Boston Red Sox: A look at the top no-hitters in franchise history
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Two Red Sox pitchers recently went into no-hitter territory in back-to-back games. What were the most notable no-hitters in team history?
The Red Sox have had 18 no-hitters in Franchise history and each one has been a victory. That may seem strange, but baseball history is littered with no-hitters that resulted in a loss thanks to errors, fits of wildness and the other team shutting you down.
Of the 18 no-hitters, five have been on the road. The Chicago White Sox have been victimized the most by Boston with four being tossed against them.
Three unusual no-hit occurrences have taken place and one may be a record that will certainly be difficult to match – Johnny Vander Meer, who tossed consecutive no-hitters. The first was against the Boston Bees (Braves) and the second was four days later against the Dodgers.
A second one is a no-hitter I recall when Harvey Haddix pitched 12 perfect innings only to lose in the 13th inning on a two-run double by Joe Adcock. The double was actually a home run, but the celebration by the Braves resulted in a base running snafu and Adcock received credit for a double.
The last was a no-hitter by the Red Sox Howard Ehmke in September of 1923. In that contest against Philadelphia Slim Harriss hit a wall ball double off Ehmke, but was called out for failing to touch first base.
I have seen four no-hitters in Boston. My father only took me to one baseball game and that was 1956 when Mel Parnell tossed one. I remember Parnell collecting a groundball back to the mound and making the play at first unassisted.
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My second one was in 1962 with Earl Wilson pitching. Wilson was linebacker size and had some significant heat. I was celebrating school ending and took in a ballgame and the real highlight was Wilson hammering a home run that was actually the winning run. Wilson was a very impressive hitter.
A dreary day in September of 1965 had me at Fenway Park to watch a lousy Red Sox team finish off a typical lousy Red Sox season. I worked in Boston at the time and had some flexible hours so a fellow Red Sox fan and I sauntered over to the game. Dave Morehead was pitching for Boston and the crowd was the smallest I ever recall seeing at Fenway. Morehead tossed a no-hitter and beat the Indians 2-0 and that, to me, was the season highlight.
The last one was attended with my daughter and that was the one tossed by Clay Buchholz. The place was much energized as this was 2007 and a championship was down the road. I do remember seeing Dustin Pedroia make a nice play in a game the Red Sox had well in hand – eventually winning 10-0. After the game, I read where the Sox were thinking of pulling Buchholz over a pitch count.
As a side note, I passed up the one that Jon Lester pitched. I was going to that one with my daughter, but gave the ticket to a friend of hers. That was also the fourth no-hitter that Jason Varitek caught – a team record.
So just what were the best ones? I have five that stand out for various reasons and will pass on the ones I attended.
Apr 11, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox former players Pedro Mart nez and Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield take the field before the Red Sox home opener against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
The City of Palms Park in Fort Myers had a ten record crowd of 7,139 show up in 2000 to witness a relaxing spring training game between the Boston Red Sox and visiting Toronto Blue Jays. This, however, was not your normal spring training game played (3/14) in the middle of the Grapefruit League schedule.
The Red Sox started the game with Pedro Martinez – a name a few of you may recall – and Pedro pitched three spotless innings and was replaced by Fernando De La Cruz. In the bottom of the fourth, the Red Sox scored a run when Carl Everett – who had walked and stole second – came home on a Nomar Garciaparra double.
In the last of the fifth, the Red Sox exploded for four runs with the big blow being a three-run blast by Garciaparra to put the Red Sox in firm control with a 5-0 lead after five full innings. Now was the time for the usual spring training shuffle as players on both sides got the opportunity to get in a few innings.
The Red Sox continued to bring in pitchers as Dan Smith, Rheal Cormier, Rich Garces, and Rod Beck all to get their required work in. What didn’t happen was a Blue Jay reaching first base. The Red Sox staff pitched a perfect game.
Bill Monbouquette was local (Medford) so that is something of note – props to the local kid. Monbo, who died recently, was also an excellent pitcher who was a three-time All-Star and a 20 game winner in 1963.
On August 1st in 1962, Monbo faced off against future Hall of Fame inductee Early Wynn in a game at the old White Sox Park before 17,185. Both the Red and White Sox were miserable teams on the path to nowhere so the game did provide a modicum of excitement to an otherwise unforgettable season.
Wynn was on top of his game, allowing only a lone run and eight hits, but Monbouquette was just a tad better, allowing just one walk – a second inning pass to Al Smith. The Red Sox managed the only run of the contest in the eighth inning when Jim Pagliaroni, Pete Runnels, and Lou Clinton hit consecutive singles with Clinton getting the RBI. The White Sox last effort in the ninth saw a strikeout of Sherm Lollar, a ground out by pinch hitter Nellie Fox and a game-ending whiff by Luis Aparicio.
Pags was the catcher and he had a notable visit to Boston as a 17-year-old getting into an MLB game. The HP umpire was Bill McKinley, who was an American League umpire for 20 years before mandatory retirement kicked in. McKinley is also noted for an attempted extortion attempt on him and fellow umpire Ed Runge.
Monbouquette finished 1962 with a 15-13 record and an ERA of 3.33. The game itself moved his record to 9-10 and started Monbo with a push to elevate above .500 and Monbouquette was one of the few bright spots on a team that finished 76-84.
This one makes the list since it was a nerve-racking game that went into the eighth before the Red Sox pushed across a run. Combine that with Monbouquette’s local roots and his youth – 25-year-old – and it looked like a future star was in the works for Boston. Unfortunately, the promise of extended stardom never happened and Monbouquette finished his Boston career with a 96-91 record.
On April 27th of 2002, the Red Sox mauled the than Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Fenway Park by a 10-0 score. The highlight was not the score, but a Derek Lowe no-hitter. This was a tie with the Buchholz no-hitter for the most prodigious offensive output of a no-no.
The Saturday game was televised and Lowe faced only one above the minimum by allowing a walk to Brent Abernathy on a 3-1 pitch in the top of the third. That was it for Tampa as Lowe struck out six in gaining his fourth victory of the young season.
The Red Sox offense jumped on Tampa for six runs in the third inning and finished the game with 13 hits. The offensive outburst left the only suspense in the game up to Lowe and his no-hit march. Both the eighth and ninth innings went quietly for TB and Lowe had his no-hitter.
In 2002 Lowe had moved into the rotation after being a closer and actually leading the American League in saves (42) in 2000. In 2001, Lowe went 5-10 with six blown saves, but did have three starts. Lowe’s 2002 was a spectacular performance as he finished 21-8 with a 2.58 ERA and finishing third in the Cy Young Award.
Rube Foster played his entire five-year career with the Boston Red Sox finishing 58-33 with a 2.36 ERA. Foster also managed the first no-hitter at Fenway Park and that is notable. Even more enjoyable was the victory was against the New York Yankees.
Foster’s game took place on June 21st of 1916 and the box score shows three walks and three strikeouts. The Red Sox scored a run in the first and that was all that was needed in the 2-0 win for the then 28-year-old right-hander.
Foster “left” baseball on several periods over contract issues. After the World Series victory of 1916 Foster “retired” to his farm. A raise brought him back in 1917 and after that season another holdout ensued. Foster remained on the books for several different teams before pitching for three seasons in the Pacific Coast League (1923-25).
The home plate umpire was George Hildebrand, who had a brief MLB career in 1902, but is often credited with inventing the spitball while playing in the minors. Hildebrand was also involved in a controversy for ending a World Series game because of darkness. Eventually, the proceeds of the game were donated to charity.
The catcher was Pinch Thomas, who had played on two World Series championship teams as a Red Sox catcher. A defensive specialist with a .237 career average and little power – two career home runs.
Dutch Leonard had two no-hitters for Boston and the second one stands out since the umpire was an interesting baseball personality. This was also 1918 and a championship season that, unfortunately, Leonard would not be part of it since he opted to avoid the draft by working at the Fore Rive Shipyard. In December, Leonard would be traded to the Yankees and eventually sold to the Tigers after a salary dispute. Leonard also gets a no-hitter nod over his rather bizarre connection to baseball superstars and gambling.
At Navin Field in Detroit on June third, the left-handed Leonard was at his best with a lone walk preventing a perfect game in a 5-0 victory over the Tigers. The game also saw the Red Sox centerfielder – someone named Babe Ruth – hit a home run. The Babe also whiffed twice.
Home plate umpire Bill Dinneen had an interesting connection to the Red Sox (Americans) – he once pitched for them, including the first World Series in 1903 when he went 3-1. Dinneen also pitched for the Boston Beaneaters (Braves) during his pitching career which finished at 170-177. For a how times have changed the view of MLB – Dinneen became an MLB umpire 17 days after he pitched his last game. Dinneen umpired in the first All-Star game and in eight World Series.
The catcher for Leonard was Sam Agnew, who would probably make the offense of Ryan Hanigan look like Mike Piazza. In the championship year of 1918, Agnew hit .166 in 72 games and stroked a career .204 with two home runs and 98 RBI. In the 1918 World Series Agnew went 0-9.
Leonard remained in the majors until 1925 posting a career 134-119 record. Leonard was a contributor to two other Red Sox championships with victories in the World Series of 1915 and 1916. The first no-hitter was at home against the St. Louis Browns and Leonard issued two walks while striking out three.
Leonard had a notorious rivalry with Ty Cobb and attempted to connect Cobb and Tris Speaker to game fixing. The murky situation never resulted in any punishment as Leonard refused to testify before Commissioner Landis.
Being perfect is something special and in baseball, it is exceptionally rare – a perfect game. When your name is Cy Young you may just expect that. Young tossed three no-hitters in his career and he also recorded the first perfect game in the American League or modern era and the only regular season one for the Boston Red Sox or as they were known – Americans.
Young’s effort was on May 5th of 1904 against the Philadelphia Athletics and took place in Boston at the Huntington Avenue Grounds since Fenway Park was years away from being built. There are two person’s usually associated with a no-hitter besides the pitcher – the catcher and the home plate umpire.
The catcher for the defending World Champion’s was Lou Criger and the umpire was Bob Caruthers. Criger, who was the starting catcher in the Red Sox first ever game, was a light hitter (career .221) who was noted as Young’s personal catcher by catching most of Young’s victories (and losses).
Caruthers had a career prior to umpiring – as a well-respected and productive pitchers who compiled a 218-99 record that also included two 40 win seasons – each with a different team. After a ten year MLB career and a few seasons in the minors Caruthers moved into an umpire slot since it was not unusual to have a former player latch on to that position with minimal training.
Young recorded eight strikeouts in the 3-0 victory and Criger was also credited with a hit and RBI to help his battery mate. The defeat went to Rube Waddell, who won 25 games that season while notching a record 349 strikeouts. Young finished the year with 26 wins and a league leading 10 shutouts.
A no-hitter in relief is not what one would expect, but it did happen thanks to Ruth. Ruth took the mound on June 23rd, 1917 and promptly walked the first batter. A difference of opinion with home plate umpire Brick Owens took place and Ruth was dismissed from the game. Enter Ernie Shore.
Shore was a right-handed pitcher with limited accomplishments at the major league level, although between 1914-17 Shore compiled four straight seasons of ten or more wins. The last would be 1917 when Shore went 13-10 – including his no-hitter.
The dynamics of the game was most unusual as the runner on first Ray Morgan took advantage of the situation – a new catcher entered the game as starting catcher Thomas was also tossed – and Morgan was nailed in the attempted steal. Agnew – who replaced Thomas as catcher – went three for three with two RBI.
The game continued and Senator after Senator left without establishing any residency on first base. The final tally was 26 men up and 26 men down to complete the no-hitter. Questions have surfaced over the years. Is this a perfect game? Should Shore even receive credit for a no-hitter? What is known is no one reached base and no errors were committed.
Ruth was suspended and fined by the league after the game since he also took a swing at umpire Owens. As for Shore he eventually followed the Frazee Express and departed for the New York Yankees for two unremarkable seasons.
Sources: Baseball Almanac/Baseball-Reference
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