Retrosheet and Baseball Reference are now recognizing a 1901 pitching gem from the Cleveland Bluebirds’ Pete Dowling as a no-hitter.
Society for American Baseball Research member Gary Belleville wrote a great research article on the game for the SABR website.
On June 30, 1901, Dowling shut out the Milwaukee Brewers for a 7-0 win at Milwaukee’s Lloyd Street Grounds. Wire service reports like the one to the right noted a “hot drive” by Wid Conroy mishandled by third baseman Bill Bradley and classified it as a hit. But the Milwaukee Journal ruled that play an error and noted Dowling’s no-hitter.
Belleville notes that the official scorer’s ruling could have been changed after the game ended, but that change might not have been communicated to the wire services, Sporting Life and the Sporting News, which all branded the contest as a one-hitter.
In a story for MLB.com this week, Anthony Castrovince reached out to a representative from the Elias Sports Bureau, who said it will not add Dowling’s effort to its official list of no-hitters.
