so who gets the game ball?
Q: How many Astros pitchers does it take to throw a no=hitter?
A: Six!
No, there's no real punchline and it's not even a joke.
Normally, when you are watching a no-hitter unfold, you watch in awe. You marvel at the pitcher's skill, no matter which team you are rooting for. It's a thrilling, dramatic thing to watch a no-hitter unfold before your eyes.
Except for last night. I would venture to say it was more a case of the Yankees having absolutely nothing at the plate than any of the Astros pitchers being masterful. It was sort of like watching a really bad movie just because you need to see the ending, no matter how ridiculous it will be.
And ridiculous it was. Six pitchers combine to keep the Yankees hitless. At Yankee Stadium.
It was an ugly night in baseball. (Except for the part where the Yankees management left a bottle of champagne in front of the lockers of each of the six pitchers.)
Comments
First!
Weren't you leveling a curse on the Yankees just a bit ago? Perhaps you overdid it...
Posted by: Shalegrey | June 12, 2003 07:27 AM
Actually, the curse was directed specifically at Clemens. I am a Yankee fan, just not a Clemens fan.
I had nothing to do with last night's fiasco.
Posted by: michele | June 12, 2003 07:29 AM
Bottle of Champagne was a nice touch - someone showed a touch of class -
unless you look at it from the prespective they were just trying to get them to start partying on the road and break their rythm...
nah, I'm just being cynical.
Nice touch, and leave it it athat.
Posted by: Wind Rider | June 12, 2003 08:23 AM
I saw a three pitcher no hitter in person on 9-11-1991, Braves vs Padres. I looked up the date last night - I know s its jusy an odd coincidence but it was osrt of creepy.
Posted by: Chris | June 12, 2003 08:46 AM
Wagner's 100-m.p.h. heat and Dotel's knee-buckling slider looked pretty skillful to me. Maybe it was just an optical illusion. Those eight Yankees in a row didn't really strike out. In a postmodern twist they just thought they struck out, so they convinced themselves that they should walk back to the dugout.
Halfway seriously, the Yankee offense is built around walks and home runs. When they're up against good pitchers who keep the ball close to the strike zone but not on the fat part of the plate, they don't do well at just putting the thing into play and maybe picking up some cheap hits. So if any team is ripe for a no-hitter, the Yanks might be it.
Posted by: Casey Abell | June 12, 2003 09:32 AM
I don't know, Michele.. I enjoyed the game. Granted, I am an Astros fan, so a win is a win. Still, shutting out the Yankees is impressive, and no hitting them is even more impressive. The fact that one specific pitcher didn't do it alone doesn't bother me as a baseball fan. I've always considered no-hitters to be a defensive stat as well as a pitching stat. The Astros played good defense, and the managers made good pitching change decisions. If I had any gripe it would be using your closer in a game that wasn't close enough to warrant him. I'm just glad we're in 1st in our division. Even if it is the weakest in baseball.
Posted by: Rob | June 12, 2003 10:19 AM
If it makes Yankee fans feel any better, Met fans are still peeved at the trade that gave up Dotel.
Remember Mike whatshisname? You know, the guy pitching for the first place Atlanta Braves.
Posted by: Chris | June 12, 2003 11:01 AM
Remember Mike whatshisname? You know, the guy pitching for the first place Atlanta Braves.
You mean, the one who was NLCS MVP the last time the Mets reached the World Series? I wasn't a fan of that deal, but you can't call it a complete disaster when the deal was so integral to winning a pennant.
And Rob: the AL Central is way weaker (1 team over .500, and the Tigers at the bottom)
Posted by: Crank | June 12, 2003 11:14 AM
Strikes me as odd to switch pitchers so many times with a no-hitter going, but the BEST part of the game was four strikeouts in one inning. That doesn't happen too often and I wish I'd seen it.
Posted by: Ken Summers | June 12, 2003 11:48 AM
Really, what is the grandeur of Yankee Stadium, Monument Park, Jason Giambi, and Derek Jeter compared to the dynamic duo of Peter Munro and Kirk Saarloos? Do you hear that, Mr. Torre? That is the sound of inevitability!
Go Blue Jays!
Posted by: Norbiznes | June 12, 2003 12:46 PM
Yay Astros!
Posted by: Joseph J. Finn | June 12, 2003 02:43 PM
Where is Roger Clemens from; where does he live in the offseason? HOUSTON! Do you think, just perhaps, there is some correlation?
Posted by: Patty | June 12, 2003 02:53 PM
"No, there's no real punchline and it's not even a joke. "
There may not be a punchline, but its certainly a joke.
Posted by: Collins | June 13, 2003 03:31 AM
GOOOOO Yanks! :-)
Unfortunately, I was too busy yesterday to revel in this.... I'm glad you mentioned it, though...
Six pitchers..... damn.
Yankees hitless.... sigh
Posted by: Jim S | June 13, 2003 02:36 PM