And the answer to the question remains…Bumpus Jones.
Friday night, Los Angeles Dodgers rookie pitcher Ross Stripling was looking to join Jones and become just the second pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his first Major League game, but, well…he fell a little short.
With one out in the eighth and a 2-0 lead over the San Francisco Giants, the 26-year-old righty was pulled by manager Dave Roberts. The next batter, catcher Trevor Brown, broke up the no-no with a home run and the rest was history. But even though he didn’t end up with the no-hitter, I’m willing to bet Stripling’s career still plays out a little better than Jones’ brief stint with the New York Giants.
Jones, who threw his no-hitter October 15, 1892 against the Cincinnati Reds, would pitch in only seven more big league games. He’d finish with a 2-4 record with 10 strikeouts and a 7.99 ERA in 41⅔ innings of work.
Incidentally, Jones’ feat occurred on the last day of the season and remains the latest regular season no-hitter ever.
Now that Jones’ story has been told, here is this little nugget. Two other pitchers have, technically, thrown no-hitters in the first starts. Ted Breitenstein (1891) and Bobo Holloman (1952), both formerly with the St. Louis Browns, each blanked their opponents, but, unlike Jones, they had both appeared in the Majors as relievers.
History!
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