HERE'S MY PITCH ABOUT PITCHERS

They sure don't make them like they used to

A special message to soccer supporters:

Sorry, this column isn't about soccer, but I felt compelled to write it.

Before I became a soccer writer many centuries ago, I was a baseball fan.

I played the sport; I loved the sport.

I grew up in an era when pitchers were pitchers.

To many of us, anything less than a complete game (for the younger generation who are not accustomed to his term, it means you pitch nine innings, or more) is a failure.

On July 2, 1963, the San Francisco Giants' Juan Marichal (13-3) and Milwaukee Braves' Warren Spahn (11-4) clashed for a titanic battle for the ages at Candlestick Park that many claim was the greatest pitched game in baseball history. The encounter lasted 16 innings. They matched each other, pitch for pitch. Marichal, 25, emerged as the winner as the Giants scored in the bottom of the 16th against the 42-year Spahn. The legendary Willie Mays, who was intentionally walked twice by Spahn, ended the game with a home run.

According to MLB.com, Spahn threw 201 pitches, Marichal threw 227.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Harvey Haddix hurled a perfect game for 12 innings in 1959, although he eventually lost in the 13th inning.

The New York Mets' Al Leiter threw 142 pitches in 8 2/3 innings against the New York Yankees in Game Five of the 2000 World Series.

142 pitches in a nine-inning game!

Today, that would give many a manager agita.

My, how things have changed through the years.

Many pitchers don't pitch any more. They have become throwers. If you don't have a fastball in the vicinity of 95-100 miles per hour, many fans and observers wonder how they can make a living.

Which brings us to the case of Luis Tiant.

The former righthander who pitched for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels passed away on Tuesday at the age of 83. Tiant's passing motivated me to write this piece.

He was some pitcher, especially in his prime.

Yeah, Tiant had that quirky motion that kept batters off balance. And it worked pretty well. He finished with a 229-171 record over 19 years. He threw more than 250 innings four times and won at least 20 games four times.

Today, we make a big deal out of pitchers who hurl five, six or even seven innings.

A complete game today?

That is a unicorn.

Way back in the day, pitchers, quality pitchers who are in Baseball's Hall of Fame, threw more than 200 and some more than 300 innings.

Way back in the day, iron man Wilbur Wood of the Chicago White Sox posted a 24-20 record in 1973. That's no typo - 24-20. Moreover, he started 48 games for the Sox that season, while posting a 3.46 ERA. Heck, that wasn't his best season. In 1972, he went 24-17 with a 2.51 ERA in a career-best 49 starts. Wood, who was known to pitch both ends of a doubleheader, made 40 or more starts for five consecutive seasons, during his 17-year major league career. He finished with a 164-156 record. And oh yeah, he threw 376 2/3 innings in 1972 and another 359  1/3 the next season.

Way back in the day, I remember when Al Downing came up with the New York Yankees. The young left-hander's first five innings were superb. Then he would start losing it in the sixth inning and beyond.

Today, he would be limited to those five innings and his outing would be hailed as a quality start. Heck, allowing three runs or less in six innings is considered a quality start these days.

It reminds me of some youth leagues giving trophies out to all their players, regardless of if they won or lost.

To me, three runs in six innings is a mediocre outing.

Oh yeah, Downing learned to be a very good pitcher. Yes, I know that he surrendered Henry Aaron's 715th home run (then again, hundreds of pitchers allowed the Atlanta Brave legend to hit a few round-trippers as well). Downing enjoyed a 17-year career. When he won 20 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1971, I was very happy for him reaching that special milestone.

Today, winning 20 games in a season seems to be a longshot.

Today, pitchers winning 300 games seems to be a longshot.

Today, seemingly every pitcher has a fastball that ranges between 95-100 miles per hour.

They try to zoom it past the batter. No wonder so many pitchers undergo Tommy John surgery, endure many arm injuries, burn out so quickly or have up-and-down careers.

When I became a baseball fan eons ago, I read The Sporting News, then a weekly newspaper, from cover to cover. Heck, I even read the minor league reports, too.

I remember one reader saying that when a total of five pitchers were used by both teams, combined, he would leave the ballpark.

He probably has passed on since then, but he is probably rolling over in his grave these days due to the number of relief pitchers that are used in games. In Game Three of the American League Divisional Series loss to the Yankees on Wednesday, the Kansas City Royals used seven pitchers. Seven pitchers over nine innings. Starter Seth Lugo went the opening five, followed by six relievers. Yes, I realized it was a playoff game and a lot was at stake.

But yikes!

I am waiting for the day when a manager takes out his pitcher, who has hurled a perfect game for 8 2/3 innings while striking out 22 or 23 batters, because he had reached his pitch limit of 100.

Don't laugh too much.

I fear it will happen.

OK, next column, back to soccer.

I promise!