Jack Taylor's Iron Man Streak of 187 Consecutive Complete Games Ends

On August 13, 1906, the Chicago Cubs knocked their own pitcher, Jack Taylor, out of a game after just two and a third innings against the Brooklyn Superbas, ending the most remarkable durability streak in baseball history. Taylor had completed 187 consecutive games as a starting pitcher, a run that began on June 20, 1901, and stretched across more than five years and two franchises.

The streak encompassed 187 starts in which Taylor pitched every inning of every game he began. He also appeared in 15 relief stints during that span, finishing each one, which meant he went 202 consecutive appearances without being relieved by another pitcher. Whether he started or came in from the bullpen, Taylor was on the mound when the final out was recorded.

Taylor had spent the early part of the streak with the Chicago Cubs, then moved to the St. Louis Cardinals before returning to Chicago in 1906. He was not an overpowering pitcher. His strength was control and endurance, the ability to throw strikes and avoid the long innings that wore down other arms. During the dead-ball era, when runs were scarce and complete games were the norm rather than the exception, Taylor took that standard to its extreme.

The 1906 Cubs were one of the greatest teams ever assembled, finishing 116-36 for the best winning percentage in modern baseball history. Taylor was a useful part of that rotation, going 12-3 on the season. But the August 13 game was not his day. Brooklyn roughed him up early, and manager Frank Chance pulled him for a reliever, something no Cubs manager had done to Taylor in five years.

The record Taylor set is beyond untouchable. The modern game, with its pitch counts, bullpen specialization, and five-man rotations, has made consecutive complete games a relic. The active leader in any given season rarely reaches ten. Taylor threw 187 in a row.