With the Washington Nationals pitching staff leading the NL in ERA (see post of April 15) and putting the Nats in first place, it seems a good time to reflect on Washington Senators’ Tom Cheney’s record-setting performance of September 12, 1962. On that day, Cheney set the major league’s single game record for strikeouts, with 21 Ks in a 16-inning complete game 2-1 win over the Orioles.
Cheney’s line included just the one run, on 10 hits, with 4 walks and 21 punch outs. Notably, Cheney – who threw 228 pitches – seemed to get stronger as the game progressed, holding the Orioles hitless (with 10 Ks) over the final eight innings.
Cheney’s inning-by-inning strikeouts:
1st-0; 2cnd-1; 3rd-3; 4th-1; 5th-3; 6th-1; 7th-0; 8th-2; 9th-2; 10th-2; 11th-2; 12th-0; 13th-0; 14th-2; 15th-1; 16th-1.
Cheney was 5-8 going into the game, with 3 complete game shutouts. He finished the year 7-9, with a 3.17 ERA and 147 Ks in 173 innings.
Cheney’s 21 Ks, by the way, are not the “professional” record. The record for strikeouts in a professional game belongs to Mario Picone. On June 15, 1944, the 18-year-old right-hander went 19 innings for the Bristol (Virginia) Twins (Class D, Appalachian League) in a 3-2 complete game win over the Johnson City Cardinals – whiffing 28 batters in the process. While Picone had a successful minor league career (13 seasons, 129-98, 3.95), in three MLB campaigns, he went 0-2, 6.30.
BBRT Note: Bristol may, indeed be the strikeout capitol of baseball. On May 13, 1952, the Bristol Twins’ Ron Necciai tossed a no-hitter, and set the record for whiffs in a nine-inning game with 27 punch outs. He followed that performance with a 24-strikeout, 2-hitter in his next start. Later that season, Necciai was called up to the Pirates, where he went 1-6 with a 7.08 earned run average – before his career fell victim to stomach ulcers and a torn rotator cuff.
