Tom Cheney (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Edgar Cheney was a Major League Baseball
player. Cheney, a right-handed pitcher from Morgan, Georgia
, played for the St. Louis Cardinals
, Pittsburgh Pirates
, (-), and the Washington Senators
(-) during his 8-year major league career. Tom Cheney is most notable for striking out the highest number of batters in a single MLB game. He did so on September 12, 1962, when as a Senator
, he struck out 21 Baltimore Orioles
in 16 innings en route to a 2-1 victory.
by the St. Louis Cardinals
prior to the start of the baseball season. After spending a few years in the minor leagues, he was called up by the Cardinals
in , and made his Major League Baseball
debut with the team on April 21, 1957. Cheney pitched in four games during the season, starting in three of them. He posted an 0-1 record with a 15.00 earned run average
in 9 innings of work, giving up 6 hits
, while walking 15 batters and striking out 10.
The following year, , Cheney did not play in baseball, as he was serving in the United States military. Cheney returned to baseball for the season with the Cardinals
, primarily serving as a relief pitcher in the 11 games he pitched during the season. Cheney again had issues with his control and accuracy. He walked 11 men in just 11⅔ innings of work. He was 0-1 for the season, with a 6.92 ERA
, along with giving up 17 hits and striking out 8 batters. On December 21, 1959, in the midst of the off-season, Cheney was traded by the St. Louis Cardinals
with his fellow teammate, outfielder
Gino Cimoli
, to the Pittsburgh Pirates
in exchange for relief pitcher
Ron Kline
.
hoped to make Cheney the starting pitcher with control and accuracy that they could depend on. Cheney progressed as a pitcher that season, and put up improved stats that season, pitching a 2-2 record in eleven games (eight as starting pitcher
) with a decent 3.98 earned run average
. Cheney only gave up 44 hits
while walking 33 men and striking out 35 in 52 innings of work. As a pitcher, Cheney improved remarkably in his transition from the Cardinals
to the Pirates
. The Pittsburgh Pirates
team went on to the World Series
after posting an impressive 95-59 record in the regular season. The Pirates
defeated the New York Yankees
four games to three games, winning the franchise's 3rd overall World Series
, and first since . The series was decided by a walk-off home run in the 9th inning of Game 7, when Bill Mazeroski
took a 1-0 pitch and crushed it over the left field fence giving Pittsburgh the championship. Cheney served as a relief pitcher in the World Series
and pitched four innings in three games (Game 2, 3, and 6), giving up four hits and two earned runs while only walking one batter and striking out six.
In , Cheney started off with a terrible performance, giving up 4 earned runs and walking 4 batters in less than a third of an inning.
on June 29, 1961 in exchange for pitcher Tom Sturdivant
. He served as both a starting pitcher and relief pitcher for the remainder of the season with the Washington Senators
. He did not fare well, and he again showed signs of lack of control with his pitching. He posted a 1-3 record in 10 games, 7 of which he started. He put in 29⅔ innings of work and gave up 32 hits and 29 earned runs. He walked 26 batters and struck out 20. His earned run average
ballooned to 8.79, giving him an ERA
of 10.00 for the season.
Nonetheless, Cheney was on the roster for the Washington Senators
in . Cheney pitched in 37 games in total, starting 25 of them. He pitched to a 7-9 record with four complete game
s and three shutouts and showed drastic improvement in all aspects of his pitching. He pitched stellarly in 173⅓ innings, giving up only 134 hits while walking 97 and striking out 147. His ERA
for the season was a career-best 3.17. Cheney finished second in the American League
in both strikeouts per nine innings and hits allowed per nine innings. was perhaps Cheney's best remembered season. On September 12, 1962, Tom Cheney set the Major League Baseball
record for strikeouts in a regular-season game. Cheney pitched brilliantly in 16 innings of work, giving up only one run while striking out a record 21 Baltimore Orioles
. Cheney had 13 strikeouts through nine innings.
Senators manager Mickey Vernon later wanted to make a change, reportedly asking the pitcher: "Your arm okay? You sure you don't want me to take you out?", to which Cheney replied . .
"I told him I didn't want to come out," Cheney said. "Back in those days, you finished what you started." Cheney wound up pitching eight straight hitless innings near the end. With his 228th and final pitch, he slipped a called third strike past pinch-hitter Dick Williams, who went on to become a major league manager.
It was not until the bottom of the 16th inning that teammate Bud Zipfel
hit the game-winning home run off Orioles
pitcher Dick Hall
giving the Senators
a hard-fought 2-1 victory and Cheney a win and a major league record that still stands today. To this day, Randy Johnson
, Roger Clemens
, and Kerry Wood
have come threateningly close to Cheney's record, but all three have failed, each striking out 20 men in their respective 9-inning regulation games.
Teammate Don Lock
says of his gifts:
Six days after his great performance, on September 18, 1962, Cheney suffered a setback at D.C. Stadium. Cheney gave up two home runs to Mickey Mantle
and lost the game 7-1 to Ralph Terry
and the New York Yankees
(who would go on to win the 1962 World Series
).
Cheney again pitched skillfully in , a season that is probably considered his best season during his 8-year major league career. Cheney only pitched half the season, but finished with career-bests in wins
, complete games, shutouts, and ERA
. Cheney pitched in a total of 23 games that season, serving as the starting pitcher in 21 of them. He posted an 8-9 record, a 2.71 ERA along with 7 complete games and 4 shutouts. Tom gave up just 99 hits in 136⅓ innings of work and dominated batters by walking only 40 and striking out 97. However, in July 1963, Cheney suffered a devastating elbow injury that played a major role in prematurely ending his major league career just after he was starting to appear as one of the premier pitchers in the American League
. Cheney played minimally with the Washington Senators
in and . He pitched in his last game on May 9, 1966.
His daughter Terri Cook says of his career:
, 13 complete games, 8 of which were shutouts. He picked up 2 saves, once in and again in . Tom Cheney pitched in a total of 466 innings, giving up just 382 hits, while walking 245 and striking out 345.
Tom Cheney died at the age of 67 on November 1, 2001 in Rome, Georgia
, still able to see that no one had yet surpassed his major league record for strikeouts in a baseball game.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. Cheney, a right-handed pitcher from Morgan, Georgia
Morgan, Georgia
Morgan is a city in Calhoun County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,464 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Calhoun County.-Geography:Morgan is located at ....
, played for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, (-), and the Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(-) during his 8-year major league career. Tom Cheney is most notable for striking out the highest number of batters in a single MLB game. He did so on September 12, 1962, when as a Senator
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, he struck out 21 Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
in 16 innings en route to a 2-1 victory.
With the St. Louis Cardinals
Cheney was signed as an amateur free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
prior to the start of the baseball season. After spending a few years in the minor leagues, he was called up by the Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in , and made his Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
debut with the team on April 21, 1957. Cheney pitched in four games during the season, starting in three of them. He posted an 0-1 record with a 15.00 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 9 innings of work, giving up 6 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, while walking 15 batters and striking out 10.
The following year, , Cheney did not play in baseball, as he was serving in the United States military. Cheney returned to baseball for the season with the Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, primarily serving as a relief pitcher in the 11 games he pitched during the season. Cheney again had issues with his control and accuracy. He walked 11 men in just 11⅔ innings of work. He was 0-1 for the season, with a 6.92 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, along with giving up 17 hits and striking out 8 batters. On December 21, 1959, in the midst of the off-season, Cheney was traded by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
with his fellow teammate, outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Gino Cimoli
Gino Cimoli
Gino Nicholas Cimoli was an outfielder in Major League Baseball.A high school all-star at Galileo High School, Cimoli signed as an amateur free agent with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949...
, to the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in exchange for relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
Ron Kline
Ron Kline
Ronald Lee Kline was a former professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of seventeen seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators, Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta...
.
With the Pittsburgh Pirates
The PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
hoped to make Cheney the starting pitcher with control and accuracy that they could depend on. Cheney progressed as a pitcher that season, and put up improved stats that season, pitching a 2-2 record in eleven games (eight as starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
) with a decent 3.98 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. Cheney only gave up 44 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
while walking 33 men and striking out 35 in 52 innings of work. As a pitcher, Cheney improved remarkably in his transition from the Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
to the Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. The Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
team went on to the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
after posting an impressive 95-59 record in the regular season. The Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
defeated the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
four games to three games, winning the franchise's 3rd overall World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, and first since . The series was decided by a walk-off home run in the 9th inning of Game 7, when Bill Mazeroski
Bill Mazeroski
William Stanley Mazeroski , nicknamed "Maz", is a former Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
took a 1-0 pitch and crushed it over the left field fence giving Pittsburgh the championship. Cheney served as a relief pitcher in the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
and pitched four innings in three games (Game 2, 3, and 6), giving up four hits and two earned runs while only walking one batter and striking out six.
In , Cheney started off with a terrible performance, giving up 4 earned runs and walking 4 batters in less than a third of an inning.
With the Washington Senators
Cheney was traded to the Washington SenatorsTexas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
on June 29, 1961 in exchange for pitcher Tom Sturdivant
Tom Sturdivant
Thomas Virgil Sturdivant II was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, and New York Mets...
. He served as both a starting pitcher and relief pitcher for the remainder of the season with the Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. He did not fare well, and he again showed signs of lack of control with his pitching. He posted a 1-3 record in 10 games, 7 of which he started. He put in 29⅔ innings of work and gave up 32 hits and 29 earned runs. He walked 26 batters and struck out 20. His earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
ballooned to 8.79, giving him an ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 10.00 for the season.
Nonetheless, Cheney was on the roster for the Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
in . Cheney pitched in 37 games in total, starting 25 of them. He pitched to a 7-9 record with four complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s and three shutouts and showed drastic improvement in all aspects of his pitching. He pitched stellarly in 173⅓ innings, giving up only 134 hits while walking 97 and striking out 147. His ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
for the season was a career-best 3.17. Cheney finished second in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in both strikeouts per nine innings and hits allowed per nine innings. was perhaps Cheney's best remembered season. On September 12, 1962, Tom Cheney set the Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
record for strikeouts in a regular-season game. Cheney pitched brilliantly in 16 innings of work, giving up only one run while striking out a record 21 Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. Cheney had 13 strikeouts through nine innings.
Senators manager Mickey Vernon later wanted to make a change, reportedly asking the pitcher: "Your arm okay? You sure you don't want me to take you out?", to which Cheney replied . .
"I told him I didn't want to come out," Cheney said. "Back in those days, you finished what you started." Cheney wound up pitching eight straight hitless innings near the end. With his 228th and final pitch, he slipped a called third strike past pinch-hitter Dick Williams, who went on to become a major league manager.
It was not until the bottom of the 16th inning that teammate Bud Zipfel
Bud Zipfel
Marion Sylvester Zipfel was a baseball player for the 1961-1962 Washington Senators.Zipfel was born in Belleville, Illinois. He was signed by the New York Yankees in 1956. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. When he played he was six feet, three inches tall and weighed 200...
hit the game-winning home run off Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
pitcher Dick Hall
Dick Hall
Richard Wallace Hall was a Pitcher and part-time Outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Kansas City Athletics , Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies .-Biography:He helped the Orioles win the 1966 and 1970 World Series and 1969 and 1971 American League...
giving the Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
a hard-fought 2-1 victory and Cheney a win and a major league record that still stands today. To this day, Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
, Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
, and Kerry Wood
Kerry Wood
Kerry Lee Wood is a National Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Wood recorded over 200 strikeouts in four out of his first five seasons, with a high of 266 in 2003....
have come threateningly close to Cheney's record, but all three have failed, each striking out 20 men in their respective 9-inning regulation games.
Teammate Don Lock
Don Lock
Don Wilson Lock is a former professional baseball player who played outfield in the major leagues from 1962 to 1969 for the Washington Senators , Philadelphia Phillies , and Boston Red Sox . Lock attended Wichita State University, stood 6'2" tall and weighed 202 pounds...
says of his gifts:
Six days after his great performance, on September 18, 1962, Cheney suffered a setback at D.C. Stadium. Cheney gave up two home runs to Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
and lost the game 7-1 to Ralph Terry
Ralph Terry
Ralph Willard Terry is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees , Kansas City Athletics , Cleveland Indians and New York Mets...
and the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
(who would go on to win the 1962 World Series
1962 World Series
The 1962 World Series matched the defending American League and World Series champions New York Yankees against the National League champion San Francisco Giants, who had won their first NL pennant since 1954 and first since moving from New York in 1958, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in a...
).
Cheney again pitched skillfully in , a season that is probably considered his best season during his 8-year major league career. Cheney only pitched half the season, but finished with career-bests in wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
, complete games, shutouts, and ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. Cheney pitched in a total of 23 games that season, serving as the starting pitcher in 21 of them. He posted an 8-9 record, a 2.71 ERA along with 7 complete games and 4 shutouts. Tom gave up just 99 hits in 136⅓ innings of work and dominated batters by walking only 40 and striking out 97. However, in July 1963, Cheney suffered a devastating elbow injury that played a major role in prematurely ending his major league career just after he was starting to appear as one of the premier pitchers in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
. Cheney played minimally with the Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
in and . He pitched in his last game on May 9, 1966.
His daughter Terri Cook says of his career:
Career stats and death
In his career, Cheney starting in 71 games and came in for relief in 44 more. He finished with a 19-29 record, a 3.77 ERAEarned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, 13 complete games, 8 of which were shutouts. He picked up 2 saves, once in and again in . Tom Cheney pitched in a total of 466 innings, giving up just 382 hits, while walking 245 and striking out 345.
Tom Cheney died at the age of 67 on November 1, 2001 in Rome, Georgia
Rome, Georgia
Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Rome is the largest city and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Floyd County...
, still able to see that no one had yet surpassed his major league record for strikeouts in a baseball game.
See also
- List of pitchers who have struck out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning baseball game
- List of rare baseball events