The Tug McGraw was Born on this Day Quiz

[batmagadanleadoff]

Tug McGraw was born on this day in 1944. He was the winning pitcher on August 19, in the Mets magical season of 1969 (scorecard below). What MLB record was set during this game, that still stands today?

[fimg=966:2w65jjcm]http://www.ultimatemets.com/scorecard_graph.php?game=1254&font=1[/fimg:2w65jjcm]

Edited August 30, 2017 by Guest

[Guest themetfairy]

Was it the longest 1-0 game in MLB history, or the longest that a game was played before a run scored?

[batmagadanleadoff]

themetfairy wrote: Was it the longest 1-0 game in MLB history, or the longest that a game was played before a run scored?

The Mets played the longest 1-0 game in baseball history. Also the longest shutout game --period-- in baseball history. But it wasn't that game. It was this game:

[fimg=940]http://www.ultimatemets.com/scorecard_graph.php?game=978&font=1[/fimg]

[Guest themetfairy]

Damn - so close, yet so far....

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Longest outing by a losing pitcher? (probably not)

[HahnSolo]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Longest outing by a losing pitcher? (probably not)

To piggyback on this, most strikeouts by a losing pitcher?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I wonder if we'll ever again see a starting pitcher throw 13.1 innings.

[Guest 41Forever]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I wonder if we'll ever again see a starting pitcher throw 13.1 innings.

Terry would have pulled him in the sixth inning, then gone lefty/righty with three or four pitchers in the seventh and eighth, use a guy who pitched two innings the night before for four innings then save the closer for the top of the 13th.

[Zvon]

HahnSolo wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Longest outing by a losing pitcher? (probably not) To piggyback on this, most strikeouts by a losing pitcher?

I'll go with these.

Marichal goes 13.1 (!!) and my man Agee put's it away!!!Woohoo!

[dgwphotography]

Wow... Marichal pitches into the 14th inning, but only has 5 PAs...

Seaver had only 3Ks in 10 innings, and they were consecutive in the 6th and 7th..

[Guest sharpie]

Agee was 0-for-15 for those two games until his walk-off homer.

[Zvon]

sharpie wrote: Agee was 0-for-15 for those two games until his walk-off homer.

Youch. You're bringin' me down, maaan.

[Chad ochoseis]

Zvon wrote: HahnSolo wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Longest outing by a losing pitcher? (probably not) To piggyback on this, most strikeouts by a losing pitcher? I'll go with these. Marichal goes 13.1 (!!) and my man Agee put's it away!!!Woohoo!

Didn't Steve Carlton pitch a game against the '69 Mets where he had some ridiculous number of strikeouts - 18 or so in a 9-inning game - and lost 4-3 anyway?

No guess here, because I think Lunchie's correct.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I wonder if we'll ever again see a starting pitcher throw 13.1 innings.

What's just as anachronistic is the first relief pitcher in the game entering a tied game in extra innings and pitching four innings.

Longest outing by a losing pitcher? (probably not)

Not the answer. I don't feel like looking it up, but I think there was a marathon extra inning game where at least one and probably both pitchers went the distance. This was even before the Babe Ruth era and may have involved Iron Man Joe McGinnity.

To piggyback on this, most strikeouts by a losing pitcher?

The record for most strikeouts in a game by a losing pitcher is held by a Hall of Fame pitcher. The record was set in 1969, against the Mets. Tug McGraw relieved Gary Gentry and picked up the Win. But it wasn't that game. It was this game:

[fimg=900]http://www.ultimatemets.com/scorecard_graph.php?game=1283&font=1[/fimg]

[Edgy MD]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Longest outing by a losing pitcher? (probably not) Not the answer. I don't feel like looking it up, but I think there was a marathon extra inning game where at least one and probably both pitchers went the distance. This was even before the Babe Ruth era and may have involved Iron Man Joe McGinnity.

The Brooklyn Robins visited the Boston Braves and on May 1, 1920 with both pitchers (Leon Cadore and Joe Oeschger) amazingly going the distance in a 26-inning marathon (add .2 innings more and it's almost literally a marathon). But this wouldn't disqualify Lunchie's answer as neither Cadore nor Oescheger took the loss, with the game ending in a 1-1 tie.

Never heard much about Cadore or Oescheger? I imagine that's because both of their arms fell of the next day.

[Zvon]

Great quiz.
I think the Carlton/RockyX2 game should get a tribute card.

Something like this Tugger below but for Swoboda and in a 1970 border.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Here's the answer. Juan Marichal's Bill James Game Score was 104 -- the highest expansion era game score ever for a losing pitcher:

1. Juan Marichal, San Francisco Giants, August 19, 1969 Game score 104 Marichal is, of course, famous for WINNING these kinds of crazy games. The most famous: In 1963 he threw 16 shutout innings to outduel Warren Spahn. In 1966, he threw 14 shutout innings to outlast Jim Bunning (who could only make it for 10 shutout innings before getting pulled). In 1963, he threw a no-hitter to beat Dick Drott and Houston 1-0, and less than a month after this game in ’69 he threw a one-hit shutout to beat the Reds 1-0. In this one, though, Marichal took the hard loss. He threw 13 shutout innings against the Mets — striking out 13 along the way — but the Mets pitching with Gary Gentry and Tug McGraw matched him. The Mets had a chance to win the game in the 12th when Cleon Jones tried to score on a Marichal error; he crashed into Giants catcher Jack Hiatt, but Hiatt held on to the ball. One more interesting moment before we get to the finish: Willie McCovey in 1969 was one of the most feared hitters in baseball history. He had become so absurdly good that managers kind of went crazy trying to slow him down. They intentionally walked McCovey 45 times that year; it was, best anyone could tell, unprecedented. As far as we know, the record for intentional walks up to that point was Ted Williams 33 in 1957. This was a whole different thing. In addition, the Mets had a special way of attacking McCovey, something they called “The Hodges Shift,” after manager Gil Hodges. He put three infielders on the right side of the infield, which is now common. But the third baseman, instead of moving over to where the shortstop usually stands, was instead used as a fourth outfielder. He played deep left-center. The Mets put the Hodges shift on in the 13th, and McCovey blasted a long fly ball to left-center — directly behind where Mets third baseman Bobby Pfiel was standing. “You take it!” Pfiel shouted out immediately (“I know I can catch a fly ball, but not like that,” Pfiel said). Mets centerfielder Cleon Jones, who was playing more toward right raced over and made a leaping, insane catch at the wall. “I’ll think of something,” Tommie Agee told Jones and teammates in the dugout before he went to the plate into the 14th inning. He was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts up to that point. But he did think of something — he hit the walk-off homer that finally ended the game and, this time, broke Marichal’s heart.

http://joeposnanski.com/hard-luck-losers/

[Zvon]

I was not aware of this "game score" business. And it's been around since the late 1970's! Amazin'. Learn something new everyday



I remember getting a kick out of the caption that came with this photo of the Jones catch in some baseball mag.
I doubt this is verbatim but it's close:
"Cleon Jones climbs the wall to rob Willie McCovey of a home run as Tommie Agee watches and learns."

Agee watches and learns.....ha! That always made me chuckle.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I was not aware of this "game score" business. And it's been around since the late 1970's! Amazin'. Learn something new everyday I remember getting a kick out of the caption that came with this photo of the Jones catch in some baseball mag. I doubt this is verbatim but it's close: "Cleon Jones climbs the wall to rob Willie McCovey of a home run as Tommie Agee watches and learns." Agee watches and learns.....ha! That always made me chuckle.

Did you colorize that pic?

[Zvon]

Yes. Tough source. I'd love to find a hi-rez version of that pic. I'm currently colorizing the iconic Rick Monday/flag photo. It's coming out nice.
That crowd is gonna be a beaatch.

[fimg=500:20jhvq7z]https://latimesphoto.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/fa_859_flagsaved_roark970.jpg[/fimg:20jhvq7z]