A 9 pitch inning is a type of inning in baseball that has occurred very rarely in the history of the game. In a 9 pitch inning, each batter only needs one pitch to be retired and the inning is over. The term was first used in a description of a game between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers on August 21, 1929.
The Yankees pitcher, General Crowder, faced nine batters and three of them hit into double plays, leaving only one pitch for each of the other six batters. Even though the inning only lasted nine pitches, the game went an extra inning and the Dodgers won.
Since then, very few 9 pitch innings have occurred, with the most recent being in 2010 when Oakland Athletics pitcher Gio Gonzalez faced nine batters and allowed no runs. The rarity of the 9 pitch inning means that some teams consider it lucky when it happens.
It can also be seen as a testament to the skill of the pitcher, who is able to retire a batter in one pitch.
Table of Contents
How rare is an immaculate inning?
An immaculate inning is a rare occurrence in baseball and is defined as a pitcher throwing three strikeouts in the same inning on three consecutive pitches. It is so rare that MLB players, fans and statisticians have only seen fewer than 400 immaculate innings thrown in the entire professional baseball history.
In 2020, there have only been 8 immaculate innings thrown. This is because throwing strikes and confidently controlling multiple pitches is difficult to achieve under pressure. Therefore, it takes an exceptional amount of skill to throw an immaculate inning.
What is the rarest thing in baseball?
The rarest thing in baseball is the immaculate inning, which occurs when a pitcher strikes out all three batters in an inning, using the minimum number of pitches (nine). This rare occurrence has only happened 30 times in the history of Major League Baseball, and the first one on record came from a pitcher named Johnny Vander Meer in 1938.
The most recent one came from Lucas Giolito of the White Sox in 2020. While an immaculate inning usually consists of three strikeouts, it can also occur if the first batter reaches base, followed by three consecutive strikeouts.
This feat has only been accomplished once, by Ervin Santana in 2011.
Is an immaculate inning more rare than a perfect game?
Yes, an immaculate inning is much more rare than a perfect game. While a perfect game is ultimately a more significant accomplishment overall, the odds of an immaculate inning occurring are actually even lower.
An immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in an inning. This means that the pitcher must throw nine pitches, all of which must be strikes. It is much more difficult to achieve than a perfect game, which requires all 27 outs to be strikeouts.
Since 1918, when record-keeping began, there have been only 23 immaculate innings, compared to 23 perfect games. This shows just how incredibly rare immaculate innings are and how incredibly difficult they are to achieve.
Has anyone ever pitched a 27 pitch game?
Yes, there have been cases of a 27 pitch game being pitched in Major League Baseball. Most notably, on May 17, 1991, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Mark Eichhorn pitched a nine-inning game with only 27 pitches! He became only the fourth pitcher since 1904 to pitch a complete game on 27 or fewer pitches.
He was able to accomplish this feat by making the Baltimore Orioles hit grounders, pop outs and strikeouts – using only one pitch – a sinker. Eichhorn became the first pitcher to pitch an entire game on such few pitches in 40 years, a feat that hadn’t been seen since Johnny Sain’s in 1951.
Interestingly, Eichhorn would go on to win the American League Rolaids Relief Man Award that year, despite pitching the least innings of any reliever in the league.
Who threw a 108 mph pitch?
The title of fastest recorded pitch goes to Aroldis Chapman, a Cuban professional MLB pitcher for the New York Yankees. While pitching for the Cincinnati Reds in 2010, Chapman threw a fastball clocked at a whopping 108.
1 mph. This pitch earned him the title of the fastest recorded pitch in the history of baseball, surpassing the mark previously set by Aussie-native, and then-Rangers pitcher, Joel Zumaya who threw a 106.
7 mph pitch earlier in 2010. Chapman has since expounded upon his own record, having thrown a few pitches at 109 mph and above.
Since establishing his record in 2010, Chapman has become one of the most prolific pitchers in the MLB. From 2012-2014, he was a three-time National League All-Star and won the National League Reliever of the Year Award in 2012 and 2014.
In 2016, he was awarded the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award and his most recent title, from 2017, is the delivery of the fastest recorded pitch in MLB history at 105. 1 mph.
What is the lowest pitched game in MLB history?
The lowest pitched game in MLB history took place on April 22, 1968, when the Chicago Cubs hosted the New York Mets at Wrigley Field. On that day, the Cubs pitcher, Ken Frailing, threw the lowest pitched game in Major League Baseball history, the pitch coming in at a staggering 58.
1 mph. The pitch was so slow that the umpire initially thought it was a ball and had to be prompted by the catcher to call it a strike. Frailing tossed a shutout that day and walked away as the proud owner of a peculiar slice of baseball history.
What is the most pitches ever pitched in a game?
The record for most pitches thrown in a single game is held by Mark Buehrle, who threw a whopping 149 pitches for the Chicago White Sox against the Texas Rangers on April 18, 2012. Buehrle shut the Rangers out in his complete game, allowing just three hits.
Buehrle went the full nine innings and struck out nine batters, walking none.
This record shattered the previous mark of 143 pitches, which was set by Toronto Blue Jays’ Shaun Marcum in 2009. Buehrle’s performance showed that he was willing to go the extra mile in order to achieve a victory.
Overall, 149 pitches is an impressive feat. It’s a testament to Buehrle’s stamina, strength, and resilience that he was able to endure such a strenuous workload without tiring or wavering in concentration.
It’s safe to say that it could be a while before any future pitcher is able to surpass Buehrle’s record.
Did Nolan Ryan throws 235 pitches in a game?
No, Nolan Ryan did not throw 235 pitches in one game. He did have a game in 1974 where he threw a total of 219 pitches. Although this was a high number of pitches, it did not reach the 235 mark. Ryan started the game with the California Angels and pitched an impressive 17 strikeouts, along with a complete-game shutout.
This wasn’t the only instance of Ryan throwing a large number of pitches as a year in 1973 he threw a total of 255 pitches over the course of two games. Ryan was known as a hard thrower and was statistically one of the best pitchers in baseball — his performance in these games is a testament to that.
What are the odds of pitching an immaculate inning?
The odds of pitching an immaculate inning, defined as throwing nine pitches and retiring all three batters faced in an inning, are generally considered to be very rare. According to ESPN Stats & Info, there have been 113 immaculate innings in Major League Baseball history.
While exact percentages are difficult to calculate due to the vast number of pitches thrown in the majors each year, it is estimated that the odds of throwing an immaculate inning are approximately 8,580 to 1 or 0.
0116%.
Having an immaculate inning is even rarer for starting pitchers, as these occurrences have been recorded by a reliever in three-quarters of the cases since 1900. Starters have achieved this feat just 33 times since then.
Furthermore, left-handed pitchers have recorded fewer of these innings than their right-handed counterparts, with only 12 immaculate innings recorded by left-handed pitchers since 1900.
As such, it can be concluded that throwing an immaculate inning is an exceptionally rare event, with odds of occurrence that can range anywhere from 8,580 to 1 to 275,000 to 1 depending on the conditions and the pitcher’s handedness.
Has there ever been a 2 pitch inning?
Yes, there have been several occurrences of a two-pitch inning in Major League Baseball. The most recent was on August 18, 2015, when Jon Lester of the Chicago Cubs retired the St. Louis Cardinals in order on two pitches against of Matt Holliday, Stephen Piscotty, and Yadier Molina.
Over the years, there have also been other notable occurrences such as Johnnie LeMaster’s two-pitch inning for the San Francisco Giants on August 12th, 1984, and Kenny Rogers’ two-pitch inning for the Texas Rangers on August 31st, 1995.
Additionally, the Boston Red Sox famously completed a two-strike, two-out two-pitch inning against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 25th, 1967, when Dalton Jones and Jose Tartabull both struck out on five pitches.
There are also numerous examples in the minor leagues, as well as in college and high school baseball. All in all, though rare, a two-pitch inning is not entirely unheard of.
What is an immaculate inning with no foul balls?
An immaculate inning is a rare phenomenon in baseball where a pitcher faces three consecutive batters and strikes out all three without allowing any balls to be put in play. Since no foul balls may be put in play, the pitcher must record all three outs through strikeouts.
This special moment is relatively rare; a pitcher typically needs to have strong command of three different pitches and a large repertoire of pitches available to him in order to retire three batters in one inning without allowing any balls to put in play.
It is comparable in baseball to a perfect game, in which no batter reaches base during the entire game.
