Immaculate Innings (9 Pitches - 9 Strikes - 3 Outs) by Baseball Almanac

Immaculate Innings: 9 Pitches - 9 Strikes - 3 Outs

After a really great game, it might be said of a pitcher that he was throwing "nothing but strikes." Every once in awhile, at least for one inning, this is completely correct. Some pitchers have the idea that a perfect inning consists of three pitches.

Three fly balls, three groundouts, whatever. Just get it over with and let the defense win it for you. But these pitchers realize the beauty of a truly perfect inning. A nine strike inning. You can imagine how it goes...

The first batter comes up, just wanting to get on base. Strike one-he shakes it off, lucky pitch. Strike two-he swings for it, just over anxious, he'll get the next one. Strike three-he returns to the bench, mumbling something about how the pitch was actually inside. Next guy up. He falls prey to the breaking ball, gets him every time. Two outs. Last one comes to the plate. He has a hungry look in his eye, he'll at least battle for a walk. He is mistaken.

No matter how it happens, when a pitcher's on, he's on. So here's to Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan. To Lefty Grove and Randy Johnson. To the men who redefined just what it means to have an immaculate inning.

"Ryan is the only guy who puts fear in me. Not because he can get you out, but because he can kill you." - Reggie Jackson (on Nolan Ryan : a two-time member of the 9 pitch / 9 strike Club) in Baseball Digest (December 1974, Jackie Lapin, 'Nolan Ryan: The Pitcher Batterts Hate to Face', Page 41)

Immaculate Innings / 9 Pitches — 9 Strikes — 3 outs American League Immaculate Innings In Chronological Order
#	Name^(Quantity)	Team	Date / Box	Batters	Inn.
01.	Rube Waddell⁽¹⁾	Athletics	07-01-1902	Billy Gilbert, Harry Howell, Jim Cronin	3^rd
02.	Sloppy Thurston⁽¹⁾	White Sox	08-22-1923	Beauty McGowan, Chick Galloway, Sammy Hale	12^th
03.	Lefty Grove⁽¹⁾	Athletics	08-23-1928	Eddie Morgan, Luther Harvel, Chick Autry	2^nd
04.	Lefty Grove⁽²⁾	Athletics	09-27-1928	Moe Berg, Tommy Thomas, Johnny Mostil	7^th
05.	Billy Hoeft⁽¹⁾	Tigers	09-07-1953	Jim Rivera, Mike Fornieles, Chico Carrasquel	7^th
06.	Jim Bunning⁽¹⁾	Tigers	08-02-1959	Sammy White, Jim Mahoney, Ike Delock	9^th
07.	Al Downing⁽¹⁾	Yankees	08-11-1967	Tony Horton, Don Demeter, Duke Sims	2^nd
08.	Nolan Ryan^{(2 [1 in NL])}	Angels	07-09-1972	Carlton Fisk, Bob Burda, Juan Beniquez	2^nd
09.	Ron Guidry⁽¹⁾	Yankees	08-07-1984	Carlton Fisk, Tom Paciorek, Greg Luzinski	9^th
10.	Danny Jackson⁽¹⁾	Royals	10-24-1985	Terry Pendleton, Tom Nieto, Brian Harper	7^th
11.	Jeff Montgomery⁽¹⁾	Royals	04-29-1990	Pete Incaviglia, Geno Petralli, Thad Bosley	8^th
12.	Pedro Martinez⁽¹⁾	Red Sox	05-18-2002	Ichiro Suzuki, Mark McLemore, Ruben Sierra	1^st
13.	Rich Harden⁽¹⁾	Athletics	06-08-2008	Maicer Izturis, Howie Kendrick, Garret Anderson	1^st
14.	Felix Hernandez⁽¹⁾	Mariners	06-17-2008	Jeremy Hermida, Jorge Cantu, Mike Jacobs	4^th
15.	A.J. Burnett⁽¹⁾	Yankees	06-20-2009	Josh Johnson, Chris Coghlan, Emilio Bonifacio	3^rd
16.	Rafael Soriano⁽¹⁾	Rays	08-23-2010	Erick Aybar, Mike Napoli, Peter Bourjos	9^th
17.	Clay Buchholz⁽¹⁾	Red Sox	08-16-2012	Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Chris Davis	6^th
#	Name^(Quantity)	Team	Date / Box	Batters	Inn.
9 Pitches — 9 Strikes — 3 Outs American League Immaculate Innings: 16 Pitchers / 17 Instances
Immaculate Innings / 9 Pitches — 9 Strikes — 3 Outs National League Immaculate Innings In Chronological Order
#	Name^(Quantity)	Team	Date / Box	Batters	Inn.
01.	John Clarkson⁽¹⁾	Beaneaters	06-04-1889	Jim Fogarty, Sam Thompson, Sid Farrar	3^rd
02.	Pat Ragan⁽¹⁾	Dodgers	10-05-1914	Possum Whitted, Butch Schmidt, Red Smith	8^th
03.	Joe Oeschger⁽¹⁾	Braves	09-08-1921	Bevo LeBourveau, Cy Williams, Ed Konetchy	4^th
04.	Dazzy Vance⁽¹⁾	Dodgers	09-14-1924	Sam Bohne, Bubbles Hargrave, Eppa Rixey	2^nd
05.	Sandy Koufax⁽¹⁾	Dodgers	06-30-1962	Richie Ashburn, Rod Kanehl, Felix Mantilla	1^st
06.	Sandy Koufax⁽²⁾	Dodgers	04-18-1964	Leo Cardenas, Johnny Edwards, Jim Maloney	3^rd
07.	Bob Bruce⁽¹⁾	Colt .45s	04-19-1964	Bill White, Charlie James, Ken Boyer	8^th
08.	Nolan Ryan⁽¹⁾	Mets	04-19-1968	Claude Osteen, Wes Parker, Zoilo Versalles	3^rd
09.	Bob Gibson⁽¹⁾	Cardinals	05-12-1969	Len Gabrielson, Paul Popovich, John Miller	7^th
10.	Milt Pappas⁽¹⁾	Cubs	09-24-1971	Greg Luzinski, Don Money, Mike Anderson	4^th
11.	Bruce Sutter⁽¹⁾	Cubs	09-08-1977	Ellis Valentine, Gary Carter, Larry Parrish	9^th
12.	Jeff Robinson⁽¹⁾	Pirates	09-07-1987	Leon Durham, Andre Dawson, Rafael Palmeiro	8^th
13.	Rob Dibble⁽¹⁾	Reds	06-04-1989	Carmelo Martinez, Mark Parent, Garry Templeton	8^th
14.	Andy Ashby⁽¹⁾	Phillies	06-15-1991	Hal Morris, Todd Benzinger, Jeff Reed	4^th
15.	David Cone⁽¹⁾	Mets	08-30-1991	Herm Winningham, Randy Myers, Mariano Duncan	5^th
16.	Pete Harnisch⁽¹⁾	Astros	09-06-1991	Wes Chamberlain, Dickie Thon, Jose DeJesus	7^th
17.	Trevor Wilson⁽¹⁾	Giants	06-07-1992	Jeff Bagwell, Eric Anthony, Rafael Ramirez	9^th
18.	Mel Rojas⁽¹⁾	Expos	05-11-1994	David Segui, Todd Hundley, Jeff McKnight	9^th
19.	Mike Magnante⁽¹⁾	Astros	08-22-1997	Ellis Burks, Harvey Pulliam, Jeff Reed	9^th
20.	Randy Johnson⁽¹⁾	Diamondbacks	08-23-2001	Tony McKnight, Gary Matthews, Jack Wilson	6^th
21.	Jason Isringhausen⁽¹⁾	Cardinals	04-13-2002	Daryle Ward, Jose Vizcaino, Julio Lugo	9^th
22.	Byung-Hyun Kim⁽¹⁾	Diamondbacks	05-11-2002	Scott Rolen, Mike Lieberthal, Pat Burrell	8^th
23.	Brian Lawrence⁽¹⁾	Padres	06-12-2002	Brook Fordyce, Jerry Hairston, Melvin Mora	3^rd
24.	Brandon Backe⁽¹⁾	Astros	04-15-2004	Bill Hall, Scott Podsednik, Craig Counsell	8^th
25.	Ben Sheets⁽¹⁾	Brewers	06-13-2004	Peter Munro, Craig Biggio, Jose Vizcaino	3^rd
26.	LaTroy Hawkins⁽¹⁾	Cubs	09-11-2004	Jeff Conine, Juan Encarnacion, Alex Gonzalez	9^th
27.	Rick Helling⁽¹⁾	Brewers	06-20-2006	Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco, Ivan Rodriguez	1^st
28.	Buddy Carlyle⁽¹⁾	Braves	07-06-2007	Khalil Greene, Russell Branyan, Jose Cruz, Jr.	4^th
29.	Ross Ohlendorf⁽¹⁾	Pirates	09-05-2009	Khalil Greene, Julio Lugo, Jason LaRue	7^th
30.	Jordan Zimmermann⁽¹⁾	Nationals	05-06-2011	Giancarlo Stanton, Greg Dobbs, John Buck	2^nd
31.	Juan Perez⁽¹⁾	Phillies	07-08-2011	Jason Heyward, Nate McLouth, Wilkin Ramirez	10^th
32.	Wade Miley⁽¹⁾	Diamondbacks	10-01-2012	Jonathan Herrera, Drew Pomeranz, Josh Rutledge	3^rd
#	Name^(Quantity)	Team	Date / Box	Batters	Inn.
9 Pitches — 9 Strikes — 3 Outs National League Immaculate Innings: 31 Pitchers / 32 Instances

When Nolan Ryan retired the side on nine pitches / nine strikes with the California Angels he became the first and only pitcher to accomplish this unique feat once during both the American (1972) & National League (1968).

Did you know that the only three pitchers in Major League history to accomplish this feat twice happen to be members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame?

Over one-hundred twenty-five years of Major League Baseball history, millions of pitches thrown by thousands of different pitchers and only forty-nine known / recorded instances by forty-six different pitchers — this is truly an amazing feat!

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