By MATT KELLY
Though baseball in the 1990s would eventually be remembered for towering home runs and gaudy batting averages, the decade’s first season undoubtedly belonged to the pitchers.
In 1990, 25 years ago, the game saw eight different pitchers combine to throw seven official no-hitters – tied for the highest single-season total in the history of baseball’s modern era. By comparison, only 10 no-hitters were thrown during the entire 1980s.
It would be deemed “The Year of the No-Hitter,” and perhaps the most remarkable aspect of that fateful season was the way in which each masterful pitching performance featured its own special dash of destiny.
“The Year of the No-Hitter” began with not one pitcher, but two, who threw the first combined no-hitter since 1976. Lefty Mark Langston, making his first appearance for the California Angels, walked Seattle Mariners second baseman Harold Reynolds to start the game. Langston settled into a groove, however, throwing seven hitless innings before taking himself out of the game.
With history still in play, Angels manager Doug Rader gave the ball to Mike Witt. Witt had thrown the Angels’ last no-hitter, a perfect game against Texas in 1984 when Rader was managing the Rangers.
“I knew Witt was the right guy to finish this one,” Rader said. “The one [perfect game] that Witt threw was the most dominating I’ve ever seen.”
Making his first relief appearance in seven seasons, Witt threw two perfect innings and struck out Ken Griffey Jr. to end the game. “I guess I’m a hero for the night,” Witt said.
Seven weeks later, the Mariners flipped the script behind their young hard-throwing left-hander Randy Johnson. Ironically, the Class of 2015 Hall of Fame electee had been acquired by Seattle from Montreal in a trade involving Langston the previous year.
Though he had been struggling with his control and led the league with 12 home runs allowed, Johnson captured lightning in a bottle for his June 2 start against Detroit. The towering Johnson – who at 6-foot-10 was the tallest player in baseball history at that time – walked six Tigers but struck out eight, including the final batter with a 97 mile per hour fastball.
“I’ll never forget this moment,” said Johnson, who threw 50 total pitches that measured 94 mph or higher on the radar gun. “When I struck out [Tigers catcher] Mike Heath for the last out, I didn’t know how to react. I just stood there.”
Meanwhile, Detroit hitters were also left motionless many times by Johnson’s mesmerizing stuff.
“He was throwing that slider over for strikes when he was behind in the count,” said Tigers first baseman Cecil Fielder. “Then he comes in with that big fastball. How are you going to hit that?
“The answer is – you’re not, and we didn’t.”
Nine days later, the Oakland A’s were hitless against another strikeout king and Hall of Famer: Nolan Ryan. At 43 years old, Ryan was just returning from a stint on the disabled list with a sore back when he took the mound for the Texas Rangers. As the game wore on, Ryan’s son Reese rubbed his back and gave him pep talks between innings.
“He told me [his back] felt okay,” Reese Ryan said of his father after the game. “Then after the eighth, he just came back, looked at me and smiled. I think he knew he was going to do it.”
Ryan continually reached 94 mph with his fastball – even in the later innings – and struck out 14 batters over 130 pitches. While over 33,000 Oakland fans chanted his name, Ryan retired Willie Randolph on a fly ball to pass Cy Young as the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter.
A record four no-hitters took place during the month of June 1990, culminating with a magical night on June 29.
The night began in Canada, where Oakland ace Dave Stewart put his name in the record books. Pitching in Toronto’s SkyDome, Stewart walked the first two Blue Jays he faced, then proceeded to retire 25 batters in a row.
“I just kept thinking one-two-three,” Stewart said after the game. “The fifth inning turned into the sixth, the sixth into the seventh and the seventh into the eighth. It just kept going.”
With Blue Jays fans on their feet, Stewart collected his 11th and 12th strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth before walking Toronto’s Junior Felix. Stewart then recovered to induce a deep fly ball out from Tony Fernandez to seal the season’s fourth no-hitter at 9:50 p.m. eastern time.
On the west coast, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela watched Stewart record his final out on the clubhouse television.
“Now maybe we’ll see another no-hitter,” he joked to his teammates. As it turns out, he was spot on.
Valenzuela followed Stewart, his former Dodgers teammate, with an equally historic performance, ending ESPN’s second televised no-hitter of the night at 1:24 a.m. eastern time. It was the first time two pitchers had thrown no-hitters on the same day in baseball’s modern era.
“I never think that my career will be over,” said Valenzuela, who had been struggling with chronic arm troubles. “I’ve been working for two years and this game is great because it shows all the work I’ve been doing. My confidence is with me at all times.”
On Aug. 15, Philadelphia Phillies lefthander Terry Mulholland created his own piece of history, becoming the first Phillies pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter on home soil.
“When you think of all the great pitchers who have toed the rubber in this city, it makes it all the better,” said Mulholland.
He faced the minimum 27 batters – the only base runner coming when the Giants’ Rick Parker reached on a throwing error. Ironically, Parker was a former prospect whom the Giants received when they traded Mulholland to the Phillies in 1989.
“There are days when you get a few bad breaks,” wrote C.W. Nevius of the San Francisco Chronicle. “And then there are days when fate stands up, sticks its fingers in its ears and yells ‘Bugga-Bugga!’
For the Giants, yesterday was a Bugga-Bugga day.” Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dave Stieb had experienced several unpleasant dances with fate before September 1990. In fact, Stieb pitched four one-hitters from 1988-89 – including three no-hitters that he lost with two out in the ninth inning.
On Sept. 2, Stieb was on the doorstep once again after shutting down the Cleveland Indians all afternoon. Nearly one year before, he was on the same mound in Cleveland Stadium with two outs in the ninth when the Indians’ Julio Franco hit a grounder that took a bad hop over Toronto second baseman Manny Lee’s head for a base hit.
“I didn’t want a ground ball this time,” Lee said afterwards. “I wanted to see a fly ball. I didn’t want that to happen again.”
After walking Cleveland’s Alex Cole, Stieb sealed the deal by getting Jerry Browne to fly out to right field. The veteran right-hander, who became the first Blue Jay to record a no-hitter, was finally able to laugh about his prior misfortunes.
“I wasn’t real nervous; I’ve been there quite a few times,” Stieb told reporters. “I always knew it took a lot of luck to get a no-hitter.”
Luck was undoubtedly with the pitchers during the summer of 1990 – along with a whole lot of skill. In fact, two other no-hitters in 1990 – an eight-inning loss by the Yankees’ Andy Hawkins and a six-inning, rain-shortened no-no by the White Sox’s Melido Pérez – were later removed from the official record books when MLB amended the definition for no-hitters.
“Maybe it’s not that tough to get a no-hitter,” Stieb deadpanned. “That’s why I got one.”
Reprinted with permission from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum receive free admission to the Museum, as well as access to exclusive programs, such as the Voices of the Game Series. Additionally, members receive a subscription to the Hall of Fame's bi-monthly magazine, Memories and Dreams, the annual Hall of Fame yearbook and a 10% discount and free shipping on retail purchases. For information on becoming a member, please visit baseballhall.org/join or call 607-547-0397. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is open seven days a week year round, with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. From Memorial Day Weekend through the day before Labor Day, the Museum is open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. seven days a week. The Museum observes hours of 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. from Labor Day until Memorial Day Weekend. Ticket prices are $23 for adults (13 and over), $15 for seniors (65 and over), and $12 for juniors (ages 7-12) and for those holding current memberships in the VFW, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion and AMVets organizations. Members are always admitted free of charge and there is no charge for children 6 years of age or younger. For more information, visit our website at baseballhall.org or call 888-HALL-OF-FAME (888-425-5633) or 607-547-7200. CUTLINE Class of 2015 Hall of Famer Randy Johnson threw one of seven official no-hitters 25 years ago in MLB. (Lou Sauritch/National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)
Though baseball in the 1990s would eventually be remembered for towering home runs and gaudy batting averages, the decade’s first season undoubtedly belonged to the pitchers.
In 1990, 25 years ago, the game saw eight different pitchers combine to throw seven official no-hitters – tied for the highest single-season total in the history of baseball’s modern era. By comparison, only 10 no-hitters were thrown during the entire 1980s.
It would be deemed “The Year of the No-Hitter,” and perhaps the most remarkable aspect of that fateful season was the way in which each masterful pitching performance featured its own special dash of destiny.
“The Year of the No-Hitter” began with not one pitcher, but two, who threw the first combined no-hitter since 1976. Lefty Mark Langston, making his first appearance for the California Angels, walked Seattle Mariners second baseman Harold Reynolds to start the game. Langston settled into a groove, however, throwing seven hitless innings before taking himself out of the game.
With history still in play, Angels manager Doug Rader gave the ball to Mike Witt. Witt had thrown the Angels’ last no-hitter, a perfect game against Texas in 1984 when Rader was managing the Rangers.
“I knew Witt was the right guy to finish this one,” Rader said. “The one [perfect game] that Witt threw was the most dominating I’ve ever seen.”
Making his first relief appearance in seven seasons, Witt threw two perfect innings and struck out Ken Griffey Jr. to end the game. “I guess I’m a hero for the night,” Witt said.
Seven weeks later, the Mariners flipped the script behind their young hard-throwing left-hander Randy Johnson. Ironically, the Class of 2015 Hall of Fame electee had been acquired by Seattle from Montreal in a trade involving Langston the previous year.
Though he had been struggling with his control and led the league with 12 home runs allowed, Johnson captured lightning in a bottle for his June 2 start against Detroit. The towering Johnson – who at 6-foot-10 was the tallest player in baseball history at that time – walked six Tigers but struck out eight, including the final batter with a 97 mile per hour fastball.
“I’ll never forget this moment,” said Johnson, who threw 50 total pitches that measured 94 mph or higher on the radar gun. “When I struck out [Tigers catcher] Mike Heath for the last out, I didn’t know how to react. I just stood there.”
Meanwhile, Detroit hitters were also left motionless many times by Johnson’s mesmerizing stuff.
“He was throwing that slider over for strikes when he was behind in the count,” said Tigers first baseman Cecil Fielder. “Then he comes in with that big fastball. How are you going to hit that?
“The answer is – you’re not, and we didn’t.”
Nine days later, the Oakland A’s were hitless against another strikeout king and Hall of Famer: Nolan Ryan. At 43 years old, Ryan was just returning from a stint on the disabled list with a sore back when he took the mound for the Texas Rangers. As the game wore on, Ryan’s son Reese rubbed his back and gave him pep talks between innings.
“He told me [his back] felt okay,” Reese Ryan said of his father after the game. “Then after the eighth, he just came back, looked at me and smiled. I think he knew he was going to do it.”
Ryan continually reached 94 mph with his fastball – even in the later innings – and struck out 14 batters over 130 pitches. While over 33,000 Oakland fans chanted his name, Ryan retired Willie Randolph on a fly ball to pass Cy Young as the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter.
A record four no-hitters took place during the month of June 1990, culminating with a magical night on June 29.
The night began in Canada, where Oakland ace Dave Stewart put his name in the record books. Pitching in Toronto’s SkyDome, Stewart walked the first two Blue Jays he faced, then proceeded to retire 25 batters in a row.
“I just kept thinking one-two-three,” Stewart said after the game. “The fifth inning turned into the sixth, the sixth into the seventh and the seventh into the eighth. It just kept going.”
With Blue Jays fans on their feet, Stewart collected his 11th and 12th strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth before walking Toronto’s Junior Felix. Stewart then recovered to induce a deep fly ball out from Tony Fernandez to seal the season’s fourth no-hitter at 9:50 p.m. eastern time.
On the west coast, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela watched Stewart record his final out on the clubhouse television.
“Now maybe we’ll see another no-hitter,” he joked to his teammates. As it turns out, he was spot on.
Valenzuela followed Stewart, his former Dodgers teammate, with an equally historic performance, ending ESPN’s second televised no-hitter of the night at 1:24 a.m. eastern time. It was the first time two pitchers had thrown no-hitters on the same day in baseball’s modern era.
“I never think that my career will be over,” said Valenzuela, who had been struggling with chronic arm troubles. “I’ve been working for two years and this game is great because it shows all the work I’ve been doing. My confidence is with me at all times.”
On Aug. 15, Philadelphia Phillies lefthander Terry Mulholland created his own piece of history, becoming the first Phillies pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter on home soil.
“When you think of all the great pitchers who have toed the rubber in this city, it makes it all the better,” said Mulholland.
He faced the minimum 27 batters – the only base runner coming when the Giants’ Rick Parker reached on a throwing error. Ironically, Parker was a former prospect whom the Giants received when they traded Mulholland to the Phillies in 1989.
“There are days when you get a few bad breaks,” wrote C.W. Nevius of the San Francisco Chronicle. “And then there are days when fate stands up, sticks its fingers in its ears and yells ‘Bugga-Bugga!’
For the Giants, yesterday was a Bugga-Bugga day.” Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dave Stieb had experienced several unpleasant dances with fate before September 1990. In fact, Stieb pitched four one-hitters from 1988-89 – including three no-hitters that he lost with two out in the ninth inning.
On Sept. 2, Stieb was on the doorstep once again after shutting down the Cleveland Indians all afternoon. Nearly one year before, he was on the same mound in Cleveland Stadium with two outs in the ninth when the Indians’ Julio Franco hit a grounder that took a bad hop over Toronto second baseman Manny Lee’s head for a base hit.
“I didn’t want a ground ball this time,” Lee said afterwards. “I wanted to see a fly ball. I didn’t want that to happen again.”
After walking Cleveland’s Alex Cole, Stieb sealed the deal by getting Jerry Browne to fly out to right field. The veteran right-hander, who became the first Blue Jay to record a no-hitter, was finally able to laugh about his prior misfortunes.
“I wasn’t real nervous; I’ve been there quite a few times,” Stieb told reporters. “I always knew it took a lot of luck to get a no-hitter.”
Luck was undoubtedly with the pitchers during the summer of 1990 – along with a whole lot of skill. In fact, two other no-hitters in 1990 – an eight-inning loss by the Yankees’ Andy Hawkins and a six-inning, rain-shortened no-no by the White Sox’s Melido Pérez – were later removed from the official record books when MLB amended the definition for no-hitters.
“Maybe it’s not that tough to get a no-hitter,” Stieb deadpanned. “That’s why I got one.”
Reprinted with permission from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum receive free admission to the Museum, as well as access to exclusive programs, such as the Voices of the Game Series. Additionally, members receive a subscription to the Hall of Fame's bi-monthly magazine, Memories and Dreams, the annual Hall of Fame yearbook and a 10% discount and free shipping on retail purchases. For information on becoming a member, please visit baseballhall.org/join or call 607-547-0397. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is open seven days a week year round, with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. From Memorial Day Weekend through the day before Labor Day, the Museum is open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. seven days a week. The Museum observes hours of 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. from Labor Day until Memorial Day Weekend. Ticket prices are $23 for adults (13 and over), $15 for seniors (65 and over), and $12 for juniors (ages 7-12) and for those holding current memberships in the VFW, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion and AMVets organizations. Members are always admitted free of charge and there is no charge for children 6 years of age or younger. For more information, visit our website at baseballhall.org or call 888-HALL-OF-FAME (888-425-5633) or 607-547-7200. CUTLINE Class of 2015 Hall of Famer Randy Johnson threw one of seven official no-hitters 25 years ago in MLB. (Lou Sauritch/National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)