Sports: Astros have interesting no-hitter history
Nov. 4—The Houston Astros no hit the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday and only took four pitchers to do it.
Somehow I don't think Cristian Javier and company will take on the fairy tale status of Don Larsen and his perfect game in 1956, but definitely calls for a new a new section in the record books.
Combined no hitters are not nearly as rare as perfect games, where a pitcher sets down all 27 batters he faces. There've only been 21, of the perfect variety, including Larsen's gem for the New York Yankees that beat the cross-town Dodgers, 2-0. All told, there've been 58 combined no hitters recorded since the big leagues began.
Larsen's story seems like a fairy tale. Just two years earlier, he posted a 3-21 record for the Baltimore Orioles. But unlike a fairy tale, where the hero lives happily ever after, Larsen never won more than 10 games in a season after his World Series masterpiece.
Incidentily, he pitched for Houston later in his career, going 4-8 for the weak hitting club, despite posting a 2.26 ERA, the best of his career.
Houston, be it the Colt 45s, as they were originally called, or the Astros, have had an interesting history with the no-hitter.
Their first was by Don Nottebart, who beat the Phillies 4-1 in 1963. He so impressed the Houston owner, Bob Smith, that he got a $1,000 bonus.
The following April, Ken Johnson, who could baffle opponents and sometimes his own catcher with his knuckeball, no hit the Cincinnati Reds, but lost 1-0 on an unearned run in the 9th. Johnson is the only one in big league history to throw a no-hitter and come in on the short end of the stick.
Johnson put the winning run on base with his own error on a ball hit by a kid named Pete Rose. Rose later scored when a Houston fielder booted a Vada Pinson grounder.
I remember listening to the game on my transistor radio and being frustrated at the way the Colt 45s managed to blow this one.
"It was my own fault," Johnson said.
The next two Houston no-hitters came in 1967 and 1969, by Don Wilson, a feat only accomplished by 35 major league hurlers. Wilson was an excellent pitcher, with a career ERA of 3.15.
His first no hitter was against the Atlanta Braves. Wilson fanned 15 batters along the way and smoked the final batter on three fast balls — a guy named Henry Aaron.
The 69 no hitter was against the Cincinnati Reds. Afterwards, his manager Harry Walker said, "You just saw one man overwhelm nine men."
Wilson was on his way to a third no-hitter in 1974, but trailed in the game 2-1 due to unearned runs. Two walks and an error on a ball hit by some guy named Pete Rose created the predicament.
Manager Preston Gomez lifted him for a pinch-hitter in the 8th. The Astros didn't score and Wilson's reliever gave up a single in the 9th to end the no-hit bid.
The most noteworthy Astros no-hitter has to be the one thrown by Nolan Ryan in 1981. The gem, ironically against the Los Angeles Dodgers, pulled the 34-year-old Ryan out of a tie with Sandy Koufax for the most ever.
Ryan struggled with his control early and took 65 pitches to make it through the first three innings.
After that, Ryan eased up on the heat a little and baffled LA, striking out 11. The "Express" set down the last 19 Dodgers in a row.
