OT: Phillies combined No-No

[Michael Peich]

The highlight of the Phillies 2014 season happened this afternoon when four pitchers, led by Cole Hamels, who did not have good stuff today (5 walks, 1 hit batter), combined to pitch a No-No. You can bet the house that a ball signed by all four of the Phillies pitchers (Hamels, Diekman, Giles, and [ugh] Papelbon) will bring a premium on the Philly collectible market for years to come.

I may even have to add one of those signed balls to my Man-cave!

Cheers,
Mike

[sgbernard]

Mike, were you at the game??

As a longtime Braves fan, can I just say that I increasingly look forward to the post-Frank Wren era. Some truly awful contracts have been handed out in the last five years. This lineup of strikeout specialists (12 K's today!) is ugly, even without Uggla.

[39special]

Being a life long Phillies fan,this was a highlight to a really bad season.

[oaks1912]

Mike, Those multi-pitcher no-hitters are almost as tough as perfect games. I attended the season finale in Oakland during the '75 season and watched Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad and Rollie Fingers do the same thing. Great experience...

[Steve D]

Mike, Those multi-pitcher no-hitters are almost as tough as perfect games.


Actually they're twice as rare. There have been 23 perfect games, but only 11 combined no-hitters in MLB history.


Steve

[barrysloate]

I watched the last two innings on ESPN this afternoon. Pretty cool game. I remember about ten years ago six Astros pitchers no-hit the Yankees. I think that's the record for most pitchers used in a no hit game.

[CMIZ5290]

Mike, were you at the game??

As a longtime Braves fan, can I just say that I increasingly look forward to the post-Frank Wren era. Some truly awful contracts have been handed out in the last five years. This lineup of strikeout specialists (12 K's today!) is ugly, even without Uggla.

Seth- Huge +1 big time, and don't forget Gonzalez...Big time overrated as a Mgr., got the job only because of Bobby Cox. Pertaining Wren, the 2 contracts for B.J. Upton and Uggla are probably two of the worst 10 blunders in Professional sports history. What a freaking joke!

[Phillies*phan]

Anyone think Giles throws like Lidge in his prime with the Astros? 100mph with a nasty slider. Next years closer for sure. He made the Braves best hitter Freddie Freeman look like a baby. I was actually nervous the last couple innings for once. Felt good.

[CMIZ5290]

Anyone think Giles throws like Lidge in his prime with the Astros? 100mph with a nasty slider. Next years closer for sure. He made the Braves best hitter Freddie Freeman look like a baby. I was actually nervous the last couple innings for once. Felt good.

Good point Doug, and that's what makes me nervous as a Brave's fan. Freddie Freeman is our best hitter...Yikes!!

[Michael Peich]

Thanks for all the good comments, especially the fact that combined no-nos are rarer than a perfecto--thanks, Steve.

No, I did not attend the game since I live near Philadelphia and the game was in Atlanta. But, Giles did make Freeman look a little bad. And, I guess we rival Atlanta's Frank Wren with our very own incompetent Rueben Amaro, Jr, known in Philly as Ruin Tomorrow! And, Seth, we pursued B.J. only to be saddled with Papelbon. Everyone in Philly was convinced Paps would blow the no-no.

Now tomorrow the Phillies will lose 8-1 as they continue their march toward meaninglessness........

Cheers,
Mike

[sgbernard]

Duh! I'm an idiot, Mike: for some reason I thought the game was at Citizen's Bank. All the more galling that the Braves got no-hit at home.

Oh and, totally, Kevin, add Fredi to the list when his "strategy" is pulling Justin Upton for a pinch-hitter in the ninth. It takes a move like that to make Papelbon feel secure in his role for the first time since 2007. Sigh.

[familytoad]

As other life long Phillies Phans have mentioned, it was the highlight in an otherwise dim season for our Phightin' Phils.

This was the ESPN game of the day, so the national audience got treated to this rarity.
I'm betting though that more combined no-no's will become normal and the single pitcher dominating , 130+ pitches no-hitter will become the rarity.

It's okay with me, beating the Braves anyway at all gives me happiness, only topped by beating the Mets:p

[Michael Peich]

Brian--I totally agree on single no-nos becoming a rarity. The fascination with pitch counts will make a combined no-no the norm.

Seth--We'd be happy to send Papelbon your way! He is a moron and revealed his shimmering intellect in the post-game interview when asked if he'd ever been part of a combined no-hitter. His response, "I don't know." Ah, what a student of the game, and a real steward of tradition. He's only in it for the fun, not the money.........

[mets41]

Any fillie no hitter is the lowlight of any season unless it's the fillies that get the no hits.