Kings of a Lost Kingdom.
The King of the compete game is not Aaron Nola. It's not Robin Roberts who did it thirty three times in 1953... 28 times in a row! No, it's Ray Caldwell, who was knocked unconscious by a lightning bolt on the mound and still finished off a complete game in his lightning scorched uniform.
But let me not overlook the rarities of this compete game shutout.
First of all, I may not see another three pitch inning agins. It took 85 seconds
And Nola tied the all time baseball record for 10 strikeouts in a row, a record that hasn't been matched in 51 years!
Three weeks after getting hit by lightning and finishing a complete game win, Caldwell threw a no-hitter against the Yankees and finished the year with a 1.71 ERA.
But what got me thinking was Nola's complete game shutout. Yes it was made more special being against those detestable Met fans who show up in droves in Philly with plenty of beer money if only bus fare to get home.
How common is a complete game shutout these days? Last year there were only 34 complete games pitched in all of baseball last year. Only 21 complete games shutouts out of 2430 games played. A complete game is a big deal today.
But in 1953, Phillies pitcher Rober Roberts threw 33 complete games, by himself. That year, he pitched 28 complete games IN A ROW, a record. The last game in that streak was a one-run 10-inning victory. Roberts scored the winning run himself. Pitchers used to hit once upon a time (two years ago).
In 1954 Roberts gave up an opening batter home run, then followed it by retiring 27 batters in a row. A perfect game, except for that pesky 1st batter.
But no one takes the cake for complete games from Ray "Slim" Caldwell. He was pitching a complete game in his first outing with the Cleveland Indians on Aug 24,1919 with two outs in the top of the 9th inning for the Cleveland Indians when a freak storm blew off the lake. Caldwell was hit square in the chest by a blinding bolt of lightning. He had a big smoldering scorch mark on the chest of his uniform which and was flat on his back on the pitcher's mound. When he regained consciousness, the umpire said he needed to get to the hospital. "Not till I get this last out" he shot back. "Give me the danged ball and turn me toward the plate." And he did.
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| Ray "Slim" Caldwell |
Three weeks after getting hit by lightning and finishing a complete game win, Caldwell threw a no-hitter against the Yankees and finished the year with a 1.71 ERA.
Now THAT's a complete-game pitcher.
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