Only two post seas0n games today. So here’s a little light reading, while you wait for the Indian\Astros.
On this date (October 6), fifty years ago (1969) Cardinals’ staff ace was going about the business of making World Series history – again! Gibson was about to toss a five-hit, one-run, ten-strikeout complete game 10-1 victory against the Detroit Tigers – in the process pitching an MLB (still) record seventh consecutive, complete-game Fall Classic victory. Notably, Gibson had already made history in the 1968 series, striking out a World Series, single-game record 17 batters in a 4-0 Game One win. And, although he would lose Game Seven (versus Mickey Lolich) 4-1, he would fan another eight batters in that game for a World Series (single-year) record 35 whiffs.
Where is Baseball Roundtable going with this? On the fiftieth anniversary of what has become known as The Year of the Pitcher (1968), I’d like to touch on a few highlights from a magnificent or miserable seasons (depending on whether you found yourself walking up to the plate or onto the mound).
Pitchers were so dominant in 1968 that MLB lowered the mound and reduced the size of the strike zone before the 1969 season. (The mound was dropped from 15 inches to ten inches, the upper edge of the strike zone from the top of the shoulder to the armpits.)
So let’s look, in no particular order, at some of the stats and stories that make 1968 so memorable.
CY Young and MVP
Sticking to the end game(s), consider the first matchup of that 1968 World Series. It featured the Tigers’ Denny McLain (31-6, 1.96) versus the Cardinals’ Bob Gibson (22-9, 1.12). They were the “Pitcher(s) of the Year” in the “Year of the Pitcher.”
- McLain was the first MLB 30-game winner since Dizzy Dean in 1934.
- Gibson’s MLB-lowest earned run average of 1.12 was the lowest since 1914 (Red Sox’ Dutch Leonard’s lowest-ever at 0.96) and was (still is) the fourth-lowest all-time.
- McLain and Gibson would capture both the Cy Young and Most Valuable Player Awards in their respective leagues – the first (and still only) season in which a pitcher has won the Cy Young and MVP in both leagues.
- Of course, it wasn’t all Gibson and McLain. The Tigers’ Mickey Lolich notched three complete games in the 1968 World Series – and is the last pitcher to go the distance in winning three starts in a single Fall Classic.
Bob Gibson, who finished the 1968 season 22-9, 1.12, probably deserved even better. At the end of May, his record was 3-5, with a 1.52 ERA (the Cardinals got him just four runs in those first five losses). Gibson then went on a June/July tear. In those two months, he started (and completed) 12 games, won them all, tossed eight shutouts and put up a 0.50 earned run average.
There is plenty of other evidence to support 1968 as The Year of the Pitcher.
- MLB’s overall earned run average was a miserly 2.98 – the first season with a sub-3.00 MLB overall ERA since 1918 (2.77) and the only below-3.00 ERA between 1918 and 2018. (I guess that makes the odds 100-to-one.)
- Between May 14 and June 4, the Dodgers; Don Drysdale threw a record (still) six consecutive complete game shutouts – allowing just 27 hits over those 54 innings.
Dodger Don Drysdale tossed six consecutive shutouts in a season in which he lost three of his first four decisions (1-3, 2.52) and ended up 14-12, 2.15 – runs were hard to come by in 1968.
- There were five no hitters (one a perfect game), tied for the eighth-most in any MLB season. The hurlers were the: Orioles’ Tom Phoebus (April 27); A’s Catfish Hunter (May 8); Reds’ George Culver (July 29). Giants’ Gaylord Perry (September 17); and Cardinals’ Ray Washburn (September 18).
When Gaylord Perry no-hit the Cardinals on September 17, 1968 (two walks, nine whiffs in a 1-0 win) – beating Bob Gibson, by the way – he had no idea he was starting a mini-trend. The very next day the Cardinals’ Ray Washburn no-hit the Giants (five walks, eight whiffs in a 2-0 victory). It marks the only time two teams have thrown consecutive no-hitters in the same ballpark. In the two games, the two squads totaled 11 hits in 110 at bats – for a nice even .100 average.
- The A’s Catfish Hunter tossed a perfect game against the Twins (4-0 score) on May 8 in Oakland. He struck out 11. Bucking the batting futility-trend, Hunter showed the hitters “how it’s done” in The Year of the Pitcher. Hunter went three-for-four (two singles and a double) and drove in three runs – the best hitting performance ever by a pitcher tossing a perfecto.
- Bob Gibson tossed 13 shutouts in 1968 (tied for third-most in MLB history – and the most since 1916). George Bradley had 16 shutouts for the Saint Louis Brown Stockings (NL) in 1876 and Grove Clevelamd Alexander had 16 for the Phillies in 1916.
On April 15, the New York Mets were shutout by the Houston Astros for 24 innings – in a game the Astros won 1-0 … marking the longest scoreless game in MLB history. It was, in many ways, an exercise in futility. Consider:
- Each team collected eleven hits in 79 at bats during the game (won by the Astros with one out in the ninth) – a combined batting average for the game of .139.
- Each team had ten singles and one double and each left 16 men on base.
- Each team made one error.
- The starters, the Mets’ Tom Seaver and Astros’ Don Wilson threw ten and nine scoreless frames, respectively. A total of 13 pitchers were used (eight by the Mets).
- A total of 39 players appeared.
- 27 of the 48 half inning were 1-2-3 frames.
- The Mets’ CF Tommie Agee and RF Ron Swoboda each went zero-for-ten in the game.
- The game took six hours and six minutes.
- The winning run scored on a grounball error.
- Seven qualifying pitchers recorded earned an average under 2.00 in 1968: Bob Gibson, Cardinals (1.12); Luis Tiant, Indians (1.60); Sam McDowell, Indians (1.81); Dave McNally, Orioles (1.95); Denny McLain, Tigers (1.98); Tommy John, White Sox (1.98); Bob Bolin, Giants (1.99).
- Four pitchers topped 300 innings pitched: Denny McLain, Tigers (336); Juan Marichal, Giants (325 2/3), Fergie Jenkins, Cubs (308); Bob Gibson, Cardinals (304 2/3).
- There were seven 20-game winners: Denny McLain, Tigers (31-6); Juan Marichal, Giants 26-9); Bob Gibson, Cardinals (22-9); Dave McNally, Orioles (22-10); Luis Tiant, Indians (21-9); Mel Stottlemyre, Yankees (21-12); Fergie Jenkins, Cubs (20-15).
- Juan Marichal tossed a 1968 MLB-highest 30 complete games in 38 starts.
So, what about the batter’s box?
- There were only five qualifying .300 hitters in all of baseball.
- Carl Yastrzemski won the AL batting crown with a .301 average – the lowest ever for a batting champion. Yaz was, in fact, the only AL player to hit above .290.
- No player, in either league, scored 100 runs.
- The National League won the All Star game, appropriately, by a 1-0 score. There was no game-winning RBI, the winning tally (Willie Mays) scored as Willie McCovey hit into a double play.
The dominance of pitching in 1968 makes Pete Rose’s MLB-best.335 average and 210 hits even more impressive. Side note: Two of the three top MLB averages belonged to members of the Alou family: the Pirates’ Matty Alou (.332) and Braves’ Felipe Alou (.317). The third Alou brother (Jesus) hit .263 – still 26 points above the MLB average for that season.
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A COUPLE OF ODDITIES FROM 1968
Hey, this pitching ain’t that hard.
Long-time slugger Rocky Colavito, in his final MLB season (with the Yankees), took the mound on August 25 – in the top of the fourth with New York trailing 5-1, one on and one out. Colavito pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings; the Yankees rallied to win 6-5; and Rocky got the victory. In his career, Colavito pitched in one other game (1958) going three scoreless innings in that one. So, lifetime ERA for this slugging outfielder? Easy to figure – 0.00 in 5 2/3 innings.
Hondo Defies the Odds
From May 12 to May 18, 1968 big Frank “Hondo” Howard defied the odds in The Year of the Pitcher – setting an MLB record by launching ten home runs in a single week. In six games, he hit .542 (13-for-24), with ten homes runs (four multi-homer games) and 17 RBI. Two surprises. In the hot streak, he drew only one walk; and the Senators won only three of the six contests. Hondo finished the season at .274-44-106 … and that .274 average was tenth-best in the American League.
Final thought: I love a tense low-scoring contests (3-2, with three or four timely double plays is ideal for me), but 1968 might have been just a bit too low scoring.
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Member: Society for American Baseball Research. The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
