Record Six Pitchers Combine on First No-Hitter Against New York Yankees in 45 Years

The Associated Press ^ | Jun 11, 2003 | Ronald Blum

[oh8eleven]

Every year on the first spring day I hear the voice of Mel Allen...

I grew up on "lawn guyland" in the 50s and 60s.
Mel Allen, Red Barber - it just doesn't get any better than that.
I watch most of today's games with the sound off.

[grania]

Four strikeouts in an inning. Love that one.

How?

[Desdemona]

ping

[grania]

Yep. Only 85 years since that last title for your lads. Something big could happen any century now.

I keep saying it's going to be THIS CENTURY !!! for the Red Sox.

[speedy]

If it comes for either the BoSox or the Cubs, I do hope it comes in a Series that pits them against each other. I think ratings would be through the roof. Remember, the Cubs have had to wait 10 years longer than your guys!!

[KneelBeforeZod]

[condi2008]

"Yer mother was a hamster, and yer father smelt of elderberry!"

LOL!

[grania]

If it comes for either the BoSox or the Cubs, I do hope it comes in a Series that pits them against each other. I think ratings would be through the roof. Remember, the Cubs have had to wait 10 years longer than your guys!!

That would be as glorious as Randy Johnson vs. the big bad Yankees in the 2001 Series. Fenway fans ranking on Sammy Sosa? Stuff to eliminate the curse of the Babe? (I say get the piano out of the pond, and play it at Fenway). Historical tie-ins...OH YES, BASEBALL GODS...BRING IT ON !!!

PS: Does anyone know if it is possible to get a tape of the complete game 7 of the Diamonbacks-Yankees Series?)

[Arkinsaw]

How?

Dude comes up to bat with two outs. He strikes out. But the ball gets past the catcher. Dude runs to first while the catcher is chasing the ball. Safe. Next batter comes up and strikes out for strikout number four.

[pkajj]

Growing up listening to the Astros, I remember well in 1969 when Cincinnati's Jim Maloney threw an impressive no-hitter against the Astros in old Crosley Field. Some of the Reds post game comments intimated that maybe the Astros should consider dropping down to Triple A.

The very next day, the Astros Don Wilson threw a dominant no-hitter against the Reds (15 strikeouts). Wilson's post game comments were not jubilant. He was somewhat defiant, stating that he felt a compulsion to show the Reds that "the Astros were major leagurs too!"

[al_c]

First the Cubs take a series from them, and now this.

But before that, the Rangers swept them in the Bronx!

[Pharmboy]

Nice pickup, Cap'n.

[capitan_refugio]

I'd like to see that Cy Young footage. Many of the "old timers" got 60 to 70 starts per season (fewer games per season too). With a 4-man rotation, you're lucky to get 40 starts.

I saw a news magazine sports show on cable a few of years ago, that had a couple of teams recreating baseball in the 1800's. They really played, but used the old style equipment, balls, gloves, and uniforms. It was great. There was no pitcher's mound, just a big chalk box. And the batter could call for a certain pitch!

[speedy]

It seems odd to me that there aren't more old films of baseball games in existence. There is only one very short film of Christy Mathewson, for instance, and in it he is warming up. I would love to see Rube Waddell or Tinker-Evers-Chance. Even for Ty Cobb there seem to be only a few short disjointed takes.

It's true that from the beginning of professional baseball, pitchers have continually pitched fewer and fewer games. If you go back to the 1870s and 1880s, you had guys starting 70 out of a teams 100 games, guys like Old Hoss Radbourne winning something like 56 games in a year. Of course early on they threw underhand, and then you had a lot of very short careers too. But the decline in starts continued throughout the 20th century -- the fact that there hasn't been a 30 game winner in the National League since -- what -- the mid-30s at least -- doesn't mean there hasn't been a great pitcher in that time. And now the 20 game winner is almost extinct. Hard to win 20 when you only make 30 starts at best and the manager is programmed to take you out after seven innings. I wouldn't be surprised if another 25 or 30 years we go to six man rotations and it becomes automatic to let no one throw more than 50 pitches per game. That six-man no-hitter probably has a lot of General Managers studying the situation.

[capitan_refugio]

"Of course early on they threw underhand ..."

Correct. I umpire youth baeball, but I really enjoy reading about the vintage rules. I think the "overhand" pitch was first legal after 1876. Of course, even today there are a couple of good sidearm/submarine pitchers ... Kim and Meyers come to mind. A few years ago I remember Quisinberry was pretty good too.

The funny thing about the six-man no hitter was that the starter got hurt. If he had not left the game early, there probably would not have had that series of relievers. I guess the Astros don't have a "long relief" guy, or used him recently.

You make good points about the pre-modern (prior to the A.L. in 1901) pitchers. Lots of starts. I wonder today if anyone has a chance to win 30 in a season. Was it McLain who last did it? Late 60's?? It's so long ago, I can't remember ... it was in my ... errr ... youth.

[mrustow]

Hampton should've been a catcher.

Hampton, that's the jerk! He has one great season, and starts talking about himself in the third person.