Dirk Lammers's Blog, page 97

Only Kansas City A’s no-no, 50 years ago today

The Kansas City Athletics notched the team’s only no-hitter 50 years ago today, though the no-no came during a spring training game.

Although the A’s had five regular season no-nos during the team’s stint in Philadelphia and six while based in Oakland, the franchise couldn’t notch a single one during the club’s 13 years in Kansas City.

But on Friday, April 1, 1966, the Athletics’ Paul Lindblad (6 innings) and John Wyatt (3 innings) combined to no-hit the Houston Astros for a 4-0 win at the Cocoa Expo Sports Center in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Bert Campaneris helped save the no-no with a diving catch in the later innings.

The effort by Lindblad and Wyatt marked the second spring no-hitter in less than a week, as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Bob Veale and Luke Walker no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers just four days earlier.

Happy no-no birthdays to Stivetts, Pfeffer

Birthday wishes today to a couple of Bostonians who threw their no-hitters more than a century ago.

The Boston Beaneaters’ Jack Stivetts, born 148 years ago today, no-hit the Brooklyn Grooms 11-0 on Saturday, August 6, 1892 at Brooklyn’s Eastern Park.

The Boston Doves’ Frank “Big Jeff” Pfeffer, born 134 years ago on this date, no-hit the Cincinnati Reds 6-0 on Wednesday, May 8, 1907 at Boston’s Huntington Avenue Grounds.

Cards’ Dickson no-hits Yankees, 68 years ago today.

Murry DicksonSt. Louis Cardinals pitcher Murry Dickson no-hit the World Champion New York Yankees in a spring training contest, 68 years ago today.

On Tuesday, March 30, 1948, at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, Dickson no-hit the Yanks for a 7-0 win. The losing pitcher was Bill Bevens, who just missed tossing the World Series’ first no-hitter the previous season in what became known as the “Cookie Game.” In Game 4 of the 1947 World Series, Bevens threw 8 2/3 innings of no-hit ball before Cookie Lavagetto lined a double off the right field wall to kill the no-no and drive home two runs for the Dodgers win.

Here’s our newly compiled list of spring training no-nos.

Happy birthday Cy Young

Cy Young baseball cardToday would be the 149th birthday of Cy Young, the legendary pitcher who threw three no-hitters during a 22-year career that included a major league record 511 wins.

The right-hander from Gilmore, Ohio, was perfect in his second no-no outing. Pitching for the Boston Americans (Red Sox) on Thursday, May 5, 1904, Young retired all 27 Philadelphia Athletics he faced for a 3-0 win at the Huntington Avenue Grounds.

Here are Young’s no-hitters:

1
Cy Young


 
Cleveland Spiders (NL)


 
Saturday, September 18, 1897 (First game of doubleheader)

Cleveland Spiders 6, Cincinnati Reds 0

League Park (Cleveland)


2
Cy Young


 
Boston Americans (AL)


 
Thursday, May 5, 1904

Boston Americans 3, Philadelphia Athletics 0

Huntington Avenue Grounds (Boston)

(Perfect game)


3
Cy Young


 
Boston Red Sox (AL)


 
Tuesday, June 30, 1908

Boston Red Sox 8, New York Highlanders 0

Hilltop Park (New York)

Young ties Larry Corcoran for the major league career record with 3 no-nos. It would be tied once more but not broken until 1965 by Sandy Koufax.

Also celebrating a no-no birthday today is Bill Dietrich, a Philadelphia native who threw a no-hitter for the Chicago White Sox in 1937. At Comiskey Park on Tuesday, June 1, 1937, Dietrich, who was born 106 years ago today, no-hit the St. Louis Browns for an 8-0 win.

Pirates’ Veale, Walker no-hit Dodgers, 50 years ago today

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Bob Veale and Luke Walker no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers in a spring training game, 50 years ago today.

At Terry Park in Fort Myers, Florida, on Monday, March 28, 1966, Veale threw 7 innings of no-hit ball and Walker followed with two more to lead the Bucs to a 5-0 win over the Dodgers. The AP report notes that the Dodgers hit only three balls out of the infield, and Willie Stargell’s lunging catch of a Maury Wills’ liner in the first inning saved the no-no early.

Happy birthday to Cardinals no-no thrower Lon Warneke

Happy 107th birthday to Lon Warneke, who threw a no-hitter for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1941.

Warneke, born 107 years ago today, no-hit the Cincinnati Reds 2-0 at Crosley Field on Saturday, August 30, 1941. 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.

Happy birthday to Brewers no-no thrower Ed Cushman

Happy 164th 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 55th 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

The Indianapolis Hoosiers baseball teamLarry McKeon and Charlie Geggus, the earliest no-hitter throwers to have their games tossed off the official 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.

Happy birthday to no-no thrower Mark Buehrle

Wishing a happy 37th birthday to Mark Buehrle, who threw a no-hitter and a perfect game for the Chicago White Sox.

Buehrle, who may or may not be retired, 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 off Sammy Sosa from 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. Buehrle was perfect through 6⅓ until Omar Vizquel singled with one out in the seventh. Vizquel was retired when Matt Lawton grounded into an inning-ending double play. The next inning, pinch-hitter Tim Laker led off with a single, but Casey Blake doubled him up. Buehrle completed the effort, throwing just 90 pitches (67 for strikes).

Baseball-Reference.com’s Play Index shows 33 games in which a starter threw a complete game, faced the minimum 27 batters yet gave up at least one hit. Sixteen were one-hitters, 10 were two-hitters and six were three-hitters. Only John Candelaria has accomplished this rare feat while yielding four hits.

(Feature photo U.S. Cellular Field (Comiskey Park), Chicago, Illinois by Ken Lund under CC BY-SA 2.0)