Somewhat over twenty-three years ago, one of the strangest games in baseball history occurred.\u00a0 A man pitched a complete game.\u00a0 He gave up no hits.<\/p>\n
He lost the game 4-0<\/a>.\u00a0 And although he was originally credited with pitching a no-hitter, in a final ironic after-the-fact shafting that credit was taken away from him about a year later.\u00a0 Today he is not even officially recognized as having pitched a no-hitter.<\/p>\n The game occurred on July 1, 1990, at the original Comiskey Park.\u00a0 The visiting team was the NY Yankees.<\/p>\n The starting pitcher for the White Sox that day was Greg Hibbard. \u00a0Andy Hawkins started for the Yankees.<\/p>\n Both pitchers were \u201con\u201d.\u00a0 Each had a perfect game early.\u00a0 Both were perfect through four innings; Hibbard continued his try for perfection in the top of the fifth.<\/p>\n In the fifth, Hawkins got a bit wild, and the White Sox threatened.\u00a0 With two outs, he walked a batter; a passed ball moved the runner to second.\u00a0\u00a0 A second White Sox player reached on a second walk.\u00a0 But Hawkins got the next batter to fly out to deep left, preserving his no-hitter.<\/p>\n Hibbard\u2019s no-hitter ended in the top of the next inning.\u00a0 With one out, he gave up consecutive singles.\u00a0 But he was able to get the next two batters on a popup and a strikeout, keeping the game tied 0-0.<\/p>\n Hawkins pitched a perfect sixth.<\/p>\n Hibbard\u2019s 7th inning was to be his last for the day.\u00a0 He again gave up two singles \u2013 this time with two outs \u2013 but got the third out to preserve the scoreless tie.<\/p>\n Hawkins\u2019 7th opened with a walk.\u00a0 He then retired the second batter on a fly ball.\u00a0 The man who\u2019d walked was caught stealing for the second out, and a strikeout ended the inning \u2013 and preserved Hawkins\u2019 chance for a no-hitter.<\/p>\n Barry Jones relieved for the White Sox to start the top of the eighth.\u00a0 The first Yankee batter reached on an error.\u00a0 The next three went in order.<\/p>\n Hawkins started the bottom of the eighth.\u00a0 He retired the first two Sox batters on pop flies.<\/p>\n Then the wheels fell off.<\/p>\n The next batter reached on an error, then stole second.\u00a0 Hawkins \u2013 perhaps feeling the pressure \u2013 walked the next two batters, loading the bases.<\/p>\n The next batter hit a fly to the left fielder.\u00a0 It appeared that the inning was over.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 The left fielder missed the ball \u2013 E7.\u00a0 Three unearned runs scored.<\/p>\n The next batter also hit a fly to the outfield \u2013 this time to deep center-right.\u00a0 Again, the fielder couldn\u2019t handle it cleanly (E9).\u00a0 Another unearned run scored.<\/p>\n Hawkins induced the next batter to pop up.\u00a0 Mercifully, the inning was over.\u00a0 But while Hawkins had still not given up a hit, his team was now behind 4-0 with one at bat left.<\/p>\n Another Sox receiver, Scott Radinsky, opened the ninth.\u00a0 He got the first Yankee batter to fly out to center; the second reached on an error.\u00a0 But the next batter grounded into a double play, ending the inning \u2013 and the game.<\/p>\n So, we have a rare but not unheard of thing, right?\u00a0 A man pitched a no-hitter, but lost on unearned runs?\u00a0 It\u2019s rare, but it happens.\u00a0 But he still has credit for pitching a no-hitter, right?<\/p>\n Actually, no.<\/p>\n Hawkins did get credit for pitching a complete game.\u00a0 At the time, he was also credited with pitching a no-hitter.<\/p>\n However, Major League Baseball in 1991 redefined an official no-hitter<\/a> as follows:\u00a0 “An official no-hit game occurs when a pitcher (or pitchers) allows no hits during the entire course of a game, which consists of at least nine innings.<\/i>”<\/p>\n Because the Yankees were the visiting team, the White Sox batted last in each inning.\u00a0 Since they were ahead 4-0 before batting in the ninth, they didn\u2019t bat in the ninth.<\/p>\n That means Hawkins only pitched eight innings.\u00a0 And that means he indeed is credited with a complete-game loss \u2013 but does not<\/i><\/b> today get credit for having pitched an official no-hitter.<\/p>\n So Hawkins lost his no-hitter twice.\u00a0 The first time, he lost the game.\u00a0 And a year later, when MLB redefined an official no-hitter – he lost it again.<\/p>\n Talk about getting the shaft.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Author’s Note<\/span>:\u00a0 a similar thing has happened three other times<\/a> in MLB history.\u00a0 However, in each case the impact on the pitcher involved was less.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n On June 21, 1890, Silver King of the Chicago Pirates of the Players League no-hit the Brooklyn Ward’s Wonders as the visiting team’s pitcher, but lost 1-0. \u00a0On April 12, 1992, Matt Young of the Boston Red Sox no-hit the Cleveland Indians for eight innings as the pitcher for the visiting team, but lost 2-0 on unearned runs.\u00a0 On June 28, 2008<\/a>, Jared Weaver and Jos\u00e9 Arredondo of the visiting California Angels combined for eight innings of no-hit baseball against the Los Angeles Dodgers.\u00a0 The Angels lost the game 1-0 on an unearned run.\u00a0 These cases also are not regarded were as official no-hitters.\u00a0 However, in the first case Silver King never knew that his no-hitter had been taken away from him over a century later.\u00a0 And the latter two cases were games that occurred after the rules change – and thus were never officially considered no-hitters in the first place. July 1, 1990, was the only time Andy Hawkins pitched a complete game in which he did not give up a hit.
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