Dirk Lammers's Blog, page 52

Bob Feller throws Opening Day no-no, 78 years ago today

Hall of Famer Bob Feller threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in baseball history, 78 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 and Nolan Ryan:

2
Bob Feller


 
Cleveland Indians (AL)


 
Tuesday, April 30, 1946

Cleveland Indians 1, New York Yankees 0

Yankee Stadium (New York)


3
Bob Feller


 
Cleveland Indians (AL)


 
Sunday, July 1, 1951 (First game of doubleheader)

Cleveland Indians 2, Detroit Tigers 1

Cleveland Stadium (Cleveland)

 

Feller nearly had some company on April 16, 1940. With all 16 teams in action, Boston Red Sox southpaw Lefty Grove took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before it was broken up with a single by the Washington Senators’ Cecil Travis. Grove retired the game’s first 21 batters but lost the perfecto on an eighth-inning error. He settled for a two-hit 1-0 complete-game shutout.

Asked by an AP reporter if he was disappointed by Travis’ single, Grove said, “No. No-hitters are bad luck.”

Two other no-hitters were thrown on the date of April 16, but they were not on the first day of the season:

1
Burt Hooton


 
Chicago Cubs (NL)


 
Sunday, April 16, 1972

Chicago Cubs 4, Philadelphia Phillies 0

Wrigley Field (Chicago)


2
Bob Forsch


 
St. Louis Cardinals (NL)


 
Sunday, April 16, 1978

St. Louis Cardinals 5, Philadelphia Phillies 0

Busch Stadium (St. Louis)

(His first of two no-hitters)

Bartolo retires first 21 before losing perfecto; in 2014 with Mets he retired first 20

The Texas Rangers’ Bartolo Colon took a perfect game into the eighth inning on Sunday before losing it on a leadoff walk and then saying goodbye to the no-hitter on a double.

Colon, who would have been the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter, retired the first 21 Houston Astros batters he faced at Minute Maid Park before issuing a base on balls to Carlos Correa. Josh Reddick followed by hitting a double to kill the no-hitter.

Colon came nearly as close to a perfecto in 2014 while he was with the New York Mets. On Wednesday, July 23, 2014, at Safeco Field, Colon retired the first 20 Seattle Mariners batters he faced that afternoon before Robinson Cano broke it up with a two-out single.

On Sunday night, Colon had a chance of tying and breaking a couple of records. At 44 years, 326 days old, Colon could have eclipsed Nolan Ryan’s record of being the oldest to throw a no-hitter (Ryan was 44 years, 90 days).

And, since Colon (like all major-leaguers) was wearing No. 42 on Sunday to honor Jackie Robinson, he would have tied Sonny Siebert’s record of being the only pitcher to throw a no-hitter while wearing that uniform number. Siebert, playing for the Cleveland Indians, on Friday, June 10, 1966, no-hit the Washington Senators at Cleveland Stadium for a 2-1 win.

Nieves throws Brewers’ first and (so far) only no-hitter, 31 years ago today

Juan Nieves threw the Milwaukee Brewers’ first and (so far) only no-hitter, 31 years ago today.

On Wednesday, April 15, 1987, 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 and 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.

Also throwing a no-no on this date was the New York Giants’ Richard “Rube” Marquard, who no-hit the Brooklyn Robins on Thursday, April 15, 1915, for a 2-0 win at the Polo Grounds.

Celebrating ‘Cannonball’ Dick Redding on what would be his 128th birthday

Today would be the 128th birthday of “Cannonball” Dick Redding, a Negro Leagues pitcher who threw a no-hitter for the Lincoln Giants in 1912 and likely threw dozens more.

Redding, born on this date in 1890 in Atlanta, no-hit the Cuban Stars in Atlantic City on Wednesday, August 28, 1912, for a 1-0 victory. Redding played for a variety of teams from 1911 through 1928 and has been described as throwing as many as 30 career no-hitters — seven in 1912 alone. Unfortunately, finding box scores for Negro League games is a challenging endeavor, so it’s tough to add more exact dates to our list.

One other Redding no-hitter was referenced by the New York Press in its story about the August 28 no-no — an August 5 perfect game against the Cherokee Indians during that club’s East Coast barnstorming tour.

It was on Redding’s 57th birthday that Jackie Robinson broke the major league color barrier by making his 1947 debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Redding passed away in October 1948.

Honoring Jackie Robinson

Today marks the 71st anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the major league color barrier.

On April 15, 1947, Robinson made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers, playing first base and going 0-3 with a run scored. He batted .297 that season to take Rookie of the Year honors.

Robinson’s iconic No. 42, retired throughout baseball, is being worn by every major league player today. This, it’s the one day of the season in which Sonny Siebert’s record is in jeopardy of being tied. He’s the only one in baseball history to throw a no-hitter wearing No. 42. Siebert accomplished his feat on Friday, June 10, 1966, as the Cleveland Indians topped the Washington Senators 2-0 at Cleveland Stadium.

White Sox’s Cicotte tosses no-no, 101 years ago today

Chicago White Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte threw a no-hitter, 101 years ago today.

Cicotte, one of eight players permanently banned from major league baseball in 1920 for allegedly throwing the 1919 World Series, no-hit the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman’s Park on Saturday, April 14, 1917 for an 11-0 victory.

Cicotte and seven teammates, including "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, were banned for life due to their involvement in what became known as the Black Sox Scandal. Cicotte’s catcher for the no-no, Ray Schalk, was not involved in the ’19 Series scheme and continued playing until 1929, catching two additional official no-nos.

Happy birthday Ricardo Rincón, closed Pirates’ 10-inning no-no in ’97

Happy 48th birthday to Ricardo Rincón, who closed out a combined Pittsburgh Pirates 10-inning no-hitter in 1997.

Francisco Cordova threw nine no-hit innings against the Houston Astros at Three Rivers Stadium on Saturday, July 12, 1997, striking out 10 while walking two and hitting a batter. With the score 0-0 and Cordova reaching 121 pitches, Pirates Manager Gene Lamont gave the ball to Rincón, who walked one in the top of the 10th but held the Astros hitless.

The Pirates put two runners on base on walks in the bottom of 10th before pinch hitter Mark Smith tagged Astros reliever John Hudek for a 3-run walkoff home run and the 3-0 no-hit victory.

Happy birthday to Chi-Feds/Whales no-no thrower Claude Hendrix

Happy 129th birthday to Claude Hendrix, who threw a Federal League no-hitter in 1915.

Hendrix, born on this day in 1889 in Olathe, Kansas, got the start for the Chicago Chi-Feds/Whales on Saturday, May 15, 1915 against the Pittsburgh Rebels at Pittsburgh’s Exposition Park. Hendrix, a former Pittsburgh Pirates hurler, struck out three and walked three for a 10-0 victory.

“Eight fly balls were hit to the outfielders,” according to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story. “Eight men died on pop flys to the infield and seven men were thrown out by ground balls by the infielders.”

Hundreds of fans rushed the field to congratulate Hendrix after he got Jimmy Savage to foul out to end the game.

“I got all the breaks and my teammates played great ball behind me,” Hendrix said.

Happy 37th birthday to Hisashi Iwakuma, threw Mariners no-no in ’15

Happy 37th birthday to the Seattle Mariners’ Hisashi Iwakuma, who broke a streak of 12 straight National League no-hitters by throwing one against the Baltimore Orioles in 2015.

At Safeco Field on August 12, 2015, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound right-hander struck out seven and walked three while holding the Orioles hitless for a 3-0 victory. Kyle Seager made a spectacular catch for the first out in the ninth, snagging a foul ball behind his back. Iwakuma walked the lead-off batter in the eighth, but recovered with a strikeout looking and a 6-4-3 double play to make it to the ninth.

Iwakuma’s performance marked the first American League no-hitter since the Mariners’ Felix Hernandez threw a perfect game at Safeco Field on August 15, 2012. Iwakuma, who is recovering from last year’s shoulder surgery, remains the Seattle Mariners organization and is hoping to see major league action later this year.

Also born on this date are Vic Willis and Addie Joss, a couple of old-time no-hitter throwers.

Vic Willis, born on this date in 1876, pitched a no-hitter for the National League’s Boston Beaneaters on Monday, August 7, 1899 at the Huntington Avenue Grounds. The Beaneaters topped the Washington Senators 7-1.

Cleveland Naps ace pitcher Addie Joss, born on this date in 1880, was the first pitcher to no-hit the same team twice. Joss threw a perfect game against the Chicago White Sox at home on Friday, October 2, 1908, then no-hit the White Sox again during a road game on Wednesday, April 20, 1910.

The San Francisco Giants’ Tim Lincecum is the only pitcher to duplicate the feat (vs. Padres in 2013 and 2014).

Happy 54th birthday, no-no thrower Bret Saberhagen

Happy 54th birthday to Bret Saberhagen, who threw a no-hitter for the Kansas City Royals in 1991.

Saberhagen threw his no-hitter on Aug. 26, 1991, during a 7-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium, but it was not without controversy.

In the fifth inning of the game, Royals outfielder Kirk Gibson got a late jump on a Dan Pasqua line drive, according to Baseball Digest. Gibson made a last-ditch-effort jump at the warning track but the ball tipped off his glove, letting Pasqua reach second. The official scorer initially ruled it a hit but changed it to a two-base error after watching replays.

Saberhagen’s no-no remained intact, and he retired 14 of the next 15 batters while issuing just his second base on balls in the eighth.