Observations: Some Tales About Long Ago No-No’s

By Hal McCoy

UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, loving MLB-TV and driving Nadine to distraction by flipping from game-to-game-to-game as the different colored uniforms flash by.

—OH, NO, A NO-NO: There is no doubt in my mind that Hunter Greene with his 100 mies an hour moving fastballs and his wipe away sliders will pitch a no-hitter. . .if he stays healthy.

And it may or may not be with the Cincinnati Reds before his contract expires after the 2029 season and he becomes a free agemt/

When Atlanta pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Reds this week, he was trying to do something no Braves pitcher has done since 1994. . .pitch a no-hitter.

Santiago Espinal spoiled Smith-Shawver’s attempt with a solid leadoff single to center leading off the eighth inning, the Reds’ only hit.

Kent Mercker pitched a 1994 no-hitter against the Los Angeles in Dodger Stadium, the same Kent Mercker who finished his career with the Reds in 2008 and when asked what he was going to do in retirement said, “I’m going to turn vodka into urine.”

Mercker pitched for the Braves when they had notable pitchers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavinre John Smoltz and Steve Avery, none of whom threw a no-hitter,

Kansas City’s last no-hitter was thrown by Bret Saberhagen in 1991 against the Chicago White Sox in 1991 and Toronto’s last no-hitter was thrown by Dave Stieb in 1990 against the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

The Cleveland Indians/Guardians have gone the longest of any team without a no-no — 1981 when Len Barker pitched a perfect game against Toronto in Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

Since 1978, there have been four no-hitters thrown by Reds pitchers: Tom Seaver in 1978, Tom Browning’s perfect game in 1998 and two by Homer Bailey in 2012 and 2013.

—DOUBLING UP: When Detroit’s Riley Greene became the first player to hit two home runs in the ninth inning of a game, it put my infertile brain into search mode.

Incredibly, hitting two home runs in one inning by one player has happened 62 times.

Two Cincinnati Reds have hit two homers in one inning — Ray Knight in 1980 and Aaron Boone in 2002.

Several ex-Reds performed the feat and two did it together in one inning. The same year that Aaron Boone connected twice for the Reds, his brother Bret Boone did it for Seattle.

And in that same inning, ex-Red Mike Cameron did it. All three did it in the first inning.

Bret Boone, by the way, was named hitting coach for the Texas Rangers this week.

Former Reds third baseman Edwin
Encarnacion hit two in an inning twice, once for the 2013 Blue Jays and once for the 2017 Mariners.

Other former Reds to do it were Lee May for the 1974 Astros and Reggie Sanders for the 2003 Pirates.

Of the 62, only three switch-hitters hit a home run in the same inning from both sides of the plate — Kendrys Morales, Carlos Baera and Mark Bellhorn. . .something that Elly De La Cruz might do.

—OH, BROTHER: Clearly, Dayton native and Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies was not a proponent of brotherly love, even though he played in the City of Brotherly Love.

In a game against the Chicago Cubs in 1976, Schmidt hit four home runs in six at bats. The first two were off pitcher Rick Reuschel. The fourth, a go-ahead blast in the 10th inning, came off Rick’s brother, Paul Reuschel, as the Phillies won, 18-16.

—YOU COMPLETE ME: It is commonly known that Denton True ‘Cy’ Young won 511 games during his 22 years.

What isn’t commonly known is that he started 815 games and COMPLETED 749. His best year was1892 when he went 36-12 with a 1.93 earned run average and COMPLETED 49 games pitching for the Cleveland Spiders.

Young was born in Glimore, Ohio, just south of Gnaddenhutten in Tuscarawas County— and, no, I never covered one of his games.

“All us Youngs could throw,” he once told a writer. “I used to kill squirrels with a stone when I was a kid. My granddad once killed a turkey buzzard on the fly with a rock.” (Wonder how many games ol’ granddad could have won?)

—THE MARLBORO MAN: Former Milwaukee Brewers slugger Gorman Thomas claimed that in 1979 he became baseball’s first 40/40 guy: 45 home runs and 40 Marlboro Reds a day.

The only time he didn’t have a cigarette in his mouth was in the batter’s box and that was only because it was frowned upon and it is difficult to hit when smoke gets in your eyes. Ask the Platters.

—WHAT’S BREWING, BABE?: It is difficult to discern which Babe Ruth loved more — home runs, women, hot dogs or beer. He once said about beer:

“Sometimes when I reflect on all the beer I drink, I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn’t drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered.”

The Bambino also loved rationalizations.

—STOPPING A BULLET: When somebody talks about something coming within an inch of their life, well, former flamboyant New York Yankees first baseman Joe Pepitone lived it. He stopped everything at first base after stopping a bullet in high school.

When he was a senior at Brooklyn’s Manual High School, a student accidentally shot him in the stomach.

“I had 13 major league clubs after me,” he said. “A group of kids were talking and one jumped out and put a gun in my stomach. I said, ‘Is that gun loaded?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ He cocked it and it went right off.”

There was a hole in his stomach, but he survived and a doctor told him, “If that bullet was an inch left or an inch right you’d be in the mortuary now.”

OK, in this episode we’ve now covered beer, cigarettes and bullets.

—HE MADE A DENT: For decades, the only black faces at August National Golf Club could be found in the caddy shack.

That’s where Jim Dent could be found. He eventually caddied in The Masters, but couldn’t play the course.

When not caddying, he honed his own game at August Municipal Golf Course, known as ‘The Patch.’

He eventually earned his PGA card in 1970 and averaged 22 tournaments a year for 16 years. He became one of the longest hitters off the tee and won 12 tour events.

Dent died last week, a week before he would have turned 85 and one day after Augusta National announced that Tiger Woods would design a par-three course at ‘The Patch’ that will carry Dent’s name.

—ANOTHER UECKER-ISM: Catcher/broadcaster/comedian Bob Uecker in a conversation with Johnny Bench:

UECKER: “I played against you a few times.”

BENCH: “You did?”

UECKER: “Yeah, I was the guy dressed in street clothes.”

Uecker also told Bench, “When I batted, the catcher didn’t put down fingers for a sign for the pitcher. He just yelled to him, ‘Throw a fastball down the middle.’”

—TRIVIA TIME: There are only six nicknames that are shared in pro sports — MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL. What are they?

Giants (MLB, NFL), Rangers (MLB, NHL), Cardinals (MLB, NFL), Jets (NFL, NHL), Kings (NBA, NHL), Panthers (NFL, NHL)

—PLAYLIST NUMBER 168: As artist Pablo Casals put it, “Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.”

—Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Poison), You’re Sixteen (Ringo Starr), Hey Now (Oasis), Little Deuce Coupe (Beach Boys), I Wanna Go Home (Michal Buble), Donna The Prima Donna (Dion), Hey Paula (Paul & Paula) We’re In Heaven (Bryan Adams), Lord I Hope This Day Is Good (Don Williams).

—Please Come To Boston (Dave Loggins), I Go Crazy (Paul Davis), Don’t Close Your Eyes (Keith Whitley), Remember When (Alan Jackson), If Tomorrow Never Comes (Garth Brooks), Go Now (Moody Blues), I’ll Never Find Another You (The Seekers).