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Discover one of baseball's forgotten streaks (Rick Langford)
ESPN ^ | May 17th, 2013 | Doug Williams

Posted on 05/19/2013 5:29:49 PM PDT by Third Person

On May, 23, 1980, Oakland A’s pitcher Rick Langford threw a complete game against the Texas Rangers.

The A’s lost that day, 3-1, as Langford gave up three unearned runs in a 1-hour, 56-minute duel with Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins.

Five days later, Langford went the distance again, beating the Royals.

Six days after that, on June 3 he pitched a third straight complete game, this time going 10 innings vs. the Indians.

He then pitched another complete game. And another. And another.

By the end of June, Langford’s complete-game streak was eight.

Through July, it was 14 -- including a 14-inning victory.

After five more complete games in August, he was up to 19.

Over the first 12 days of September, Langford went the distance against the Yankees, Orioles and Royals. Langford, who wore No. 22, had thrown 22 consecutive complete games.

Finally, on Sept. 17, in a game at Arlington, Texas, A’s manager Billy Martin marched to the mound after Langford had pitched 8⅔ innings and signaled for lefty reliever Bob Lacey to come on. Lacey induced a groundout from Buddy Bell to save Langford’s 17th victory.

“I remember him standing there like it was yesterday, and he came to get me,” says Langford, 61, now the rehab pitching coach for the Toronto Blue Jays. “He didn’t ask me this time, ‘How are you?’ or ‘You can do it’ or whatever. His comment was, God bless him, ‘I think it’s time now.’ Those were his words. I said, ‘Yes it is.’

“I handed him the ball and walked off.”

Langford's streak was done, but he wasn’t.

Langford pitched complete games in his next three starts. Then, with 19 victories and a chance for No. 20...

(Excerpt) Read more at espn.go.com ...


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Iron Man.
1 posted on 05/19/2013 5:29:49 PM PDT by Third Person
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To: Third Person

Martin also thought his relievers sucked on that team.

Bob Lacey Saves = 6
Jeff Jones Saves = 5


2 posted on 05/19/2013 5:40:47 PM PDT by whitedog57
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To: Third Person

Amazing.

Lifetime baseball fan here, never heard this story. Thanks for posting.

CG has been dropped as a stat for some time now, I don’t know how long. America has gone the way of the complete game as I see it.

6 innings is now considered a quality start.

I recall when it was shameful to have a team ERA above 4.0.


3 posted on 05/19/2013 5:46:14 PM PDT by AlmaKing
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To: AlmaKing
America has gone the way of the complete game as I see it.

Bingo. A different time, a different mindset.

4 posted on 05/19/2013 5:48:55 PM PDT by Third Person (Welcome to Gaymerica.)
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To: Third Person

Had never heard of this. Pretty damn amazing!!


5 posted on 05/19/2013 5:52:32 PM PDT by KoRn (Department of Homeland Security, Certified - "Right Wing Extremist")
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To: whitedog57
From the article and to your point:

They had an old-school manager in Martin, a young and talented five-man rotation with pitchers who wanted to finish what they started and a bullpen without a star closer. Those three factors created a staff that threw 94 complete games, the highest total since 1946.

Langford led with 28, but Mike Norris (a 22-game winner) had 24, Matt Keough 20, Steve McCatty 11 and Kingman 10. (In an odd twist, even Lacey -- who led the team with six saves -- threw a complete game in his only start.)

6 posted on 05/19/2013 5:53:56 PM PDT by Third Person (Welcome to Gaymerica.)
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To: Third Person

The Finley-Martin era. Never a dull moment.


7 posted on 05/19/2013 6:02:50 PM PDT by rfp1234 (Arguing with a marxist is like playing Chess with a Pigeon.)
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To: Third Person

Matt Keough - what a shame. Hope he has recovered, but he is known in my neighborhood for a string of drunken events, including two driving offenses. They found him hiding in the bushes near my house, after he rear ended someone at a red light, causing the impacted vehicle to hit a pedestrian. Was married to an OC Housewife, FWIW.


8 posted on 05/19/2013 6:09:49 PM PDT by jttpwalsh
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To: AlmaKing
Same here. I don't remember when baseball went to the late inning specialists. Early 70s?

Before that it was pretty much expected that a pitcher go the distance.

I can certainly understand why they did go the relief pitcher route, but why did it take so long to think of this?

I know that it was a big deal to get the Rolaids "relief" firehat trophy.

But again, I think 1970s.

Heck now we have one inning specialists. Some guy who comes in, throws 101mph fastballs, then gets yanked the next inning. Still makes a couple of million per year for his efforts, though.

9 posted on 05/19/2013 6:12:59 PM PDT by boop ("You don't look so bad, here's another")
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To: boop

yep, in the 70s. Al Hrabosky, Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage were some of them.


10 posted on 05/19/2013 6:17:52 PM PDT by taterjay
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11 posted on 05/19/2013 6:17:53 PM PDT by RedMDer (May we always be happy and may our enemies always know it. - Sarah Palin, 10-18-2010)
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To: Third Person

If I remember right most of the starting staff never pitched that well again - too many pitches thrown when tired is what kills arms and shoulders. It’s why there are so few CG’s today. Doctors can fix ligament and muscle tears, but they can’t fix a worn out arm.


12 posted on 05/19/2013 6:19:12 PM PDT by Some Fat Guy in L.A. (Still bitterly clinging to rational thought despite it's unfashionability)
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To: Some Fat Guy in L.A.

Ron Washington is doing the same with Yu Darvish.....threw 130 pitches the other night.....he was pitching in the 8th with a 5-run lead.

If he breaks down come September, Wash has some ‘splainin’ to do.


13 posted on 05/19/2013 6:24:40 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: taterjay
I remember there was some "controversy" about relievers. In Sparky Lyle's autobiography he talked about hating to be the "set up man".

Never understood why he didn't like it.

14 posted on 05/19/2013 6:25:33 PM PDT by boop ("You don't look so bad, here's another")
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To: Third Person
One of baseball's greatest moments.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZzeEaBHUBM

15 posted on 05/19/2013 6:32:41 PM PDT by South40
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To: Some Fat Guy in L.A.
Yup. From the article....

"In 1983, analyst Bill James wrote that Martin’s "Billy Ball" era in Oakland was actually “Billy Burnout,” and that his methods led to the downfall of all five A’s starters."

16 posted on 05/19/2013 6:54:19 PM PDT by FreeReign
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To: boop

I read an article a couple of years ago in which the author suggested that the “closer” in modern baseball is used entirely incorrectly. This guy’s point was that bringing in your best short reliever to pitch the last inning of a game where your team has a lead is a waste of his talent. That pitcher would be better suited to close out a late (7th or 8th) inning with runners on base in scoring position, rather than coming in to start an inning with nobody on base.


17 posted on 05/19/2013 7:20:08 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I am the master of my fate ... I am the captain of my soul.")
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To: taterjay
Back in those days the closer was used differently than today. It wasn't unusual for a pitcher like Sparky Lyle or Rich Gossage to pitch two or three innings to close out a game. Those guys also came in late in games where their team was tied or trailing, so they had a lot of wins as relief pitchers in addition to saves.

Nowadays, a "two-inning save" is a rarity in baseball -- and closers rarely get a victory unless they're brought into a tie game in extra innings.

18 posted on 05/19/2013 7:23:29 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I am the master of my fate ... I am the captain of my soul.")
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To: boop

The Cardinals of the 80’s with I believe Tony LaRussa and the manager went to a bullpen by committee.


19 posted on 05/19/2013 7:28:31 PM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (The reason we own guns is to protect ourselves from those wanting to take our guns from us.)
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To: boop

“Sparky” was the main man, or closer, in 1977, for The Yankees. He was so good, he won the Cy Young Award, a rare feat for a bullpen pitcher, in those days.

During the off season, The Yanks signed “Goose” Gossage, and Sparky was relegated to the role of second fiddle. in ‘78.

Graig Nettles (3b NYY) is supposed to have commented “Sparky, Cy Young, to syonara”.

That may explain his feelings ;) Thanks.


20 posted on 05/19/2013 7:37:42 PM PDT by jttpwalsh
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