Blog Archives
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated for Jake Arrieta, April 21 2016 )
John Minchillo – AP
FIRST NO HITTER OF THE YEAR!!
Evidently Jake Arrieta and Max Scherzer are the only pitchers allowed to throw no hitters! Well, Arrieta was given plenty of run support and earned it with his second masterpiece in less than a year.
Who knows? Maybe it will be a magic year for the Cubs.
It is time to update my list!
NY Yankees Player Milestones In 2016: A-Rod, Teixeira, Beltran + CC
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
There is no doubt about it that the Yankees are old. However, they have some guys who are chasing down some historical numbers this season in Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran.
A-Rod is chasing down Babe Ruth next on the ALL – Time HR list with just trailing him 714 – 686. If he can crack 28 jacks, he will tie the “Sultan of Swat” and with 29 he will surpass him.
If #13 manages just 23 HRs, he would become the ALL – Time American League HR champ, as Babe Ruth hit 708 of his 714 big fly’s in the Junior Circuit, before tallying 6 more with the Boston Braves.
Rodriguez is also chasing down many other categories like Hits, Runs, RBI, GP, XBH and Strikeouts. Of course he already holds the record for Career Grandslams with 24.
If he can somehow reach the 30 HR barrier, it will be his 16th year of that many, and break a tie with Aaron for that honor.
A-Rod is just 60 Runs Scored behind Willie Mays. Read the rest of this entry
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated for Max Scherzer, October 3, 2015 )
AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES
TWO NO HITTERS IN ONE YEAR!!
Well you can not blame Max Scherzer for the Nationals’ woes! He came to DC and found himself getting two no hitters in the same year!
The last time someone did two in one year it was Roy Halladay doing one in the regular season and another in the the Division Series.
Scherzer had the second game of a lifetime and Washington has its third no hitter since the last day of the 2014 season after not having one since 1931.
Not a bad way to say goodbye to the season for Scherzer.
It is time to update my list!
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated for Jake Arrieta, August 30, 2015)
Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports
I think the Cubs have their Wild Card Game Starter!
No offense Jon Lester. But I have a feeling that Jake Arrieta is the right man for the job.
No hits, 1 walk, 1 error and 12 strikeouts? And the Dodgers get no hit AGAIN in the last 2 weeks.
Not a bad night for the man we can all call the Cubs ACE!
It is time to update my list!
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated for Mike Fiers, August 21, 2015)
(AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)
ASTRONOMICAL!
Mike Fiers pitched a masterpiece tonight. The Astros pitcher threw a no hitter and totally shut down the reeling Dodgers, retiring the last 21.
It is the kind of game that could be the inspiration for ONE first place team and the low point for another.
And while we are here, let’s salute Roy Oswalt, Peter Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel andBilly Wagner . They were the Astros pitchers who combined for a no hitter back in 2003. It was fun for them to be listed here until tonight.
But this is Mike Fiers night!
It is time to update my list!
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated for Hisashi Iwakuma, August 12, 2015 )
(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
A Masterpiece for Iwakuma!
This has been a let down of a season for the Seattle Mariners, but what a highlight for Iwakuma. The 5th no hitter in Seattle Mariners history and the first since the perfect game by Felix Hernandez in 2012.
It was also his first career complete game. It is a good thing they didn’t bring in Fernando Rodney for the 9th.
It is time to update my list!
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated for Cole Hamels, July 25, 2015)
David Banks/Getty Images
If this is Cole Hamels final game with the Phillies, what a way to go!
The Phillies should take advantage and trade Hamels RIGHT NOW before anyone thinks he has any arm issues. Getting an ace fresh off of a no hitter?
I think he is in good shape.
This is also the first no hitter thrown against the Cubs since Sandy Koufax in 1965. A cool fact but the end of a Twitter account called @CubsNoHitStreak which reminded the world of their ability to break up no nos in every game since.
Alas, it is no more.
No. 7,921: Cole Hamels has no-hit the Cubs. The Streak dies.
— Cubs No-Hit Streak (@CubsNoHitStreak) July 25, 2015
A few more thoughts… Cole Hamels has started more no hitters since September 1, 2014 than the Padres and Mets have had in their history combined.
But his last no hitter was a combined one, so that means Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon are off the list now.
They didn’t last long… not as long as Indians pitcher Len Barker who has been on this list since 1981.
It is time to update my list!
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated for Max Scherzer, June 20, 2015 )
Rob Carr/Getty Images
Max Scherzer gets his first no hitter!
He nearly got a no hitter in his last start and nearly threw a perfect game (ah those hit by pitches.) I think he will take it. Man, Jordan Zimmermann didn’t last long on this list. After no Washington no hitter since Bobby Burke’s gem for the Senators in 1931 and no franchise no hitter since Dennis Martinez’s perfecto in 1991, Zimmermann ended the regular season of 2014 with a no no.
Now Scherzer takes Zimmermann’s place. And by the way he has been pitching, he will be back.
It is time to update my list!
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated for June 9, 2015 )
Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
The first No Hitter of 2015!
Lots of Giants greats have thrown no hitters, from Christy Matthewson to Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. Now add Chris Heston to the list. Just think. In 2013, the Giants designated him for assignment and anyone could have picked him up.
I bet the Giants are glad nobody did.
With a 5-0 masterpiece, Chris Heston has his own piece of history and removes his teammate Lincecum from this list.
I am sure Tim is fine with it.
It is time to update my list!
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated For September 28, 2014 )
The first Washington No Hitter since 1931!
No Washington Nationals pitcher has ever thrown a no hitter. The last one thrown representing Washington? Bobby Burke, who no hit the Red Sox in August of 1931.
That’s all over now!
Jordan Zimmermann threw the first Washington Nationals no hitter (and the first in Franchise History since Dennis Martinez‘s perfect game as a member of the Montreal Expos.)
9 complete, 1 walk and 10 strikeouts of the Marlins, who for the second straight year end the season on a no hitter. Last year Henderson Alvarez won 1-0 over Detroit. This year the Marlins LOST 1-0.
Odd symmetry.
Safe to say, Jordan Zimmermann looks solid for this post season.
It is time to update my list!
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated For September 1, 2014 )
JOHN BAZEMORE/AP
Hey Phillies Fans! You finally have something to cheer about!
I bet when Jonathan Papelbon didn’t get dealt this trade deadline, he didn’t think he would be closing out a no hitter.
Cole Hamels gets his name in the no hitter ledger, but now so do Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Papelbon of all people. A 7-0 win for the Phillies was NOT exactly what the Braves needed right now, but the Phillies have a highlight for the season.
Sadly that means taking Roy Halladay’s Division Series no hitter off this list, but oh well. History waits for nobody, especially not Jake Diekman,
It is time to update my list!
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated For Tim Lincecum, June 25, 2014)
AP Photo/Eric Risberg
Is Tim Lincecum done? NOT TODAY!
The Giants needed to have a decent pitching performance and give their bullpen a break. What did they get? A masterpiece from Tim Lincecum. For the second straight season, Giant fans can say “Tim is not a Cy Young contender anymore, but at least he gave us a no hitter this year.)
The list of Giants pitchers with more than one no hitter? It is short but impressive:
Christy Mathewson
Tim Lincecum
Good company to be in.
And like last year, Lincecum did it against the Padres, the only remaining franchise without a no hitter.
(Yes, I know, the Washington Nationals haven’t had a no hitter either. They had no hitters when they were the Montreal Expos.)
It is time to update my list!
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated For Clayton Kershaw, June 18, 2014)
Chris Carlson – AP
The second Dodger no hitter this season!
Well Josh Beckett didn’t last long on this list! Less than a month ago, Beckett threw the first no no of the year. Tonight, the ace of the Dodger staff showed the Rockies why he is a multiple Cy Young winner.
In fact, only Hanley Ramirez‘s error kept him from being perfect.
It is safe to say that he will take it.
Still no San Diego Padres nor Washington Nationals no hitter yet (although the Nationals franchise have no hitters as the Expos and the city of Washington had some with the Senators.)
It is time to update my list!
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Last season had a flurry of no hitters, ending with Homer Bailey‘s gem that eliminated the Pirates from contention.
This season has been filled with one near miss after another, including close calls from Yu Darvish and Anibal Sanchez. When would the first no hitter of 2013 be thrown?
I guess only Homer Bailey is allowed to throw no-nos now. He threw a gem with only one walk against the punchless Giants and joined the likes of Roy Halladay and Mark Buehrle as a pitcher with multiple no hitters.
Let’s take a look at each franchise’s most recent no hitter:
FOR EACH FRANCHISE
CINCINNATI REDS
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
TAMPA PAY RAYSMatt Garza – July 26th, 2010
5-0 over Detroit.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKSEdwin Jackson – June 25, 2010
1-0 over Tampa Bay
OAKLAND A’SDallas Braden – May 9, 2010
4-0 over Tampa Bay. (Perfect Game.)
COLORADO ROCKIESUbaldo Jimenez – April 17, 2010
4-0 over Atlanta.
CHICAGO CUBSCarlos Zambrano – September 14, 2008.
5-0 over Houston.
BOSTON RED SOXJon Lester – May 19, 2008.
7-0 over Kansas City.
FLORIDA MARLINSAnibal Sanchez – September 6, 2006.
2-0 over Arizona.
HOUSTON ASTROSRoy Oswalt, Peter Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner –
June 11, 2003.
8-0 over New York Yankees.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALSBud Smith – September 3, 2001
4-0 over San Diego.
NEW YORK YANKEESDavid Cone – July 18, 1999.
6-0 over Montreal. (Perfect Game.)
PITTSBURGH PIRATESFrancisco Cordova and Ricardo Rincon – July 12, 1997.
3-0 over Houston. (10 innings.)
LOS ANGELES DODGERSHideo Nomo – September 17, 1996.
9-0 over Colorado.
TEXAS RANGERSKenny Rogers – July 28, 1994.
4-0 over California. (Perfect Game.)
ATLANTA BRAVESKent Mercker – April 8, 1994.
6-0 over Los Angeles.
KANSAS CITY ROYALSBret Saberhagen – August 26, 1991
7-0 over Chicago White Sox.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS (AS MONTREAL EXPOS)Dennis Martinez – July 28, 1991.
2-0 over Los Angeles. (Perfect Game.)
BALTIMORE ORIOLESBob Milacki, Mike Flanagan, Mark Williamson and Gregg Olson – July 13, 1991.
2-0 over Oakland.
TORONTO BLUE JAYSDave Stieb – September 2, 1990.
3-0 over Cleveland.
MILWAUKEE BREWERSJuan Nieves – April 15, 1987.
7-0 over Baltimore.
CLEVELAND INDIANS
Len Barker – May 15, 1981.
3-0 over Toronto. (Perfect Game.)
Bonus
WASHINGTON SENATORS
Bobby Burke – August 8, 1931
5-0 over Boston.
The Padres are still on the clock. And it would be nice to simplify the list with the Nationals having a no hitter instead of including the Expos and Senators.
When will the next no hitter be?
Well, when’s Homer Bailey’s next start?
MLB Team Power Rankings
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Follow @mlbreportsSunday June.02/2013
Miguel Cabrera is absolutely unconscious this season so far; He has a 3 Slash Line of .369 (Leads AL)/.445 (Leads AL/1.121 (2nd in AL), with 17 HRs (2nd AL) and a mind – blowing 65 RBI through 54 Games Played. He is on pace for 51 HRs, 195 RBI and about 250 Hits. He keeps getting better every single year if possible. Despite his prominence – and a lineup full of ALL – Star hitters and Pitchers, the Tigers are limping along at just a few games over .500. It certainly isn’t this 30 Year Old’s fault.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Featuring the Podcasters the Big ticket Show in the Audio Portion Follow @bigticketshow
I will be doing a stat fueled rankings list on this Thursday. These rankings will have some stats and random thoughts of what I will be talking about in today’s podcast with the Big Ticket Show (AKA, Triple Play Podcast.)
Games Prior to Sunday June.02/2013
Cardinals 2013 30/30 Preview
Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON to continue… or scroll past the Triple Play Podcast. Read the rest of this entry
Forever A Met: David Wright And The Quest For Franchise King Status
Monday, December.10, 2012
Stephon Johnson (Guest Baseball Writer and Mets Correspondent): Follow @stephonjohnson8
Met fans have gotten used to having their greatest players come either from other franchises or move on to other franchises. When combing through the 50-year history of the Mets, you realize that every great player this franchise has had didn’t spend their entire career in Flushing. Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Cleon Jones, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, David Cone, Mike Piazza, Al Leiter and Jose Reyes were all either products of other franchises or homegrown talent that was eventually let go.
Met fans can now say that they have a player who’ll more than likely remain with the franchise for his entire career. Read the rest of this entry
The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise 1994-2012: Part 2 of a 7 Part Series
Wednesday, Nov.28th, 2012
Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5-7 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Teams Payroll going into 2013 and 5.The Ball Park that they play in. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) Be sure to check my author page with a list of all of my archived articles section here.
Today’s Part 2 Feature of the Blue Jays Franchise will be written by our Baseball Writer Alex Mednick. To do this franchise series service, Alex has studied this club a lot more than I have in the last 20 years and will do this article better justice for you the reader!
Alex Mednick (Baseball Writer and Analyst):
Note from Alex Mednick: Chuck Booth offered to me the opportunity to step in to his Franchise Series and cover the Blue Jays history from 1994-Present. I gladly accepted the honor.
In Part 1 of this series, Chuck covered the Blue Jays history from their humble beginnings at Exhibition Stadium in 1977, through the glory years in the late 80s and early 90s. The story dropped off right after the Blue Jays won back-to-back World Championships in 1992 and 1993. We closed the books with the walk-off winning home run by Joe Carter to win the World Series, and the parties and celebrations that were to follow across Ontario, Canada. I will pick it back up at the beginning of the 1994 season, when the Blue Jays had high hopes to win a third consecutive world championship.
(Scroll Down Past the Links or Click the READ MORE OF THIS ENTRY ICON.)
Franchise Series Links:
Franchise History Part 1 1977-1993: https://mlbreports.com/2012/11/09/jays1/
The Hitters: The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise Hitters: Part 3 Of A 7 Part Article Series:
The Pitchers: The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise Pitchers Part 4 Of A 7 Part Series
Skydome: An Interview with ‘Rogers Centre Expert’ and “MLB reports Founder” Jonathan Hacohen Part 5 of 7
2013 Team Payroll: https://mlbreports.com/2012/09/10/tor/
Special Bonus Fan Blog Of 2013 Team Payroll: https://mlbreports.com/2012/09/12/torfanalex/
The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise 1977-1993 Part 1 Of A 7 Part Series
Friday, Nov.09/2012
Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Teams Payroll going into 2013 and 5.The Ball Park that they play in. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) Be sure to check my author page with a list of all of my archived articles section here.
The Blue Jays have not qualified for the Playoffs since they won Back to Back World Series in 1992 and 1993. Only Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Toronto have not made a playoffs appearance since the 1994 strike. At the time they were around the top of the MLB Payroll for all teams.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024
In sifting through 35 years of history with the Toronto Blue Jays as a franchise, it is sad that since 1994, only Pittsburgh, Toronto and Kansas City have not made a playoff appearance in the Major Leagues. They have been battling the Red Sox and Yankees powerhouse clubs since the 1994 player strike/1995 Lock-out. This baseball interruption of play was also a deciding factor on the Montreal Expos losing their franchise, however one could say that this has had a profound effect on the other only team North of The Border. The Jays were a model franchise all the way through the 80’s. From 1983-1993, the team carried out 11 straight winning seasons, 5 Pennants and back to back World Series Wins in 1992 and 1993.
Pat Gillick had been with the baseball club from the get go, and after finishing in dead-last for the first 5 years of existence, the Jays rode the backs of several budding stars that were drafted by the man. From the early pitching stars of Jim Clancy and Dave Stieb, to the young outfield that flourished as a core for years in: Lloyd Moseby, George Bell and Jesse Barfield, the team showed that drafting and trading for young players was the way to build an organization. It took until 1985 for the teams first Pennant, barely edging the Yankees by 2 games for the AL East. Playoff disappointment followed from 1985-1991. The team soon would find the promised land as the top team in 1992 and 1993.
Franchise History Part 2 1994-2012: https://mlbreports.com/2012/11/28/jay/
The Hitters: The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise Hitters: Part 3 Of A 7 Part Article Series
The Pitchers: The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise Pitchers Part 4 Of A 7 Part Series
Skydome: An Interview with ‘Rogers Centre Expert’ and “MLB reports Founder” Jonathan Hacohen
For Part 6 of the 7 Part Series: Blue Jays 2013 Team Payroll Click here:
For Part 7 of the 7 Part Series: Blue Jays 2013 Team Payroll: A Readers Thoughts, Click Here:
ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: The Yoenis Cespedes Showcase Video, Evolution of the Yankees, Swisher to Boston and More!
Saturday October 20th, 2012
Jonathan Hacohen: Baseball, much like life, is always full of change. Just think of all the changes that Major League Baseball has undergone during the past few years. Expansion. Realignment. Wild Card. Second Wild Card. Luxury Tax. Home field advantage in the World Series from the All-Star game. And to think, that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The Astros are moving next year to the AL West. Daily interleague play. The Athletics may move to San Jose. There is no doubt that the baseball we knew once upon a time is gone and buried. We are in a new golden era of baseball, one that promises to continue to evolve and thrive. Much like the sport it covers, MLB reports is on the same fast track.
If you follow MLB reports daily (which you DEFINITELY should), you have noticed the changes that we have enjoyed over the past few months. New writers, pages, website format- if there is one thing that we don’t do here, is sit on our hands. We recently had Kyle Holland come on board as our Baseball Intern and Alex Mednick as a Baseball Writer and Analyst. Haley Smilow is on board as our MLB Junior Correspondent. We have a diverse stable of writers, all with different experiences and styles. That raises the bar on the content that we bring you each and every day on MLB reports. We love our team, which continues to grow all the time. We have a devoted Cooperstown page, featuring our Cooperstown Correspondent, Patrick Languzzi. Love Fantasy Baseball? Peter Stein has you covered every week highlighting his fantasy baseball notes and advice. Our Fantasy Baseball page features Peter’s work. Lead Writer Chuck Booth, a Guinness World Record holder in baseball travel brings you exciting and informative articles every Wednesday and Friday night. The list literally goes on and on. If it involves baseball, MLB reports has you covered.
We feature at least two articles per day, posted at the start of each day around 9:00am ET and in the evening at 8:00pm ET. Life gets busy- we know that. We strive at MLB reports to always have an article ready on your computer to go along with your morning coffee at work, and a feature in the evening while you unwind. Plus you never know when surprise bonus features will hit our site next. When we say MLB 4 Life, we meet it! Make sure to follow @mlbreports on Twitter and to subscribe to our website- http://www.mlbreports.com. The link is at the top of the site. It’s free. And it’s an excellent investment in your baseball knowledge!
With all the exciting changes at MLB reports, the truth is… that there is even more to come. We always are on the lookout for bright new talent. New concepts. New topics. Just like MLB, we always want to improve and evolve. But it’s a gradual process. Starting Monday though, you will see that we will be adding a new something to MLB reports. I can’t tell you what…I’m very sorry. But you will find out very soon. My advice? Bookmark mlbreports.com and/or make it your homepage. Get into work on Monday October 22nd. Grab a cup of coffee and turn on your computer. When your boss thinks you are working, you will be preparing for our feature of the day. At 9:00am ET, you will find a new addition to MLB reports. It is both different and exciting. The feature is called “The Interview of a Lifetime” and one that you certainly cannot miss. Get ready to be shocked, entertained and informed. The best part? This is only the beginning. I feel like the Riddler…and have already said too much….
Now let’s get to your top questions of the week: Read the rest of this entry
Keith Hernandez: Is He Hall of Fame Good?
Monday October 8th, 2012
Patrick Languzzi (Cooperstown Correspondent, Twitter @PatrickLanguzzi):
I’ll be honest, when my editor handed me the assignment of posting my thoughts on Keith Hernandez and the Hall of Fame, I initially thought: Was Hernandez ever really a “superstar”? Aren’t those the kind of players that generally get elected to the Hall of Fame?
Not always…
Hernandez lasted nine years on the Hall of Fame ballot, peaking in 1998 at 10.8 percent of the votes. He was the 1979 National League Most Valuable Player. Hernandez finished his career with a .296 batting average, was selected to five All-Star games, received two-Silver Slugger Awards, won a record setting 11 Gold Gloves, and is arguably considered the greatest fielding first baseman of all-time.
So why isn’t he in the Hall of Fame? Read the rest of this entry
An Interview With Yankee Stadium and Travel Expert Gary Herman: Anniversary of Jeter’s 3000th Hit Game
Tuesday July.10, 2012
Gary Herman has seen almost 3900 Pro Baseball Games-and is a Season Ticket holder for both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. Herman started his own travel group named “Royalty Tours USA” to help the average fan receive ‘the Royal Treatment’ on a budget.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- Few of us ever get to see the amount of sports live at venues we would like to on a yearly basis. Our guest today Gary Herman has seen nearly 3900 pro baseball games lifetime and has seen an average of 350 sporting events a season overall for the last 16 years. That is quite mind boggling to try and fathom in your head. So in this interview, you will start to understand how Gary methodically plans his events, how he is a long-time season ticket holder for both the New York Yankees and the Mets. I assure you, there are not too many people that know much more than Gary when it comes to the city of New York’s sporting venues and sports travel across North America. After the interview, feel free to visit Gary at his blog site. He writes detailed articles about his weekly experiences at all of the sporting events and how he plans to attend them. I had a chance to interview Gary a while back.
I have known Gary for 3 years online and met him recently in New York. While we haven’t always seen eye to eye on many things, I respect the mans ability to attend games and make it a passion of his. We are both striving towards similar goals in bringing sports travel to the fore front of the social media. The reason why MLB Baseball has the best fans in the world are because of people like Gary Herman. So I am posting this interview 3 months after I originally was going to. I want to let everyone know in the baseball realms that Gary and I were able to put our differences aside and combine our knowledge-as to help the general ballpark chasers out in succeeding towards their own goals. I look forward to working on more projects in the future with Gary and Royalty Tours. Between the both of us, there are some serious travel tips that an aspiring chaser can ascertain. Just on a side note here: Gary introduced me to a mutual friend of ours-who warned me of a traffic situation unfolding while I was in transit on Day 2 of my Guinness World Record Chase in Los Angeles. Had I not received that tip, I would have missed a flight and travel dominoes would have ensued to epic proportions. Thank you to Steve Fekete!! and to Gary for introducing us!
Ask the Reports: ATR Answers Your Baseball Questions – June 2nd, 2012
Saturday June 2nd, 2012
Let’s get to your top questions of the week:
JH: Before we get to your questions, we have to send a big shout out to the one and only, Johan Santana. We have enjoyed countless e-mails, tweets and comments on the Mets this year. The Mets faithful have been loud and supportive this year and represent the largest fan base we hear from every week. So this little note is for you.
The incredible Santana, in his first year back from major surgery that threatened to de-rail his career, threw a no-hitter. Not just any no-hitter. But the first no-hitter in New York Mets history. Think about that one. It will boggle your mind. The amount of quality pitchers that have pitched for the Mets over the years is astronomical. Nolan Ryan. Tom Seaver. David Cone. Dwight Gooden. Frank Viola. How is it possible that this team had never spun a no-hitter before? Fate and luck are the biggest reasons. It is not that easy to get a no-hitter. Many things have to go right for a no-no to occur. So finally, in the whole history of this franchise, the Mets have a no-hitter of their own. Plus, it came from not just any pitcher, but one of the best pitchers of our generation. Johan Santana. I can’t say enough good things about the man. He has been as solid as they come over his career. From a Twins ace for all those years, Santana came to the Mets to take them to the promised land. But critical shoulder surgery, combined with the team’s other injuries and off-field issues put a damper on the entire teams and its players. The 29-23 Mets have been amazing this year though. With only David Wright as their leading hitter, this team has been incredible. R.A. Dickey. Frank Francisco. Jon Rauch. Bobby Parnell. Daniel Murphy. The Mets just don’t give up. Now with the no-hitter in the books, this season has turned magical for the Mets and its fans. Santana was on fire tonight. Despite giving up 5 walks, he struck out 8 over a complete 9 innings. He needed 134 pitches to complete the no-no. In front of only 27,069 Mets fans, Santana pitched the game of his life on home turf. Lucas Duda with the home run and 4 RBIs. Daniel Murphy with 2 hits and 3 RBIs. The Mets won this one as a team and the city of New York gets to celebrate the reincarnation of the Miracle Mets. At least for 1/3 of a season to start. Well done Johan Santana, we’re proud of you! Read the rest of this entry
