A Couple of 20-Game Winner Accomplishments September 8th

On this day in Baseball History September 8th: A couple of milestones were reached by two 20-Game winners.

- September 8, 1939

Cleveland Indians starter Bob Feller becomes the youngest pitcher to win 20-games. Feller won his 20th game at the age of 20 years old against the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Feller's record would stand until August 25, 1985 when New York Mets starting pitcher Dwight "Dr. K" Gooden defeated the San Diego Padres at Shea Stadium 9-3 to become the youngest 20-game winner in Major League Baseball history. Here is my August 25, 2014 post Dr. K Becomes the Youngest 20-Game Winner August 25, 1985.

Feller would finish the season with a 24-9 record and a 2.85 ERA with 24 complete games in 35 games started. Here is the box score for the September 8, 1939 game between the Cleveland Indians vs. the St. Louis Browns

- Click here to access Bob Feller's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

- Click here to access the official Bob Feller webpage

- September 8, 1963

Milwaukee Braves starter Warren Spahn ties legendary pitcher Christy Mathewson with 13 20-win seasons. Spahn pitched a complete game for his 20th against Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 at Connie Mack Stadium (aka Shibe Park before 1953), Philadelphia.

Mathewson had 12-consecutive 20-win seasons from 1903-1914. His first 20-game season came in 1901. The pitcher with the most 20-game seasons is Cy Young. Young had 15 20-game win seasons. You can also add on the 5 30-game win seasons to that list as well. Walter Johnson and Kid Nichols had 12 20-game win seasons. Spahn would finish the season with a 23-7 record with a 2.60 ERA with 22 COMPLETE GAMES!!!!! Mind boggling. Let me blow your mind, Spahn for his career had 382 complete games out of 665 games started. LOL.

Here is the box score for the September 8, 1963 game between the Milwaukee Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies.

- Click here to access Warren Spahn's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click here to access Christy Mathewson's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click here to access Cy Young's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click here to access Walter Johnson's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click here to access Kid Nichols' career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

Both Feller and Spahn had the 20-game historical moments on September 8th. While Feller was a tender 20-years of age when he achieved his first 20-game season, Spahn was the grizzled age of 42 when he reached his final 20-year season. Which one do you think we see sooner: a 20-year old 20-game winner or a 42-year old 20-game winner?

Until Then Keep Playing Ball,
Baseball Sisco
#baseballsisco
#baseballsiscokidstyle

Dr. K Becomes the Youngest 20-Game Winner August 25, 1985

On this day in Baseball History August 25, 1985: New York Mets pitcher Dwight "Dr. K" Gooden becomes the youngest 20-game winner in Major League Baseball history. Upon defeating the San Diego Padres 9-3 at Shea Stadium, Gooden was 20 years, nine months and nine days old. Bob Feller was 20 years and ten months and five days old when he won his 20th against the St. Louis Browns on September 8, 1939. At the time of his 20th win, Gooden had only three losses for the season and would only lose one more game which happened during his next start. His last six starts of the season would be just phenomenal.

Gooden would finish the season with four straight wins, of which three were complete games, two of those shutouts with two nine-inning starts (taken out after the ninth due to extra innings) and an eight inning start. He would finish with a 24-4 record with a league best 1.53 ERA, 16 complete games with 8 shutouts, 276.2 innings pitches. He gave up 198 hits with 268 strikeouts and only 69 walks for a WHIP of 0.965.

Gooden would follow his Rookie of the Year campaign and runner up for the National League Cy Young Award in 1984 with the National League Cy Young Award for the 1985 season and a fourth place finish in the National League MVP Race.

Too bad the fast life and drugs of the 1980's led to his eventual downfall. Even though I wasn't a Mets fan, watching a young Dwight Gooden was an event each and everytime.

Until Then Keep Playing Ball,
Baseball Sisco
#baseballsisco
#baseballsiscokidstyle

For Further Reading:
- Click here to access Dwight Gooden's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

Doc Gooden and Childhood Memories

Sometimes writing one blogpost evokes childhood memories that become another post. In my last post I wrote about the former Mets' pitchers who have thrown either a no-hitter or a perfect game after leaving the Mets. Here's the link to that post: Another Ex-Mets Pitcher Throws a No-No/Perfecto

Where the additional post comes in is in reference to one of the men on the list: Dwight "Dr. K" Gooden. For some reason mentioning Gooden brought me back to my dad's grocery story back in 1984. April 7th be exact. For you hardcore Mets fans out there you'll know that on that date in Baseball History, Dwight Gooden made his major league debut for the Mets against the Houston Astros. Thanks to Baseball Reference for the box score for April 7, 1984:

Gooden pitched 5 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, walked 2 and struck out 5.

Its not the pitching performance that I remember, its how my dad watched that game that I recall. I remember they kept switching image on the screen from Gooden on the mound to his parents in the stands. Gooden's father in particular was interesting to my dad. I guess he could empathize with Gooden's dad sense of pride in seeing his 19-year old making his debut on TV. I wouldn't call my dad a major baseball fan though he does know a majority of the players, especially the Latino ballplayers. But there was something about that game that made him pay attention in between customers.

I recall he kept saying that Gooden looked like "Hot Sauce". Hot Sauce was the nickname of this kid who I played with during little league. After all these years I have no idea what his name was, but that kid had a helluva fastball. I should know, being the chubby kid on the team, I was put behind the plate. LOL. I used to catch him as he pitched and he used to blow up my catcher's mitt. Pop! Pop! Pop! The ball would sound off as it blew up my mitt and my hand inside of it. At one point I remember dropping the mitt because my hand felt like it was on fire.

So to my dad Gooden resembled Hot Sauce and my dad was rooting for him to do well both because of the resemblance and also so Gooden's dad could be happy for himself and his son.

Amazing what mentioning one person's name can do for one's blogging experience. LOL. Thanks to Dr. K, his dad, Hot Sauce and my dad for the brief walk back down memory lane.

FH.

Another Ex-Mets Pitcher Throws a No-No/Perfecto

I got up from my Pre-work nap to discover that Chicago White Sox starter Phil Humber was into the 9th inning against the Seattle Mariners: throwing a Perfect game. Mind you, there have only been 20 perfectos in Baseball. Humber was on the cusp of joining an illustrious club. After Humber retired the 27th batter he faced and i stood there watching the White Sox players celebrating on the diamond at Safeco Field something else came to mind.

Aside from becoming the 21st member of the Perfect Game Club, Humber also joined another club. This club is made up of pitchers who threw either a no hitter or a perfect game after leaving the New York Mets. The irony is that the New York Mets (Along with the San Diego Padres) are the only MLB franchises to never have a no hitter or a perfect game thrown by one of their pitchers.

With Humber's performance today, the total of ex-Met pitchers to throw either a no-no or a perfect game after leaving the Metropolitans is seven.

Here is the list:
Nolan Ryan (California Angels, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers) 
Tom Seaver (Cincinnati Reds) 
Mike Scott (Houston Astros) 
Dwight Gooden (New York Yankees) 
David Cone (New York Yankees) 
Hideo Nomo (Boston Red Sox) 
Philip Humber (Chicago White Sox)

What makes this list impressive is that you have arguably four of the greatest pitchers to play for the Mets in Ryan, Seaver, Gooden and Cone reaching their no hitter/perfect game achievements elsewhere. Ryan has more no-hitters than any other pitcher in the history if the game (Sandy Koufax is next with four no-hitters). Seaver took three no hitters into the ninth inning and lost two with one out and one with two outs in the ninth in Dave Stiebian fashion (Stieb of the Toronto Blue Jays took 4 no-hitters into the ninth and lost them before he recorded a no-hitter). Humber is a former 1st round pick for the Mets in 2004 and Scott was utterly dominant in his NY Cy Young and NL League Championship Series MVP (in a losing effort) season of 1986 and to further add insult to injury, Scott was potentially the only man who could derail the locomotive that was the 1986 New York Mets. So the feats of these pitchers make each and every no hitter or perfect game thrown outside of Shea Stadium and Citi Field that much more bitter.  

Here is the breakdown of no hitters/perfect thrown by the former Mets pitchers:

Nolan Ryan
- May 15, 1973 – California Angles 3, Kansas City Royals 0 away at Kansas City
- June 15, 1973 – California Angels 6, Detroit Tigers 0 away at Detroit
- Sept. 28, 1974 – California Angels 4, Minnesota Twins 0 in Anaheim
- June 1, 1975 – California Angels 1 Baltimore Orioles 0 in Anaheim
- Sept. 26, 1981 – Houston Astros 5 Los Angeles Dodgers 0 home in Houston
- June 11, 1990 – Texas Rangers 5 Oakland A’s 0 away at Oakland
- May 1, 1991 – Texas Rangers 3 Toronto Blue Jays 0 home in Texas

Tom Seaver
- June 16, 1978 – Cincinnati Reds 4, St. Louis Cardinals 0 home in Cincinnati

Mike Scott
- September 25, 1986 – Houston Astros 2, San Francisco Giants 0 home in Houston

Dwight Gooden
- May 14, 1996 – New York Yankees 2, Seattle Mariners 0 home in the Bronx

David Cone
- July 18, 1999 – New York Yankees 6, Montreal Expos 0 in the Bronx ***Perfect Game

Hideo Nomo
- April 4, 2001 – Boston Red Sox 3, Baltimore Orioles 0 away at Baltimore

Philip Humber
- April 12, 2012 – Chicago White Sox 4, Seattle Mariners 0 away at Seattle ***Perfect Game

Combined No-Hitters with former Mets pitchers

Alejandro Peña
On Sept. 11, 1991, Peña was a part of a three-pitcher no-hitter for the Braves closing out a game that was started by Kent Mercker (6 innings) and relieved by Mark Wohlers (2 innings). The Braves beat the San Diego Padres 1-0. Pena had been traded to the Braves from the Mets earlier in the season. Oswalt was removed in the first inning due to an injury.

Octavio Dotel
On June 11, 2003, Dotel was a part of the largest combined no hitter when as a member of the Houston Astros. He joined Roy Oswalt, Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner in no hitting the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Oswalt had been removed in the first inning due to an injury.

Who knows when the Mets will get their elusive no hitter and/or perfect game. Where a perfect game seemed weird only a few years ago, there have been five thrown since 2004, so there is hope. I guess the Mets faithful will have to continue to believe that it'll happen sooner than later.

 FH