Dirk Lammers's Blog, page 59

Legendary broadcaster Dick Enberg dies

Legendary Major League Baseball broadcaster Dick Enberg died Thursday at the age of 82.

Enberg had called San Diego Padres games for the past seven years before retiring at the end of the 2017 season.

Enberg was a big fan of the no-hitter, saying in his 2004 autobiography Dick Enberg: Oh My! that there’s no more dramatic sports event for a play-by-play man.

“It all builds and builds with each pitch to the ultimate climax,” he wrote. “The payoff is so enormous and unlikely that the final out is major league ecstasy.”

Happy 35th birthday to perfecto thrower Philip Humber

Happy 35th birthday to Philip Humber, who threw a perfect game for the Chicago White Sox in 2012.

On Saturday, April 21, 2012, Humber retired all 27 Seattle Mariners he faced for a 4-0 win at Safeco Field. He struck out nine batters and completed the feat using just 96 pitches.

Humber retired in 2016 with a 16-23 record over an eight-year career with the Mets, Twins, Royals, White Sox and Astros.

Happy 91st birthday, Carl Erskine

Carl ErskineHappy 91st birthday to Carl Erskine, who threw two no-hitters for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Erskine threw his first against the Chicago Cubs at Ebbets Field on Thursday, June 19, 1952, for a 5-0 win. He followed it up four years later with a Saturday, May 12, 1956, no-no against the New York Giants for a 3-0 win at Ebbets Field.

Happy birthday ‘Bullet’ Joe Bush

“Bullet” Joe Bush, who threw a no-hitter for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1916, was born 125 years ago today.

On Saturday, August 26, 1916, at Shibe Park, Bush held the Cleveland Indians hitless en route to a 5-0 win. Bush allowed his only base runner in the first inning by issuing a walk to Jack Graney. Bush struck out seven Cleveland batters to complete the no-no, which was witnessed by some 10,000 fans.

Happy birthday to no-no thrower Matt Garza

Happy 34th birthday to Matt Garza, who threw the only no-hitter in Tampa Bay Rays history.

On Monday, July 26, 2010, at Tropicana Field, Garza no-hit the Detroit Tigers for a 5-0 win. The Tigers’ Max Scherzer was also working on a no-hitter that night but lost it on a Matt Joyce grand slam in the sixth.

Garza’s no-hitter came just three months after another team exited the no no-no club — the Colorado Rockies. On April 17 of that year, Ubaldo Jiménez tossed a no-hitter at Turner Field for a 4-0 win over the Atlanta Braves. With the Rockies and Rays getting their first no-nos, that left the New York Mets and the San Diego Padres as the only major league franchises without one.

Santana kicked the Mets out of the club in June 2012, and the Padres continue to await their first no-no.

Happy birthday, Tom Seaver

Happy 73rd birthday to Tom Seaver, who threw a no-hitter for the Cincinnati Reds after thrice losing no-nos in the ninth for the New York Mets.

Tom Terrific finally got his no-no on Friday, June 16, 1978, just a day shy of the one-year anniversary of the trade that broke Mets’ fans spirit. Seaver struck out three St. Louis Cardinals and walked three for a 4-0 win at Riverfront Stadium.

The June 15, 1977, trade sent Seaver to the Reds in exchange for Pat Zachry, Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson and Dan Norman. That same day, New York dealt fan favorite Dave Kingman to the San Diego Padres for Bobby Valentine and Paul Siebert.

Roy Halladay, 2nd pitcher to throw post-season no-hitter, killed in small plane crash

Roy Halladay, the second pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the MLB post-season, was killed Tuesday when the plane he was flying crashed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Holiday, Florida. He was 40.

Authorities say the single-engine ICON A5 crashed about noon Tuesday. The Pasco County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office’s marine unit found Halladay’s body and no other survivors, according to MLB.com. It is not yet known if he was carrying any passengers.

On Wednesday, October 6, 2010, while pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the National League Divisional Series, Halladay no-hit the Cincinnati Reds for a 4-0 win at Citizens Bank Park. It was Halladay’s second no-hitter that season, as he threw a perfecto against the Florida Marlins that June.

The Phillies released a statement saying they are numb over the tragic news.

“There are no words to describe the sadness that the entire Phillies family is feeling over the loss of one of the most respected human beings to ever play the game,” the team said. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we pass along our condolences to Brandy, Ryan and Braden.”

Birthday wishes for Walter Johnson, John Candelaria

John CandelariaWalter Johnson, a 400+ game winner who threw a 1920 no-hitter for the Washington Senators, was born 130 years ago today.

Johnson no-hit the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday, July 1, 1920, for a 1-0 victory. He finished out a 21-year Hall of Fame career with a record of 417-279.

Also born on this day is the Pittsburgh Pirates’ John Candelaria, who threw a no-hitter in 1976. The “Candy Man,” who turns 64 today, no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers at Three Rivers Stadium on Monday, August 9, 1976 for a 2-0 win. Wishing him a happy 64th birthday!

Jim Bibby, threw first Rangers no-hitter, born 73 years ago today

Jim BibbyToday would be the 73rd birthday of Jim Bibby, who threw the first no-hitter in Texas Rangers history.

On Monday, July 30, 1973, on the road at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Bibby no-hit the Oakland Athletics for a 6-0 win. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound right-hander relied mostly on his fastball during the contest, struck out 13 A’s batters but walked six.

Shortstop Jim Fregosi saved the no-no in the third, fielding a deep ground ball into the hole off the bat of Ted Kubiak and firing to first for the out. Then in the eighth, Fregosi’s replacement, Pete Mackanin, made back-to-back defensive gems on a Kubiak slow bouncer and a Bill North sharp grounder to keep the no-no intact.

Bibby’s best seasons were with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979 and 1980. He posted a 12-4 record with a 2.81 ERA in ’79 and started two games of the World Series and posted a 19-6 record with a 3.32 ERA in ’80.

Bibby actually got his start in the New York Mets organization and was called up to the club during the 1969 pennant run but never appeared in a game.

Bibby died of bone cancer at the age of 65 in 2010.

Misch throws no-hitter in Taiwan Series Game 7, 2 years ago today

Former New York Mets pitcher Pat Misch threw a no-hitter for the Lamigo Monkeys in Game 7 of the Taiwan Series, two years ago today.

On Sunday, October 25, 2015, at Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium, Misch no-hit the Chinatrust Brothers for an 11-0 victory. Misch faced the minimum 27 batters and threw 99 pitches, with his only blemish being a fifth-inning walk issued to Chinatrust first baseman Peng Cheng-min. Misch struck out seven.

The win earned the Monkeys the 2015 Chinese Professional Baseball League Championship.

Misch’s last MLB appearance was for the Mets in 2011. He has since bounced between the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins and Milwaukee Brewers franchise.