Congrats Chris Heston – and Some Rookie No Hitter Observations

Congratulation to Giants’ right-hander Chris Heston, who yesterday (June 9) threw a no-hitter as San Francisco topped the Mets 5-0 at New York’s Citi Field.  Heston fanned eleven, while allowing only three base runners – all on hit-by-pitch.  It was the first no-hitter of 2015 and the 288^th no-hitter in MLB history.  Heston also collected two hits and drove in two runs in the game – just another reason BBRT hates the DH.

The 27-year-old rookie tossed the no-no in just his 13^th major league start (15^th appearance) and, according to STATS is the 35^th MLB rookie to toss a complete game no-hitter. Notably, with Heston’s gem, the Giants became just the second team ever to record no-hitters in four consecutive seasons – Matt Cain (2012), Tim Lincecum (2013 and 2014). The only other team to record no-hitters in four consecutive seasons was, appropriately, the Giants’ archrival, the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The Dodgers were less democratic than the Giants, however, with all four no hitters credited to southpaw Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax.

A few other rookie no-hitter bits of trivia:

• Only one MLB pitcher has thrown a no-hitter in his first-ever appearance. That would be righty Charles Leander “Bumpus” Jones. Pitching for the Reds, Jones no-hit the Pirates (7-1 final score) in his very first appearance – October 15, 1892 – the final day of the 1892 season. Jones came back to pitch for the Reds and Giants during the 1893 season, but went 1-4 with a 10.19 ERA. He never returned to major leagues, but did pitch in the minors until 1900.  (Note: When Jones tossed his no-hitter, the pitching distance was 50-feet.  The current 60’ 6” distance was adopted in 1893.)
• The very first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his first start was southpaw Ted Breitenstein of the Saint Louis Browns, who no-hit the Louisville Colonels of the then major league American Association on October 4, 1891 (like Jones, his chance came on the final day of the season). It was Breitenstein’s sixth appearance.  Breitenstein lasted longer in the big leagues than Jones, logging 160 wins, 170 losses and a 4.03 ERA between 1891 and 1901.  He led the NL in ERA once and complete games twice in his career, while also topping 20 wins in three different seasons (and losing 30 once). Like Jones, Breitenstein tossed his no-hitter when the pitching distance was 50-feet.
• The only MLB pitcher to toss a no-hitter in his first start (his fourth appearance) at the current pitching distance was Saint Louis Browns’ right-hander Alva (Bobo) Holloman, who held the Philadelphia Athletic without a safety on May 1, 1953 (6-0 final). A 30-year-old rookie, 1953 was Holloman’s only MLB season, his no-hitter was his only major league complete game and his two singles that day his only major league hits. He ended the season 3-7, with a 5.23 ERA. Holloman pitched for five different minor league teams in 1954, his last season on the field.

A “by-the-way” for BBRT’s Minnesota readers, yesterday’s hero (Heston) does have some tenuous Minnesota ties. He was initially drafted (out of community college) by the Twins in the 47^th round of the 2007 draft, but choose not to sign.  He also declined to sign with the Nationals (29^th round in 2008), before agreeing to terms with the Giants (12^th round, 2009). Heston had a 46-45 record (3.56 ERA) in six minor league seasons.  He was slated to open the 2015 season at Triple A Sacramento until Matt Cain went on the Disabled List.  Heston is now 6-4 on the season, with a 3.77 ERA.

A No-Hitter – Lost in More Ways than One

Nobody ever took a worse beating in a complete game without giving up a hit than the Yankees’ Andy Hawkins, who allowed no hits in a complete game against the Chicago White Sox on July 1, 1990 – and still ended up on the wrong end of a 4-0 score (and eventually even lost his place in the record books, but more on that later.)

The 1990 contest went into the bottom of the eighth tied 0-0, with the Yankees having managed just four hits – all singles – off two White Sox hurlers.  In the meantime,  Hawkins had held Chicago hitless and scoreless through seven innings – giving up just three walks.  He got the first two outs in the eighth before Sammy Sosa reached base on an error by New York third baseman Mike Blowers. Sosa stole second and Chicago’s Ozzie Guillen and Lance Johnson both walked, loading the bases. Then an error by New York LF Jim Leyritz – on what appeared to be an easy fly ball hit by Robin Ventura cleared the bases (and left Ventura at second). DH Ivan Calderon then reached on adropped fly ball by RF Jesse Barfield NY’s third error of the inning), allowing the fourth run of the inning to score. Hawkins then got the final out (Dan Pasqua) on an infield pop-up-. The Yankees failed to score in the top on the ninth and Hawkins got a loss – despite not giving up a hit (or an earned run).  Hawkins’ final line, 8 IP, 0 hits, 4 Runs, 0 ER, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts and a loss.

MLB added insult to injury the following year, when the MLB Committee for Statistical Accuracy officially defined a no-hitter as a game “when a pitcher (or pitchers) allows no hits during the entire course of a game, which consists of at least nine innings.”  Since Chicago was leading – and did not bat in the bottom of the ninth – Hawkins’ no-hitter – despite being a complete game – was erased.  So, he not only lost the game – he ultimately lost his no-hitter as well. Ouch!

The double loss was indicative of Hawkins’ 1990 season, when he went 5-12, 5.37.  For his career (10 seasons – Padres, Yankees, A’s), Hawkins went 84-91, 4.22. His best year was 1985, when he went 18-8, 3.15 for the Padres.

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