Today marks the 57th anniversary of what is perhaps the greatest baseball game ever thrown by a pitcher. On May 26, 1959, in Harvey Haddix’s first season with the Pirates, the Medway, Ohio southpaw retired 36 Milwaukee Braves batters for a perfect game through 12 innings, but his team couldn’t score. Haddix lost the perfect…
Randy Johnson threw the majors’ 17th perfect game, and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ first no-hitter, 12 years ago today. On Tuesday, May 18, 2004, the 40-year-old Johnson retired all of the 27 Atlanta Braves batters he faced at Turner Field for a 2-0 victory to become the oldest pitcher to throw a perfect game. It was…
It’s another fine day for a no-no. May 15 is one of four days sharing the record for most no-hitters with six. The others are April 27, September 20 and September 28. Chicago holds two of the May 15 no-nos, with one belonging to the Federal League’s Chi-Feds/Whales and the other property of the Cubbies.…
Today would have been the 77th birthday of Milt Pappas, who threw a no-hitter for the Chicago Cubs in 1972. Pappas, who also pitched for the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves, died of natural causes last month at his home in the South suburb of Beecher. While pitching for the ’72 Cubs, Pappas…
Oakland A’s pitcher Jim “Catfish” Hunter threw a perfect game, 48 years ago today. On Wednesday, May 8, 1968, Hunter retired all 27 Minnesota Twins he faced for a 4-0 win at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum. Hunter’s perfecto was the third of the 1960s, following gems by Jim Bunning (1964) and Sandy Koufax (1965). Also throwing…
The St. Louis Browns’ “Bobo” Holloman threw a no-hitter in his first major league start, 53 years ago today. On May 6, 1953, Holloman no-hit the Philadelphia Athletics at Busch Stadium for a 6-0 victory. It marked the only time a pitcher thew a no-no in his first major league start in the modern era.…