Was at this game, and this was cool, but seeing 40-year-old Yadier Molina hit two homers was better. Great time despite the loss, my first game since moving back to STL.

I really like this record, frankly.

maybe it helps that I remember the back half of the fine careers of Lolich and Freehan. as has been hinted at, this one may stand as long as this Tigers' duo's mark did.

Who is #2 on the active list? Contreras-Hendricks?

Anyone know what pair has the record for losses? Maybe less mutual admiration with that one.

The duo made their first start together on April 6, 2007, at Houston. Wainwright notched his first of 212 wins as a starter with Molina as his catcher, which is a major league record for batterymates.

In case this isn't clarified in the article later on, this is 212 team wins in games started by the two. (Waino only has 194 career wins)

I really like this record, frankly.

maybe it helps that I remember the back half of the fine careers of Lolich and Freehan. as has been hinted at, this one may stand as long as this Tigers' duo's mark did.

I'm more the stat/history dork than my cousin, with whom I attended, and turned to him to say "It's wild these guys are tying a record held by guys that used to smoke cigarettes between innings and ####."

Lolich IP, 1964-76

232
244
204
220
281
273
376 (!!!!!!!!! - not sure anyone ever topped this mark since)
327
309
308
241
193

(recall that the number of AL Ps to toss 200 IP in the 2021 162-game season was ZERO. Mickey came up one start short of 12 consecutive seasons at that level. he also lost 9+ games in his first 14 seasons.)

the latter season came after he was traded to the Mets for Rusty Staub.

Mickey hated NY, so he "retired" in 1977 so he didn't have to return there for the second and final year of his contract.

then at age 37, he reinvented himself in San Diego as a lefty reliever.

the absurdly easy duty helped Mickey to a 1.59 ERA in 20 G (two starts) and 35 IP. he did less in 1979 and then retired.

amusingly for those who ever saw him pitch, he then ran a couple of donut shops in Michigan. (his listing on bb-ref of 170 pounds may be the best discrepancy ever. he probably weighed that in 8th grade. not that he was Sabathia-sized, but not svelte, to say the least.)

startingly, he will turn age 82 on Monday.

"It's wild these guys are tying a record held by guys that used to smoke cigarettes between innings and ####."

That sentence can change dramatically depending on the four-letter expletive you imagine in its place.

the latter season came after he was traded to the Mets for Rusty Staub.

Mickey hated NY, so he "retired" in 1977 so he didn't have to return there for the second and final year of his contract.

then at age 37, he reinvented himself in San Diego as a lefty reliever.

Thanks, Howie.

I've been meaning to learn more about this trade. Until the club traded The Franchise in June '77, the club was flush throughout the decade with damn good pitching and in desperate need for offense -- so why during the '75-76 offseason did they deal its most productive hitter for another starting pitcher?

376 (!!!!!!!!! - not sure anyone ever topped this mark since)

Wilbur would (and did).

376.2 in 1972.

the mid-1970s Mets were notorious tightwads. that was the main focus, not balance hitting and pitching. it was not a fun time.

they could save a buck by dumping Staub for Lolich, so they did.

Mickey had a 3.22 ERA for the Mets but - like those Tigers teams he just left - the offense never scored for him. and the clubhouse and fan vibe was so negative, he had no interest in an encore.

Mickey had a 3.22 ERA for the Mets but - like those Tigers teams he just left - the offense never scored for him. and the clubhouse and fan vibe was so negative, he had no interest in an encore.

True, although a 3.22 ERA in '76 only translated into a 101 ERA+. Meanwhile, Koosman managed to rack up a 121 OPS+ (2.69 ERA) and 21 victories (resulting in a second-place Cy finish), despite the lack of offense.

My strongest memories of Lolich are, of course, the 68 Series, pitching a complete game inn Game 7 on 2 days' rest with the help of a cortisone shot.

That was one hell of a series.

Wilbur would (and did).

376.2 in 1972.

And nobody had thrown that many IP previously since Pete Alexander with 388 in 1917.

Those seasons are crazy outliers -- other than Lolich and Wood (who also threw 359 in 1973), nobody has thrown more than 352 IP since 1920, over 100 years.

true. but:

Steve Carlton, 346 IP in 1972
Gaylord Perry, 344 IP in 1972
Phil Niekro, 342 IP in 1979
Denny McLain, 336 IP in 1968
Niekro, 334 IP in 1978
Wood, 334 IP in 1971
Nolan Ryan, 333 IP in 1974

There's got to be something said for being left-handed and, uh, fat.

CC Sabathia's 253 IP in 2008 (his split season with the Indians/Brewers) has not been surpassed since, and won't be for a long time barring drastic changes in pitcher usage.

Last pitcher to reach:

300 innings - 1980 Steve Carlton
290 innings - 1985 Bert Blyleven
280 innings - 1987 Charlie Hough, Roger Clemens
270 innings - 1999 Randy Johnson
260 innings - 2003 Roy Halladay
250 innings - 2011 Justin Verlander
240 innings - 2014 David Price, Johnny Cueto
230 innings - 2016 David Price

Are we even going to see 230 innings again?

Wood's 376.2 in 72 was also curtailed by a brief strike, costing the White Sox 7 or 8 games; 2 more Wood starts, which could have put him over 390 innings!

I agree that this is a nice, distinctive record.

It's a little surprising, maybe, that none of the four guys involved in the old and new records is what you'd call an obvious Hall of Famer. Freehan is in the HOM, and Molina of course often-discussed here as a guy who is going into the HOF on 42 bWAR plus lots of mystique. Both pitchers are HOVG types. All four are excellent players, they'd have to be, but one would have guessed the record might be held by a pair like Red Ruffing and Bill Dickey … or maybe Mathewson/Bresnahan, or Ford/Berra; but looking at those latter two, their years as teammates didn't quite align optimally.

200 IP is the new gold standard but we may see a 220-230 once in awhile

CC Sabathia's 253 IP in 2008 (his split season with the Indians/Brewers) has not been surpassed since, and won't be for a long time barring drastic changes in pitcher usage.
--------------
Are we even going to see 230 innings again?

Sandy Alcantara is on pace for 231. When I checked a couple weeks ago, he was on pace for 244 or so, but 3 of his last 4 starts have been poor to subpar. Of course, he may be an outlier, and this may be turn out to be an outlier season for him.

290 innings - 1985 Bert Blyleven

Sandy Alcantara is on pace for 231.

in unrelated news, 1985 AL MVP Don Mattingly - who started 159 games of 161 Yankees games at first base that year - is Alcantara's manager.

:)

(the Yankees' backup 1B was ... nobody. C Ron Hassey and 2B-OF Rex Hudler each got one start there in '85).

19. Ruffing's not that much better than Lolich, as a pitcher (12 WAR for hitting for Ruffing, .1 for Lolich).
If Lolich stays on Detroit, where he was a 4 WAR player his last year, and gets 10-12 WAR (asking a lot), he's a borderline HOFer. At his peak he was more valuable than Ruffing and he hit a more famous HR (which I used to think was off of Gibson, but I believe was off of Briles--they used to show it on "Sports Challenge")

I used to think was off of Gibson, but I believe was off of Briles

That's correct - it was in Game 2 against Nelson Briles.