Complete-Game James
Posted by John Autin on June 25, 2011
James Shields won his 3rd straight complete game Friday night, limiting Houston to a run on 3 hits, with 9 strikeouts and 1 walk. That's gonna get him a few more bullet points:
- He's the first pitcher in Rays history with 3 straight complete games, and the first in the majors with 3 straight CG wins since Cliff Lee in June of last year.
- It's also the first 3-CG streak allowing 5 hits or less in each game since 2003, when Roy Halladay, Curt Schilling and Mark Mulder all did it.
- Shields has 6 CG this year, all wins, all with 5 hits or less. Since 1999, only C.C. Sabathia has had more such games in a season, with 7 in 2008, and only Dontrelle Willis (2005) and Randy Johnson (2000) have had 6.
- Since 2000, only Sabathia has reached double-figures in CG, with 10 in 2008. (Halladay has had 9 each of the past 3 years.)
- He now leads the majors with 121.2 IP, and leads the AL with 117 Ks; his 0.96 WHIP is 5th in MLB. He lowered his ERA to 2.29, which would be a franchise record; David Price (2.72 last year) is the only qualifying Rays pitcher ever to post an ERA less than 3.24. He's averaging 7.6 IP per game.
- Shields earned a Game Score of 85. His 5 Game Scores of 80+ this year are tops in the majors, as are his 3 Game Scores of 85+.
He's, um, having a very good year. Suddenly, those team options of $7 million next year and $9 million in 2013 are looking pretty good, although recent events have taught us not to make assumptions about contract options.
June 25th, 2011 at 2:03 am
Will be interesting to see if Shields can remain effective late in the season (and next year), especially if his innings get into the 230-250 range. Or, whether, the Rays take steps to make sure he doesn't pile up those kind of innings numbers.
The past four season, Shield has been in a tight range between 200 and 220 innings each year. I'll be interested to see if the Rays continue to try ro keep him in that range.
June 25th, 2011 at 2:22 am
What's nuts is it looks like he already almost did this earlier this season, but in the third game, he was taken out in the 9th inning.
June 25th, 2011 at 4:58 am
If a pitcher is crazy dominant, in the middle of the baseball forest, does Tampa Bay make a sound??
June 25th, 2011 at 5:27 am
Cliff Lee will have a chance to match the feat, and possibly one up Shields by going for his third complete game shutout in his next start.
June 25th, 2011 at 9:13 am
Snap. All during the offseason, I told everybody that Shields was going to have a great, break-out season. And now that he is doing just that, I have no proof. I wish I had it in writing somewhere!
June 25th, 2011 at 11:44 am
I love that there is such a stat as Game Score that lets us look at how dominant a pitcher was, or how effective, but I think, and I know quite a few others think the Game Score is imperfect.
I know, so are at least 20 other stats. But since it is relatively new and seemingly thrown together a bit haphazardly by Bill James (in a good hearted effort no doubt), I thought here, at Bbref we could think of more or different criteria, or simply a different method to quantify a pitchers performance.
It would be Bbref's first stat (i think) that we could add to the lexicon.
I of course nominate John Autin, he is certainly smarter than me and probably most of the rest of us, ergo, he should plot the formula, with some ideas for us mortals of course.
Currently, when a pitcher's and manager's plan is only to go 7 innings, and the pitcher does that job superbly, why punish him for it.
In the National League, pitchers in close games are often yanked for a pinch hitter in the late innings if the manager feels he needs a run. Again, why should we punish a pitcher for things out of his control and give an advantage to AL pitchers. NL pitchers have the luxury of facing the opposing pitcher 2-4 times a game, who currently can not bunt to save their life, so they will have an extra strikeout or two above their AL counterparts.
I also find it troubling that SOs figure so dominantly into Game Score. On one hand I know Balls In Play are an important part of the luck aspect of the game, and a pitcher who can control that, has more control of his fate.
But the best pitcher of my generation (IMHO) Maddux, rarely had double digit SO totals, hence lower game scores. I just think any stat that gives an advantage to AJ Burnett over Maddux should be reconsidered.
June 25th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
Being 61 years old, I remember when Catfish Hunter came to the Yankees and in his first year had 30 !! complete games and started 39 games out of 160 played by the Yankees and pitched on 3 days rest. I know the game has changed, but that is why it is hard for me to admire that much these complete games.
Mike Kekich in the 1970's was known most for the wife swap with Fritz Peterson, but the knock on him was he did not complete games -- 112 starts and only 8 complete games. Now, nobody would even notice......
June 25th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
Vince Scully made a mention during the Dodgers game last night that in the Houston Astros loss to Jamie Shields and the Rays 5-1, that Houston used 3 pitchers named Rodriguez:
Wandy Rodriguez
Fernando Rodriguez
Aneury Rodriguez
I think Vin said the use of 3 pitchers in same game by a team with the same Surname had not happened since 1901.
June 25th, 2011 at 6:36 pm
@6, Dukeof... -- I share the view of Game Score as an imperfect stat. I do think there are a few easy and logical tweaks -- e.g., HBP should be counted the same as walks -- but I'm not sure if I'm the one to put it up on blocks and overhaul the engine.
Re: Maddux, you might have underestimated his ability to excel in Game Score despite unexceptional strikeout totals. For the period 1980-2010, Maddux had the 4th highest total of 80+ Game Scores (49), trailing only the most dazzling pitchers of that era -- Randy Johnson (87), Roger Clemens (80) and Pedro Martinez (62).
BTW, A.J. Burnett has 17 Game Scores of 80+, just 1 with the Yankees, and none since June 2009. He has never had a Game Score of 90. (Sorry, but I can't lay off a chance to point out what a mediocre pitcher Burnett is.)
June 25th, 2011 at 11:39 pm
Alternate game score options:
http://www.insidethebook.com/ee/index.php/site/article/tangos_lab_game_score/
June 25th, 2011 at 11:46 pm
Maddux, rarely had double digit SO totals
Tis true. Even focused on his career span, he's only 34th in 10+-K games with 16. Randy Johnson had over 200 in that period, while Clemens and Martinez had over 100.
Maddux's performance in his double-digit K games was superb, better than most others'. (Eyeballing it, John Lackey has been unhittable in his 10+K games. I was at one of them, and I realized early on the Yankees weren't going to hit him. http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA200707070.shtml )
June 26th, 2011 at 9:23 am
As long as his pitch count is not 120+ every other game...I do not think his innings amount will matter much. You can limit his pitch count in blowout games and take him out before 100 pitches (Although TB does not seem to have many high offensive games)