Tom Cheney (baseball)
| Tom Cheney | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: October 14, 1934 Morgan, Georgia, U.S. | |
| Died: November 1, 2001 (aged 67) Rome, Georgia, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 21, 1957, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 9, 1966, for the Washington Senators | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 19–29 |
| Earned run average | 3.77 |
| Strikeouts | 345 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Thomas Edgar Cheney (October 14, 1934 – November 1, 2001) was an American
Cheney is most notable for striking out the highest number of batters in a Major League Baseball game. He did so on September 12, 1962, when as a Senator, struck out 21 Baltimore Orioles in 16 innings en route to a 2–1 victory.
Professional career
St. Louis Cardinals
Cheney was signed as an amateur free agent by the St. Louis Cardinals prior to the start of the 1952 baseball season. After spending a few years in the minor leagues, he was called up by the Cardinals in 1957, and made his Major League Baseball debut with the team on April 21, 1957. Cheney pitched in four games during the season, starting in three of them. He posted an 0–1 record with a 15.00 earned run average in 9 innings of work, giving up 6 hits, while walking 15 batters and striking out 10.
The following year,
Pittsburgh Pirates
On December 21, 1959, in the midst of the off-season, Cheney was traded by the St. Louis Cardinals with his teammate, outfielder Gino Cimoli, to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for relief pitcher Ron Kline.
The
In 1961, Cheney started off with a terrible performance, giving up 4 earned runs and walking 4 batters in less than a third of an inning.
Washington Senators
Cheney was traded to the
Nonetheless, Cheney was on the roster for the Washington Senators in
Senators manager Mickey Vernon later wanted to make a change, reportedly asking the pitcher: "Your arm okay? You sure you don't want me to take you out?", to which Cheney replied . .
I started this damn game, I'm finishing it.[1]
"I told him I didn't want to come out", Cheney said. "Back in those days, you finished what you started." Cheney wound up pitching eight straight hitless innings near the end. With his 228th and final pitch, he slipped a called third strike past pinch-hitter Dick Williams, who went on to become a major league manager.[2]
It was not until the bottom of the 16th inning that teammate Bud Zipfel hit the game-winning home run off Orioles pitcher Dick Hall giving the Senators a hard-fought 2–1 victory and Cheney a win and a major league record that still stands. Roger Clemens, Kerry Wood, and Max Scherzer came close to Cheney's record, but all three failed, each striking out 20 men in their respective 9-inning regulation games.
Teammate Don Lock says of his gifts:
He had an ungodly great arm, an ungodly good body and big hands. He could do anything with a baseball.[3]
Six days after his great performance, on September 18, 1962, Cheney suffered a setback at
Cheney again pitched skillfully in
His daughter Terri Cook says of his career:
"He was angry that he had such a great career one day and the next day it was gone. He pretty much blames that (record-breaking) game for the decline of this arm. When he pitched, he pitched hard."[5]
Career stats and death
In his career, Cheney started 71 games and came in for relief in 44 more. He finished with a 19–29 record, a 3.77 ERA, 13 complete games, 8 of which were shutouts. He picked up 2 saves, once in 1962 and again in 1964. Tom Cheney pitched in a total of 466 innings, giving up just 382 hits, while walking 245 and striking out 345.
Tom Cheney died at the age of 67 on November 1, 2001, in Rome, Georgia.[6]
See also
- List of pitchers who have struck out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning baseball game
- List of rare baseball events
References
- ^ "Q: Which Washington Senators pitcher set the all-time record for strikeouts in a single game?" by Bill Turque, pp. 20/27, June 22, 2008, The Washington Post Magazine.
- ^ Obituaries The Dead Ball Era.
- ^ "Q: Which Washington Senators pitcher set the all-time record for strikeouts in a single game?" by Bill Turque, p. 18, June 22, 2008, The Washington Post Magazine.
- ^ a b Tom Cheney - Baseballbiography.com
- ^ "Q: Which Washington Senators pitcher set the all-time record for strikeouts in a single game?" by Bill Turque, p. 27, June 22, 2008, The Washington Post Magazine.
- ^ Record-holder Cheney dies at 67
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Tom Cheney at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
- Tom Cheney at Baseballbiography.com
- Tom Cheney at Historic Baseball
- Tom Cheney at The Deadball Era
- Tom Cheney at Find a Grave