Friday puzzle -- pitches

10/23/09, 4:15 AM #1

Alex Yeilding
Guest

Friday puzzle -- pitches

A couple of seasonal baseball puzzles today.

Joe Smith pitches a complete game for a major league baseball team. What is the fewest number of pitches he can have thrown?

This is a nine-inning game, not a rain-shortened game.

No "unusual rules" come into play. What do I mean by that? There are lots of rules in major-league baseball that almost never come into play; that is what does not count; unusual plays are okay. E.g., if the first 9 batters all ran the count full on only 5 pitches, then hit a home run, that would be an incredible statistical oddity, but only "normal" rules. On the other hand, if 27 successive batters all switched batters boxes after the pitcher had come set and before he pitched, all of them would be called out, without the pitcher ever having thrown a pitch. THAT is what I would characterize as an unusual rule.

Re: Friday puzzle -- pitches

10/23/09, 12:14 PM #2

Dan Donaldson
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5,264 posts

Registered: 9/17/01

Re: Friday puzzle -- pitches

I can see doing it in 27 pitches, but since this is a trivia game, there is probably a way to do it with less. ;-)

- - -

I have been woodworking for about 25 years now, and would consider myself an enthusiastic amateur. My claim to fame (or infamy) has always been fixing stuff. I spent time in the Air Force in the 60's then went to work as an electronic technician for civil service. I finally got my EE, and being fed up with the civil service nonsense, took a job with Ford Motor Company until I went with the split to Visteon last year. I got interested in music and started playing in a bluegrass band. I wanted a new guitar, and that kind of led me into woodworking. I bought some books, a few tools, and built a guitar. Luckily, I didn't know any better than to try that as a first ever project. I still play it when I get a chance, so it must not be too bad if it can live for over 20 years. After a stint in Mexico for my job, I moved into a new house and built a small shop. Since then I have been collecting tools and skills, probably more of the former than the latter ;-). Finding this site has done more for my skills and enjoyment than anything else. I have learned a lot and really enjoy the friendships that I have made here. I have been married to LOML (Lori) for 32 years now and have 6 kids. When they are all gone, I want to get a 1 bedroom house (so there is not room for them to move back in) and at least a 6 car heated/air conditioned garage for a shop. (Dream on...)

Re: Friday puzzle -- pitches

10/23/09, 12:29 PM #3

Alex Yeilding
Guest

Re: Friday puzzle -- pitches

Correct :-)

In both respects :-(

Re: Friday puzzle -- pitches

10/23/09, 3:30 PM #4

Don Orr
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Re: Friday puzzle -- pitches

24 pitches if they are the away team and losing after the top of the 9th ??? But how could they be losing if all the batters were out and none reached base ??? I am not much of a sports fan. Baseball has a lot of quirky rules.

- - -

My name is Don and I'm a Turning addict. There, I finally can admit I have a problem. The problem is not enough time to turn! I work as a Medical Imaging Tech for a living but that's just so I can light and heat the shop and buy more tools. I've been turning since 2000 and it has changed my life. I never had a creative outlet before I discoverd Woodturning and now I can't get enough. After I turned my first pen, my wonderful wife saw how excited I was and bought me a mini lathe. She now refers to herself as a "Turning Widow". She is a potter and quilter so she understands the obsession. My interests in turning are many and varied and I'm sure I will not live long enough to try everything I'd like to, but I'll give it a shot. Unfortunately we don't have any children or pets so you'd think I have all kinds of free time to turn, but for some reason I don't. I belong to the Adirondack Woodturners Association in upstate New York, the Mohawk Valley Woodturners, the Old Country Guild of Woodturnes and AAW, as well as the Northeastern Woodworkers Association. (I'd also like to learn to do flatwork someday.) Happy and Safe Turning, Don

Re: Friday puzzle -- pitches

10/23/09, 4:00 PM #5

Lee Schierer - McKean, PA
Guest

Re: Friday puzzle -- pitches

A balk followed by a double play would use only one pitch to achieve two outs, two balks and a triple play would use only 1 pitch. So if you had a gave where each batter hit the ball on the first pitch and was thrown out or flied out except for one balk then you could get a complete game with 26 pitches. Two balks would get you a complete game with only 25 pitches.

Lee

Re: Friday puzzle -- pitches

10/23/09, 4:07 PM #6

Alex Yeilding
Guest

Balk only advances existing baserunners

Re: Friday puzzle -- pitches

10/23/09, 8:26 PM #7

Alex Yeilding
Guest

Hint

Work off of Don Orr's excellent foundation. He was very close.

Re: Friday puzzle -- pitches

10/24/09, 2:05 AM #8

Ed in Leaside
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Registered: 11/3/05

Re: Hint

I'd answer but it was a trivia question in one of the local papers recently (sticklers IIRC).

Re: Friday puzzle -- pitches

10/24/09, 2:56 AM #9

Alex Yeilding
Guest

Source

Yes, I think that is where I got it, second or third hand.

Re: Friday puzzle -- pitches

10/25/09, 6:30 PM #10

Alex Yeilding
Guest

Aswer -- pitches

Don Orr was SO close!

24 pitches if they are the away team and losing after the top of the 9th ??? But how could they be losing if all the batters were out and none reached base ???

That's exactly the right line of thinking and the right question! They can't be, but that's the answer. In addition to getting 24 batters to fly out or otherwise get out on only one pitch each, he gave up a home run on the first pitch to another batter. So the visiting pitcher lost 1-0, having only thrown 25 pitches.

And the minimum pitches in a game for both pitchers is 52, with the losing pitcher throwing fewer pitches.

Friday puzzle -- pitches

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