Rick Langford's 1980 Season

[Brian26]

I saw this piece of trivia earlier today and couldn't believe it. Had to share this, because its almost unthinkable now. This would still be considered "modern era" too ...it's not like a turn of the century stat with Ed Walsh or Cy Young.

Rick Langford, for the 1980 Oakland A's, started 33 games. Of those 33 games, he threw 28 complete games. 28.

Of the five games he didn't complete, one game he went 8.2 innings of a 9-inning game. In another, he threw 10 innings in what became a 15-inning marathon.

He threw 290 innings total that year.

[Lip Man 1]

All of the A's pitchers did that under Billy Martin.

Lip

[PaleHoser]

Billy Martin and Art Fowler wore that starting staff out.

Here's a link (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1124410/index.htm) to a Sports Illustrated feature on that staff from April, 1981.

[DumpJerry]

The A's had 94 complete games that year. All five starters had double digit CGs.

By comparison, the White Sox had 32 complete games that year with Britt Burns (11) being the only one with double digits.

[SI1020]

Billy Martin and Art Fowler wore that starting staff out.

Here's a link (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1124410/index.htm) to a Sports Illustrated feature on that staff from April, 1981. Mike Norris was one of the top pitchers in the game in 1980. It was all downhill after that. I don't believe in being a slave to pitch counts and I love complete games. That being said, I agree. Martin and Fowler seriously overworked that staff.