complete games

[brewcrewrock]

The number of complete games is radiply decreasing over the course of the years, no i havent kept count, but my dad does, (he also keeps a record of the wheather EVERY day) but complete games decrease every year, why is this?

[henks]

It's a combination of many things. Pitchers are held to pitch counts now more than ever before. Kinda hard to pitch a complete game when you're held to 85 pitches a game right? Also, for whatever reason, pitchers are hurt a lot more...or don't play hurt a lot more than back in the day. Go back 20 yeras, you'd see pitchers throwing on 2 or 3 days rest on a consistent basis, and not complaining about it. But that's odd because they also consistently threw harder back then. This topic was discussed during the Twins/Angels game opening night. It's very rare that you see a starting pitcher throwing low to mid 90's in the 6th, 7th, and 8th inning. It also is because of the evolution of the hitter. Most guys watch more film than a hollywood film critic, so they pick up on tendencies of the pitcher, so they predict what's coming, and get better wood on the ball, which in turn makes the pitcher throw more pitches that inning, tiring him...kinda see where I'm going with that.
There's so many different reasons as to why, these are just a few that popped into my head.

[Saber]

Pitchers throw harder now and throw at max effort throughout the game. Despite the fact that player are in better shape than ever, you can't make ligaments and tendons any stronger than they already are. That's the long and the short of it.

[ljshorty89]

Because as medicine advances, we realize the damage that can and has been done to the arms of pitchers. Earlier in the century, we basically let pitchers throw their arms off. Now, we try to keep them healthy, and because of the EXTREMELY strenuous use of the arm(both in throwing hard, and moreso throwing a breaking ball) if you DON'T limit the frequency and amount of pitches they throw, you'll have many more people suffering the same fate as guys like Bill Pulsipher. So, for the most part, because pitchers don't want to get hurt, and it is very difficult to throw fewer than 120 pitches for a complete game, it's difficult to find guys who are willing to risk, let alone managers who are willing to risk injury for a meaningless stat.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

Everyone said it here, I agree with most of you. They also discussed this during the Yanks-Jays game. Roy Halladay led the league last year with 7 complete games, which is like 4 or 5 more than the next highest total. Very few guys go the whole game nowadays. I actually like it because:
1. It adds a whole new dimension to the game: the bullpen and its use
2. Pitchers' careers are longer and healthier, and their lives after their careers aren't pain and surgery filled

[brewcrewrock]

thanks for the answers everybody i will pass this on to my dad.

[love_that_reefer]

I think mindset has a lot to do with it. Back as long as even the 80's, pitchers had the mindset that they were going 9 full innings. Pitchers today don't have that. Closers are making a lot of money these days which adds to that.