Quickest baseball game ever

[Aaron Brachowitz]

Cubs 2, Cards 1 -- one hour and 49 minutes! (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=220621116)

Maybe not the quickest game ever but almost impossibly quick by modern standards, where three-hour games are practically the rule. Here's the formula for success:

Winning pitcher throws complete game.
Losing team only has one reliever.
Home team wins (8.5 innings instead of 9).
Six hits total.
No walks, no errors.
All three runs scored on solo homers -- no long rallies or pitcher-distracting baserunners.

Holy cow!

[Double High C]

The ratio of strikes to total pitches also seems to be a key factor.

ST LOUIS
PC-ST
W. Williams (L, 4-3) 82-54
D. Veres 10-7

CHICAGO CUBS
PC-ST
J. Lieber (W, 6-4) 108-80

[Drzy]

Williams throws yet another three-hitter and gets yet another loss. :( Let's get this poor man some run support!

[Dooby Scoo]

The ratio of strikes to total pitches also seems to be a key factor.

The key factor is that Jon Lieber was on the mound. This guy is throwing the next pitch before he has the ball back from the catcher. Gotta love it!

[whisper]

This game wasn't even the fastest game that Lieber pitched. Last year his 79 pitch complete game was faster. He faced the minimum 27 batters.

[Tom Servo]

The fastest game since 1984 was played tonight between the Tigers and the Royals. One hour and 41 minutes.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=220724106

[egg]

Well when neither team can hit the ball you have the potential for some very quick games.

[whisper]

With the way the Cubs are hitting this year, breaking this record could be a good goal for them!

[Drewby]

One point for Egg to consider...as of the All Star break, the leading average in the AL belonged to Mike Sweeney of the Royals. I realize he's not "the team", but at least there was something to cheer about (until he went to the DL).

The recent ten-game winning streak was nice, too, but that's probably the end of the good news out of KC this baseball season.

Now the Chiefs, on the other hand...well, that's a topic for another thread!

[Mick Fan]

You also left out the fact that both pitchers work quickly. That's the most under-rated part of quicker games. Make those pitchers throw the stinkin' ball instead of goof around on the mound between pitches!

The Pirates and Astros played a game in May 1990 that I thought was an hour and 40 minutes, but it must have been a few minutes faster. Zane Smith and Pete Harnisch, two lightning-quick workers who throw strikes pitched in that one.

I was once at a short-season A game (in 1986-ish) that went a lightning-fast 1 hour and 28 minutes! Yes, it was nine innings!

[Aaron Brachowitz]

You also left out the fact that both pitchers work quickly. That's the most under-rated part of quicker games. Make those pitchers throw the stinkin' ball instead of goof around on the mound between pitches!
I'd blame the batters more than the pitchers. Many of them have to step out of the box after every single pitch. Getchyer ass back in there, you prima donna! The Cubs had some kid up from the minors earlier this year who would re-velcro his forearm bands after every pitch, and he still couldn't hit worth a damn. And the managers are next in line, with all their idiotic pitching changes, taking out a good RHP and bringing in a dreadful LHP to face a lefty, only to have the opposing manager bring in a righty pinch-hitter. Disaster invariably ensues.

The best thing we could do for baseball is restrict teams to ten pitchers max. The bottom two relievers rarely pitch anyway, but they give the manager the comfort to send the others in to face one or two batters.

[Mick Fan]

The ultimate thing is the pitchers throwing the ball over the plate and the umpires calling strikes. It causes the batters to HIT THE BALL. Fewer pitches ==> quicker games.

I've also seen that the quick-working, strike-throwing pitchers usually get better fielding as well. The fielders are more ready to make plays.

Generally speaking, faster games make for better baseball.

[Tom Servo]

In his very next start, Paul Byrd pitched in a 2 hour 2 minute game yesterday. That's what happens when you throw under 100 pitches, and over 70 strikes. They were showing the game on ESPN and they had to have bonus coverage for the last hour to fill time.

[Anonymous]

I saw that the LONGEST of Byrd's last 4 starts (all complete games) was 2:20. Very Maddux-esque.