Monday, June 9, 2014

"HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 1970'S" #17: 41 BATTERS RETIRED IN A ROW FOR JIM BARR

Here's a highlight from the 1970's that usually went underreported, Giant pitcher Jim Barr and his 41 batters in a row retired in 1972.
What made this more amazing was the he retired 41 batters in a row yet didn't throw a no-hitter, since it spanned two games on August 23rd and August 29th of that year.
On the 23rd he retired the final 21 batters he faced after he walked Pirates pitcher Bob Moose in the third inning.
Then on the 29th, he retired the first 20 Cardinals batters before Bernie Carbo hit a double.
It wasn't something that got a lot of attention until White Sox reliever Bobby Jenks topped it 35 years later in 2007 (then later topped by another White Sox hurler, Mark Buehrle, in 2009-including his perfect game).
Take a look at my card celebrating Barr's feat:


Barr fashioned a pretty solid 12 year career between the San Francisco Giants and California Angels between 1971 and 1983.
He finished 101-112 with a 3.56 E.R.A., with 20 shutouts and three seasons of a sub-3.00 earned run average.
1974 was arguably his best season in the Majors, as he went 13-9 with a 2.74 E.R.A. and five shutouts, with two saves thrown in as well.
I remember this streak was one of my favorite trivia questions to stump people from time to time as a kid, and I promise you no one ever got it.
It just wasn't appreciated, either by baseball folk or Topps.

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