Posts Tagged ‘sad sam jones’

The New York Yankees Bought Their No-Hitters

February 9th, 2010

Mo Bahllowney has resented how the New York Yankees always seem to get what they need.

He points out how 11 pitchers the Yankees acquired after they had signed with other teams pitched at least one no-hitter for the team from the Bronx.

 

Signed by Others

New York Yankees' pitchers have tossed 11 regular season no-hitters and one World Series no-hitter. All of the no-hitters were hurled by pitchers the Yankees acquired from other teams or by free agency.

No pitcher originally signed by the Yankees has ever pitched a no-hitter for the Yankees.



The First Yankees' No-Hitter

On Apr. 24, 1917, George Mogridge pitched the first Yankees' a no-hitter. It was against the defending World Champion Red Sox.

Mogridge beat knuckleballer Dutch Leonard, 2-1. Boston scored a run in the seventh inning on two walks, an error, and a sacrifice fly.

The Yankees had acquired Mogridge from Minneapolis of the American Association in 1915.



Sad Sam Jones

Sad Sam Jones, whom the Yankees had acquired during the 1921 off-season as part of their raiding of the financially strapped Red Sox, no-hit Philadelphia on Sept. 4, 1923.

One batter walked, and on reached on an error, as Jones faced only 29 Athletics. Jones didn't record a single strikeout.



A Former Cleveland Indian Against the Indians

Fifteen years later, Monte Pearson, whom the Yankees had obtained from the Indians in 1935, pitched a no-hitter against his former mates.

Pearson walked two consecutive batters in the fourth and retired every other hitter he faced as the Yankees rolled to an easy 13-0 win.

Pearson's gem was in the nightcap of the fifth consecutive doubleheader, the last three against the Tribe, that the Yankees had played.



Another Tribe Acquisition Pitched Two No-Hitters in a Season

Another pitcher that the Yankees acquired from the Indians pitched two no-hitters in 1951.

Allie Reynolds held the Indians hitless on July 12, and then did the same to the Red Sox on Sept. 28. It was in the latter game that Yogi Berra dropped a two-out foul pop up off the bat of Ted Williams, giving Ted another shot at breaking up the no-hitter.

Reynolds got him on another foul pop fly to Yogi.



World Series

On Oct. 8, 1956, former Baltimore Orioles' right-hander Don Larsen, who came to the Yankees in one of the biggest trades in baseball history, held Brooklyn hitless in the fifth game of the 1956 World Series.



Righetti Was Drafted by Texas

Dave Righetti made his major league debut with the Yankees in 1979. He no-hit the Red Sox on July 4, 1983, but the Texas Rangers had drafted Dave in the first round of the 1977 draft.

He went to New York in 1978 in exchange for Sparky Lyle and four other players.

 


No Longer a No-Hitter

Andy Hawkins pitched an eight inning no-hitter against the White Sox on July 1, 1990.

In early September 1991, the major leagues' committee for statistical accuracy re-defined a no-hitter as "one in which a pitcher or pitchers complete a game of nine innings or more without allowing a hit."

All no-hitters of less than nine innings were "notable achievements," not no-hitters.

Hawkins had joined the Yankees after the 1988 season as a free agent.



Remarkable Jim Abbott

 Jim Abbott, who had a stump for a right hand, was traded to the Yankees by the Angels after the 1992 season. He no-hit the Indians on Sept. 4, 1993.



Gooden, Wells, and Cone

Dwight Gooden, David Wells, and David Cone all signed with the Yankees as free agents.

Gooden pitched a no-hitter on May 14, 1996 against Seattle, Wells pitched a perfect game on May 17, 1998 against the offensively challenged Twins, and Cone did the same to Montreal on July 18, 1999.



Freakish

A no-hitter is a freakish accomplishment because luck is involved.

Philadelphia hit line drives all over the field against Bobo Holloman, who was making his first major league start on May 6, 1952, but Holloman no-hit the Athletics. Bobo finished his career with three wins.

The New York Mets, who brought up Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Jerry Koosman, Jon Matlack, and Dwight Gooden, have never had a no-hitter pitched for them.



Purchased Glory

The fact that no pitcher who originally signed with the Yankees, and that includes Whitey Ford, Ron Guidry, Mel Stottlemyre, Vic Raschi, and Andy Pettitte, has ever pitched a no-hitter for them is not a knock on either the pitchers or the team.

It simply adds more support to the fact that much of the glorious New York Yankees' history has been bought.



References:

New York Yankees at Baseball-Almanac

Baseball-Reference

Andy Hawkins Lost His No-Hitter Twice

Bobo Holloman's No-Hitter

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

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The Great Boston Pitching Robbery

January 26th, 2010

Steve Laden recently was reading about the 1918 World Champion Red Sox.

As he analyzed their pitching staff, his anger grew and grew.

He quickly realized that the Great Boston Pitching Robbery was something that was rarely mentioned.



World Champion Boston Red Sox

The 1918 Boston Red Sox handily defeated the Chicago Cubs in the World Series to win their fifth World Series since 1903, which was not news to me, but as I looked over the Sox' pitching staff and realized what happened, I got angrier and angrier.



The Yankees Steal Carl Mays

Carl Mays led the 1918 team with 21 wins, 13 losses, a 2.21 ERA, a 122 ERA+, and a 1.060 WHIP.

On July 29, 1919, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee traded Mays to the New York Yankees for pitchers Bob McGraw, Allen Russell, and $40,000.

Not too many of my friends, or even my grandfather's friends, remember Bob McGraw or Allen Russell.



The Yankees Seek More Help From the Red Sox

The Yankees won their first of 40 pennants in 1921, but even then, no season was considered successful unless the Yankees won the last game.

The rival New York Giants beat the Yankees in the World Series, which prompted the Yankees to go to their friends in Boston for help.



The Great Boston Pitching Robbery Was in High Gear

On Dec. 20, 1921, the Great Boston Pitching Robbery was in high gear. In one fell swoop, the Yankees acquired Sad Sam Jones and Bullet Joe Bush.

In 1921, Sad Sam had been a 23-game winner, while Bush won 15. Since the Yankees needed a shortstop, the Red Sox included Everett Scott, who was offensively challenged, but was an outstanding fielder.

The Yankees now had the 1918 World Champions' top three pitchers, with the best yet to come.



Ed Barrow

Ed Barrow became the Red Sox manager in 1918. Realizing that one of his pitchers, left hander Babe Ruth, was a pretty good hitter, Barrow utilized Ruth's power by having him play left field in 47 games, and in center field 12 games.

Twenty-three year-old Ruth hit .300 and tied Tilly Walker for the home run title with 11. Babe won 13 games, lost 7, and had a 2.22 ERA.



A Day That Lives in Baseball Infamy

Jan. 3, 1920, is a day that lives in infamy, not only in Boston, but everywhere there are fair-minded individuals who are not Yankees' fans.

Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth's services to the Yankees for $100,000.

Although he started 15 games for Boston in 1919, the Yankees had no intention of using Ruth on the mound. He played the outfield full time, and the rest is history.

Ruth had one of the greatest seasons of all time in 1920, hitting .376, with an unbelievable 54 home runs. His on base average was .533, and he slugged .849.

The Yankees finished third, behind the Indians and White Sox.



The New General Manager

Ed Barrow was the answer. He became the Yankees' general manager, and the Yankees won three consecutive pennants, but even with Barrow calling the shots, they lost the World Series in 1921 and 1922 before finally winning it in 1923.



Barrow Steals a Young Lefty

When Boston won in 1918, they had a young left hander who had missed the season because he was helping his freedom-loving country win the war to end all wars.

In the winter of 1923, Ed Barrow stole Herb Pennock from the Red Sox for $50,000. Barrow threw in Norm McMillan, George Murray, and Camp Skinner.



Lou Gehrig Was No Longer Useful to the Yankees

There is a revealing incident with respect to Ed Barrow.

When Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS in 1939, Barrow told Eleanor Gehrig that her husband should look for another line of work since he was no longer of any use to the Yankees. Thanks for the memories, but what can you do for me tomorrow?



Waite Hoyt and Red Ruffing

The Yankees didn't stop stealing from the Red Sox.

In Dec. 1920, they acquired Waite Hoyt and catcher Wally Schang.

A few years later, on May 6, 1930 Boston sent Red Ruffing to the Yankees for $50,000 and outfielder Cedric Durst. Ruffing was a major cog in the 1936-39 World Championship Yankees' teams.

I often dream about how it would have been if the Red Sox, and many other teams (see Arnold Johnson and Kansas City) had not allowed the Yankees to make purchases that resulted in the Yankees dominating baseball.

My dream really isn't a dream. It's more like a nightmare.

References:

1918 World Champion Red Sox

Ed Barrow at Baseball Library

Deadball Era

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com



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