's a make up game.
@detroitdavid
I do remember twi night double headers. In fact, I seen Clemens strike out 20 Soxs at Cominsky and Wilbur Wood pitch both ends of a double header. He lost both games.
You're unbelievable. By the way, I probably met you because I stayed at the Stardust for twenty years. Was actually there the week before it closed. They gave me a book on the final weekend and I asked many of the long term staff to sign it. We would stay a week at a time between the Riveria and Stardust. Great memories!
@ChitownPicks
I was a 21 dealer from 1982 til 2005 also dealt roulette, baccarat, pai gow. I started dealing craps in the early 90's and was just in dice the last year we were open. I was at Resorts World yesterday where the Stardust stood. Every dealer was in their 20's, 30's, and 40's. No old guys like me.
I also remember the day Wood pitched both ends of a double header. Also the day Ron Leflore hit that line drive into his knee that ended his career.
I would have loved to seen any of those guys close up in their prime. Especially koufax. Ive seen some really good ones up close, gooden in his prime, and i was lucky enough to see kerry wood strike out 20 batters against the stros in the late 90’s. Just so many pitchers i woulda loved to see!
@chitownjake007
1971 Mickey Lolich on the Tigers stats.
25-14 2.92 ERA 45 GS 29 CG 376 IP
People in baseball said he had a rubber arm.
5 straight year Wilbur Wood starts were 42, 49, 48, 42, 43. 4 of those years over 20 CG.
Guys pitched, never hurt their arms. I think the reason guys have arm problems today is they all want to throw 100 mph fastballs. They need to learn how to pitch and throw more innings.
Lee Mazzone was the pitching coach under Cox at Atlanta. He had his pitchers play catch between starts. Maddox and Glavine never had arm problems, but they were pitchers, not throwers. Smoltz could fire it up and eventually had arm problems late in his career.
@chitownjake007
My claim to fame was being at Tiger Stadium the day McLain won #30 vs the A's. I had the program for years. Don't know what happened to it. Never thought it could be worth much when I moved to Vegas. I left it behind, so it was probably trashed by my mom and sister. She took my old desk and that's where it was. I also met Sandy Koufax when I was leaving the stadium. He did the color commentary on the game. He gave me his autograph on the program.
@detroitdavid
I starting staying at the Stardust around 1981 or 82. I didn't have much money so they put us in the flop rooms behind the casino, like the westward ho. Remember them? Do you think Rosenthal received the credit for developing their sportbook? It was the reason everyone stayed there.
Did u ever met Spilotro or his side kick Collatta? They were from Grand Ave in Chicago. Thought he was God's gift to woman.
@ChitownPicks
I remember the dumpy rooms. Boyd tore them down when they built the tower in the early 90's. I started at the Stardust in 1982 and those guys weren't around there then. Mostly when Allen Glick was the front man for Rosenthal. When I first got there the Stardust was where all the numbers came from, point spreads, totals, ML.
@chitownjake007
For 2 years he was 1 of the best pitchers in baseball. The problem he had was cortisone shots. He was getting them like a junky. Ruined his arm. He was a fastball slider and curveball pitcher. In 68 he would take the mound and you knew the Tigers were gonna win. I went to a double header that year vs the White Sox. 1st game he got hammered. The Sox ended up with double digit runs. Pete Ward hit a grand slam off of him. 2nd game John Hiller fired a 1 hitter for the split.
Interesting fact for you. McLain was originally in the White Sox organization. The team had to decide between keeping him and a guy named Bruce Howard. Howard at the time looked like the better pitcher. So they dumped McLain and the Tigers picked him up on waivers in 1963. Howard lasted 6 years. 26-31 75 GS 7 CG 4 SHO 3.18 ERA. McLain 10 years 131-91 264 GS 105 CG 29 SHO 3.39 ERA
From 1965 till 1970 with the Tigers McLain's win totals were 16, 20, 17, 31, 24, and 3. The reason he had 3 in 1970 was he got suspended for dumping a bucket of water on some sports reporters.
@detroitdavid
"From 1965 till 1970 with the Tigers McLain's win totals were 16, 20, 17, 31, 24, and 3. The reason he had 3 in 1970 was he got suspended for dumping a bucket of water on some sports reporters."
Good for him
True story about McLain: In 1968, his banner year and Mickey Mantles swan song, McLain was pitching a game near the end of the season when the Tigers had it locked up. Mickey comes to the plate against him and Denny fires a fastball right down the middle. Now, Denny is untouchable that year, he doesn't hit anything but corners, so Mantle is so shocked he doesn't even swing. Mickey puts one foot outside the box and stares at Denny. Denny just slightly nods his head. Another fast ball down the middle and Mickey sends it into orbit. After the inning Lolich asks McLain, "What the hell are you doing?" Denny answers him, "I just wondered what Mickey could do with a pitch if he knew exactly what was coming." They both laughed about it.
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