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Fewest Pitches in a Complete Game

In the new age of baseball, relief pitching can be the key to a championship. Teams pay top dollar for a good closer and proven middle relief. Starting pitchers are too high-priced to damage their arms by going over 100-pitches or finishing a complete game. Nowadays, it is quite unusual to see any pitcher complete more than 2 games in any season, but that was not always the case. In the early decades of the game, most pitchers finished what they started unless they got into too much trouble.

Relief was something only for the big games. This is the state of baseball in 1944 when Charley "Red" Barrett played for the Boston Braves. Barrett was a career .500 pitcher during eleven seasons with the Reds, Braves, and Cardinals. It was on August 10th of that year, playing his former team, that Barrett made history. He threw not only the shortest night game in history at one hour and fifteen minutes, but also the complete game with the fewest pitches ever. Barrett needed only fifty-eight pitches to shutout the Reds 2-0 with only two hits and no walks. Baseball Almanac proudly presents this in-depth look at the shortest complete game in history!

My son in high school pitched a no hitter with 48 pitches. Temp was 28 degrees, north wind blowing 20 mph.Pitched 6 innings then opposing coach called the game because it was so cold and nobody wanted to be there. It was february 4. Thats baseball in Texas. I have no idea what major league 9 innings record is.