30-year Marliniversary: Hough picks up final career win with 5-hit shutout

[Mike Ferguson]

On this day 30 years ago, Charlie Hough tossed a gem for his final big-league win.

The man who threw the first pitch in Florida/Miami Marlins history remains the oldest player ever to play for the franchise. Charlie Hough, at the age of 45, helped a young franchise in South Florida get off the ground.

On this day 30 years ago, the veteran Hough proved that there was still a place for a proud, old man in a young man's game. Hough tossed a five-hit shutout to pick up the final win of his 25-year Major League Baseball career as the Florida Marlins blanked the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-0.

It did take long to realize that the 46-year-old Hough had his knuckleball moving at Busch Stadium on June 14, 1994. Hough got off to a strong start by striking out the side in the St. Louis first, including Gregg Jeffries on just three pitches.

With the help of a great throw by catcher Rob Tingley to get Brian Jordan trying to steal at second, Hough faced the minimum through three innings. In the fourth, Florida gave the veteran knuckleballer a lead he could work with.

After Gary Sheffield doubled home Jerry Browne for the game's first run, Matías Carrillo singled in Sheffield to push the Florida lead to 2-0. St. Louis threatened in the bottom of the inning, but Hough was able to strand a pair of runners with back-to-back popouts.

Hough worked a 1-2-3 fifth before stranding two more runners in the sixth. In the top of the seventh, the Marlins blew things open with five straight hits.

Following four straight singles, including an RBI knock from Barberie, to open the frame, Kurt Abbott delivered the big blow by belting a 3-1 fastball into the left-field stands for a grand slam—his second slam in 10 days. The Cardinals managed just two singles over the final three innings and didn't have another runner reach scoring position. Hough closed the complete-game shutout by working a 1-2-3 ninth.

Hough finished the five-hitter with nine strikeouts and just one walk on 127 pitches. With the victory, Hough improved to 5-4 on the season, but would drop his final five decisions during the strike-shortened campaign. 

Throughout the course of his lengthy career, Hough finished with 216 wins, 216 losses, and 13 career shutouts. The last of those came at 46 years old and as a member of a second-year franchise. It served as his final career win on this day three decades ago. 

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