What Is Immaculate Inning In Baseball?

An immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in an inning. It’s a rare feat in baseball, and it’s considered a sign of dominance by the pitcher.

Definition of an Immaculate Inning

In baseball, an immaculate inning is defined as an inning in which the pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces on just nine pitches. That’s right: all three batters, with no hitter managing to even put the ball in play.

The immaculate inning is a rare feat, and one that has been accomplished just 21 times in major league history. The first pitcher to do it was Ernie Shore of the Boston Red Sox, who did it on June 23, 1917. The most recent was Chris Sale of the Boston Red Sox, who did it on April 17, 2015.

Interestingly, five pitchers have accomplished the feat more than once: Walte Johnson (1923, 1927), Bob Feller (1938, 1946), Sandy Koufax (1959, 1963), Bill Stoneman (1968, 1969) and Nolan Ryan (1973, 1974). Ryan is the only pitcher to have done it twice in the same season.

Of the 21 pitchers to have thrown an immaculate inning, 14 have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame: Ernie Shore, Waite Johnson, Bob Feller, Sandy Koufax, Christy Mathewson, Hank O’Day , Addie Joss , Ed Walsh , Walter Johnson , Warren Spahn , Rollie Fingers , Nolan Ryan , Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez .

The Three Types of Pitches That Can Be Thrown for an Immaculate Inning

In baseball, an immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in an inning, on three pitches each. This is a rare feat, and it’s considered to be one of the most difficult things to do in baseball. There are only a handful of pitchers who have ever done it, and it’s something that most pitchers will never do in their career. Let’s take a look at the three types of pitches that can be thrown for an immaculate inning.

Fastball

In baseball, an immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in one inning, on three pitches each. It’s a rare feat — there have only been 46 immaculate innings in MLB history — but it’s one that can be accomplished with any combination of pitches.

Of the 46 immaculate innings in MLB history, 27 have come on fastballs. That’s the most of any pitch, and it stands to reason why: A fastball is the easiest pitch to throw for a strike, and it’s also the hardest pitch to hit. When a pitcher has good fastball command, as Immaculate Inning pitchers typically do, it’s a tough combination for hitters to beat.

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While fastballs have been responsible for the majority of immaculate innings in MLB history, curveballs aren’t far behind. There have been 15 instances of an immaculate inning being recorded on nothing but curves, including two by Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax.

A well-executed curveball can be one of the most effective pitches in baseball, as it’s often thrown for strikes early in the count and then used to generate swings and misses later on. Pitchers who can throw a curveball for strikes and then get hitters to chase it out of the zone are often the ones who are most successful at putting up zeroes.

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A slider is similar to a fastball, except it breaks slightly more as it reaches home plate. Of the 46 immaculate innings in major league history, four have come on sliders alone — including two by Atlanta Braves closer Craig Kimbrel.

A slider is often used as a strikeout pitch because it can be difficult for hitters to adjust to its late break. When thrown correctly, a slider will look like a fastball out of a pitcher’s hand before breaking sharply at the last moment — often leading to swings and misses from unsuspecting hitters.

Breaking Ball

A breaking ball is a type of pitch in baseball that “breaks” or drops as it approaches the batter. The most common types of breaking balls are the curveball and the slider.

Breaking balls are more difficult to hit than other types of pitches because they are less predictable. hitters must be patient and wait for the right moment to swing.

There are two main types of breaking balls: the curveball and the slider.

The curveball has a large, sweeping motion and breaks down and away from a right-handed hitter, or up and in to a left-handed hitter.

The slider is a shorter, sharper breaking ball that looks like a fastball but breaks later in its flight. Sliders break away from a right-handed hitter, or in to a left-handed hitter.

Off-Speed Pitch

An off-speed pitch is any pitch that is slower than a fastball. The most common off-speed pitches are the curveball and the slider. These pitches are thrown with the same arm motion as a fastball, but the pitcher releases the ball with less velocity, which makes it seem to “drop” as it approaches the plate. Off-speed pitches are used to deceive hitters who are expecting a fastball.

The History of the Immaculate Inning

The origins of the immaculate inning can be traced back to the late 1800s. The term was first used in print by sportswriter Henry Chadwick in 1898, though it’s unclear if he coined the phrase or simply popularized it.

The immaculate inning is defined as an inning in which a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces on just nine pitches. It’s a rare feat, made all the more impressive by the fact that it’s difficult to do even in today’s game with its sophisticated pitching strategies and smallerStrikeouts have been on the rise since baseball instituted mandatory drug testing in 2004, but even so, there have been only 31 immaculate innings in major league history.

The first recorded instance of an immaculate inning was thrown by Hall of Fame pitcher Addie Joss in 1908. Joss, who played for the Cleveland Indians, was known for his pinpoint control; he once pitched a perfect game and led the American League in ERA four times. On April 20, 1908, he became the first pitcher to strike out three batters on nine pitches when he did it against the Detroit Tigers.

Cy Young, another Hall of Fame pitcher, also holds the distinction of being the only player to have thrown two immaculate innings in his career. He did it first in 1904 and then again in 1909.

Other notable pitchers who have thrown an immaculate inning include Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, Pedro Martinez, Clayton Kershaw, Curt Schilling and Justin Verlander. Koufax holds the record for most strikeouts in an immaculate inning with eight; Ryan is second with seven.

Interestingly, Martinez is the only pitcher to have ever done it twice in one game; he did it back-to-back against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2000.

Famous Immaculate Innings in MLB History

An immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out all three batters in an inning on nine pitches or less. It’s a rare feat in baseball, and it’s only been accomplished 22 times in MLB history. Let’s take a look at some of the most famous immaculate innings in MLB history.

Sandy Koufax’s 1964 Perfect Game

On September 9, 1964, Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched a perfect game against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. It was the first perfect game in Dodgers history and the eighth in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. Koufax struck out 14 batters, the most ever by a perfect game pitcher, and retired 27 batters in a row. He also set a major league record by striking out three batters on nine pitches in the seventh inning. The game was Koufax’s fourth career no-hitter and came during his final MLB season.

Tom Seaver’s 1971 No-Hitter

On June 16th, 1971, legendary pitcher Tom Seaver of the New York Mets threw a no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs. This game was extra special because it was also an “immaculate inning.” An immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out three batters on nine pitches. It’s an extremely rare feat, and Tom Seaver is the only pitcher to have done it twice in his career.

Nolan Ryan’s 1973 No-Hitter

On May 15, 1973, in front of a home crowd of 28,248 at Anaheim Stadium, California Angels right-hander Nolan Ryan pitched the first and only no-hitter of his illustrious 27-year MLB career. The 27-year-old Ryan was in his fifth season with the Angels and had already established himself as one of the most feared pitchers in baseball, leading the league in strikeouts in 1972 with 327.

Despite his reputation, Ryan was actually pitching fairly poorly in 1973, going 4-5 with a 5.01 ERA through his first 11 starts. But he found his groove on May 15, mowing down the Detroit Tigers en route to a 7-0 Angels victory. Ryan struck out 12 batters and didn’t allow a single Detroit player to reach second base. It was the first no-hitter in Angels history and helped cement Ryan’s legacy as one of baseball’s all-time greats.

The Record for Most Immaculate Innings in a Career

The record for most Immaculate Innings in a career is held by Mariano Rivera, who had 9Immaculate Innings in his Hall of Fame career. An Immaculate Inning is defined as an Inning in which a Pitcher strikes out all 3 batters he faces on just 9 pitches.

The Future of the Immaculate Inning

The future of the immaculate inning is shrouded in a bit of mystery. With the introduction of new technologies, like the PITCHf/x system, it’s becoming easier for analysts to dissect a pitcher’s arsenal and better understand how he or she gets hitters out. However, there is still much we don’t know about the physics of pitching, and it’s possible that the secrets to throwing an immaculate inning are hidden in the details that we can’t currently see.

One thing is certain: theimmaculate inning is an incredibly rare feat, and it’s one that we may never see again. So enjoy it while you can, because it might just be gone tomorrow.