Editing Complete game (section)

{{Short description|Pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher}}
[[File:Cy Young by Conlon, 1911-crop.jpg|thumb|right|[[Cy Young]], the all-time MLB complete-game leader]]
In [[baseball]], a '''complete game''' ('''CG''') is the act of a [[pitcher]] pitching an entire game without the benefit of a [[relief pitcher]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Dickson |first=Paul |author-link= Paul Dickson (writer) | title=The new Dickson baseball dictionary |page=130 |year=1999 | publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]] | isbn=978-0-15-600580-7| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=afQVWhAm1TEC&q=the%20new%20dickson%20baseball%20dictionary&pg=PA130| access-date=August 27, 2011}}</ref> A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitchers who throw an entire [[official game]] that is shortened by rain will still be credited with a complete game, while starting pitchers who are relieved in [[extra innings]] after throwing nine or more innings will not be credited with a complete game. A starting pitcher who is replaced by a [[pinch hitter]] in the final half inning of a game will still be credited with a complete game.

Complete games have become increasingly rare over the course of baseball history. In the early 20th century, pitchers completed almost all of the games they started, and they were generally expected to do so. In modern baseball, the feat is much more rare. Since 1975, no pitcher has thrown 30 or more complete games in a season; in the 21st century, only twice has any pitcher thrown 10 or more complete games in a season.