Tales from The Baseball Thesaurus: No-Hitter

Ballpark Digest Broadcaster Chats

Pitchers can flirt with a no-hitter during the course of a game, but if it’s broken up, it’s no no-no. Jesse Goldberg-Strassler describes the many terms for a no-hitter in this week’s edition of Tales from the Baseball Thesaurus.

A no-hitter is rare enough, but there have been cases of both pitchers simultaneously throwing a no-hitter, both in the minors and the majors. May 7, 1919: the Cubs’ Hippo Vaughn and the Reds’ Fred Toney both notch no-nos for nine innings. What happened next involves a single run and Jim Thorpe.

And you can’t discuss a no-hitter without discussing the no-hitter jinx: discussing the no-hitter will inevitably cause the pitcher to lose the no-hitter. What did broadcasters like Red Barber and Vin Scully think about the no-hitter jinx? Goldberg-Strassler shares their thoughts on the no-hitter jinx, as well as other phrases comprising the colorful patois of America’s Pastime. You can find The Baseball Thesaurus at augustpublications.com.

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