Dirk Lammers's Blog, page 22
June 12, 2019
Padres’ Lawrence throws immaculate inning, 17 years ago today
Brian Lawrence tossed the San Diego Padres’ first (and only) immaculate inning, 17 years ago today.
An immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out an inning’s only three batters, each on three pitches.
In the third inning of a Wednesday, June 12, 2002, game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Lawrence struck out Brock Fordyce, Jerry Hairston and Melvin Mora on a total of nine pitches to notch just the 55th Immaculate Inning in major-league history. There are currently 95 of such accomplishments on record, with four coming in the 2018 season and three this season:
Kevin Gausman, Baltimore Orioles, April 23, 2018Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals, June 5, 2018German Marquez, Colorado Rockies, Aug. 8, 2018Zac Rosscup, Los Angeles Dodgers, Aug. 19, 2018Josh Hader, Milwaukee Brewers, March 30, 2019Thomas Pannone, Toronto Blue Jays, April 14, 2019Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox, May 8, 2019
Watch Lawrence’s inning here:
June 8, 2019
‘Dicta’ Johnson throws Negro Leagues no-no, 106 years ago today
“Dicta” Johnson threw a Negro Leagues no-hitter for the Chicago American Giants, 106 years ago today.
On Sunday, June 8, 1913, Louis Decatur “Dicta” Johnson no-hit Paterson Smart Set for a 9-0 win. Johnson struck out seven and walked four. The next day, teammate Charles Dougherty threw a no-no against the same team.
Johnson, a 5-foot-7, 134-pounds right-hander from Elizabethtown, Illinois, pitched from 1908 through 1923 and briefly served as a player-manager for the Pittsburgh Keystones and as a player-coach for the Toledo Tigers late in his career.
June 3, 2019
Vólquez becomes 1st to toss no-no after leaving Padres, 2 years ago today
The Miami Marlins’ Edinson Vólquez became the first major-league pitcher to throw a no-hitter after leaving the San Diego Padres, two years ago today.
At Marlins Park on Saturday, June 3, 2017, Vólquez threw the major’s 296th no-hitter, blanking the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-0. Vólquez struck out 10 and walked two D-Backs hitters but managed to face the minimum 27 batters, as both walkers were retired on double plays.
Although the New York Mets during their 50-plus-year no no-no streak had seven pitchers throw no-hitters after leaving the team, the Padres didn’t have a single pitcher to fit into the “No-hitters … after they were Padres” category until Vólquez’s accomplishment.
Vólquez began his major-league career with the Texas Rangers before spending four seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, then joined the San Diego Padres in the 2011-2012 off-season via a trade. Vólquez was the Opening Day starter in both 2012 and 2013 and had a decent year in 2012 (11-11 4.14 ERA), but he struggled in 2013 and was released in August of that season.
Although Vólquez’s no-no marks the only official feat after leaving the Padres, Andy Hawkins, who pitched for the Friars from 1982-1988, no-hit the Chicago White Sox as a member of the New York Yankees. It’s no longer considered an official no-hitter because Hawkins lost the game 4-0 on the road, thus never had to pitch the ninth inning.
Vólquez’s no-no was the sixth no-hitter in Florida/Miami Marlins history, adding him to a list that includes Al Leiter, Kevin Brown, A.J. Burnett, Anibal Sanchez and Henderson Alvarez. The no-hitter broke a drought dating back to April 21, 2016, when the Cubs’ Jake Arrieta no-hit the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark.
June 2, 2019
Galarraga robbed of perfection, 9 years ago today
Armando Galarraga threw what should have been declared major-league baseball’s 21st perfect game, nine years ago today.
On June 2, 2010, at Detroit’s Comerica Park, Galarraga retired the first 26 Cleveland Indians he faced, striking out three batters. Up stepped Indians shortstop Jason Donald, and he hit a 1-1 breaking ball into the hole between first base and second base. First baseman Miguel Cabrera cut in front of Carlos Guillen to snag the ball, planted his feet and threw a perfect teed to Galarraga, who ran over to cover first. Galarraga squeezed his glove and stepped on the bag a full step ahead of Donald, but umpire Jim Joyce called him safe.
Replays shown to the home audience clearly showed he was safe, but these were the days before challenges and the call had to stand.
Joyce took responsibility and personally apologized for the mistake, saying he “just missed the damn call.” Galarraga said he appreciated the gesture and gave Joyce credit for being a stand-up guy.
“He probably feels more bad than me,” the gracious Galarraga said. “Nobody’s perfect. Everybody’s human.”
June 1, 2019
Johan Santana breaks Mets’ no-no curse, 7 years ago today
Today is the seventh anniversary of Johan Santana breaking the Mets’ no no-hitters streak at 8,019 regular-season games. That streak was a major-league record until May 16, 2019, when the San Diego Padres played that franchise’s 8,020th regular-season game without a no-hitter. As always, we celebrate by repeating our original post from June 1, 2012.
The streak ends at 8,019: Santana no-hits Cards
Johan SantanaFor the first time in 8,019 games, a New York Mets game has ended with a zero in the opposing team’s “H” column.
Johan Santana threw a no-hitter Friday to accomplish what Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden and David Cone could do only for other teams — not the Mets.
Santana scattered five walks and struck out eight during the 8-0 victory.
Sanatana’s no-no leaves the San Diego Padres as the only franchise without a no-hitter, and anoints the Padres with newfound infamy as the team with the longest drought. We haven’t yet worked out their current count.
The Mets drought stretched into the team’s 50th season, starting when the St. Louis Cardinals’ Julian Javier singled to left off Mets starter Roger Craig on April 11, 1962, during the Mets franchise’s first Major League game.
In addition to Ryan, Seaver, Gooden, Cone, Mike Scott and Hideo Nomo also pitched no-hitters after leaving the Mets. Nomo is the only pitcher to hurl no-nos both before (Los Angeles Dodgers, 1996) and after (Boston Red Sox, 2001) his stints with the Mets.
The rest of the cast pitching no-hitters before joining the Mets includes Don Cardwell (Chicago Cubs), Warren Spahn (Milwaukee Braves), Dean Chance (Minnesota Twins), Dock Ellis (Pittsburgh Pirates), John Candelaria (Pittsburgh Pirates), Bret Saberhagen (Kansas City Royals), Scott Erickson (Twins), Al Leiter (Florida Marlins) and Kenny Rogers (Texas Rangers).
Thank you, Johan for finally breaking the curse.
May 30, 2019
Young takes Padres no-hitter into 8th, 13 years ago today
Chris Young, Major League Baseball’s current vice president of on-field operations, took a San Diego Padres no-hitter into the eighth inning, 13 years ago today.
On Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at Petco Park, Young held the Colorado Rockies hitless through seven innings, issuing just a couple of fourth-innings walks as his teammates built a 2-0 lead. Brad Hawpe led off the eighth with a leadoff line-drive double to right to move the Padres’ no no-hitters count up to 5,921 regular-season games. Young finished off the inning before handing the ball off to closer Trevor Hoffman, who allowed a hit in the ninth but preserved the shutout.
Young made two other valiant attempts for a Padres no-no. At Petco on Friday, September 22, 2006, he threw 8⅓ innings of no-hit ball against the Pittsburgh Pirates before pinch-hitter Joe Randa tagged him for a two-run homer that marked Padres no no-hitter No. 6,022. The Padres won 6-2 in a one-hitter by Chris Young (8⅔ inn.) and Cla Meredith (⅓ inn.).
And at Miller Park two years later on Sunday, September 7, 2008, Young took a no-no against the Milwaukee Brewers into the eighth before Gabe Kapler launched a two-out eighth-inning homer to deep left for no no-hitter No 6,337, The Padres won that game 10-1.
May 26, 2019
Haddix tosses 12 perfect innings and loses, 60 years ago today
Today marks the 60th anniversary of what is perhaps the greatest baseball game ever thrown by a pitcher.
On May 26, 1959, in Harvey Haddix’s first season with the Pirates, the Medway, Ohio southpaw retired 36 Milwaukee Braves batters for a perfect game through 12 innings, but his team couldn’t score. Haddix lost the perfect game when Don Hoak threw a routine grounder in the dirt, then lost the no-hitter and the game when Joe Adcock launched a ball over the right-center field fence.
Haddix was later immortalized by The Baseball Project, which asks in its chorus, “Why don’t we add ‘ol Harvey to the list?”
May 23, 2019
Dropped 3rd strike makes Korean no-no imperfect, 22 years ago today
Twenty-two years ago today, a Korea Baseball Organization pitcher tossed a no-hitter that would have been a perfect game had his catcher not dropped a third strike.
On Friday, May 23, 1997 at Jeonju Baseball Stadium, the Hanwha Eagles’ Jeong Min-cheol no-hit the OB Bears for an 8-0 win. Min-cheol’s gem would have been a perfect game if a batter hadn’t reached first base on a dropped third strike. No MLB no-hitter has ended with the only runner reaching base on a strikeout.
The Eagles that season posted a 51-73-2 record and did not qualify for the post-season.
May 22, 2019
No-no pitchers to appear in ‘For Love of the Game’
A few days ago, we posed this trivia question on Twitter: Which two major-league pitchers threw an MLB no-hitter AND appeared alongside Kevin Costner’s Billy Chapel during his perfecto in “For Love of the Game”?
One of those pitchers, Jim Colborn, celebrates his 74th birthday today. On May 14, 1977, at Royals Stadium, Colborn no-hit the Texas Rangers for a 6-0 win for the first Royals no-no at the ballpark now known as Kauffman Stadium. In “For Love of the Game,” Colborn played the Tigers’ third-base coach.
The other no-no pitcher to appear in the film was Juan Nieves, who threw the Milwaukee Brewers only no-hitter 32 years ago. On Wednesday, April 15, 1987, Nieves no-hit the Orioles for a 7-0 win at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. In Costner’s movie, Nieves played the role of the New York Yankees’ Francisco Delgado.
Monarchs’ Eugene Marvin Collins no-hits Eagles, 70 years ago today
The Kansas City Monarchs’ Eugene Marvin Collins threw what is considered to be the final no-hitter in major Negro Leagues history, 70 years ago today.
On Sunday, May 22, 1949, Collins no-hit the Houston (relocated from Newark) Eagles for a 14-0 victory that may have been called early due to the mercy rule. Collins, a Kansas City native, was later signed by the Chicago White Sox but didn’t make it out of the minors. He also played in the Mexican League.
