Dirk Lammers's Blog, page 28
April 18, 2019
Angels’ May takes no-no into 8th in debut, 54 years ago today
The Los Angeles Angels’ Rudy May came within five outs of tossing a no-hitter in his major-league debut, 54 years ago today.
On April 18, 1965, at Dodger Stadium, May pitched 7⅓ innings of no-hit ball while nursing a 1-0 lead over the Detroit Tigers. Detroit’s acting manager Bob Swift sent in Jake Wood to pinch hit for shortstop Ray Oyler, and Wood lined a double up the middle past a diving José Cardenal to break up the no-no. Wood later scored on an error to tie the game at 1.
May got through the ninth with his one-hitter in tact, but his pitch count of 139 led Angels skipper Bill Rigney to put the game in the hands of the bullpen. Detroit won the game by a score of 4-1 in the 13th.
Rigney told AP after the game, “He pitched a real good game, but I almost took him out after the eighth. He was getting tired then.”
The only pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his major-league debut is Charles Leander “Bumpus” Jones, who accomplished the feat for the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, October 15, 1892 during a 7-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Two pitchers – Ted Breitenstein and Alva “Bobo” Holloman – have thrown no-hitters in their first major league starts, but only Jones did so in his first major league appearance.
Happy birthday, Henderson Alvarez
Happy 29th birthday to Henderson Alvarez, who ended the 2013 Miami Marlins’ season with a no-hitter.
Alvarez, who is currently in the minors with the Washington Nationals organization, no-hit the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, September 29, 2013 at Marlins Park.
The game was tied at zero in the bottom of the ninth when the winning run scored on a walk-off wild pitch.
Buehrle no-hits Rangers, 12 years ago today
The Chicago White Sox’s Mark Buehrle tossed his first of two no-hitters, 12 years ago today.
On Wednesday, April 18, 2007, Buehrle no-hit the Texas Rangers for a 6-0 victory at U.S. Cellular Field. Two years later, on Thursday, July 23, 2009, Buehrle pitched a 5-0 perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays at home.
April 17, 2019
One month to find a no-no in San Diego
OK, gumshoes. With just a month to go before the San Diego Padres can overtake the New York Mets’ no-hit futility record of 8,019 regular season games, we ask your help in answering the question, “Where in the World is a No-No in San Diego?”
Clues have pointed to July 21, 1970, but Padres’ Manager Preston Gomez pulled Clay Kirby after eight innings of no-hit ball and reliever Jack Baldschun couldn’t hold back the Mets. A magnifying glass over July 18, 1972 shows Friars skipper Don Zimmer signaling in third baseman Dave Roberts to guard against a bunt, prompting a Denny Doyle single that killed Steve Arlin’s no-no through 8⅔.
In fact, Padres pitchers have taken no-hitters into the eighth inning 22 times, as chronicled here, but no one has yet been able to complete the feat.
So can we assemble a team of gumshoes to find a no-no in San Diego before the Padres host the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 16 for what is scheduled to be no no-no No. 8,020? Time is of the essence.
Charlie Ferguson, threw Phillies’ first no-no, born 154 years ago today
Happy birthday to Charlie Ferguson, who threw the Philadelphia Phillies franchise’s first no-hitter as a member of the 1885 Philadelphia Quakers.
Ferguson, born 154 years ago today, no-hit the National League’s Providence Grays on Saturday, August 29, 1885 at Philadelphia’s Recreation Park. The Reading Times noted a rivalry between Quakers’ pitchers Ferguson and Ed Daily, who held Providence to two hits the day before.
“Both are doing remarkably fine work just at present,” the paper said, “but Ferguson’s achievement Saturday of retiring the Providence club without a hit ranks as first.”
The two hurlers pitched quite similarly over the 1885 season. Ferguson posted a 26-20 record with a 2.22 ERA, while Daily notched a 26-23 record with a 2.21 ERA.
Cubs’ Warneke nearly tosses Opening Day no-no, 85 years ago today
The Chicago Cubs’ Lon Warneke fell just two outs shy of tossing the majors’ first Opening Day no-hitter, 85 years ago today.
Warneke got the start against the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field on April 17, 1934, and pitched a gem through eight, putting up a zero in the H column while striking out a dozen and walking just two. Warneke fanned Reds pinch-hitter Ernie Lombardi to kick off the ninth before left fielder Adam Comorosky hit a single up the middle to break up the no-hitter.
sWarneke had to settle for a one-hit, complete-game shutout as the Cub topped the Reds 6-0. The Cleveland Indians’ Bob Feller would throw the majors’ first Opening Day no-hitter six years later.
Expos toss no-no in franchise’s 9th game, 50 years ago today
The Montreal Expos’ Bill Stoneman no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies in the Expos franchise’s ninth game, 50 years ago today.
The San Diego Padres, an expansion partner of the Expos, are still awaiting the team’s first no-hitter.
On April 17, 1969, Stoneman held the Phillies hitless over nine innings for a 7-0 victory at Connie Mack Stadium, walking five and striking out eight. It’s the earliest a franchise has knocked the accomplishment off its bucket list. Stoneman would throw one more no-hitter in 1972.
Here’s when the other two 1969 expansion teams exited the no no-no club:
Kansas City Royals
In his 10th big-league start, Kansas City Royals starter Steve Busby no-hit the Detroit Tigers for a 3-0 victory on April 27, 1973, despite walking five batters. Busby would throw another no-hitter on June 19, 1974, becoming the first pitcher to ever throw two no-nos in his first two full seasons (he had thrown a couple of late-season games in 1972). Other Royals pitchers would throw two more no-hitters to give the franchise a total of four.
Seattle Pilots
The Pilots lasted just one season in Seattle, and the team couldn’t notch a no-hitter or even a one-hitter during those 162 games (they did get three two-hitters). After the squad moved to Milwaukee and was renamed the Brewers, the franchise would have to wait 17 years for its first no-hitter. Juan Nieves became the first Puerto Rico native to throw a no-no on April 15, 1987 as the Brewers topped the Baltimore Orioles 7-0. Robin Yount made a game-ending diving catch to preserve Nieves’ gem, which remains the Brewers’ only no-no.
April 16, 2019
Feller tosses Opening Day no-no, 79 years ago today
Hall of Famer Bob Feller threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history, 79 years ago today.
The 21-year-old Feller used his “heater from Van Meter” fastball on April 16, 1940 to mow down eight White Sox batters as the Cleveland Indians topped Chicago 1-0. Feller’s parents and sister, Marguerite, were among the 14,000 fans at Chicago’s Comiskey Park that afternoon.
“I knew I had a chance for a no-hitter in the ninth,” Feller told the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “but I tried to put the thought out of my mind by reminding myself you never have a no-hitter until the last man is out.”
Feller threw two additional no-hitters, tying Larry Corcoran and Cy Young for a major league record that would later be broken by Sandy Koufax (4) and Nolan Ryan (7).
April 15, 2019
Happy birthday ‘Cannonball’ Dick Redding

Happy birthday to “Cannonball” Dick Redding, a Negro Leagues pitcher who threw a Lincoln Giants no-hitter against the Cuban Stars in 1912 and likely threw dozens more.
Redding, born on this date in 1890 in Atlanta, no-hit the Cuban Stars at Inlet Park in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Wednesday, August 28, 1912 for a 1-0 victory.
Redding played for a variety of teams from 1911 through 1928 and has been noted over the years as throwing as many as 30 career no-hitters — seven in 1912 alone. Unfortunately, finding box scores for Negro Leagues games is a challenging endeavor and not all those games were against top talent, so it’s tough to add more to our list.
One other Redding no-hitter was referenced in the New York Press story about the August 28 no-no — an August 5 perfect game against the Cherokee Indians during that club’s East Coast barnstorming tour. According to a New York Press clip about that game, Redding blanked the visiting Cherokees for a 1-0 win at New York’s Olympic Park, using his speed and control to strike out 14 batters while not allowing a single base runner. The game is not on our Negro Leagues list, as the eight Negro Leagues teams generally considered to be top-level during the 1912 season were the Lincoln Giants, the St. Louis Giants, the Chicago American Giants, the Cuban Stars, the Brooklyn Royal Giants, the Leland Giants, the West Baden Sprudels and the French Lick Plutos.
32 years since Brewers’ last (and only) no-no
The Milwaukee Brewers have now gone 32 years since their last (and only) no-hitter.
On Wednesday, April 15, 1987, Juan Nieves no-hit the Orioles for a 7-0 win at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium that extended Milwaukee’s season-start winning streak to 9-0. Nieves threw 126 pitches, walked five and received some help from the players behind him.
Robin Yount made a diving catch of Eddie Murray’s liner to right-center for the final out. Jim Paciorek and Paul Molitor also made some defensive gems to keep the no-no alive.
Nieves’ feat marked the first no-hitter thrown by a pitcher born in Puerto Rico.