From the "they don't make 'em like they used to" department: it was thirty years ago today (August 20, 1979) that Mike Flanagan tossed his league-leading fifth shutout, a 3-0 victory in which he held the Rangers to three hits and one walk and struck out seven. It came just five days after Flanny had tossed a 12-inning complete-game victory over the White Sox. In those dozen innings he surrendered five hits and a walk and whiffed 12 batters. The winning run scored with two outs in the bottom of the 12th when Eddie Murray STOLE HOME. What I would have given to see that! Mike was well on his way to the only Cy Young Award of his career (23-9, 3.08 ERA, 16 complete games) and Baltimore's fourth of the decade. Jim Palmer had the other three; when you add Mike Cuellar's award in 1969 and Steve Stone's in 1980, the Birds took home six plaques in a dozen years. Sadly, Stone's Cy was the last for the O's to date, and they haven't had five or more complete game shutouts as a team since 1995.Five shutouts? Hell, five wins would put you in a tie for second-best on this year's team. Where have you gone, Mike Flanagan?
2 comments:
Five shutouts? Hell, five wins would put you in a tie for second-best on this year's team.
That is pretty depressing.
It's August in Birdland, Bob. Sad but true.
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