Dirk Lammers's Blog, page 33

Padres’ no no-hitters count reaches 7,977

The Padres no no-hitters count is moving again.

With that Evan Longoria 1st-inning single off Eric Lauer, the Padres have now played 7,977 regular-season games without a no-hitter. That’s just 42 games shy of the New York Mets’ mark of 8,019 regular-season games, halted when Johan Santana no-hit the Cardinals in 2012.

If a Padres’ starter or tandem can’t accomplish the feat before mid-May, the Padres will take over the record of the longest no no-hitters streak since a franchise’s inception.

The Padres’ best chance for an Opening Day no-no came on April 9, 1990, when Bruce Hurst took a bid into the seventh before the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Hubie Brooks led off the inning with a single to center. Hurst gave up four earned runs in the 4-2 loss, as the no no-hitter count advanced to 3,341 games. The second deepest effort was from Randy Jones, who took an April 9, 1976, bid into the sixth before Atlanta Braves’ pinch-hitter Cito Gaston dropped a one-out single into center field. Jones finished with a five-hit complete-game 8-2 win, and the no no-hitter count advanced to 1,125 games.

Here’s the breakdown of the Padres’ Opening Day no-hitter attempts: 1 broken up in the 7th, 1 in the 6th, 1 in the 5th, 2 in the 4th, 7 in the 3rd, 12 in the 2nd and 27 in the first (15 of those on the leadoff batter). #FriarFaithful

Althout the Friars are drawing dangerously close to the Mets’ mark, the team has a long way to go to reach the longest-ever no-hit streak, a mark held by the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies were void of a no-hitter for 58 years, 1 month, 18 days between 1906 and 1964. The 8,945-game-long streak (plus nine post-season games) began on May 3, 1906, one game after Phillies’ southpaw Johnny Lush threw a 6-0 no-hitter against the Brooklyn Superbas. It ended on June 21, 1964, when Jim Bunning threw a 6-0 perfect game against the Mets during a Father’s Day doubleheader at Shea.

Pitchers look to match Bob in Fellerwatch ’19

Once again, we’re spending our first day of baseball season waiting to see if anyone can duplicate Hall of Famer Bob Feller’s accomplishment of throwing an Opening Day no-hitter.

Just 28 teams remain as we start Opening Day, as both the Oakland Athletics’ Mike Fiers and the Seattle Mariners’ Marco Gonzales missed their chances during the earlier openers at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.

We’ll keep a running tab of whose no-no chances remain alive below

Jacob deGromMax ScherzerAndrew CashnerMasahiro TanakaMiles MikolasJhoulys ChacinJulio TeheranAaron NolaJordan ZimmermannMarcus StromanJustin VerlanderBlake SnellJon LesterMike MinorTrevor CahillJameson TaillonLuis CastilloKyle FreelandJosé UreñaCorey KluberJosé BerriosMadison BumgarnerEric LauerZack GreinkeHyun-Jin RyuCarlos RodónBrad KellerChris SaleMike FiersMarco Gonzales

Bob 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.

Pirates’ Veale, Walker no-hit toss Grapefruit no-no, 53 years ago today.

A pair of Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers combined to no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers in a Grapefruit League matchup, 53 years ago today.

On Monday, March 28, 1966, at Terry Park in Fort Myers, Florida, Bob Veale threw seven innings of no-hit ball before handing the ball over to 22-year-old rookie Luke Walker, who completed the combined no-no for a 5-0 win.

Veale, a veteran lefty for the Bucs, retired the game’s first 12 batters before Tommy Davis reached base on a Bob Bailey error.

The no-no marked the Pirates’ second at Terry Park. On Wednesday, March 16, 1960, Bennie Daniels (5 innings) and Jim Umbricht (4 innings) teamed up to no-hit the Detroit Tigers for a 5-0 win. The only Tigers’ runner in that game came via Daniels hitting Eddie Yost with a pitch in the fourth.

The Royals tossed Terry Park’s third Grapefruit League no-no in 1973.

Happy birthday to Brewers no-no thrower Ed Cushman

Happy 167th birthday to Ed Cushman, who threw a no-hitter for the Milwaukee Brewers of the Union Association on September 28, 1884.

Cushman on that day blanked the Washington Nationals 5-0 at Milwaukee’s Wright Street Grounds.

Happy birthday no-no thrower Mike Warren

Happy 58th birthday to former Oakland Athletics pitcher Mike Warren, who tossed a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum on September 29, 1983.

Warren, a 22-year-old rookie, walked three and struck out five in the 112-pitch effort. His gem marked the first time the White Sox fell victim to a no-hitter in 22 years, when the Boston Red Sox’s Bill Monbouquette blanked the Chisox at Comiskey Park. Warren spent just three seasons in the majors, posting a 9-13 record with a 5.06 ERA.

Also born on this date (in 1884) is the Chicago Cubs’ Jimmy Lavender, who threw his no-no against the New York Giants in the first game of an August 31, 1915 doubleheader at the Polo Grounds.

McKeon and Geggus, once credited with no-hitters, born on this date

Larry McKeon and Charlie Geggus, the earliest no-no throwers to have their games tossed off the official no-hitters list, were both born on this date.

McKeon, born on this date in 1866, threw a six-inning no-hitter for the American Association’s Indianapolis Hoosiers on Tuesday, May 6, 1884. The Hoosiers were locked in a scoreless tie in the sixth inning at League Park when the umpire called the game against the Cincinnati Red Stockings due to rain.

The Cincinnati Enquirer story about the game, headlined “A Tiresome Affair,” is a hoot.

“It was lacking in hard hitting, one of the most essential requisites to make a contest interesting,” the curmudgeonly writer penned.He also complained that rain “only made a slow game slower,” the field was in sloppy condition, the ball was soggy and numerous foul balls “did not increase the interest a bit.”

Geggus, born on this date in 1862, threw eight innings of no-hit ball for the Union Association’s Washington Nationals on Thursday, August 21, 1884, but the game was called by consent as the Nationals had built a seemingly insurmountable 12-1 lead over the Wilmington Quicksteps. The Nationals might have chosen to play that final inning had they known what baseball would decide in September 1991.

The Committee for Statistical Accuracy, chaired by then MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent, changed the official definition of a no hitter, declaring it a game of nine innings or more that ends with no hits. The stringent definition eliminated 38 no-hitters from the books that were shortened by rain, darkness or other reasons, as well as losing efforts by the away team in which the home team doesn’t bat in the bottom of the ninth. It also wiped out 12 no-hitters by pitchers who threw nine innings of no-hit ball only to yield a hit in extra innings.

McKeon’s gem was once official no-hitter No. 10, and Geggus’ game held the No. 17 slot. Now they are relegated to our Close, but no cigar: No-hitters not officially recognized page.

Angels toss Cactus League no-no vs. Mariners, 2 years ago today

Eight Los Angeles Angels pitchers combined to no-hit the Seattle Mariners for a 4-0 Cactus League win at Tempe Diablo Stadium, two years ago today.

The Friday, March 24, 2017 feat marked the second no-hitter of that spring exhibition season, with the New York Yankees no-hitting the Detroit Tigers in Florida just a week earlier. The Angels’ Bud Norris began the game by throwing two perfect innings, and Jose Alvarez, Cam Bedrosian, Andrew Bailey, Austin Adams, Drew Gagnon, Justin Anderson and Abel De Los Santos each followed with single no-hit innings.

All three ninth-inning outs were nail-biters. First baseman C.J. Cron made a diving play and tossed to a covering Anderson for the first out, and right fielder Shane Robinson followed with a diving catch on a short liner. Then, third baseman Sherman Johnson made a diving stop and threw to Cron to complete the no-no.

The effort marked the most pitchers used for a nine-inning spring training no-hitter. In 2015, nine Atlanta Braves combined to throw a 10-inning no-hitter against the Houston Astros. That game ended in a 2-2 tie.

WS no-no thrower Grier born 115 years ago today

Today would be the 115th birthday of Claude “Red” Grier, who threw baseball’s first World Series no-hitter in 1926.

On Sunday, October 3, 1926, in the Game 3 of 1926 Colored World Series between Grier’s Atlantic City Bacharach Giants and the opposing Chicago American Giants, Grier no-hit the American Giants for a 10-0 win in front of just 2,857 fans at Maryland Baseball Park in Baltimore.

Thirty years later, the New York Yankees’ Don Larsen threw the first Major League Baseball postseason no-hitter in the 1956 World Series, a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Happy 40th birthday, Mark Buehrle

Wishing a happy 40th birthday to Mark Buehrle, who threw a no-hitter and a perfect game for the Chicago White Sox.

Buehrle no-hit the Texas Rangers on April 18, 2007, for a 6-0 victory at U.S. Cellular Field while facing the minimum 27 batters. Buehrle had picked Sammy Sosa off first after the designated hitter drew a fifth-inning walk.

Then on July 23, 2009, the 6-foot-2 southpaw threw a perfect game at home against the Tampa Bay Rays for a 5-0 win. That game actually marked the third time that Buehrle faced the minimum 27 batters for a complete-game victory, and he is the only major league pitcher to accomplish that feat.

Buehrle’s lesser-known 27-up, 27-down performance was on July 21, 2004, when he threw a two-hit, 14-0 complete game against the Cleveland Indians.

Win a copy of Baseball’s No-Hit Wonders

NoNoHitters.com is giving away two copies of Dirk Lammers’ Baseball’s No-Hit Wonders: More Than a Century of Pitching’s Greatest Feats through Amazon to celebrate the start of the 2019 season.

No purchase is required. Click here to register.

Here’s a sampling of what some folks have said about the book:

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[image error]Ross Atkins
Christian Science Monitor

“In “Baseball’s No-Hit Wonders,” Lammers takes a topic that might seem narrowly focused and opens it up with all sorts of interesting angles.”

[image error]Jeff Ayers
The Associated Press

“… a fascinating book that will appeal to both the historian and the die-hard fan.”

[image error]Matt Sutherland
Foreword Reviews ★★★★★

“… delightfully written … story after fascinating story about the most compelling characters and unlikely events.”

[image error]Paul Hagen
MLB.com

“… an exuberant romp through the history of one of baseball’s most impressive achievements.”

[image error]Jon Springer
Author of Mets by the Numbers

“Like the book’s subject, Baseball’s No-Hit Wonders is full of intrigue, suspense and just enough random good fortune to go down in history. In revisiting the unforgettable and revealing the forgotten, Dirk Lammers deals a quirky treasure for baseball lovers.”

[image error]Stew Thornley
MLB Official Scorer for Minnesota Twins games

“As an official scorer, I’m aware of the tension and drama when a pitcher takes a no-hitter into the later innings. In Baseball’s No-Hit Wonders, Dirk Lammers has captured this drama and added to it with insights and analysis for those who achieved this honor. Mixed in with fun facts about more than 100 years of no-hitters, Baseball’s No-Hit Wonders is entertaining and enlightening.”

[image error]Milt Pappas
MLB pitcher 1957-1973 ('72 no-no)

“I loved reading about all of the no-hitters. There are a lot of things that I had no idea about, like “Hooks” Wiltse also losing his perfect game in the ninth inning but saving his no-hitter. Even if you do not know anything about baseball, this is a great book about the great history of the game.”

[image error]Fay Vincent
Former MLB commissioner, foreword writer

“This volume is the complete – and I mean fully complete – story of the no-hit games in the long history of Major league Baseball, and it will serve as the place to look if one wonders why baseball makes such a big deal of no-hit games. With prodigious research, Lammers has produced not just the bare bones of each no-hit game but adds to each game story the little and telling details that are so alluring.”

[image error]W.P. Kinsella
Author of Shoeless Joe, adapted into "Field of Dreams"

“I do think you have a winning idea. This is a book that should sell. Bo Belinsky was my favorite, followed by Don Larsen, and the only one I saw in person, Bob Forsch.”

[image error]Steve Wynn
Musician, The Baseball Project, The Dream Syndicate

“It’s fantastic. My kinda baseball book. Just the right combo of pure stats, information, obscure history and incisive commentary. I know I’ll be going back to it often for reference (and, hey, maybe a song or 2!).”

[image error]Mike Veeck
Minor-league baseball owner, promoter behind the Chicago White Sox’s Disco Demolition Night

“Never have so many no-nos inspired such resounding yes-yeses! A baseball research book with a sense of humor—novel concept.”