MLB reclassification of Negro Leagues as ‘major’ could add nearly two dozen or so no-nos to the list

Major League Baseball’s long-awaited news on Wednesday that it is reclassifying the Negro Leagues from 1920 through 1948 as major could add nearly two dozen new no-hitters to the list while altering some no-hitter milestones.

Here are some highlights:

The first MLB post-season no-hitter should now be credited to Claude “Red” Grier of the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants. On Sunday, October 3, 1926, at Baltimore’s Maryland Baseball Park, Grier no-hit the Chicago American Giants for a 10-0 win in Game 3 of 1926 Colored World Series. (Don Larsen’s perfecto would now be considered the second postseason no-no, with Roy Halladay taking the third spot.)Bob Feller now has some company in the Opening Day no-hitter category. On Sunday, May 5, 1946, at Wilmington Park in Deleware, the Newark Eagles’ Leon Day no-hit the Philadelphia Stars on Opening Day for a 2-0 victory.The longest no-hitter in MLB history now belongs to Joe Strong of the Baltimore Black Sox. On Sunday, July 31, 1927, at Maryland Baseball Park, Strong no-hit Hilldale for a 2-1 11-inning victory, with Pete Washington hitting a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th. Sam Kimber, “Hooks” Wiltse, Fred Toney, Jim Maloney and Francisco Cordova (9 inn.)/ Ricardo Rincon (1 inn.) all threw 10-inning no-hitters.LeRoy “Satchel” Paige now shares the MLB record for most strikeouts in a no-hitter with 17 — Paige (1934), Nolan Ryan (1973) and Max Scherzer (2015).

Here is the list of the no-hitters that could be added:

1
“Big” Bill Gatewood



Detroit Stars



Monday, June 6, 1921
Detroit Stars 4, Cincinnati Cuban Stars 0
Mack Park (Detroit)
(First Negro National League no-hitter; Gatewood’s second of two no-hitters on this list)


2
Phil Cockrell



Hilldale (Darby, Pennsylvania)



Monday, September 5, 1921 (second game of doubleheader)
Hilldale 3, Detroit Stars 0
Hilldale Park (Darby, Pennsylvania)
(Cockrell’s first of two no-hitters on this list)


3
William Force



Detroit Stars



Tuesday, June 27, 1922
Detroit Stars 3, St. Louis Giants 0
Mack Park (Detroit)


4
Jesse “Nip” Winters



Atlantic City Bacharach Giants



Wednesday, July 26, 1922
Atlantic City Bacharach Giants 7, Indianapolis ABCs 1
Athletic Park (Kokomo, Indiana)
(Winters’ first of two no-hitters on this list)


5
Phil Cockrell



Hilldale (Darby, Pennsylvania)



Saturday, August 19, 1922
Hilldale 5, Chicago American Giants 0
Schorling Park (Chicago)
(Cockrell’s second of two no-hitters on this list)


6
Franklin “Doc” Sykes



Baltimore Black Sox



Saturday, September 11, 1922 (first game of doubleheader)
Baltimore Black Sox 2, Atlantic City Bacharach Giants 0
Maryland Baseball Park (Baltimore)
(Sykes would have had a perfecto if not for two errors)


7
José Méndez (5 inn.)
Wilbur “Bullet” Rogan (4 inn.)



Kansas City Monarchs



Sunday, August 5, 1923 (second game of doubleheader)
Kansas City Monarchs 7, Milwaukee Bears 0
Muehlebach Field (Kansas City)
(Méndez pitched 5 perfect innings; Rogan allowed one base runner)


8
Jesse “Nip” Winters



Hilldale (Darby, Pennsylvania)



Wednesday, September 3, 1924 (first game of doubleheader)
Hilldale 2, Harrisburg Giants 0
West End Grounds (Harrisburg)
(First Eastern Colored League no-hitter; Winters’s second of two no-hitters on this list)


9
Andy “Lefty” Cooper



Detroit Stars



Sunday, June 28, 1925 (second game of doubleheader)
Detroit Stars 1, Indianapolis ABCs 0
Washington Park (Indianapolis)


10
Rube Currie



Chicago American Giants



Tuesday, July 13, 1926 (second game of doubleheader)
Chicago American Giants 16, Dayton Marcos 0
Schloring Park (Chicago)
(The Dayton Marcos withdrew from the Negro National League six days after this blowout loss)


11
Claude “Red” Grier



Atlantic City Bacharach Giants



Sunday, October 3, 1926
Atlantic City Bacharach Giants 10, Chicago American Giants 0
Maryland Baseball Park (Baltimore)
(Game 3 of 1926 Colored World Series)


12
Laymon Yokely



Baltimore Black Sox



Sunday, May 15, 1927 (second game of doubleheader)
Baltimore Black Sox 8, Cuban Stars 0
Maryland Baseball Park (Baltimore)


13
Joe Strong



Baltimore Black Sox



Sunday, July 31, 1927
Baltimore Black Sox 2, Hilldale 1 (11 innings)
Maryland Baseball Park (Baltimore)
Pete Washington secures the Baltimore victory with a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th.


14
“Wee” Willie Powell



Chicago American Giants



Sunday, August 14, 1927
Chicago American Giants 3, Memphis Red Sox 0
Schorling Park (Chicago)


15
Alfred “Army” Cooper (7⅓ inn.)
Chet Brewer (1⅔ inn.)



Kansas City Monarchs



Saturday, June 29, 1929
Kansas City Monarchs 4, Chicago American Giants 0
Schorling Park (Chicago)
(Cooper was relieved with one out in the eighth after walking the bases loaded)


16
Paul Carter



Hilldale (Darby, Pennsylvania)



Monday, September 7, 1931 (second game of doubleheader)
Hilldale 6, Baltimore Black Sox 0
Hilldale Park (Darby, Pennsylvania)


17
LeRoy “Satchel” Paige



Pittsburgh Crawfords



Friday, July 8, 1932 (second game of doubleheader)
Pittsburgh Crawfords 6, New York Black Yankees 0
Greenlee Field (Pittsburgh)
(Paige struck out 11 batters; his first of two no-hitters on this list)



18
LeRoy “Satchel” Paige



Pittsburgh Crawfords



Wednesday, July 4, 1934
Pittsburgh Crawfords 4, Homestead Grays 0
Greenlee Field (Pittsburgh)
(Paige struck out 17 batters; his second of two no-hitters on this list)



19
John “Neck” Stanley



New York Cubans



Tuesday, June 9, 1936
New York Cubans 12, Newark Eagles 1
Delano-Hitch Recreation Park (Newburgh, New York)
(Newark run scored in fourth on two walks and an error)


20
Hilton Smith



Kansas City Monarchs



Sunday, May 16, 1937 (first game of doubleheader)
Kansas City Monarchs 4, Chicago American Giants 0
Muehlebach Field (Kansas City)
(First Negro American League no-hitter)



“Schoolboy” Johnny Taylor



Negro All-Star Team



Sunday, September 19, 1937
Negro All-Star Team 2, Satchel Paige’s Trujillo All-Stars 0
Polo Grounds (New York)
(Benefit All-Star Game)
This one probably won’t qualify as official, but it does give us our first All-Star Game no-no.


21
Gene Smith



St. Louis/New Orleans Stars



Friday, June 27, 1941
St. Louis/New Orleans Stars 6, New York Black Yankees 1
Belleville Athletic Field (Belleville, Illinois)


22
Leon Day



Newark Eagles



Sunday, May 5, 1946
Newark Eagles 2, Philadelphia Stars 0
Wilmington Park (Wilmington, Delaware)
(An Opening Day no-hitter)


23
Albert Stephens (5)
John “Neck” Stanley (4)



New York Black Yankees



Tuesday, May 25, 1948 (Second game of doubleheader)
New York Black Yankees 4, Newark Eagles 1
Red Wing Stadium (Rochester)


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