If this week is any indication, 2009 could prove to be a big year for rare feats.
The ultimate rare feat – of course – would be a New York Mets’ no-hitter, but here at NoNoHitters.com we also are big fans of hits for the cycle, and we’ve seen two in the Majors this week alone.
Although accomplishing a cycle (hitting a single, double, triple and homer in the same game) is just slightly less rare than a no-hitter, the Mets have had 9 in their history while … well, we all know their no-hitter track record. We have our own page devoted to comparing these feats: at “No-hitter vs. hit for cycle”.
Last night, Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler hit for the cycle while going 6-for-6 during the Rangers’ 19-6 whopping of the Baltimore Orioles. On Monday, Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Orlando Hudson did it during his club’s 11-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
We haven’t had a Major League no-hitter yet this season, but three pitchers have taken no-nos into the latter innings.
Boston Red Sox veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield took a no-no into the eighth yesterday before the Oakland Athletics’ Kurt Suzuki broke it up with a one-out single. The Sox won 8-2.
A night earlier, the New York Yankees’ A.J. Burnett reached the seventh inning with his no-hitter in tact before before Carl Crawford broke it up with a leadoff single. The Yanks beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-2.
On Sunday, the Florida Marlins’ Josh Johnson reached the sixth with the Mets’ “H” column empty, but Luis Castillo blooped a broken-bat single into right field to end Johnson’s hopes. The Mets lost that pitchers’ duel 2-1.
I like our chances in this environment.
