Dirk Lammers's Blog, page 32

Happy birthday Guy Hecker

Guy Hecker, who tossed a Louisville Eclipse no-hitter in 1882, was born 163 years ago today.

Hecker no-hit the Pittsburgh Alleghenys on Tuesday, September 19, 1882, at Pittsburgh’s Exposition Park. The Eclipse won 3-1.

Also born on this day, and turning 56 today, is Chris Bosio, who threw a no-hitter for the Seattle Mariners in 1993. Bosio threw his no-no against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, April 22, 1993 at the Kingdome for a 7-0 win. His feat, the last no-no thrown against the Red Sox, will turn 25 in less than three weeks.

Bosox’s Viola, Bailey no-hit Phillies in spring game, 26 years ago today

Frank Viola and Corey Bailey teamed up to throw a Grapefruit League no-hitter for the Boston Red Sox, 26 years ago today.

On Friday, April 2, 1993, at Clearwater’s Jack Russell Memorial Stadium, Viola threw seven innings of no-hit ball against the Philadelphia Phillies, walking one and striking out six. Viola also let a runner reach first on a strikeout-wild pitch.Bailey finished the game with two no-hit innings, walking one en route to securing the 10-0 victory.

“It was important to me to end the spring on a positive note, and I think I did that,” Viola told the AP.

Viola posted a 11-8 record with a 3.14 ERA during the 1993 regular season. Bailey made 11 relief appearances for the Red Sox that year, losing one game and holding down a 3.45 ERA

KC A’s toss Grapefruit League no-no, 53 years ago today

Paul Lindblad and John Wyatt teamed up for the Kansas City Athletics’ only no-hitter 53 years ago today, though the feat came during a Spring Training game.

Although the A’s had five regular season no-nos during the team’s stint in Philadelphia and six while based in Oakland, the franchise couldn’t notch a single one during the club’s 13 years in Kansas City.

But on Friday, April 1, 1966, the Athletics’ Lindblad (6 innings) and Wyatt (3 innings) combined to no-hit the Houston Astros for a 4-0 win at the Cocoa Expo Sports Center in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Bert Campaneris helped save the no-no with a diving catch in the later innings.

The effort by Lindblad and Wyatt marked the second spring no-hitter in less than a week, as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Bob Veale and Luke Walker no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers just four days earlier.

Happy 80th birthday, Phil Niekro

Sending out 80th birthday wishes to Phil Niekro, who tossed a no-hitter for the Atlanta Braves against the San Diego Padres 46 seasons ago.

Niekro no-hit the Friars on Sunday, August 5, 1973 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium for a 9-0 victory. The knuckleballer struck out four and walked three.

Niekro’s feat is the third of 10 no-hitters against the Padres, detailed here.

Happy no-no birthdays to Stivetts, Pfeffer

Birthday wishes today to a couple of Bostonians who threw their National League no-hitters more than a century ago.

The Boston Beaneaters’ Jack Stivetts, born 151 years ago today, no-hit the Brooklyn Grooms 11-0 on Saturday, August 6, 1892 at Brooklyn’s Eastern Park.

The Boston Doves’ Frank “Big Jeff” Pfeffer, born 137 years ago on this date, no-hit the Cincinnati Reds 6-0 on Wednesday, May 8, 1907 at Boston’s Huntington Avenue Grounds.

Happy birthday to Dick Fowler

Happy birthday to Dick Fowler, the majors’ first Canadian-born no-hitter thrower.

The Philadelphia Athletics’ Fowler tossed a no-no against the St. Louis Browns during the second game of a September 9, 1945, doubleheader at Shibe Park. The Toronto native was born on this day in 1921.

Fowler, who posted a 66-79 record with a .455 ERA over a 10-year career with the A’s, was the only Canadian-born no-no thrower until May 8, 2018, when James Paxton tossed a no-no for the Seattle Mariners. Paxton, a native of Ladner, British Columbia, no-hit the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, becoming the first Canadian pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his home country.

Cards’ Dickson tosses Grapefruit League no-no vs. Yanks, 71 years ago today

The St. Louis Cardinals’ Murry Dickson no-hit the New York Yankees in a Grapefruit League game, 71 years ago today.

On Tuesday, March 30, 1948. at St. Petersburg, Florida’s Al Lang Stadium, Dickson no-hit the Yanks for 7-0 win. He walked five batters, hit one and struck out six.

The Cardinals scored all of their runs in the first inning off Bill Bevens in a rally that included a 3-run home run by Stan “The Man” Musial.

Cleveland’s Hudlin, Ferrell no-hit New Orleans, 89 years ago today

A pair of Cleveland Indians pitchers tossed a Spring Training no-hitter against the New Orleans Pelicans — the Indians’ Class A Southern Association affiliate — 89 years ago today.

On Saturday, March 29, 1930, at Pelican Stadium, Willis Hudlin got the start and threw five innings of no-hit ball. Wes Ferrell took over in the sixth and held the Pelicans hitless through four innings to complete the no-hitter, an 11-0 victory.

Ferrell tossed a major-league no-hitter a year later. On Wednesday, April 29, 1931, at Cleveland’s League Park, Ferrell no-hit the St. Louis Browns for a 9-0 win.

Happy 152nd birthday, Cy Young

Happy 152nd birthday to Denton True “Cy” Young, who won 511 games and threw three no-hitters.

The right-hander from Gilmore, Ohio, was perfect in his second no-no outing. Pitching for the Boston Americans (Red Sox) on Thursday, May 5, 1904, Young retired all 27 Philadelphia Athletics he faced for a 3-0 win at the Huntington Avenue Grounds.

Here are Young’s three no-hitters:

1
Cy Young

 
Cleveland Spiders (NL)

 
Saturday, September 18, 1897 (First game of doubleheader)

Cleveland Spiders 6, Cincinnati Reds 0

League Park (Cleveland)

2
Cy Young

 
Boston Americans (AL)

 
Thursday, May 5, 1904

Boston Americans 3, Philadelphia Athletics 0

Huntington Avenue Grounds (Boston)

(Perfect game)

3
Cy Young

 
Boston Red Sox (AL)

 
Tuesday, June 30, 1908

Boston Red Sox 8, New York Highlanders 0

Hilltop Park (New York)

Young ties Larry Corcoran for the major league career record with 3 no-nos. It would be tied once more but not broken until 1965 by Sandy Koufax.

Also celebrating a no-no birthday today (1910) is Bill Dietrich, who tossed a no-hitter for the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, June 1, 1937, an 8-0 win against the St. Louis Browns at Comiskey Park.

Another Opening Day, Feller remains in a club by himself

The Detroit Tigers’ Jordan Zimmermann took an Opening Day perfect game bid into the seventh inning on Thursday, but Bob Feller’s reign as being the only MLB pitcher to toss a no-hitter to start the season remains safe another year.

Zimmermann tossed 6⅔ innings of perfect ball before the Toronto Blue Jays’ Teoscar Hernandez hit an infield single up the middle. The game was actually a double no-hitter through 5⅔, as the Blue Jays’ Marcus Stroman didn’t yield his first hit until there were two outs in the sixth, when Nicholas Castellanos singled to left. Detroit topped Toronto 2-0 in 10 innings.

The only other Opening Day starter to go deep without yielding a hit was the Cleveland Indians’ Corey Kluber, who no-hit the Minnesota Twins through 5⅓ before Byron Buxton doubled. The Twins won that game 2-0.

Feller threw MLB’s only Opening Day on April 16, 1940, using his “heater from Van Meter” fastball 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.

Although there has been only one MLB Opening Day no-hitter, there was one thrown in the Negro National League in 1946. Leon Day, pitching for the Newark Eagles on Sunday, May 5, 1946, no-hit the Philadelphia Stars at Newark’s Ruppert Stadium for a 2-0 win. Day allowed just three runners to reach first via a pair of walks and an error, and he struck out six batters.