Baseball has a few confusing terms, one of which is the ‘complete game’ or CG. You may think this means what it says that the game has been completed with both teams batting and fielding for nine innings, but this is not the case.
A complete game or CG is used when the pitcher completes the full game without being substituted or replaced by a relief pitcher. For a normal game, this is where the starting pitcher starts the game, throws for all nine innings, and ends the game on the mound.
Let’s get on the mound and understand the in’s and out’s of pitching a complete game and the variations, and when a pitcher will still be credited with a Complete Game if the match is cut short or extended beyond the regular nine innings.
The Complete Game – A Rarity In Modern Baseball
In the early 20th Century, having a starting pitcher start and end a game was commonplace. Many Major League pitchers were required to do this regularly and were expected to pitch complete games with the option of a relief pitcher.
As the science behind the sport evolved, a greater understanding of the injury risks and tiring arms became more prevalent, and it’s rare to see a starting pitcher throw through all nine innings without relief.
Aside from the injury aspect, there is also a strategic aspect as having two or more pitchers who can maintain energy and ball speed throughout nine innings makes more sense than pushing one player to deliver the level of energy over a full game in major league baseball.
Of course, mitigating the risk of injury to star pitchers is a major consideration as well. Overusing your pitcher could result in strains on shoulders, elbow joints, and wrists as fatigue sets in. Considering the power and speed that major league pitchers can deliver, these attributes need to be properly managed, hence the use of relief pitchers in the modern game.
The management of athletes has resulted in almost no complete games being pitched in the modern era; pitchers may only achieve one or two complete games in a season if any at all.
Complete Game Regulations
A complete game will be awarded to a pitcher if he starts and finishes all nine innings without a relief pitcher, but there are other circumstances under which a complete game will also be awarded.
• Suppose the game is interrupted by rain or called early due to darkness or any other factor that would cause a game to end prematurely. In that case, the pitcher will be credited with a CG regardless of how many official innings have been played.
• Should the game go to extra innings, the complete game may be awarded for as long as the game lasts, and complete games of 15 innings have been recorded on a few occasions in major league baseball.
• Suppose the pitcher is for the visiting team, trailing after their at bat in the ninth inning. In that case, the pitcher is credited with an eight-inning complete game loss.
• If the pitcher is replaced with a pinch hitter at the top of the ninth inning, he will still be credited with a complete game, provided the relief pitcher has not been employed.
The Complete Game In Years Gone By
As early as the 1980s, a pitcher achieving 10-15 complete games in a season was not unheard of, and in 1980 Rick Langford from Oakland pitched 22 consecutive complete games. Over the 1952/1953 season, Phillies pitcher Robin Roberts threw 28 straight complete games.
Why Has The Complete Game Been Mostly Scrapped
As mentioned before, as coaches and sports scientists began to use technology to understand and manage players better, the number of pitches thrown in a game has led to changes in pitching strategy.
The understanding that overuse of a pitcher and the impact that has on not only game performance but season performance of pitchers has resulted in a ‘cap’ on the number of effective pitches that one player can throw in a game.
Sports science has indicated that the risk of arm injuries increases significantly over 120 pitches.
Even though legendary Hall Of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan once threw more than 200 pitches in a game, most coaches will use that number as the ceiling for their starting pitcher.
The increase of pitching coaches on teams, especially where the coach is a former pitcher, has also led to the decrease in complete games being seen in the modern game, and this is because they have brought their specialist experience and expertise to player management.
From a performance perspective, it makes more sense to use your top pitcher to inflict as much damage as possible and then have a relief pitcher come in and finish off, rather than pushing a golden arm over nine innings.
To achieve better WHIP and ERA stats in modern baseball, major league pitchers must perform at maximum, which can only be achieved over a limited period in a game before fatigue sets in. This is where the relief pitcher will take over, so the chance of a starting pitcher throwing a complete game is virtually impossible.
The Top 10 Leaders In Complete Games
While the modern era of major league baseball has virtually eliminated the complete game, some impressive records stand for complete game pitches. Here are the top ten complete game leaders. It’s interesting to note that every pitcher on this list was right-handed.
- Cy Young – 749
- Pud Galvin – 646
- Tim Keefe – 554
- Kid Nichols – 532
- Walter Johnson – 531
- Bobby Matthews & Mickey Welch – 525
- Old Ross Hadbourne – 488
- John Clarkson – 485
- Tony Mullane – 468
- Jim McCormick – 466
Eddie Plank is the top-ranked left-handed pitcher with 410 complete games, and this number ranks him at no.16 in the top 20 complete game leaders.
Cy Young’s record of 749 complete games is regarded as one of the only baseball records that will never be broken as the game progresses. It is also postulated that only three pitchers in baseball history ever achieved 749 starts.
Conclusion
Pitchers of old often had to pitch complete games, but the use of relief pitchers for both strategic reasons and to preserve the health and performance of starting pitchers has led to the virtual demise of the complete game in modern baseball.
So if you are in a position ever to see a starting pitcher throw a complete game today, know that you are seeing something that most people will never get to see. You can appreciate that player’s athletic skill, power, and endurance to achieve a rare complete game.