What Is A Complete Game In Baseball?

A complete game in baseball is when a pitcher pitches an entire game from start to finish without being replaced.

Introduction

In baseball, a complete game (denoted by CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game from the beginning to end, with no intervention from the relief pitchers. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings pitched. A starting pitcher who is replaced by a pinch hitter in the final half inning of a game will still be credited with a complete game.

What is a complete game?

In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings pitched. A complete game is also known as a shutout.

The benefits of pitching a complete game

Pitching a complete game has been a lost art in baseball over the past few decades. In the 1970s, there were an average of 485 complete games thrown per season. In 2019, there were only 46. The number of pitchers who have thrown more than 10 complete games in a season has decreased from 41 in 1975 to just six in 2018.

There are several reasons for this trend. One is the increased reliever usage. In 1975, relievers averaged 2.1 innings pitched per game. In 2018, that number was up to 3.1 innings pitched per game. Starters are also pitching fewer innings per start. In 1975, the average starter went 7.4 innings per start. In 2018, that number was down to 5.8 innings per start.

Pitching a complete game has several benefits for both the pitcher and the team. For starters, it saves wear and tear on a team’s bullpen. It also gives the team’s lineup more consistent at-bats against the opposing starter, rather than having to face a fresh reliever in the later innings of the game.

Complete games also tend to be lower-scoring affairs. In 2018, the average nine-inning game had 10 runs scored. The 46 pitchers who threw complete games that season had an average of just 4 runs scored against them.

And finally, there’s the mental benefit for both the pitcher and the team of knowing that they can close out a game without help from the bullpen.

The record for most complete games in a season

Pitcher Christy Mathewson holds the record for most complete games in a season, with 37 in 1908. In a complete game, the pitcher pitches the entire game without relief.

The record for most complete games in a career

The record for most complete games in a career is held by Cy Young, who pitched 749 complete games in his 22-year career. Nolan Ryan is second on the list with 324, followed by Warren Spahn (losing pitchers are not credited with a complete game). Young also holds the record for most complete games in a season, working 73 in 1904.

A complete game means that a pitcher works the entire game without leaving the mound, except for brief periods when he is replaced during a pinch-hit at-bat or to defend himself in a rundown. A pitcher who throws a complete game is said to have “pitched a shutout” if no opposing player crosses home plate during the course of the game. Incomplete games happen when the starting pitcher is removed from the game before finishing—for example, because he has thrown too many pitches, he’s getting hit hard, or he’s simply having an off day.

The pitchers with the most complete games in a season

Over the course of a long baseball season, there are bound to be a few games where one pitcher goes the distance. But some pitchers make a habit of it, and manage to rack up an impressive number of complete games in a single season. Here are the pitchers who have had the most complete games in a season, according to baseball-reference.com:

1. Grover Cleveland Alexander – 37 complete games in 1916
2. Christy Mathewson – 35 complete games in 1908
3. Pete Alexander – 31 complete games in 1920
4. Walter Johnson – 29 complete games in 1913
5. Kid Nichols – 28 complete games in 1898

The pitchers with the most complete games in a career

Pitchers who throw a lot of complete games are often thought of as more durable and reliable, able to go the distance more often than their counterparts. Here is a list of the pitchers with the most complete games in a career:

1. Cy Young – 749
2. Walter Johnson – 417
3. Christy Mathewson – 373
4. Grover Cleveland Alexander – 373
5. Pete Alexander -342
6. Warren Spahn – 328
7. Kid Nichols – 314
8. Eddie Plank – 303
9. Tom Seaver – 300
10. Lefty Grove-270

The teams with the most complete games in a season

In 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies compiled the most complete games in a season with 13, while the St. Louis Cardinals were second with 12. The Chicago White Sox had 11 and the Los Angeles Dodgers 10. In 2009, no team had more than nine complete games. The Dodgers led the way with nine, followed by the Cardinals and San Francisco Giants with eight apiece.

The teams with the most complete games in a season

In baseball, a complete game (denoted by CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings pitched. A complete game is also known as a shutout.

The World Series has been played annually since 1903 with two exceptions: in 1904, when the National League champion New York Giants declined to play their American League counterparts, Boston Pilgrims (now the Red Sox), due to a dispute over player compensation; and in 1994, when the series was cancelled due to a players’ strike.

Notable individual performances in the World Series include Don Larsen’s perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series and Jack Morris’ 10-inning complete game victory in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. Of the 115 completed games in World Series history, three have been by pitchers winning 1–0: Leon Cadore and Joe Oeschger (a 16-inning complete game) for Brooklyn and Boston respectively in Game 2 of 1916, and Carl Hubbell for New York against Washington in Game 1 of 1933.

Since 1903, most teams have had occasional seasons with one or two shutouts but only five teams have had four or more shutouts: Cleveland (five in 1920), Brooklyn (four in 1916), Philadelphia (four in 1915), Detroit (four in 1909), and Pittsburgh (four 1904). The record for most shutouts by a team over an entire season is held by the Chicago White Sox who had eight in 1908. The Cincinnati Reds are second with seven shutouts in 1975; tied for third are five teams with six shutouts each: the 1907 Chicago Cubs, 1940 Detroit Tigers, 1968 St. Louis Cardinals, 1970 Baltimore Orioles, and 1985 Kansas City Royals.

The 2016 Cleveland Indians currently hold the record for most consecutive games with at least one complete game from their starting pitchers, pitching 11 such games from June 16 through July 6.

Why complete games are becoming more rare

In baseball, a complete game (denoted by CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played – pitchers who throw an entire official bottom of the ninth inning, even if their team is losing or behind by a large margin, are credited with complete games, while starting pitchers who are relieved in extra innings after throwing eight or more innings are not. A starting pitcher who is removed for a pinch hitter in the top half of the seventh inning completes his turn at bat but is not credited with a complete game, while one removed for pinch runner in the bottom half of that inning is credited with one.

In modern baseball, a pitcher must generally complete five innings to be eligible for a win; if he does not finish his turn at bat but his team takes the lead before he can return to pitch in the bottom half of the inning, he may still be credited with the victory. In addition, if a relief pitcher finishes the game without allowing any inherited runners to score (not “stranding” them on base), he may also be credited with a save. Complete games are now rare in baseball. Prior to 1984, there had only been 15 recorded instances where a player had completed all nine innings without giving up any runs and only four where they had done so while striking out 10 or more batters. Since 1984 however, major league teams have averaged just over 2complete games per season.

Conclusion

In baseball, a complete game (denoted by CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings pitched, no matter how few. If a starting pitcher does not finish the game, it is recorded as a no decision for both the starting pitcher and team, although some box scores credit the victory to the relief pitcher(s). That reliever will be the winning pitcher of record. In general, starting pitchers are not used in relief situations except when removed due to injury or ejection.

The definition of a complete game can vary slightly depending on each baseball league. For example, in Major League Baseball (MLB), a pitching stat line denoting a complete game would look like this: 9.0 IP, H, R, ER, BB, SO. In other words, this means that the starting pitcher went nine innings while allowing no more than three earned runs, walking no more than four batters, and striking out no fewer than eight batters.