Four years ago today, on March 1, 2012, Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek announced his retirement. Varitek was the first major league catcher behind the plate for four no-hitters. (Carlos Ruiz tied the record in 2015). Here are Varitek’s four: 1 Hideo Nomo Boston Red Sox (AL) Wednesday, April 4, 2001Boston Red…
Fifty years ago today, Los Angeles Dodgers aces Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale refused to report to camp in Vero Beach, Florida, and began their holdout for a multi-year deal giving them a total of $1 million. The dispute was apparently over the length of the contract more than the pitchers’ potential $167,000 annual salaries,…
The Philadelphia Phillies traded no-no pitcher Rick Wise to the St. Louis Cardinals for Steve Carlton, 44 years ago today. The February 25, 1972, trade came in the offseason following Wise’s no-no. On Wednesday, June 23, 1971, at Riverfront Stadium, Wise no-hit the Cincinnati Reds for a 4-0 Phillies win. Wise pitched 11 more years…
Adonis Terry, who threw two early no-hitters for the Brooklyn franchise that became eventually the Dodgers, died 101 years ago today. Terry took the mound for the Brooklyn Grays on Saturday, July 24, 1886, to face the St. Louis Browns in an American Association match-up. He held the Browns hitless at Washington Park for a…
Crews began demolishing Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field, home to seven no-hitters, 56 years ago today. Five of those no-hitters were thrown by Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers, and the other two were thrown by opponents. The one thrown by Cincinnati’s Johnny Vander Meer completed his second consecutive no-no, a seemingly unbreakable major league record. Carl Erskine is the only…
Hall of Famer Tom Seaver signed a New York Mets contract for $172,000 per year to become the highest paid player, 42 years ago today. But that money couldn’t buy the Mets a no-hitter, as “Tom Terrific” couldn’t accomplish the feat until after he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. The no-no occurred on Friday,…