Is Extinction Possible?

July 2, 2025

 

 

Many are familiar with some of the species that once lived on our planet, but are now extinct (e.g., Dodo Bird, Saber-Tooth Tiger, Woolly Mammoth, Passenger Pigeon and Tasmanian Tiger).

 

Based upon recent trends, we’re beginning to wonder if one of baseball’s significant achievements, will also become extinct:  a complete game pitched.

 

As you know, a complete game (CG) is the act of a starting pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.   Players are credited with CG regardless of the number of innings played, as long as it is an official game (e.g., at least 5 innings).  Starting pitchers who are replaced by a pinch hitter in the final half inning will still be credited with a CG.  

 

Individual exploits have been legendary.  Cy Young racked up 749 CGs.  Will White threw 75 CGs in one season (1879).  On May 1, 2020, in a 26 inning marathon that ended in a 1-1 tie, both starting pitchers pitched 26 inning CGs (Leon Cadore and Joe Oeschger).  Between 1952 to 1954, Robin Roberts of the Philadelphia Phillies threw 28 consecutive CGs.

 

In the early days, of major league baseball, CGs were the norm.  Starting pitchers were expected to pitch the entire game.  In 1904, 87.6 % of all games were CGs.  Fifty years later (1954) that percentage had dropped to 34.0 %.  Fast forward another fifty years (2004) and that percentage dropped again to 3.4 %.

 

We wondered if MCBL was following the same downward trend….so we looked back to see the number of CGs over time and found:

 

     Year       No. of CGs         No. of Pitchers throwing CGs.

 

     2014             47                                 27

     2015             22                                 15

     2016             25                                 16

     2017             15                                 11

     2018             11                                   9

     2019             10                                   7

     2020               0                                   0

     2021               1                                   1

     2022               0                                   0

     2023               1                                   1

     2024               1                                   1 

                     

We actually have already had an MCBL CG in 2025.  On June 29th, Walter Mason of the Rockville Express walked two, gave up two hits, struck out 4 enroute to a 10-0 victory over the Monarchs.

 

Patrick Sullivan of FTB Mid-Atlantic was the last to pitch a 9 inning MCBL CG.  On 7/16/2019 he walked one, struck out 3, gave up 3 hits and beat Koa 6-3.

 

The last 9 inning MCBL CG shutout was accomplished by Jordan Patterson of the Gaithersburg Giants.  On 7/1/2019 he gave up 1 walk, struck out 11, gave up 3 hits and beat the Diamond Pros 2-0.

 

The change in pitching philosophy with an emphasis on pitch counts and trips thru the lineup and the availability of fresh armed relief pitchers certainly has diminished the opportunity for CGs.  

 

So…..the question remains………when (if ever) will we see another CG pitched in MCBL?  Will another pitcher be involved (for the first time in six years)?  

 

Only time will tell.

 

See ya at the ballfield!