Finishing What He Started

Here's proof of how much baseball has changed over the decades:

On this date in 1952, Phillies ace Robin Roberts goes all the way in a 10-6 win over the Cardinals in St. Louis -- the first of an amazing 27 consecutive complete games by the future Hall of Famer.

Roberts -- who would go on to win an NL-leading 28 games that season -- wouldn't be lifted for a reliever until 10-1/2 months later, on July 9th, 1953 against the Dodgers. Ironically, the Phils came from behind to win that one, 6-5.

27 consecutive complete games. Don't expect anyone to come near that mark anytime soon. By comparison, 2018's leaders in complete games, a group that included Max Scherzer, Carlos Carrasco, Noah Syndergaard and James Paxton, had two each.

(My image is from the Roberts' plaque on the Phillies Wall of Fame, which was relocated in 2018 near the left field gate of Citizens Bank Park.)

Comments

Unknown said…
Players today pampered, as well as entitled. Loved Robbie.
August 28, 2019 at 12:44 PM
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