Iron Man Pitching Performances

    When reference is made to hurlers pitching both games of a doubleheader, the two who come to mind most readily are Joe McGinnity and Ed Reulbach. Iron Man McGinnity achieved this feat five times since 1900, winning three twinbills for the Giants in the one month of August 1903. His other two efforts were for the Orioles in1901 and he split both times.

  Reulbach of the Cubs is remembered, of course, because he was the only hurler to toss shutouts in both his efforts on September 26, 1908. The Dodgers fell 5-0 and 3-0. But how good was his overall performance compared to the 23 others who won both games since 1900; or even the 14 others who pitched two complete games but not winning both, or either? In the two games, Ed gave up a total of 8 hits, 5 walks, and fanned 10. Each of these efforts was bettered individually by other pitchers.

  In fact, another Ed from Chicago, Big Ed Walsh of the White Sox, had a better overall performance in his twin triumph over the Red Sox just three days after the Reulbach victories. In the two games, he gave up only 1 run, 7 hits, 1 walk, and fanned 15, which is the top mark. The one walk was achieved by two other pitchers, including Grover Alexander twice.

  Another great dual performance took place that same week when Ed Summers of the Tigers beat the Athletics 7-2 and 1-0 in 10 innings on Claude Rossman’s homer. This was a case of a pitcher getting better as he went along, as Summers gave up only two hits in that extra-inning game, and did not issue a base on balls. He took on the extra duty because of his special ability to beat the A’s. He had a string of seven straight wins over the Mackmen.

  Who gave up the fewest hits in a twinbill? Fred Toney, the big righthander of the Reds on July 1, 1917, and Herman Bell, rookie of the Cardinals on July 19, 1924. Toney gave up three hits and one walk in each game. He felt so strong after the first contest that he told his manager he would work the second game as well. His manager was Christy Mathewson, who had never pitched two games himself, but who was grateful for Toney’s offer, because the staff was severely depleted at that time. In fact, several days before, Hod Eller had pitched a doubleheader, winning one game.

  Herman Bell was an unknown quantity for the Cardinals in 1924.  He was not used much and was well rested. He did not give up a hit to the Braves until the eighth inning of the first game and went five in the second before he was touched. He gave up a total of six hits and two walks and moved right along. The times were 1:31 and 1:17. Bell won only three games that first season, and two came in this double-header.

  Why do pitchers work both games of a twinbill? There are various reasons. We have already alluded to depleted pitching staffs and a special ability against the opposing club. McGinnity could do it because he had an easy underhand delivery. Ed Walsh was used to working hard under normal conditions. Doc Scanlan of the Dodgers did it more as a stunt on the last day of the 1905 season. George Mullin of the Tigers didn’t think about it until he saw that the opposing pitcher in the second game was a green rookie. Mullin thought he would have an easy time of it, but it didn’t turn out that way. Outpitched, he was lucky to win 4-3 with a Tiger rally in the ninth.

  Did a pitcher ever work the second game after losing the first?  Several times it has happened. On June 25, 1903, Wiley Piatt of the Braves lost to the Pirates 1-0 in a very well pitched game. In the second game he lost 5-3, and became the only hurler to lose two complete games in a day in this century. On July 21, 1918, the Athletics were short staffed in that World War I season. John Watson, who pitched two doubleheaders for the club that summer, lost the first game to the Indians 3-2 in 11 innings. He still came back and pitched the second, a 5-5 tie called after 8 innings to let the A’s catch a train. On August 31 of that year, he was roughed up with 12 hits in losing the first game, but came back to shut out the Red Sox 1-0 on 1 hit in the second game. On August 13, 1921, while with the Braves, he finally won two games. Outside of McGinnity, he was the only hurler to work three doubleheaders in this century.

  Kid Nichols pitched and easily won the first game for the Cardinals on September 11, 1904. He also worked the second game, but was raked for 14 hits. He didn’t withdraw, however, because he was also the manager of the Cards and didn’t want to waste a new pitcher. And Carl Mays didn’t neglect his hitting while pitching a doubleheader win over the Athletics in 19 18. He collected 5 hits in 6 trips.

  All the trivia experts know that in 1926 Emil Levsen of the Indians was the last hurler to pitch two complete game victories. But who was the last one to pitch two complete games? It was Jack Scott of the Phils the next year on June 19, 1927. He won 3-1 and lost 3-0 against the Reds. At 35, he was the oldest of the double duty performers. Several have tried to do it in the last half century, and Don Newcombe of the Dodgers came closest on September 6, 1950. He beat the Phils 2-0 in the first game and was trailing 2-0 in the 7th of the nightcap when he retired. On July 20, 1973 Wilbur Wood started both games against the Yankees, but was knocked out in each game, losing both.

  It really isn’t fair to talk about iron man pitchers who pitched two full games in one day without some reference to those who pitched 18 innings or longer in the same game. After all, Joe Oeschger and Leon Cadore nearly pitched the equivalent of three games in one afternoon with their 26-inning 1-1 tie on May 1, 1920. And there were 37 others who worked 18 or more innings in one game since 1900. Just like the twinbill hurlers, almost all of them were of an earlier generation. The last hurler to pitch as many as 18 innings was Vern Law of the Pirates on July 19, 1955, and he failed to get a decision.

  It is interesting to note that some of the same pitchers who pitched doubleheaders also worked in marathon games-Reulbach, Summers, Waddell, and Dixie Davis. Who performed best in the long games? Well, you have to give credit to Oeschger, who gave up 9 hits and 1 run in 26 innings. However, Carl Hubbell pitched 18 shutout innings, giving up only 6 hits and no walks.

  Carried below are first the hurlers who pitched two complete games in one afternoon, and then those who pitched 18 or more innings in one game.

 

Pitchers Winning Two Complete Games in One Day Since 1900

				Scores	Hits	SO	BB
Aug.	1	1903	Joe McGinnity, Giants vs Braves	4-1	6	5	1
				5-2	6	3	1
Aug.	8	1903	Joe McGinnity, Giants vs Dodgers	6-1	8	2	0
				4-3	5	5	4
Aug.	31	1903	Joe McGinnity, Giants vs Phils	4-1	5	4	3
				9-2	6	9	1
July	1	1905	Frank Owen, W. Sox vs Browns	3-2	4	3	3
				3-0	3	0	0
Sep.	6	1905	Ed Walsh, White Sox vs Red Sox	10-5	9	5	4
				3-1	5	5	1
Oct.	3	1905	Doc Scanlan, Dodgers vs Cards	4-0	3	8	2
				3-2	9	5	0
Sep.	22	1906	George Mullin, Tigers vs Nats	5-3	11	4	1
				4-3	9	5	2
Sep.	25	1908	Ed Summers, Tigers vs A’s	7-2	6	1	3
				1-0*	2	6	0
Sep.	26	1908	Ed Reulbach, Cubs vs Dodgers	5-0	5	6	1
				3-0	3	4	4
Sep.	29	1908	Ed Walsh, White Sox vs Red Sox	5-1	3	10	0
				2-0	4	5	1
Sep.	22	1914	Ray Collins, Red Sox vs Tigers	5-3	12	3	1
				5-0	4	0	1
July	29	1916	Dave Davenport, Browns vs Yanks	3-1	4	4	3
				3-2	7	7	3
Sep.	9	1916	Bill Perritt, Giants vs Phils	3-1	4	6	0
				3-0	4	3	2
Sep.	20	1916	Al Demaree, Phils vs Pirates	7-0	7	0	3
				3-2	9	4	2
Sep.	23	1916	Gr. Alexander, Phils vs Reds	7-3	12	3	0
				4-0	8	4	1
July	1	1917	Fred Toney, Reds vs Pirates	4-1	3	3	1
				5-1	3	1	1
Sep.	3	1917	Gr. Alexander, Phils vs Dodgers	5-0	4	5	1
				9-3	9	2	0
Sep.	18	1917	Bill Doak, Cardinals vs Dodgers	2-0	2	1	1
				12-4	12	4	2
Aug.	30	1918	Carl Mays, Red Sox vs Athletics	12-0	9	2	0
				4-1	4	3	2
Aug.	13	1921	John Watson, Braves vs Phils	4-3	9	2	2
				8-0	2	5	0
July	10	1923	John Stuart, Cards vs Braves	11-1	3	0	2
				6-3	10	0	2
July	19	1924	Herman Bell, Cards vs Braves	6-1	2	3	1
				2-1	4	2	1
Sep.	6	1924	Urban Shocker, Browns vs White Sox	6-2	9	1	1
				6-2	5	0	4
Aug.	28	1926	Emil Levsen, Indians vs Red Sox	6-1	4	0	1
				5-1	4	0	2

 

* 10 Innings
 

 

 

Other Pitchers Hurling Two Complete Games in One Day

				Scores		Hits	SO	BB
Sep.	3	1901	Joe McGinnity, Orioles vs Brewers	W	10-0	6	2	0
				L	1-6	9	2	4
Sep.	12	1901	Joe McGinnity, Orioles vs A’s	W	4-3	7	2	3
				L	4-5	10	0	1
June	25	1903	Wiley Piatt, Braves vs Pirates	L	0-1	6	7	1
				L	3-5	8	5	2
Aug.	21	1903	Rube Waddell, A’s vs Tigers	W	1-0	3	6	2
				L	1-2	8	7	3
Sep.	11	1904	Kid Nichols, Cards vs Reds	W	4-2	3	3	2
				L	5-8	14	0	2
June	3	1907	Stoney McGlynn, Cards vs Reds	W	1-0	5	3	2
				L	1-5	7	5	3
July	31	1915	Dave Davenport, St.L. Feds vs Buff.	W	1-0	4	8	0
				L	0-1	1	4	2
Sep.	6	1916	Rube Benton, Giants vs Dodgers	W	6-1	4	4	1
				L	1-2	10	5	1
June	19	1917	Hod Eller, Reds vs Cubs	L	1-2	6	6	2
				*W	6-2	7	2	0
July	21	1918	John Watson, A’s vs Indians	+L	2-3	12	2	3
				#T	5-5	10	2	1
Aug.	31	1918	John Watson, A’s vs Red Sox	L	1-6	12	1	5
				W	1-0	1	1	1
June	28	1919	Carl Mays, Red Sox vs Yankees	W	2-0	7	3	0
				L	1-4	7	5	2
Sep.	24	1921	Dixie Davis, Browns vs Red Sox	L	1-2	9	0	2
				W	11-0	6	2	0
June	19	1927	Jack Scott, Phils vs Reds	W	3-1	6	0	1
				L	0-3	9	0	0

 

* 6 innings + 11 innings   # 8 innings

 

 

Date	of	Game	Pitcher and Club	IP	Hits	Runs	SO	BB	Outcome
May	1	1920	Joe Oeschger, Braves	26	9	1	7	4	Tie Game
May	1	1920	Leon Cadore, Dodgers	26	15	1	7	5	Tie Game
Sep	1	1906	JackCoombs,A’s	24	15	1	18	6	WonCG
Sep.	1	1906	Joe Harris, Red Sox	24	16	4	14	2	Lost CG
May	17	1927	Robert Smith, Braves	22	20	4	5	9	Lost QG
July	17	1914	Rube Marquard, Giants 2	1	15	1	2	2	Won CG
July	17	1914	Babe Adams, Pirates	21	12	3	6	0	Lost CG
Aug.	1	1918	ArthurNehf,Braves	21	12	2	8	5	LostCG
July	17	1918	George Tyler, Cubs	21	13	1	8	1	Won CG
May	24	1929	Ted Lyons, White Sox	21	24	6	4	2	Lost CG
July	4	1905	RubeWaddell,A’s	20	15	2	11	4	WonCG
July	4	1905	CyYoung,Red5ox	20	13	4	9	0	LostCG
Aug.	24	1905	Ed Reulbach, Cubs	20	13	1	7	4	Won CG
Aug.	24	1905	Tully Sparks, Phils	20	19	2	6	1	Lost CG
July	17	1918	MiltWatson,Phils	20	19	2	5	4	LostCG
Apr.	30	1919	Joe Oeschger, Phils	20	22	9	2	5	Tie Game
Apr.	30	1919	Burl. Grimes, Dodgers	20	15	9	7	7	Tie Game
May	24	1929	George Utile, Tigers	20	17	5	4	3	Won Game
July	21	1945	Les Mueller, Tigers	19	13	1	6	5	No Decn.
June	22	1902	Jack Taylor, Cubs	19	14	2	6	1	Won CG
July	31	1912	Otto Hess, Braves	19	14	7	3	8	Lost CG
Sep.	27	1912	Eddie Plank, A’s	19	12	5	10	6	Lost CG
May	24	1918	Stan Coveleskie, Inds.	19	12	2	4	6	Won CG
May	3	1920	Dana Fillingim, Braves	19	12	1	4	4	Won CG
Aug.	9	1921	Dixie Davis, Browns	19	13	6	8	5	Won CG
June	22	1902	Ch. Phfflippe, Pirates	18	14	3	6	3	Lost CG
June	17	1915	George Zabel, Cubs	18	9	2	6	1	Won Rel.
June	17	1915	JeffPfeffer, Dodgers	18	15	4	6	8	Lost CG
May	3	1920	Sherrod Smith, Dodgers	18	13	2	3	5	Lost CG
Aug.	17	1902	Bill Donovan, Dodgers	18	14	7	13	7	Tie Game
June	24	1905	Ed Reulbach, Cubs	18	14	1	6	6	Won CG
June	24	1905	Jack Taylor, Cards	18	11	2	7	4	Lost CG
July	16	1909	Ed Summers, Tigers	18	7	0	10	1	Tie Game
May	15	1918	WalterJohnson,Nats	18	10	0	9	1	WonCG
May	15	1918	Cl. Williams, W. Sox	18	8	1	3	2	Lost CG
June	1	1919	Jeff Pfeffer, Dodgers	18	23	10	6	3	Lost CG
May	14	1927	Guy Bush, Cubs	18	11	2	5	8	WonCG
July	2	1933	Carl Hubbell, Giants	18	6	0	12	0	Won CG
July	19	1955	Vern Law, Pirates	18	9	2	12	3	No Decn.