This weekend, I was invited to a mini-high school reunion/get-together in south Florida. One of my best buddies and future subject of tennis elbow surgery, Mario A, invited me down a day early for a Florida Marlins game. (Mario and I once played tennis alongside the Swedish national team featuring Mats Wilander and a young Stefan Edberg, bombarding them with newly released, over-sized tennis ballsa�� but that's a story for another time). As it's unlike me to refuse a free ticket to a sporting event of any kind, I cordially accepted his invitation and off we went to Dolphin Stadium to see Florida take on the NL West leading Arizona Diamondbacks.
Starting for the Marlins was (7-4) Ricky Nolasco. Despite the fact that the Marlins were recently swept by the best team in Florida, the Rays, they seemed likely to bounce back against D-backs' starter Micah Owings, who must be allergic to hitting 90 mph on the radar gun.
Now I know it's a Friday night in South Florida and there's plenty to do, but let's just say the reported 15,290 spectators in the crowd was an EXTREMELY generous figure. In fact, there were so few people in the stands, every fan had the luxury of having their face on the Jumbotrona�� TWICE! And on Venezuelan appreciation night, even the pretty Marlin media rep walking around the stadium asking fans random trivia questions honored Venezuelan heritage by mispronouncing the name of infielding great Luis Apar-A-cio.
After attending a game in Fenway Park earlier this season, Friday night's Marlins game really had the feel of a triple AAA contesta�� and this is with two of the better teams in the National League playing. Despite the fact that the young Marlins are having a fantastic season (currently three games over .500, 1 A� games back in the NL East), their fan support is sorely lacking. How south Florida can approve funding for a new stadium is beyond me. Perhaps I should inform whichever governing body approved that move that I have a bridge to sell.
Those who chose not to attend the game missed an outstanding pitching performance from starter Ricky Nolasco. Nolasco had a rough first inning. After giving up ten pitches and a base hit to lead-off hitter Stephen Drew, Nolasco tallied 33 pitches in the first inning. Drew eventually scored on a misplayed fly ball by Marlin left-fielder Josh Willingham. It looked like it was going to be a short night for the starter in teal.
Then Nolasco settled in nicely. Combined with a perfectly called game by his battery mate Matt Treanor, Nolasco's command soon became dominant. Nolasco retired 19 of the final 22 batters he faced and 12 of his last 13, six of which he struck out. Nolasco has been on a tear lately, easing comfortably into the role of Marlin's ace.
When the Marlins finished batting in their half of the eighth, Mario and I questioned whether the Marlins manager would let Nolasco pitch the ninth for a shot at a complete game. We also wondered if we were the only two in the stands thinking that. Although having thrown 120 pitches, Nolasco was in total control of the Diamondback lineup. He had allowed one sharp hit in the eighth, but otherwise was keeping opposing batters off balance with a nice mix of fastballs (still hitting 92 on the gun) and off-speed pitches.
Mario and I couldn't recall the last time we had seen a complete game live, or if we ever had. Which got me to thinkinga��. with such concern about a pitcher's longevity, where does the modern game rank in terms of complete games and innings pitched compared to years past.
Simply put, there is no comparison. In this respect, the game has changed dramatically. No pitcher in either the American or National League has double digits in complete games since 1999, when Randy Johnson led the majors with twelve. For the eight years before that, at least one pitcher in either league finished in double digits in complete games. And for every year since the turn of the century prior to 1990, whoever led their league in complete games had at least ten. By comparison, last year C. C. Sabathia and Aaron Harang led the majors with six. The complete game is unquestionably a lost art and if managers and ownership had their way, perhaps a forgettable one.
Similarly, innings pitched among starters are down. The last starting pitcher to hurl 300 innings in single season was Steve Carlton in 1980. No pitcher in either league has thrown that many innings since Lefty, but for the twenty years prior to 1980, whoever led the majors in innings pitched totaled over 300.
The game has changed. For the better or for the worse is up to the fan to decide. Mario and I are of the old school. Nolasco was dealing in the eighth! Sure, maybe the bullpen needed the work. Congratulations to Kevin Gregg by the way on his mesmerizing yet otherwise meaningless 14th save of the season. I understand that owners and management must think long term about a pitcher's career. But they also should have given the four thousand fans in attendance something other than the victory to cheer about. Unless, of course, Mario and I were the only two in the stands aware that Major League Baseball still keeps stats like complete games. Or do they?
With modern athletes in better shape than their predecessors, pitchers should have the stamina to go the distance. With the Marlins up 3-1 going into the ninth and the Diamondbacks still reeling from Nolasco's impressive performance, Gregg shut them down in order. That's like Gregg getting to go home with the girl that Nolasco bought drinks for all night long. From this fan's perspective, seeing a CG on the back of Nolasco's baseball card would have been much more impressive, and entertaining, than any S under Gregg's.
I wasn't in the dugout. I don't have the luxury of knowing whether Marlin manager Fredi Gonzalez asked Nolasco if he wanted to pitch the ninth. It is much more likely that that decision has become automatic and predetermined.
In the discussion of untouchable records, people are quick to mention Ripken's consecutive games played and Dimaggio's hitting streak. But in this day and age, one record that will NEVER be broken is Cy Young's 749 career complete games. No active pitchers are even in the top 100 in that category. On a beautiful night in Miami, little did Mario and I know how close we came to witnessing rarity in person.
