What could of been the greatest game ever tossed

[Shanemansj13]

Corey Kluber tosses one of best games in MLB history - SweetSpot - ESPN

18 strikeouts and 1 hit in only 8 innings against the MLB best Cardinals. Why not let him pitch the 9th??

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Corey Kluber tosses one of best games in MLB history - SweetSpot - ESPN

18 strikeouts and 1 hit in only 8 innings against the MLB best Cardinals. Why not let him pitch the 9th??

Probably one of the best non-no hitter/perfect game I have seen in well, maybe ever.

 

[Shanemansj13]

I just dont know how you take him out. Crazy

 

[Sgt Brutus]

Rest his arm, early in the season not really sure maybe he wasn't feeling it

 

[Indrid Cold]

Tough call for Mills...if he sends Kluber back out, Corey struggles and gives up the game, and then goes on the DL with a sore shoulder, it's probably Mills' ass BIG TIME.
Kerry Wood's 20K game was also against a very good hitting team, the Stros with Biggio, Bagwell, and Moises Alou in his prime. I've watched the replay of Woods' day and his stuff was just plain sick. Then he told the Cubbies his arm hurt and they told him to be a man and learn to pitch with pain...oops, Tommy John time.

 

[Clayton]

Obviously an amazing performance but if Im a pitching coach and Im seeing pitch count 113 and literally my only chance at making the playoffs is my otherwise slumping pitcher staying healthy, Im giving him the hook and its an absolute no-brainer.

If its a perfect game, it might be a little different.

 

[Rock Strongo]

Probably one of the best non-no hitter/perfect game I have seen in well, maybe ever.

pedro in the bronx >>> kluber...but its close.

same with clemens 20k game, and woods 20k game.

tito hates fun.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Obviously an amazing performance but if Im a pitching coach and Im seeing pitch count 113 and literally my only chance at making the playoffs is my otherwise slumping pitcher staying healthy, Im giving him the hook and its an absolute no-brainer.

If its a perfect game, it might be a little different.

It's funny that you mention that. Perfect games happen a lot, 20+ times so far I believe, while the 20 K club has only 3 entries and 2 members. There's probably a decently strong argument that it should go the opposite way.

 

[Clayton]

It's funny that you mention that. Perfect games happen a lot, 20+ times so far I believe, while the 20 K club has only 3 entries and 2 members. There's probably a decently strong argument that it should go the opposite way.

Except that Ks aren't really a stat that matters

 

[DragonfromTO]

Except that Ks aren't really a stat that matters

As opposed to how much the difference between a perfect game and a one hit game usually "matters"?

 

[navamind]

Except that Ks aren't really a stat that matters

Lol

 

[navamind]

Strikeouts are good for pitchers. The more a pitcher strikes guys out, the less dependent he is on their defense. Of course there will be guys that post high strikeout rates and still struggle, but that's because they give up plenty of home runs and/or walk too many guys. But how often do low K/9 guys have sustained success?

Strikeouts for hitters, that might be somewhat correct.

How can strikeouts be great for pitchers, but not that bad for hitters? - Beyond the Box Score

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Strikeouts are good for pitchers. The more a pitcher strikes guys out, the less dependent he is on their defense. Of course there will be guys that post high strikeout rates and still struggle, but that's because they give up plenty of home runs and/or walk too many guys. But how often do low K/9 guys have sustained success?

Strikeouts for hitters, that might be somewhat correct.

How can strikeouts be great for pitchers, but not that bad for hitters? - Beyond the Box Score

I would give a nudge nudge for pitchers who just so happen to be able to induce particularly weak contact via IFFB's at a healthy rate. IFFB's are the K's nobody talks about, imo.

 

[HammerDown]

@calsnowskier would have taken this thread seriously...

 

[Clayton]

Maybe i was oversimplifying my point. Strikeouts in bulk are important relative to what is going on in the game. I don't think most pitchers go up to the mound with the goal of striking out as many batters as possible.

 

[navamind]

I would give a nudge nudge for pitchers who just so happen to be able to induce particularly weak contact via IFFB's at a healthy rate. IFFB's are the K's nobody talks about, imo.

Never really thought too much about IFFBs for pitchers. Great point.

 

[Indrid Cold]

As opposed to how much the difference between a perfect game and a one hit game usually "matters"?

The Wood game with one squib hit that a decent 3Bman probably would have prevented and 20Ks against a good hitting team is way cooler than most no hitters. Joe Cowley got a no hitter in a game in which he gave up 7 walks and was almost pulled after walking the bases loaded...pretty unlikely that a 9 inning 20K game could be anything but a dominant performance.

 

[navamind]

The Wood game with one squib hit that a decent 3Bman probably would have prevented and 20Ks against a good hitting team is way cooler than most no hitters. Joe Cowley got a no hitter in a game in which he gave up 7 walks and was almost pulled after walking the bases loaded...pretty unlikely that a 9 inning 20K game could be anything but a dominant performance.

A.J. Burnett walked 9 batters and hit a batter in his no-hitter. His pitch count was actually a bit lower (129, still quite a few) than I had expected.

Edwin Jackson walked 8, hit a batter, and needed 149 pitches to get through 9 innings in his no-hitter. 149 pitches in this era is asinine.

 

[Indrid Cold]

A.J. Burnett walked 9 batters and hit a batter in his no-hitter. His pitch count was actually a bit lower (129, still quite a few) than I had expected.

Edwin Jackson walked 8, hit a batter, and needed 149 pitches to get through 9 innings in his no-hitter. 149 pitches in this era is asinine.

All three 20k games (Clemens has the other two) featured zero walks.
Randy Johnson struck out 20 batters in the first nine innings of an extra inning game, and he also walked zero batters.

 

[The Derski]

Lol

It's true. They're just pretty to look at. Although CY Young winners are usually strikeout pitchers. But an out is an out.