Bob Gibson – Pitcher of the Day<\/em> on the Day of the Pitcher<\/em>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Threw a complete game shutout – and hit a Two-Run homer.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u00a0 \u00a0<\/iframe><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0 0 0 10px; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/120331699\" target=\"_blank\">#120331699<\/a> \/ <a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\" target=\"_blank\">gettyimages.com<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\nThere is no doubt 1968 \u201cearned\u201d its reputation as \u201cThe Year of the Pitcher.\u201d\u00a0 Witness the Tigers\u2019 Denny McLain<\/strong>\u2019s 31 wins (versus six losses) and 1.96 ERA, the 1.12 ERA and 13 shutouts rung up by the Cardinals\u2019 Bob Gibson<\/strong>, or the fact that Carl Yastrzemski<\/strong> of the Red Sox claimed the American League batting crown with a .301 average. To put the frosting on the cake, McLain and Gibson not only captured their respective league Cy Young Awards, but were both recognized as league MVP as well.<\/p>\nWell, if 1968 was the Year of the Pitcher, June 4, 1972 (42 years ago, today) was \u201cThe Day of the Pitcher.\u201d<\/strong> <\/em><\/span>On that date, with sixteen MLB games scheduled, a record eight resulted in shutouts \u2013 and the pitchers who took the mound across MLB that day combined for a collective 2.78 ERA.<\/p>\nI\u2019ll look at those record eight whitewashes in more detail, but first a few tidbits that show just how much the game has changed.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It was a Sunday and the day featured doubleheaders<\/strong><\/span> at Baltimore, Chicago (White Sox), Kansas City and San Francisco.\u00a0 (I really miss Sunday doubleheaders.)<\/li>\n<li>Despite the fact that five games featured 10 or more total runs scored, 11 of the 16 games finished in under 2 \u00bd hours <\/strong><\/span>(four in under 2 hours), and the longest game was 3 hours and 9 minutes. (And, there were no challenges or instant replays.)<\/li>\n<li>The average length<\/strong><\/span> of the 16 games was 2 hours and 35 minute<\/strong>s<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li>Pitchers went to the plate in every game<\/strong><\/span>, collecting 13 hits (78 at bats), two walks, three doubles, and one home run. \u00a0Overall, hurlers scored three runs and drove in ten. (I still do not like the DH.)<\/li>\n<li>There were eight complete games,\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>not all in the shutouts. (Pitch counts did not dominate commentary.)<\/li>\n<li>There were six saves recorded that day \u2013 and, in four of those saves, the closing reliever pitched two or more innings.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThe Shutouts<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nNow, here\u2019s a look at the record-setting eight shutouts \u2013 which, by the way, were not good news for the fans in attendance \u2013 only one home team was on the right end of the whitewashing.<\/p>\nOakland at Baltimore (Doubleheader \u2026 2-0 & 2-0 \u2026 Oakland wins both)<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\nOakland set the tone at Baltimore, blanking the Orioles by the identical score of 2-0 in both games of a doubleheader. In each game, the A\u2019s scored twice in the top of the first inning for the only runs in the contest.<\/p>\nIn game one, the scoring was over after the first four batters.\u00a0 SS Marty Martinez led off the game with a walk, LF Joe Rudi singled, Martinez scored on a single by RF Reggie Jackson and then Rudi came home as 3B Sal Bando hit into a short-to-second-to-first double play.\u00a0 No more runners crossed the plate for either team. Dave Hamilton picked up the win<\/strong> (to go 2-0) with six innings of six-hit ball (no walks, one strikeout), Rollie Fingers picked up a hold (2\/3 of an inning, one hit) and Darold Knowles earned his second save f the season with 2 1\/3 scoreless innings (one hit, four strikeouts).\u00a0 Doyle Alexander (3-2) took the loss for the O\u2019s, despite pitching seven innings of two-run ball.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2905\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/catfish-hunter.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2905\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2905\" src=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/catfish-hunter-215x300.jpg\" alt=\"Catfish Hunter faced only 28 batters in his two-hit shutout (no walks, one double play). Allowed no base runners after the third inning. \" width=\"215\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/catfish-hunter-215x300.jpg 215w, https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/catfish-hunter.jpg 732w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px\" \/><\/a>Catfish Hunter faced only 28 batters in his two-hit shutout (no walks, one double play). Allowed no base runners after the third inning.<\/p><\/div>\nIn game two, Sal Bando hit a two-run home run with two-out in the first inning to account for all the game\u2019s scoring (SS Bert Campaneris had led off the inning with a double). Catfish Hunter (6-2) got the win<\/strong> with a complete game two-hitter (no walks, and four strikeouts). Mike Cueller (2-5), who gave up two runs in six innings, took the loss.<\/p>\nCincinnati at Philadelphia (2-0 \u2026 Reds win)<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\nAnother 2-0 shutout, this one in Philadelphia \u2013 and, again, the scoring was over in the top of the first inning, this time after just three batters. Reds\u2019 lead-off hitter LF Pete Rose started the game with a single off the Phlllies\u2019 Bill Champion (who took the loss to go 3-3 on the season), CF Bobby Tolan followed with another single and then C Johnny Bench rapped a two-run double \u2013 scoring over.<\/p>\nThe Reds Jack Billingham (3-4) got the win<\/strong>, throwing 7 2\/3 innings of six-hit ball (no walks, six strikeouts), Relief was provided by Tommy Hall (1\/3 inning, one hit, one strikeout) and Clay Carroll (one inning, one hit, one strikeout), who earned his tenth save.<\/p>\nMinnesota at Detroit (3-0 \u2026 Tigers win)<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\nThe Tigers topped the Twins 3-0 at Detroit behind Tim Timmerman\u2019s (4-4) complete-game four-hitter (one walk, six strikeouts) \u2013 one of just two shutouts in Timmerman\u2019s six MLB seasons. \u00a0Bert Blyleven (7-4), who would throw sixty complete-game shutouts in his 22-year career, took the loss in a game that was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh. Blyleven gave up just two hits in seven innings of work (one walk, six strikeouts), but one was a seventh-inning, two-run home run by Detroit CF Mickey Stanley (following a hit batter, RF Jim Northrup).<\/p>\nBoston at Kansas City (4-0 \u2026 Red Sox win)<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\nIn the first game of a doubleheader, Boston beat Kansas City 4-0 behind John Curtis<\/strong> (2-0). Curtis fashioned a complete-game seven-hitter (two walks, five strikeouts). The losing pitcher for the Royals was Mike Hedlund (0-5), who gave two runs on six hits in two innings before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the second. \u00a0Kansas City took the second game of the twin bill 7-5.<\/p>\nTexas at Milwaukee (10-0 \u2026 Rangers win)<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Rich-hand.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-2914\" src=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Rich-hand.jpg\" alt=\"Rich hand\" width=\"173\" height=\"240\" \/><\/a>Rich Hand<\/strong> (2-3) had the shortest \u2013 and least effective – work day of any of the winning starters in this day of shutouts.\u00a0 Hand, who was having control problems, pitched five scoreless innings \u2013 giving up four hits and five walks, while fanning one batter. Hand pitched out of trouble in the fourth inning (getting a line-drive double play with the bases loaded and one out) and fifth inning (a fly ball out with the bases loaded, thanks to three walks). When he walked the first hitter in the sixth, Hand\u2019s day was done. Mike Paul came on to throw two-innings of scoreless relief (no hits, two walks, three strikeouts) and Horacio Pena finished up (two innings, two hits, no walks, two whiffs) for his eighth save. The game as never in doubt, as Texas scored six runs on six hits, two walks and an error in the top of the first. Brewers\u2019 starter Skip Lockwood (2-5) lasted just 2\/3 of an inning, giving up six runs on five hits and two walks. Notably, Texas collected a total of 14 hits in the game \u2013 13 singles and a double.<\/p>\nSaint Louis at Los Angeles (4-0 \u2026 Cardinals win)<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\nCardinals\u2019 fire-baller Bob Gibson<\/strong> (3-5) shut down the Dodgers 4-0 in LA \u2013 throwing a complete-game five hitter, with one walk and six strikeouts. Gibson added insult to injury by belting a two-run homer in the top of the ninth.\u00a0 Saint Louis 3B Joe Torre also homered in the game (fifth inning). Losing pitcher Claude Osteen (6-3) didn\u2019t pitch badly, giving up two runs in six innings on seven hits (two walks and three K\u2019s). Gibson would finish the year 19-11, 2.46, while Osteen would go 20-11. 2.64.<\/p>\nHouston at Montreal (5-0 \u2026 Astros win<\/span>)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nHouston\u2019s Don Wilson<\/strong> (4-4) went the distance in this one \u2013 a two-hitter, with two walks and six strikeouts. The game was a lot closer than the score would indicate, as Montreal starter Carl Morton (who took the loss to go to 2-6) matched Wilson zero-for-zero through seven innings. Then, with two out in the eighth, Morton gave up a solo home run to Houston CF Cesar Cedeno (his fourth of the season).\u00a0 Morton’s line in a losing cause was eight innings, five hits, one run, two walks, and one strikeout.\u00a0 Things came apart in the ninth, when Montreal brought in Mike Marshall. Marshall retired only one batter while giving up two walks, three hits and four runs. John Strohmayer finished up for the Expos.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<h3>I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bob Gibson – Pitcher of the Day on the Day of the Pitcher.\u00a0 Threw a complete game shutout – and hit a Two-Run homer.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 #120331699 \/ gettyimages.com   There is no doubt 1968 \u201cearned\u201d its reputation as \u201cThe Year of the Pitcher.\u201d\u00a0 Witness the Tigers\u2019 Denny McLain\u2019s 31 wins (versus six losses) and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11,5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/june-4-1972-the-day-of-the-pitcher-and-how-the-game-has-changed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"June 4, 1972 - The Day of the Pitcher (and how the game has changed) - Baseball Roundtable\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Bob Gibson – Pitcher of the Day on the Day of the Pitcher.\u00a0 Threw a complete game shutout – and hit a Two-Run homer.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 #120331699 \/ gettyimages.com   There is no doubt 1968 \u201cearned\u201d its reputation as \u201cThe Year of the Pitcher.\u201d\u00a0 Witness the Tigers\u2019 Denny McLain\u2019s 31 wins (versus six losses) and […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/june-4-1972-the-day-of-the-pitcher-and-how-the-game-has-changed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Baseball Roundtable\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-06-04T11:32:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2014-06-18T13:52:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/catfish-hunter-215x300.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/\",\"name\":\"Baseball Roundtable\",\"description\":\"Baseball's like life-only better\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/june-4-1972-the-day-of-the-pitcher-and-how-the-game-has-changed\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/catfish-hunter.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/catfish-hunter.jpg\",\"width\":732,\"height\":1020,\"caption\":\"Catfish Hunter faced only 28 batters in his two-hit shutout (no walks, one double play). 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