Immaculate Inning
 

I just read that Max Scherzer became the 5th pitcher in MLB history to throw one of these, 3 strikeouts on 9 pitches in an inning. The other 4 guys are Koufax, Ryan, Randy Johnson, and Lefty Grove.

I had never heard of this term before, and had no idea the feat was so rare. How many of you were aware of the immaculate inning?

The back of Al Downing's 1969 Topps card states that he did it in 1967.

I just checked Wikipedia and they say 84 pitchers have done it. I think you may have read Scherzer was the fifth to do it more than once.

I seem to remember Clemens doing it against the Red Sox.

Ross Stripling of the Dodgers was one strike away last week. That's when I heard the term for the first time.

Yeah sorry I meant he was the 5th player to throw two of them.

Koufax is the only one who has thrown 3.

I wonder how common or uncommon it is to get three outs on three pitches?

A triple play only requires one pitch.:D

Jesse- I recently purchased a book off Amazon entitled, ' The Immaculate Inning' - sub-titled, 'Unassisted Triple Plays, 40/40 Seasons, and the Stories Behind Baseball's Rarest Feats' by Joe Cox.

Chapter 2 of the book is 'Pitching An Immaculate Inning'. It has been done 89 times (91 with Gausman and Scherzer's efforts this season.)


It also includes a chapter on the 'Super Slam' - Jason Heyward almost hit one yesterday.

The "Super Slam' is described as being hit in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs and down by three runs with the bases loaded.

Yesterday, the Cubbies were only down two runs...but it was with two strikes, so I think it's pretty darn close to Super.

The Super Slam has been accomplished 28 times, most recently by Rajai Davis of the Tigers on June 30, 2014.

Don't understand how that's a perfect inning.

As Tom Seaver said, "My job is to get batters out, sometimes by striking them out."

In such an inning, the pitcher has complete control...no balls are called, no contact is made and no defense is necessary. TOTAL DOMINATION!

However, when I lost my fastball, I wanted to complete innings with only three pitches total...of course, one must depend on both the hitter and the fielders to do their parts to accomplish that.


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Three of the new intentional walks and three pickoffs would take NO pitches. :cool:

Total domination does not equate necessarily to maximum efficiency. Maddux getting a hitter to weakly beat the first pitch into the ground is, to me, more efficient than a Clemens three pitch strikeout.

My joke is that when I was a pitcher my fastball was so slow it was my changeup.

I've never heard the term super slam before, but that makes sense. I'm actually surprised it's been done that many times. But that was always the scenario in my head when playing baseball with friends as a kid.

...that's exactly the way it is described in the book...lots of us had that dream.

If such a strategy were applied repeatedly, the complete game would return and the pitch count would be irrelevant. The big question however is whether the pitcher’s pickoff count would supplant the pitch count and become the determining factor in when to go to the bull pen.

We may marvel at the immaculate inning, but it wouldn’t hold a candle to the “no pitch complete game.”:D

So, could a pitcher get credited with a no-hitter if he never threw a pitch but there were 27 recorded outs while he was on the mound? :eek:

Yes, but it probably would be rare. :rolleyes:

Actually, that may not be the case. The pitcher could strike out the side on nine pitches, and it could be through nothing but dumb luck. Say each batter hits their first two pitches foul, but home run depth, and then each one swings and misses at the third pitch, or foul-tips it into the catcher's mitt. That would be a non-immaculate, immaculate inning.

In Scherzer's case this week, the third batter fouled back his second pitch, so he did make contact; he just did not put the ball in play.

Steve

[quote=steve d;1784599]actually, that may not be the case. The pitcher could strike out the side on nine pitches, and it could be through nothing but dumb luck. Say each batter hits their first two pitches foul, but home run depth, and then each one swings and misses at the third pitch, or foul-tips it into the catcher's mitt. That would be a non-immaculate, immaculate inning.

In scherzer's case this week, the third batter fouled back his second pitch, so he did make contact; he just did not put the ball in play.

TUFF CROWD!