"Toothpick" Sam Jones, the first African-American to throw a Major League Baseball no-hitter, was born 90 years ago today. Jones, pitching for the Chicago Cubs on May 12, 1955, no-hit the Pittsburgh Pirates for a 4-0 win at Wrigley Field. He completed an accomplishment that likely would have been preceded by such Negro Leagues greats…
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Happy 89th birthday to Carl Erskine, who threw two no-hitters for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Erskine threw his first against the Chicago Cubs at Ebbets Field on Thursday, June 19, 1952, for a 5-0 win. He followed it up four years later with a Saturday, May 12, 1956, no-no against the New York Giants for a…
DetailsHappy 33rd birthday to Ervin Santana, who threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians in 2011 despite allowing the leadoff hitter to score. On Wednesday, July 27, 2011, at Jacobs Field, Santana led the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-1 win over the Tribe without allowing a single hit. But he did allow a run,…
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A couple of Deadball Era no-no throwers are celebrating birthday’s today. Happy 161st to Charles ‘Old Hoss’ Radbourn, who threw a no-hitter for the Providence Grays on Wednesday, July 25, 1883. Radbourn no-hit the Cleveland Blues at Cleveland’s Kennard Street Park for an 8-0 victory. And a happy 127th birthday to the Cincinnati Reds’ Fred…
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Opening Day no-no thrower Bob Feller became the first player to enlist in the military after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, 74 years ago today. Feller, who had just completed a 25-13 season — the third straight in which he led the league in victories — enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a chief boatswain’s mate…
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Bruce Hurst, who threw two one-hitters for the no-no-less San Diego Padres, joined the Friars 27 years ago today. Hurst, a free agent who spent his first nine seasons with the Boston Red Sox, signed with the Padres on this date in 1988. At Jack Murphy Stadium on April 10, 1989, Hurst threw a complete-game…
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