Rick Langford--1980
On This Date in Major League
History, September 17, 1980…
Looking at the stats this morning, there
have been 148 complete games thrown
in the major leagues to date.
The Phillies, behind Roy Halladay's eight
complete games, lead the way with 13,
followed by a Seattle staff that has
logged 10 complete games.
Well on this date, September 17, 1980
Oakland's Rick Langford saw his
consecutive streak of 22 complete
games come to an end.
Twenty-two!
With a 6-1 lead over the Rangers
entering the eighth inning, Langford
allowed a run on three hits. However, the
streak began to unravel in the ninth
inning as Rusty Staub hit a two-out pinch-
hit home run to bring the score to 6-4,
Oakland.
A single by Bump Wills followed as
catcher Jim Sundberg was walked. At
that point, Oakland manager Billy Martin
pulled Langford in favor of lefty Bob
Lacey to face Buddy Bell. The reliever
retired Bell to preserve the win for
Langford and the A's.
Langford would finish the '80 campaign
with a 19-12 mark for the AL West
runners up; leading the Junior Circuit
with 28 complete games and 290 innings
pitched for the season.
While we admire Halladay for being a
horse in our present day, he pales in
comparison to Langford. Yet, for all his
work, Langford did not make the All-Star
Squad in 1980 as the right-hander
owned just a 5-9 record at the break.
Langford would toss 18 CG in 1981 and
15 more in '82 before watching his
career fade due to injuries. He would
finish his 11-year career at 73-106,
4.01--- and 85 complete games.
(9/17/10)
History, September 17, 1980…
Looking at the stats this morning, there
have been 148 complete games thrown
in the major leagues to date.
The Phillies, behind Roy Halladay's eight
complete games, lead the way with 13,
followed by a Seattle staff that has
logged 10 complete games.
Well on this date, September 17, 1980
Oakland's Rick Langford saw his
consecutive streak of 22 complete
games come to an end.
Twenty-two!
With a 6-1 lead over the Rangers
entering the eighth inning, Langford
allowed a run on three hits. However, the
streak began to unravel in the ninth
inning as Rusty Staub hit a two-out pinch-
hit home run to bring the score to 6-4,
Oakland.
A single by Bump Wills followed as
catcher Jim Sundberg was walked. At
that point, Oakland manager Billy Martin
pulled Langford in favor of lefty Bob
Lacey to face Buddy Bell. The reliever
retired Bell to preserve the win for
Langford and the A's.
Langford would finish the '80 campaign
with a 19-12 mark for the AL West
runners up; leading the Junior Circuit
with 28 complete games and 290 innings
pitched for the season.
While we admire Halladay for being a
horse in our present day, he pales in
comparison to Langford. Yet, for all his
work, Langford did not make the All-Star
Squad in 1980 as the right-hander
owned just a 5-9 record at the break.
Langford would toss 18 CG in 1981 and
15 more in '82 before watching his
career fade due to injuries. He would
finish his 11-year career at 73-106,
4.01--- and 85 complete games.
(9/17/10)
| Master of His... Langford might have been master of the complete game in 1980; however, he didn't quite master the trimming of the mustache as the right side seems a little bit longer than the left. |