Dirk Lammers's Blog, page 11

Beaneasters’ Stivetts no-hits Grooms, 128 years ago today

Jack Stivetts threw a no-hitter for the Boston Beaneaters, 128 years ago today.

On Saturday, August 6, 1898, in front of 7,107 fans at Brooklyn’s Eastern Park, Stivetts no-hit the Brooklyn Grooms for a 11-0 win. Stivetts walked five, and two Grooms reached base on Boston errors. The righthander from Ashland, Pennsylvania — the seventh batter in the lineup — also helped his cause with two hits, a stolen base an two runs scored.

The “Waterloo defeat,” according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, did not leave Brooklyn “even the sorry excuse of crying out that they were robbed of the game by their umpire.'”

Monarchs’ Méndez, Rogan combine for no-hitter, 97 years ago today

José Méndez and “Bullet” Joe Rogan tossed a combined no-hitter for the Kansas City Monarchs, 97 years ago today.

On August 5, 1923, during the nightcap of a Sunday doubleheader at Kansas City’s Muehlebach Field, Méndez threw five perfect innings against the Milwaukee Bears but was pulled for a reliever. Rogan came in for the sixth and lost the perfecto by issuing a walk, which turned out to be the Bears’ only base runner as Rogan pitched four hitless innings.

Kansas City, who would capture the Negro League Championship that season, also won the opener, 6-1.

The game marked 13 consecutive innings of one-hit ball for Rogan, who had taken over for Rube Currie in the first inning during the team’s previous game against the Chicago American Giants and allowed just one hit, according to the Kansas City Times.

Galvin tosses most lopsided no-hitter, 136 years ago today

The Buffalo Bisons’ Pud Galvin tossed the majors’ most lopsided no-hitter, 136 years ago today.

On Monday, August 4, 1884, at Detroit’s Recreation Park, Galvin no-hit the Detroit Wolverines for an 18-0 win. The Detroit Free Press wasn’t exactly complimentary: “It may not be much of a feat to shut out without a hit such a lot of weak batters as Detroit has managed to consolidate in four seasons, but whatever credit attaches thereto belongs to Galvin.”

The Bisons tallied 22 hits in the game, while Gavin didn’t walk a single batter. Three Wolverines reached base on errors.

The Chicago Cubs’ Jake Arrieta just missed Galvin’s mark four years ago, no-hitting the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, April 21, 2016, at Great American Ball Park for a 16-0 victory. The Cubs notched 18 hits in the game.

Galvin’s 1884 game marked his second no-hitter, the first coming at Buffalo’s Riverside Park on Friday, August 20, 1880, when Galvin no-hit the Worcester Ruby Legs for a 1-0 win.

Galvin, who was born Christmas Day 1856, won 365 games over an 18-year career and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1965 by the Veterans Committee.

Osaka’s Miwa no-hits Tokyo, 80 years ago today

The Osaka Tigers’ Hachiro Miwa tossed a Japanese Baseball League no-hitter, 80 years ago today.

On Saturday, August 3, 1940, at Tokyo’s Dairen Stadium, Miwa no-hit Tokyo Kyojin for a 1-0 victory. It was the ninth no-hitter in JBL history.

Miwa spent five years pitching for the Tigers, posting a 32-31 record before dying at the age of 23 while fighting in China during World War II, according to Baseball Reference.

Happy birthday Red Ames

Happy 136th birthday to the New York Giants’ Red Ames, who threw nine innings of no-hit ball on Opening Day in 1909 before giving up a hit in the 10th and losing the game in the 13th.

On April 15, 1909, Ames no-hit the Brooklyn Superbas over nine innings at the Polo Grounds but neither team could score a run, as Brooklyn’s Kaiser Wilhelm held the Giants to just one hit.

The Superbas’ Whitey Alperman tagged Ames for a one-out double to left center in the 10th inning, but Ames stranded Alperman at third to keep the game scoreless. Brooklyn scored three runs in the top of the 13th for the victory, with Ames giving up a total of 7 hits. Wilhelm yielded just four hits.

Seven-inning no-nos

With MLB and the Players Association approving seven-inning doubleheaders for the (likely short) remainder of the 2020 season starting today, we thought we’d look at the uncredited seven-inning no-hitters thrown over baseball’s history.

Such accomplishments were considered official no-hitters until September 1991, when baseball’s committee for statistical accuracy, chaired by then MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent, established an official definition of a no-hitter calling it “a game in which a pitcher or pitchers complete a game of nine innings or more without allowing a hit.”

That means that under current rules, any pitcher who throws a 7-inning no-hitter this season during a no-hitter will not be credited with an official no-no. But they’d have some company. Thirteen pitchers have thrown major-league no-hitters of seven or more innings but less than the required nine, and two of those (Jake Weimer’s Reds no-hitter in 1906 Ed Karger’s Cardinals perfecto in 1907) were scheduled as 7-inning games.

Here are the 13 instances:

1
Charlie Geggus



Washington Nationals (UA)



Thursday, August 21, 1884
Washington Nationals 12, Wilmington Quicksteps 1 (8 innings)
Capitol Grounds (Washington)
(Game called by consent.)


2
Ed Crane



New York Giants (NL)



Thursday, September 27, 1888
New York Giants 3, Washington Nationals 0 (7 innings)
Polo Grounds (New York)
(Game called due to darkness.)


3
Matt Kilroy



Baltimore Orioles (AA)



Saturday, July 29, 1889 (Second game of doubleheader)
Baltimore Orioles 0, St. Louis Browns 0 (7 innings)
Oriole Park (Baltimore)
(Game called due to darkness.)


4
George Nicol



St. Louis Browns (AA)



Tuesday, September 23, 1890
St. Louis Browns 21, Philadelphia Athletics 2 (7 innings)
Sportsman’s Park (St. Louis)
(Game called due to darkness.)


5
Hank Gastright



Columbus Solons (AA)



Sunday, October 12, 1890
Columbus Solons 6, Toledo Maumees 0 (8 innings)
Recreation Park (Columbus)
(Game called due to darkness.)


6
Elton “Ice Box” Chamberlain



Cincinnati Reds (NL)



Saturday, September 23, 1893 (Second game of doubleheader)
Cincinnati Reds 6, Boston Beaneaters 0 (7 innings)
League Park (Cincinnati)
(Game called due to darkness.)


7
Jake Weimer



Cincinnati Reds (NL)



Friday, August 24, 1906 (Second game of doubleheader)
Cincinnati Reds 1, Brooklyn Superbas 0 (7 innings)
Palace of the Fans (Cincinnati)
(Nightcap planned as 7-inning game.)


8
GRANT “STONEY” McGLYNN



St. Louis Cardinals (NL)



Monday, September 24, 1906 (Second game of doubleheader)
St. Louis Cardinals 1, Brooklyn Superbas 1 (7 innings)
Washington Park (Brooklyn)
(Game called due to darkness.)


9
Ed Karger



St. Louis Cardinals (NL)



Sunday, August 11, 1907 (Second game of doubleheader)
St. Louis Cardinals 4, Boston Doves 0 (7 innings)
Robison Field (St. Louis)
(Perfect game; nightcap planned as 7-inning game.)


10
Len “King” Cole



Chicago Cubs (NL)



Sunday, July 31, 1910 (Second game of doubleheader)
Chicago Cubs 4, St. Louis Cardinals 0 (7 innings)
Robison Field (St. Louis)
(Teams agreed to call the game at 5 p.m. Central so teams could catch their trains.)


11
Walter Johnson



Washington Senators (AL)



Monday, August 25, 1924 (First game of doubleheader)
Washington Senators 2, St. Louis Browns 0 (7 innings)
Griffith Stadium (Washington, D.C.)
(Game called due to rain; Second game of doubleheader canceled.)


12
Fred Frankhouse



Brooklyn Dodgers (NL)



Friday, August 27, 1937 (First game of doubleheader)
Brooklyn Dodgers 5, Cincinnati Reds 0 (8 innings)
Ebbets Field (Brooklyn)
Opener called due to rain after 7 2/3 (second game of doubleheader canceled)


13
“Toothpick” Sam Jones



San Francisco Giants (NL)



Friday, September 26, 1959
San Francisco Giants 4, St. Louis Cardinals 0 (7 innings)
Busch Stadium I (St. Louis)
(Game called due to rain.)

Black Sox’s Strong tosses 11-inning no-no vs. Hilldale, 93 years ago today

The Baltimore Black Sox’s Joe Strong tossed an 11-inning Eastern Colored League no-hitter, 93 years ago.

On July 31, 1927, during the first game of a Sunday doubleheader at Baltimore’s Maryland Baseball Park, Strong held Hilldale hitless for 11 innings until Pete Washington walked it off with a one-out blast over the left field fence to secure a 2-1 win.

Strong was dominant, striking out five, walking one and hitting Otto Briggs with a pitch. He yielded an unearned run in the third inning on errors by third baseman Mack Eggleston and shortstop Scrappy Brown, but Jud Wilson evened the score at 1 in the eighth with a homer to center.

Hilldale captured the seven-inning nightcap by a score of 3-2.

Bibby throws first Rangers no-hitter, 47 years ago today

Jim Bibby threw the first no-hitter in Texas Rangers history, 47 years ago today.

On Monday, July 30, 1973, on the road at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Bibby no-hit the Oakland Athletics for a 6-0 win. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound right-hander relied mostly on his fastball during the contest, striking out 13 A’s batters but walking six.

Shortstop Jim Fregosi saved the no-no in the third, fielding a deep ground ball into the hole off the bat of Ted Kubiak and firing to first for the out. Then in the eighth, Fregosi’s replacement, Pete Mackanin, made back-to-back defensive gems on a Kubiak slow bouncer and a Bill North sharp grounder to keep the no-no intact.

Wood and Culver threw no-nos on this date

The Boston Red Sox’s “Smokey” Joe Wood and the Cincinnati Reds’ George Culver threw no-hitters on this date.

On July 29, 1911, during the first game of a Saturday doubleheader at Boston’s Huntington Avenue Grounds, Wood no-hit the St. Louis Browns for a 5-0 win. Wood allowed three baserunners on two walks and a hit batsman.

On July 29, 1968, during the nightcap of a Monday doubleheader at Connie Mack Stadium, Culver no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies for a 6-1 win. Culver, who walked five and struck out four, had received a shot of novacaine before the game to ease pain in his toe.

Double perfection: Martínez, Rogers threw perfect games on this date

Today is the only day on the calendar in which we can celebrate multiple perfect games, with Dennis Martínez and Kenny Rogers both tossing July 28 perfectos.

On Sunday, July 28, 1991, at Dodger Stadium , the Montreal Expos’ Dennis Martínez retired all of the 27 Los Angeles Dodgers he faced for a 2-0 win. Three years to the day later, on Thursday, July 28, 1994, the Texas Rangers’ Kenny Rogers threw a 4-0 perfecto against the California Angels at The Ballpark at Arlington.

There was one other regular no-hitter on this date. It was a combination effort by the Chicago White Sox’s John “Blue Moon” Odom (5 inn.) and Francisco Barrios (4 inn.), who no-hit the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday, July 28, 1976, for a 2-1 win at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum.