OK, so the other night we saw Cliff Lee strikeout sixteen batters and lose. I've done some homework, and can report that Lee did not break the record for most K's by a losing pitcher. There is a beautiful Philly connection with the guy who does have the record, and to the pitcher who ended up winning the game. After you read the facts, please do not tell me that you do not believe that there are gods of baseball, because only those having supernatural powers could set this up.
On September 15, 1969 the St. Louis Cardinals were hosting the then New York Mets in a day game played in front of 13,086 fans. I thought STL was supposed to be a great baseball town. Maybe they were watching the Mississippi flood instead of attending the game. On the mound for the hometown Redbirds was none other than a young left-hander from Miami Florida named Steve Carlton. The starting pitcher for the visiting Mets was a guy named Gary Gentry who was a pretty fair pitcher.
Carlton proceeded to strikeout nineteen Mets. That is correct, I said nineteen. Carlton lost the game due to some sloppy fielding by the Cards, and because of Ron Swoboda's two home runs. The Cardinals supported Lefty the way the Phillies supported Lee the other night by managing only three hits against Gentry. The guy who pitched three innings of relief ended up with the win. True Phillies fans have probably already figured out the name of the Mets reliever that day since I stated earlier that there was a Philly connection with the winning pitcher. If you haven't figured it out you are either too drunk, too high, or a Johnny-Come-Lately Phillies fan. I'll give you five more seconds to get the name of the reliever. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, sorry times up. The name we are looking for is none other than Phillies 1980 NLCS and World Series hero reliever, Tug McGraw.
While the long suffering fan is not drunk, or high (too early in the day) I am truly freaked out by the fact that both of these guys would later become Phillies and lead the team to its first World Series win. This tells me that the gods of baseball are long term planners, and should thusly be feared a great deal. Hell, they probably have already figured out how the Phillies will break the hearts of their fans in the year 2030, and perhaps beyond.
I can't even imagine how the mood must have been in the Cardinals' locker room after the game. Steve Carlton as you may know is more than a little bit crazy. I'm certain that none of his teammates said anything to him after the game for fear that he would tear them apart limb by limb. Guys probably had heart palpitations from his glare, which could have melted a heat shield on the space shuttle.
To put an exclamation mark on the story, the following season Carlton struck out sixteen Phillies, and lost that game to one of the worst Phillie teams of all time. Another Phillie connection! Rod Serling, I'm sure enjoyed all of those events.
Now that we know that Cliff Lee is not a record holder, we can anxiously await the next great performance by a Phillies pitcher that goes for naught. I trust everyone has had a great day, and remember - there are gods of baseball who will fuck with us again, and again, and again.
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