Poll

What's the best possible starting pitching performance?

Get all 27 batters out on one pitch (27-pitch game)
4 (33.3%)
Strike out all 27 batters
7 (58.3%)
Other (explain)
1 (8.3%)

Total Members Voted: 12

Author Topic: What's the best possible pitching performance?  (Read 1067 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline houston-nat

  • Posts: 19050
What's the best possible pitching performance?
« Topic Start: April 30, 2011, 06:25:01 AM »
Coladar wrote this in yesterday's Marquis v. Lincecum game thread:

As impressive as those 13 Ks are to seven, I think, just going by the lines there, Marquis had the better performance. 96 pitch CGs, hell, any CG under 100 pitches, is truly phenomenal. What an incredible performance, pitching nine innings with just 96 pitches! What a game.

So here we have the POV that throwing a tiny number of pitches, just over 10 per inning, is a "better performance" than striking out twice as many guys. This made me wonder: in theory/dream land, what do you think is the best a starting pitcher can possibly play? Using the fewest pitches, or striking out the most guys?

Offline imref

  • Posts: 42504
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
Best possible performance: 27 pitches, all 1st pitch outs. 

Offline spidernat

  • Posts: 76956
  • The Lerners are Cheap AND Crooked
Best possible performance: 27 pitches, all 1st pitch outs. 

That would be more of "Worst offensive performance EVER!".

Offline hammondsnats

  • Posts: 37394
wait wouldn't 1 pitch outs amount to 27 pitches, not 81?

Offline Minty Fresh

  • Posts: 20386
  • BOOM!
Any pitching performance that entails hitting Chase Utley with a pitch up and in.

Offline spidernat

  • Posts: 76956
  • The Lerners are Cheap AND Crooked
wait wouldn't 1 pitch outs amount to 27 pitches, not 81?

Yep. Maybe the 81 pitches was meant to be part of striking out all 27 batters.

Online JCA-CrystalCity

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 39378
  • Platoon - not just a movie, a baseball obsession
I'm sort of in the camp of luck-neutral performance as a measure, so I'd say 81 pitch, 27 strikeouts would be perfect perfection.

I might say that Pedro's 17 K game against the Yankees on 9/10/99, with the only hit being a Chili Davis homer, was better than some perfect games. 98 game score, .623 WPA. 120 pitches, 19 swinging strikes, 29 strikes looking.

Compare that to Buerhle's perfect game. 6 Ks, 93 Game Score, .290 WPA, 116 pitches, 6 swinging strikes, 22 looking.  Buerhle more or less needed a spectacular catch by Dewayne Wise and solid defense throughout in order to even be in this conversation.

Offline blue911

  • Posts: 18482
I'm sort of in the camp of luck-neutral performance as a measure, so I'd say 81 pitch, 27 strikeouts would be perfect perfection.

I might say that Pedro's 17 K game against the Yankees on 9/10/99, with the only hit being a Chili Davis homer, was better than some perfect games. 98 game score, .623 WPA. 120 pitches, 19 swinging strikes, 29 strikes looking.

Compare that to Buerhle's perfect game. 6 Ks, 93 Game Score, .290 WPA, 116 pitches, 6 swinging strikes, 22 looking.  Buerhle more or less needed a spectacular catch by Dewayne Wise and solid defense throughout in order to even be in this conversation.

Kerry Wood's 20K game was damn near perfection. 105 game score is the highest I've ever seen.


Edit: Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of Clemens first 20K game.

Offline houston-nat

  • Posts: 19050
wait wouldn't 1 pitch outs amount to 27 pitches, not 81?

Yeah, I think I was on something when I wrote that. Fixed

Online JCA-CrystalCity

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 39378
  • Platoon - not just a movie, a baseball obsession
Kerry Wood's 20K game was damn near perfection. 105 game score is the highest I've ever seen.


Edit: Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of Clemens first 20K game.
Is there a list of the all time highest game scores for pitchers?

Offline Lintyfresh85

  • Posts: 35130
  • World Champions!!!
Kerry Wood's 20K game was damn near perfection. 105 game score is the highest I've ever seen.


That's the greatest game I've ever seen pitched.

Offline hammondsnats

  • Posts: 37394
That's the greatest game I've ever seen pitched.

i'll always remember that ... watching WGN ... awesome.

Offline imref

  • Posts: 42504
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
That's the greatest game I've ever seen pitched.

IMHO #1 is Jack Morris shutting out the Braves over 10 innings in Game 7 of the 1991 WS.  10IP, 7H, 2BB, 8K, 0ER.

Offline houston-nat

  • Posts: 19050
So, would something less than a 27-pitch or 27-K game be the best possible performance, if it was Game 7 of the World Series? Or would a 27-pitch or 27-K game in Game 7 of the World Series be the best possible game?

Online JCA-CrystalCity

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 39378
  • Platoon - not just a movie, a baseball obsession
So, would something less than a 27-pitch or 27-K game be the best possible performance, if it was Game 7 of the World Series? Or would a 27-pitch or 27-K game in Game 7 of the World Series be the best possible game?
We'll ask Strasburg in a couple of years.

Offline shoeshineboy

  • Posts: 7934
  • Walks Kill!! Walks Kill! Walks Kill!!!!
To me, the best pitching performance would be a guy making three starts in the World Series, winning each of them throwing 27 strikeouts with zero contact, with the series win on the 3rd start.

Offline EdStroud

  • Posts: 10139
To me, the best pitching performance would be a guy making three starts in the World Series, winning each of them throwing 27 strikeouts with zero contact, with the series win on the 3rd start.
and on the road

Offline PANatsFan

  • Posts: 37398
  • dogs in uncensored, nudes in gameday
Isn't it better to get 15 outs on 45 strikes and then have a rainout? :couch:

Offline blue911

  • Posts: 18482
Isn't it better to get 15 outs on 45 strikes and then have a rainout? :couch:

I think Bugs Bunny once struck out three guys with one pitch.

Offline tomterp

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 33783
  • Hell yes!
I think Bugs Bunny once struck out three guys with one pitch.

He had great stuff.

Offline welch

  • Posts: 16289
  • The Sweetest Right Handed Swing in 1950s Baseball
Best all-time, aside from Don Larsen (perfect game in a World Series???? Before expansion?):

Walter Johnson's second consecutive shutout of the Yankees/Highlanders. That is, second consecutive game, both CG shutouts by Johnson. Friday and Saturday. (They had Sunday off, so Johnson shut them out on Monday, too.) September, 1908.

Come to think of it, how about the Harvey Haddix 12-inning perfect game that he lost in the 13th? Pirates / Braves, 1959. Box score at:
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/boxscore/05261959.shtml