Dirk Lammers's Blog, page 41

Four MLB no-nos on this date: Hamilton, Leonard, Warneke and Arrieta

Four MLB pitchers threw no-nos on this date, with the oldest occurring 106 years ago by the St. Louis Browns’ Earl Hamilton.

On Friday, August 30, 1912, Hamilton no-hit the Detroit Tigers on the road at Navin Field for a 5-1 win. It was Ty Cobb who single-handedly killed Hamilton’s shutout. Cobb reached first on a fourth-inning walk, took second and third on a Crawford grounder booted by Browns’ second baseman Del Pratt and then took off for home when third baseman Jimmy Austin threw to second to catch Crawford. Cobb slid around catcher Walt Alexander on the return throw to the plate for the lone Tigers run.

Also throwing no-hitters on this date are the Boston Red Sox’s ‘Dutch’ Leonard (1916), the St. Louis Cardinals’ Lon Warneke (1941) and the Chicago Cubs’ Jake Arrieta (2015).

On Wednesday, August 30, 1916, Leonard no-hit the St. Louis Browns at Fenway Park for a 4-0 win. Leonard walked just two late batters, holding on to the perfect game until the eighth inning. He added his second no-hitter two years later.

On Saturday, August 30, 1941, at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field, Warneke no-hit the Reds for a 2-0 win. Warneke walked just one batter and the AP in its report said Warneke was backed by a strong defense.

“They stopped almost everything, and some of the balls were tagged for greener pastures,” the wire story noted.

At Dodger Stadium on Sunday, August 30, 2015, Arrieta no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers for a 2-0 win. Arrieta walked just one and fanned 12, blazing through the ninth inning by striking out the side. The only other Dodgers base runner reached on a Starlin Castro error in the third inning, but Castro redeemed himself by reaching out for a liner with two outs in the seventh to save Arrieta’s no-no.

Ferguson throws Philadelphia’s first no-hitter, 133 years ago today

Charlie Ferguson threw the first no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies franchise, 133 years ago today.

Ferguson, pitching for the Philadelphia Quakers on Saturday, August 29, 1885, at home at Recreation Park, no-hit the National League’s Providence Grays for a 1-0 win. The Reading Times noted a rivalry between the 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 noted, “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.

‘Cannonball’ Dick Redding throws Lincoln Giants no-no, 106 years ago today

“Cannonball” Dick Redding threw one of the earliest documented Negro Leagues no-hitters, 106 years ago today.

Pitching for the Lincoln Giants on Wednesday, August 28, 1912, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Redding no-hit the Cuban Stars for a 1-0 win.

ChiSox’s Walsh, Yanks’ Pearson threw no-nos on this date

Monte Pearson, pictured here, and Ed Walsh, pictured above, threw no-hitters on this date.

Today marks the anniversary of no-hitters thrown by the Chicago White Sox’s Ed Walsh (107 years) and the New York Yankees’ Monte Pearson (80 years).

On Sunday, August 27, 1911, Walsh no-hit the Boston Red Sox for a 5-0 win at Comiskey Park.

Pearson threw his no-no against the Indians during the nightcap of a Saturday doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on August 27, 1938. The Yankees topped Cleveland 13-0.

Chicago American Giants’ Wickware no-hits ABCs, 104 years ago today

Frank Wickware threw a Negro Leagues no-hitter for the Chicago American Giants, 104 years ago today.

On Wednesday, August 26, 1914, Wickware no-hit the Indianapolis ABCs for a 1-0 win.

According to Wickware’s SABR bio written by Stephen V. Rice, Wickware allowed just one base runner. The ABCs’ George Shively led off the game by drawing a walk and was thrown out trying to steal second. Wickware then retired the next 26 batters for the nearly perfect game.

Giants’ Halicki no-hits Mets, 43 years ago today

The San Francisco Giants’ Ed Halicki tossed a no-hitter against the New York Mets, 43 years ago today.

The Mets actually had 12 hits on August 24, 1975, the day that Halicki hurled his no-no at Candlestick Park. Unfortunately, all 12 hits came in the first game of the doubleheader. The Mets won the opener 9-5, thanks in part to a fifth-inning Grand Slam by Dave Kingman.

Halicki struck out 10 and walked two in the nightcap, which turned a bit controversial in the fifth inning when the Mets’ Rusty Staub hit a line drive up the middle.

The ball ricocheted off of Halicki’ shin and rolled to second baseman Derrel Thomas. Thomas bobbled it before throwing to first, allowing the far-from-fleet-footed Grande L’Orange to beat the throw. The official scorer received cheers when he ruled the play an E-4, a call that New York Daily News columnist Dick Young took issue with. Halicki has since said he thought the call was correct.

Feature photo: 1983-APRIL-SF-GIANTS-ROLL-KC64_0032 by David Prasad under license CC BY-SA 2.0 , cropped.

Padres could surpass Mets’ no-no mark during May 2019 series vs. Pirates

Major League Baseball just released the 2019 schedule, giving us a glimpse into when the San Diego Padres could take over the Mets’ record of franchise no-hit futility.

Barring a Friars’ no-no or rain-outs that lead to canceled games, the Padres are set to tie the Mets’ mark of 8,019 regular-season games without a no-hitter on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates and surpass the mark the next night.

The count is currently at 7,942 games, meaning there are 77 more opportunities for a Padres pitcher to toss a no-no before the baton is passed.

Orphans’ Thornton no-hits Bridegrooms, 120 years ago today

The Chicago Oprhans’ Walter Thornton no-hit the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, 120 years ago today.

On August 21, 1898, during the second game of a Sunday doubleheader at West Side Park, Thornton walked three but held Brooklyn hitless for a 2-0 win and the sweep. (Chicago topped Brooklyn 4-3 in the opener.)

“Thornton, with his magnificent speed, kept them hitting weakly and shoving fly balls up, and everything that floated into the air fell into the waiting mitts of fielders,” noted the Chicago Tribune.

Thorton’s gem is one of two official no-nos were thrown on this date, both for Chicago teams.

The Chicago White Sox’s Ted Lyons no-hit the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Saturday, August 21, 1926, for a 6-0 win.

Another gem thrown on this date 134 years ago is not considered an official no-hitter.

Charlie Geggus, pitching for the Union Association Washington Nationals on the Capitol Grounds on Thursday, August 21, 1884, no-hit the Wilmington Quicksteps through eight innings and held a 12-1 lead when the game was called by consent. In 1991, MLB’s Committee for Statistical Accuracy established the first official definition of a no-hitter that required a full nine innings, knocking Geggus’ performance and nearly 50 more off the record books.

White Sox’s Keegan no-hits Senators, 61 years ago today

The Chicago White Sox’s Bob Keegan no-hit the Washington Senators, 61 years ago today.

On August 20, 1957, during the second game of a Tuesday doubleheader at Comiskey Park, Keegan no-hit the Senators for a 6-0 win. Keegan walked two and struck out one, noting that he relied mostly on his sinking fastball and didn’t throw a single curve.

“I knew I had a no-hitter going from the first inning on — the only trouble was pitching it,” he told the AP.

Also on this date — 135 years ago — the Buffalo Bison’s Pud Galvin threw the first of his two no-hitters. On Friday, August 20, 1880, Galvin no-hit the Worcester Ruby Legs for a 1-0 win at Buffalo’s Riverside Park. It was Galvin’s first of two no-nos.

Hilldale’s Phil Cockrell threw his 2nd Negro Leagues no-no, 96 years ago today

Phil Cockrell threw the second of his no-hitters for Hilldale, 96 years ago today.

On Saturday, August 19, 1922, Cockrell no-hit the Chicago American Giants for a 5-0 win.

His first no-hitter came during on September 5, 1921, during the second game of a Monday doubleheader against the Detroit Stars. Hilldale won that contest 3-0.