The last time the Minnesota Twins team had ten or more complete games by their pitching staff in a season was in 2001 when they had 12. The last time they had more than 8 complete games in a season was in 2010. The Falvey/Levine regime has had a grand total of ten complete games since they came into power after the 2016 season. Once they installed Rocco Baldelli as their manager the Twins have had one complete game in 2021, zero in 2020 and one in 2019. The only Twins pitcher to throw a complete game since 2017 was Jose Berrios so they rewarded him by trading him. Do you know who the last Twins pitcher to throw a complete game before Berrios was? That would be Bartolo Colon on August 4, 2017. Back in 1963 and 1967 the Minnesota Twins team had a franchise high of 58 complete games.
Yes I know that the complete game has gone by the way-side so why am I ranting on and on about complete games? I just wanted you to know that back in 1964 a Minnesota Twins pitcher by the name of Camilo Pascual threw 8 complete games in a row. The closest that any other Twins pitchers have come to that record is 5 by seven different Twins pitchers including Bert Blyleven who did it three times, in 1973, 1975, and 1986.
Pascual’s amazing streak started on May 10, 1964 when he beat the Kansas City A’s 6-3 at Met Stadium. Game two of his streak was a 1-0 complete game shutout of the Red Sox in Boston. The Twins then moved on to New York where Pascual pitched a complete game in a 7-4 Twins victory for his third win in a row. The Twins then flew cross-country to play the Los Angeles Angeles and the Twins notched a 6-2 win and Pascual has his fourth complete game in a row. The Twins then returned to Met Stadium and Pascual continued his streak of complete games with a 7-3 win over the Boston Red Sox. Pascual’s next victims were the Baltimore Orioles who he beat 5-2 for number six in a row. The Twins then flew off to Washington to play the Senators and when the Twins won 5-3, Pascual had his seventh complete game and seventh win in a row.
Pascual’s next start was on the road on June 17th in Cleveland in the first game of a twin-bill against the Indians. The Twins took a quick lead in that game with single runs in the first and second inning and Pascual was cruising along with a one-hitter going into the eighth inning. In the bottom of the eighth Pascual struck out Max Alvis and then allowed a double to Larry Brown. Smelling blood the Indians Terry Francona pinch-hit for pitcher Sudden Sam McDowell and he drew a walk putting runners on first and second. Pascual then retired Dick Howser on a fly ball to center for out number two and it looked like Pascual might get out of the inning. But then singles by Vic Davalillo and Daddy Wags Wagner scored two runs and it was a tie game 2-2 going into the ninth. Indians pitcher Don McMahon pitched around an error and a single and kept the Twins off the board. Pascual came out for the bottom of the ninth and quickly retired Fred Whitfield and John Romano bringing up Max Alvis who homered deep to left field and the Indians walked off the Minnesota Twins 3-2 and put an end to Pascual’s seven game winning streak and even though Camilo only pitched 8.2 innings in this walk-off loss it was officially his eighth complete game in a row.
Pascual’s eight game complete game streak ended five days later at Met Stadium as the Twins faced the Indians and Sudden Sam McDowell and Camilo Pascual were once again matched up. The Twins knocked McDowell out of the game in the second inning and had an 8-2 lead after four innings and it looked good for Pascual. Pascual gave up a run in the fifth and then when John Romano led off the sixth with a home run making the score 8-4 Twins skipper Sam Mele felt Pascual was done for the day. Twins relievers Mudcat Grant and Gerry Arrigo could not hold the lead and the game was knotted at 8-8 after nine innings. Neither team scored in the tenth and then the rains blew in when Bill Pleis was brought on to pitch the 11th inning for Minnesota. Pleis had a 2-2 count on Dick Howser with no outs when the game was stopped for the rain. After a 60 minute wait the rain continued and the game was called a tie at 8-8 and would be replayed in its entirety. Oddly enough this game was a make-up for a wet ground April 29 rain out.
I have to say that I miss the complete games. I enjoy watching a pitcher work his way through the line-up using his skills, his brain and guile to retire batters that he has faced 3 or 4 times earlier in the game. Pitchers that only have a fastball and have trouble controlling that don’t belong in major league baseball.
So I have to ask, are Aces going the way of the dinosaurs? Why does baseball pay $30 million or more a year for a pitcher that they don’t let pitch complete games? In days gone by, starting pitchers were pitchers that had at least 3 pitches that they could use so that the batters didn’t see the same pitches as the game moved along. Does that mean that starters today only need one pitch if they are only going to go through the line-up one or twice?
How will pitchers from this era and beyond be deemed worthy for the Hall of Fame? Wins don’t count anymore according to the experts so what will make one pitcher more worthy then another when they all throw a couple of innings striking out a few batters. An out is an out regardless if you strike him out or the batter is retired on a grounder or a fly ball.
Personally I think that baseball is going in the wrong direction by having their pitchers throw harder versus throwing smarter with better control. If all you have is a fastball it doesn’t take a hall of fame hitter to hit it. I miss watching “Aces” match up and go at it for as long as they can. But what do I know other than baseball is not nearly as fun a game to watch as it was back in the 60’s.
https://stathead.com/tiny/9M26U
Thanks to Stathead.com for this data.