Dirk Lammers's Blog, page 108

Happy 89th birthday, Carl Erskine

Carl ErskineHappy 89th birthday to Carl Erskine, who threw two no-hitters for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Erskine threw his first against the Chicago Cubs at Ebbets Field on Thursday, June 19, 1952, for a 5-0 win. He followed it up four years later with a Saturday, May 12, 1956, no-no against the New York Giants for a 3-0 win at Ebbets Field.

Happy 33rd birthday Ervin Santana, threw no-hitter despite allowing leadoff man to score

Happy 33rd birthday to Ervin Santana, who threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians in 2011 despite allowing the leadoff hitter to score.

On Wednesday, July 27, 2011, at Jacobs Field, Santana led the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-1 win over the Tribe without allowing a single hit.

But he did allow a run, and it came in the first inning. The Indians’ leadoff man Ezequiel Carrera reached first on an error by Erick Aybar, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out and then scored on a wild pitch. It was Santana’s only walk, as he settled down to strike out 10 while completing the no-hitter.

Happy birthday to ‘Old Hoss’ Radbourn, Fred Toney

“Old Hoss” RadbournA couple of Deadball Era no-no throwers are celebrating birthday’s today.

Happy 161st to Charles ‘Old Hoss’ Radbourn, who threw a no-hitter for the Providence Grays on Wednesday, July 25, 1883. Radbourn no-hit the Cleveland Blues at Cleveland’s Kennard Street Park for an 8-0 victory.

And a happy 127th birthday to the Cincinnati Reds’ Fred Toney, the winning pitcher on baseball’s only nine-inning double no-no. On Wednesday, May 2, 1917, at Chicago’s Weeghman Park, Toney threw a 10-inning no-hitter against the Cubs for a 1-0 victory. The Cubs’ starter, Hippo Vaughn, threw a nine-inning no-hitter but lost the game in the 10th.

Feller enlists 2 days after Pearl Harbor, 74 years ago today

Opening Day no-no thrower Bob Feller became the first player to enlist in the military after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, 74 years ago today.

Feller, who had just completed a 25-13 season — the third straight in which he led the league in victories — enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a chief boatswain’s mate just two days after the Pearl Harbor attack. He entered service three days later and reported to the Naval Training Center in Norfolk, Virginia.

In Feller’s first start back in the majors on Aug. 24, 1945, Feller threw a complete game four-hitter as the Cleveland Indians topped the Detroit Tigers 4-2. He went on to throw two more no-hitters, tying Larry Corcoran and Cy Young for the major league career record.

Feller died of leukemia in 2010 at the age of 92

Double one-hitter thrower Hurst signs with Padres, 27 years ago today

Bruce Hurst, who threw two one-hitters for the no-no-less San Diego Padres, joined the Friars 27 years ago today.

Hurst, a free agent who spent his first nine seasons with the Boston Red Sox, signed with the Padres on this date in 1988.

At Jack Murphy Stadium on April 10, 1989, Hurst threw a complete-game one-hitter against the Atlanta Braves for a 5-2 win. He struck out 13 and walked just one (opposing pitcher Pete Smith in the third inning) but Lonnie Smith tagged Hurst with a two-run homer to left to score both of the Smiths.

Hurst reached the sixth inning with a no-no intact at the Murph on May 18, 1992, before the New York Mets’ Chico Walker killed it with a single to short. The Padres won that contest 3-0.

Celebrating a hat trick of no-no throwers

Don Cardwell was born on this day 80 years ago.The birth ward at No-No General is typically quite busy on December 7, with three no-hitter throwers born on this day.

Bo Belinsky, a Los Angeles Angels rookie who threw a no-hitter in , was born on this day 79 years ago. At Dodger Stadium on Saturday, May 5, 1962, Belinsky no-hit the Baltimore Orioles for a 2-0 victory.

A year earlier saw the birth of Don Cardwell, who tossed a no-hitter for the Chicago Cubs during the nightcap of a Sunday doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.

Heading back into the Deadball Era, the Brooklyn Grooms’ Tom Lovett was born on this day in 1863. Lovett no-hit the New York Giants at Eastern Park on Monday, June 22, 1891.

Does $20M a year set the bar for a no-hitter?

Does Zack Greinke’s new contract turn up the heat to toss a no-hitter?It appears that if you want to have at least one career no-hitter under your belt these days, it helps to make at least $20 million a season.

Off-season contracts have been skyrocketing lately, and it appears that the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Zack Greinke and the Boston Red Sox’s David Price owe their fans some no-nos. The other two pitchers to net big raises ahead of 2016’s Opening Day, Max Scherzer and Jordan Zimmermann, already notched their no-hitters during their time with Washington Nationals.

Pitcher
Team
Avg. Salary
Year
No-nos


Zack Greinke
ARZ
$34.4 million
2016
0


David Price
BOS
$31 million
2016
0


Max Scherzer
DET
$30 million
2016
2


Jordan Zimmermann
DET
$22 million
2016
1

Of the other pitchers to earn more than $20 million per season, only Cliff Lee, CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka failed to achieve the rare feat:

Pitcher
Team
Salary
Year
No-nos


Clayton Kershaw
LAD
$32.6 million
2015
1


Justin Verlander
DET
$38 million
2015
2


Johan Santana
NYM
$25.5 million
2013
1


Cliff Lee
PHI
$25 million
2013
0


Felix Hernandez
SEA
$24.9 million
2015
1


CC Sabathia
NYY
$24.3 million
2010
0


Cole Hamels
PHI/TEX
$23.5 million
2015
1


Tim Lincecum
SFG
$22 million
2013
2


Masahiro Tanaka
NYY
$22 million
2015
0


Matt Cain
SFG
$21 million
2015
1

Tigers trade Trucks after 2 no-nos, 63 years ago today

The Detroit Tigers traded right-hander Virgil Trucks after he threw no-hitters in a season, 63 years ago today.

On December 4, 1952, Detroit dealt Trucks, Johnny Groth and Hal White to the St. Louis Browns for Owen Friend, Bob Nieman and Jay Porter. During his 11th season with the Tigers, Trucks threw two no-hitters despite posting just a 5-19 record on the year. The no-hitters were:

The no-hitters were:

1
Virgil Trucks


 
Detroit Tigers (AL)


 
Thursday, May 15, 1952

Detroit Tigers 1, Washington Senators 0

Briggs Stadium (Detroit)


2
Virgil Trucks


 
Detroit Tigers (AL)


 
Monday, August 25, 1952

Detroit Tigers 1, New York Yankees 0

Yankee Stadium (New York)

The only other major league pitchers to toss two no-hitters in a season are Johnny Vander Meer (who tossed back-to-back no-nos), Allie Reynolds, Nolan Ryan and Max Scherzer. And none of them were sent packing after their accomplishments.

Trucks, who was dealt in the middle of the 1953 season to the White Sox, spent 2 1/2 seasons in Chicago before he was traded back to the Tigers for the 1956 season. It was short lived, as Trucks was sent with Wayne Belardi, Ned Garver, Gene Host and cash to the Kansas City Athletics for Jack Crimian, Jim Finigan, Bill Harrington and Eddie Robinson. after the season’s end.

The Birmingham, Alabama native retired in 1958 after 17 seasons, posting a 177-135 record with a 3.39 ERA.

Pitcher’s mound lowered from 15 inches to 10 inches, 47 years ago today

The pitcher’s mound, a favorite gathering spot to talk about jammed eyelids, visiting fathers, cursed gloves and wedding gifts, was lowered from 15 inches to 10 inches for the ’69 season.Major League Baseball lowered the pitcher’s mound height from 15 inches to 10 inches, 47 years ago today.

The rule change was part of a response to the issue of pitching becoming too dominant in the NL and AL, as evidenced by five no-hitters thrown during the ’68 season:

163
Tom Phoebus


 
Baltimore Orioles (AL)


 
Saturday, April 27, 1968

Baltimore Orioles 6, Boston Red Sox 0

Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)


164
Jim "Catfish" Hunter


 
Oakland Athletics (AL)


 
Wednesday, May 8, 1968

Oakland Athletics 4, Minnesota Twins 0

Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum (Oakland)

(Perfect game)


165
George Culver


 
Cincinnati Reds (NL)


 
Monday, July 29, 1968 (Second game of doubleheader)

Cincinnati Reds 6, Philadelphia Phillies 1

Connie Mack Stadium (Philadelphia)


166
Gaylord Perry


 
San Francisco Giants (NL)


 
Tuesday, September 17, 1968

San Francisco Giants 1, St. Louis Cardinals 0

Candlestick Park (San Francisco)


167
Ray Washburn


 
St. Louis Cardinals (NL)


 
Wednesday, September 18, 1968

St. Louis Cardinals 2, San Francisco Giants 0

Candlestick Park (San Francisco)

How did the changes work? They resulted in six no-hitters in the ’69 season:

168
Bill Stoneman


 
Montreal Expos (NL)


 
Thursday, April 17, 1969

Montreal Expos 7, Philadelphia Phillies 0

Connie Mack Stadium (Philadelphia)

(His first of two no-hitters)


169
Jim Maloney


 
Cincinnati Reds (NL)


 
Wednesday, April 30, 1969

Cincinnati Reds 10, Houston Astros 0

Crosley Field (Cincinnati)

(His second of two no-hitters)


170
Don Wilson


 
Houston Astros (NL)


 
Thursday, May 1, 1969

Houston Astros 4, Cincinnati Reds 0

Crosley Field (Cincinnati)

(His second of two no-hitters)


171
Jim Palmer


 
Baltimore Orioles (AL)


 
Wednesday, August 13, 1969

Baltimore Orioles 8, Oakland Athletics 0

Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)


172
Ken Holtzman


 
Chicago Cubs (NL)


 
Tuesday, August 19, 1969

Chicago Cubs 3, Atlanta Braves 0

Wrigley Field (Chicago)

(His first of two no-hitters; Holtzman becomes the second MLB pitcher to throw a no hitter without a single strikeout.)


173
Bob Moose


 
Pittsburgh Pirates (NL)


 
Saturday, September 20, 1969

Pittsburgh Pirates 4, New York Mets 0

Shea Stadium (New York)

So much for that theory!

Kile, threw Astros no-hitter in ’93, born 47 years ago today

Darryl Kile, who threw a no-hitter for the Houston Astros in 1993, was born 47 years ago today.

Kile struck out nine while walking one in the Wednesday, September 8, 1993, game at the Astrodome in which the Astros won 7-1. Kile etired the first 10 Mets batters, but the New York Mets got their run in the fourth thanks to a walk followed by an Astros defensive breakdown.

After walking Jeff McKnight, Kile threw a wild pitch that catcher Scott Servais thought hit Joe Orsulak on the foot. It didn’t, and as McKnight ran to third, first baseman Jeff Bagwell grabbed the ball and threw it off-line, allowing McKnight to score.

Kile, who later played for the Colorado Rockies and the St. Louis Cardinals, died tragically on June 22, 2002, of a heart attack.