Dirk Lammers's Blog, page 77

Hilldale’s Cockrell no-hits Detroit Stars, 105 years ago today

Phil Cockrell, pictured here, and Nap Rucker, above, threw no-hitters on this date.Hilldale’s Phil Cockrell threw a Negro Leagues no-hitter, 105 years ago today.

On September 5, 1921, during the second game of a Monday doubleheader, Cockrell no-hit the Detroit Stars for a 3-0 win.He followed that up with another no-no less than a year alter, no-hitting the Chicago American Giants for a 5-0 win on Saturday, August 19, 1922.

Also throwing a no-hitter on this date is the Brooklyn Superbas’ George Napoleon “Nap” Rucker. On September 5, 1908, during the second game of a Saturday doubleheader at Brooklyn’s Washington Park, Rucker no-hit the Boston Doves for a 6-0 win.

Replay ends Rodriguez’s no-hit bid in the eight.

For the first time in major league history, a deep no-hit bid has zapped by replay.

The Boston Red Sox’s Eduardo Rodriguez had been no-hitting the Oakland Athletics through 7 2/3 innings, when A’s shortstop Marcus Semien hit a ball off Rodriguez’s leg. Rodriguez picked up the ball and threw to first and Semien was called out, but the A’s challenged the call and it was overturned. The A’s had their first hit, and Rodriguez lost the no-no.

The call reversal was correct. Semien was safe. But that has to hurt for Rodriguez.

2 Yankees no-hitters on this date, thrown 70 years apart

‘Sad’ Sam Jones, shown here with a rare smile, tossed a New York Yankees no-hitter without throwing a single strikeout.Today is the anniversary of two New York Yankees no-hitters thrown 70 years apart.

The first was thrown on Tuesday, September 4, 1923, by the Yankees’ “Sad” Sam Jones, and he accomplished the feat without throwing a single strikeout. Jones no-hit the Philadelphia Athletics for a 2-0 win at Shibe Park.

The second was thrown on Saturday, September 4, 1993, by Jim Abbott, who no-hit the Cleveland Indians that day for a 4-0 win. Abbott, who was born with one hand, conveyed his amazing story in his 2012 autobiography Imperfect: An Improbable Life and he continues to share his inspiring message through motivational speeches throughout the country.

When Abbott arrived at Yankee Stadium the next day, reporters from as far off as Philadelphia and Boston surrounded his locker to talk about the previous day’s no-no. He knew that their questions would be centered on the one-handed pitcher making his way — a story line he never cared for.

“The stories could say what they wanted, but two-handed guys and one-handed guys don’t throw no-hitters. Pitchers throw them,” he wrote.

(Jim Abbott photo from National Baseball Hall of Fame)

Cards’ rookie Smith no-hits Padres, 15 years ago today

St. Louis Cardinals rookie Bud Smith no-hit the San Diego Padres, 15 years ago today.

Smith, appearing in just his 13th major league game on Monday, September 3, 2001, struck out seven and walked four while holding the Padres hitless at Qualcomm Stadium en route to a 4-0 win. Smith threw 134 pitches during the game, and his Cardinals career wound up being short, and he pitched his last major league ballgame in July 2002.

Also throwing a no-hitter on this date is the Philadelphia Athletics’ Bill McCahan. At Philadelphia’s Shibe Park on Wednesday, September 3, 1947, McCahan no-hit the Washington Senators for 3-0 win.

Cubs’ Pappas no-hits Padres, 44 years ago today

Milt PappasForty-four years ago today, on Sept. 2, 1972, the Chicago Cubs’ Milt Pappas no-hit the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field, becoming the only pitcher in MLB history to lose a perfect game by walking the 27th batter but still get a no-hitter (two others did it on hit batsmen).

Pappas retired the first 26 Padres he faced and was one out away from a perfect game with a 3-2 count on pinch-hitter Larry Stahl when home plate umpire Bruce Froemming called a ball to issue the base on balls. Pappas started yelling at Froemming and nearly got kicked out of the game.

“I’ve got a call, and I’m not a fan. I’m an umpire,” Froemming told the MLB Network’s Bob Costas.

Pappas managed to get pinch-hitter Garry Jestadt to pop out to second to complete the no-no, an 8-0 victory.

A couple of years ago I interviewed Pappas, who passed away in April, and he was still upset with umpire Bruce Froemming for not giving him calls on the final batter to give him the perfecto. Pappas told me that people still came up to him to talk about that game.

“I’m still being recognized and still going out and signing autographs, and I’m wondering to myself on numerous occasions, ‘If I would have done the perfect game, would I be getting this kind of adulation?” he asked. “I wouldn’t have had the 40 years of ‘Man, you got screwed’ and ‘Who’s that umpire that called that?’”

Cubs’ Lavender no-hits Giants, 101 years ago today

Jimmy LavenderChicago Cubs pitcher Jimmy Lavender’s no-hit the New York Giants, 101 years ago today

Lavender’s gem came during the first game of a Tuesday, August 31, 1915 doubleheader at the Polo Grounds.

The Giants’ Fred Merkle, immortalized by a 1908 baserunning blunder that became known as “Merkle’s Boner,” was the only New Yorker to reach first base this game. He took first once on a second-inning error by Bob Fisher and another time on Lavender’s only walk in the eighth. Merkle never reached second.

Also throwing a no-hitter on this date is the Chicago White Sox’s Vern Kennedy, who no-hit the Cleveland Indians on Saturday, August 31, 1935 at Comiskey Park — 80 years ago today.

100th anniversary of ‘Dutch’ Leonard’s Red Sox no-no

Today’s the 100th anniversary of “Dutch” Leonard’s first Boston Red Sox no-hitter.

On Wednesday, Aug. 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.

Also throwing no-hitters on this date are the St. Louis Browns’ Earl Hamilton (1912), the St. Louis Cardinals’ Lon Warneke (1941) and the Chicago Cubs’ Jake Arrieta (2015).

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 grounder booted by Browns’ second baseman Del Pratt and snagged home on an attempted steal of second. Cobb took off on catcher Walt Alexander’s throw to second, then slid around Alexander on the return throw to the plate.

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, 131 years ago today

Charlie Ferguson threw the first no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies franchise, 131 years ago today. Charlie Ferguson threw the Phillies’ first no-hitter as a member of the 1885 Philadelphia Quakers.

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 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, 104 years ago today

“Cannonball” Dick Redding threw one of the earliest documented Negro Leagues no-hitters, 104 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.

White Sox’s Walsh, Yankees’ 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 (105 years) and the New York Yankees’ Monte Pearson (78 years).

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

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.