Close, but no cigar: No-hitters not officially recognized

Note: This list is no longer updated. For the latest, visit our main NoNoHitters.com site page: No-hitters not recognized by MLB

Pedros no-no ball in the Hall.

Pedro's no-no ball in the Hall.

There used to be many more no-hitters on the record books, but in September 1991 the Committee on Statistical Accuracy, chaired by then MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent, changed the official definition of a no hitter, declaring it a game of nine innings or more that ends with no hits. That leaves 284 sanctioned no-hitters (261 in the A.L. and N.L.), detailed here.

The stringent definition eliminated 38 no-hitters from the books that were shortened by rain or darkness and losing efforts by the away team in which the home team doesn’t bat in the bottom of the ninth.

It also wiped out 12 no-hitters by pitchers who threw nine innings of no-hit ball only to yield a hit in extra innings. That narrow definition kept Pedro Martinez out of the exclusive no-no club, even though his ball is featured in the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s “No-Nos and Perfectos” exhibit. Martinez threw nine innings of perfect ball on June 3, 1995, but his Expos couldn’t score a run and Martinez wound up giving up a hit in the 10th. It’s not considered a no-hitter.




Here are the no-hitters stricken from the record books in September 1991 and others pitched since then that would have qualified as no-hitters under the old rules.

No-hitters lost by the away team in which the game ended after 8 1/2 innings:

Pitcher Date Lg. Team   Opponent   Description

June 21, 1890 Silver King PL Chicago Pirates 0 Brooklyn Ward’s Wonders 1 Since the Pirates were the away team in a losing effort, King only pitched eight innings. MLB says a no hitter must go nine innings.

July 1, 1990 Andy Hawkins AL New York Yankees 0 Chicago White Sox 4 Since the Yankees were the away team in a losing effort, Hawkins only pitched eight innings. MLB says a no hitter must go nine innings.

April 12, 1992 Matt Young AL Boston Red Sox 1 Cleveland Indians 2 Since the Red Sox were the away team in a losing effort in this opening day contest, Young only pitched eight innings. MLB says a no hitter must go nine innings.

June 28, 2008 Jered Weaver (6 in)
Jose Arredondo (2 in)
IL Los Angeles Angels 0 Los Angeles Dodgers 1 Since the Angels were the away team in a losing effort, Weaver and Arredondo combined for only eight innings. MLB says a no hitter must go nine innings.

No-hitters that fell shy of nine innings due to weather or darkness:

Pitcher Date Lg. Team   Opponent   Game length

Larry McKeon May 6, 1884 AA Indianapolis Hoosiers 0 Cincinnati Red Stockings 0 6 innings

Charlie Geggus Aug. 21, 1884 UA Washington Nationals 12 Wilmington Quicksteps 1 8 innings

Charlie Getzien Oct. 1, 1884 NL Detroit Wolverines 1 Philadelphia Phillies 0 6 innings

Charlie Sweeney (2 in)
Henry Boyle (3 in)
Oct. 5, 1884 UA St. Louis Maroons 0 St. Paul Whitecaps 1 5 innings

Dupee Shaw Oct. 7, 1885 (1) NL Providence Grays 4 Buffalo Bisons 0 5 innings

George Van Haltren June 21, 1888 NL Chicago White Stockings 1 Pittsburgh Alleghenys 0 6 innings

Ed Crane Sept. 27, 1888 NL New York Giants 3 Washington Nationals 0 7 innings

Matt Kilroy July 29, 1889 (2) AA Baltimore Orioles 0 St. Louis Browns 0 7 innings

George Nicol Sept. 23, 1890 AA St. Louis Browns 21 Philadelphia Athletics 2 7 innings

Hank Gastright Oct. 12, 1890 AA Columbus Solons 6 Toledo Maumees 0 8 innings

Jack Stivetts Oct. 15, 1892 (2) NL Boston Braves 4 Washington Senators 0 5 innings

Elton Chamberlain Sept. 23, 1893 (2) NL Cincinnati Reds 6 Boston Beaneaters 0 7 innings

Ed Stein June 2, 1894 NL Brooklyn Grooms 1 Chicago White Stockings 0 6 innings

Red Ames Sept. 14, 1903 (2) NL New York Giants 5 St. Louis Cardinals 0 5 innings

Rube Waddell Aug. 15, 1905 AL Philadelphia Athletics 2 St. Louis Browns 0 5 innings

Jake Weimer Aug. 24, 1906 (2) NL Cincinnati Reds 1 Brooklyn Superbas 0 7 innings

Jim Dygert (3), Rube Waddell (2) Aug. 29, 1906 AL Philadelphia Athletics 4 Chicago White Sox 3 5 innings

Stoney McGlynn Sept. 24, 1906 (2) NL St. Louis Cardinals 1 Brooklyn Superbas 1 7 innings

Lefty Leifield Sept. 26, 1906 (2) NL Pittsburgh Pirates 8 Philadelphia Phillies 0 6 innings

Ed Walsh May 26, 1907 AL Chicago White Sox 8 New York Highlanders 1 5 innings

Ed Karger Aug. 11, 1907 (2) NL St. Louis Cardinals 4 Boston Doves 0 7 innings

Howie Camnitz Aug. 23, 1907 (2) NL Pittsburgh Pirates 1 New York Giants 0 5 innings

Rube Vickers Oct. 5, 1907 (2) AL Philadelphia Athletics 4 Washington Senators 0 5 innings

Johnny Lush Aug. 6, 1908 2 St. Louis Cardinals 2 Brooklyn Superbas 0 6 innings

King Cole July 31, 1910 (2) NL Chicago Cubs 4 St. Louis Cardinals 0 7 innings

Jay Carl Cashion Aug. 20, 1912 (2) AL Washington Senators 2 Cleveland Naps 0 6 innings

Walter Johnson Aug. 25, 1924 AL Washington Senators 2 St. Louis Browns 0 7 innings

Fred Frankhouse Aug. 27, 1937 NL Brooklyn Dodgers 5 Cincinnati Reds 0 8 innings

John Whitehead Aug. 5, 1940 (2) AL St. Louis Browns 4 Detroit Tigers 0 6 innings

Jim Tobin June 22, 1944 (2) NL Boston Braves 7 Philadelphia Phillies 0 5 innings

Mike McCormick June 12, 1959 NL San Francisco Giants 3 Philadelphia Phillies 0 5 innings
This one was a little shaky as McCormick allowed a single in the sixth inning, but because that inning was never completed statistically the hit never happened.

Sam Jones September 26, 1959 NL San Francisco Giants 4 St. Louis Cardinals 0 7 innings

Dean Chance Aug. 6, 1967 AL Minnesota Twins 2 Boston Red Sox 0 5 innings

David Palmer April 21, 1984 (2) NL Montreal Expos 4 St. Louis Cardinals 0 5 innings

Pascual Perez Sept. 24, 1988 NL Montreal Expos 1 Philadelphia Phillies 0 5 innings

Melido Perez July 12, 1990 AL Chicago White Sox 8 New York Yankees 0 6 innings

Devern Hansack Oct. 1, 2006 AL Boston Red Sox 9 Baltimore Orioles 0 5 innings

No-hitters through nine that were broken up in extra innings:

Pitcher Date Lg. Team   Opponent   Description

Earl Moore May 9, 1901 AL Cleveland Blues 2 Chicago White Sox 4 Game went 10 innings. Moore gave up leadoff single in 10th and allowed one more hit in a losing effort.

Bob Wicker June 11, 1904 NL Chicago Cubs 1 New York Giants 0 Game went 12 innings. Wicker gave up just one single with one out in the 10th and got the victory.

Harry McIntire Aug. 1, 1906 NL Brooklyn Superbas 0 Pittsburgh Pirates 1 Game went 13 innings. McIntire gave up a single with two out in the 11th and allowed three more hits in a losing effort.

Red Ames April 15, 1909 NL New York Giants 0 Brooklyn Superbas 3 Game went 13 innings. Ames gave up single with one out in 10th and allowed six more hits in a losing effort.

Tom Hughes August 30, 1910 (2) AL New York Highlanders 0 Cleveland Naps 5 Game went 11 innings. Hughes gave up single with one out in 10th and allowed six more hits in a losing effort.

Jim Scott May 14, 1914 AL Chicago White Sox 0 Washington Senators 1 Game went 10 innings. Scott gave up a leadoff single in 10th and allowed one more hit in a losing effort.

Hippo Vaughn May 2, 1917 NL Chicago Cubs 0 Cincinnati Reds 1 Game went 10 innings.
This remains the only time in Major League history that both pitchers had no-hitters through nine innings. Vaughn gave up a single with one out in 10th and allowed one more hit in a losing effort. The Reds’ Fred Toney is credited with a no hitter, completing the accomplishment in 10 innings.

Bobo Newsom Sept. 18, 1934 AL St. Louis Browns 1 Boston Red Sox 2 Game went 10 innings. Newsom gave up a single with two out in the 10th (the only hit against him) but lost the game.

Johnny Klippstein (7 in)
Hersh Freeman (1 in)
Joe Black (3 in)
May 26, 1956 NL Cincinnati Reds 1 Milwaukee Braves 2 Game went 11 innings Black gave up a double with two out in 10th and allowed two more hits for the loss.

Harvey Haddix May 26, 1959 NL Pittsburgh Pirates 0 Milwaukee Braves 1 Game went 13 innings.
Haddix threw a perfect game through 12, retiring the first 36 batters he faced. He lost the perfect game in the top of the 13th when Pirates third-baseman Don Hoak committed an error letting Felix Mantilla reach first. After a sacrifice bunt by Eddie Mathews and an intentional walk to Hank Aaron, Haddix lost the no hitter (and the game) on a Joe Adcock walkoff homer. (Only it wasn’t recorded as a homer because Aaron left the field after Mantilla scored, and Adcock passed him, making it a 1-0 win on a double.)

Jim Maloney June 14, 1965 NL Cincinnati Reds 0 New York Mets 1 Game went 11 innings. Maloney gave up leadoff home run in the 11th and allowed one more hit in the losing effort.

Mark Gardner (9 in)
Jeff Fassero (0 in)
July 26, 1991 NL Montreal Expos 0 Los Angeles Dodgers 1 Game went 10 innings. Gardner gave up a leadoff single in 10th and allowed one more hit before Fassero came in. Fassero gave up a game-winning hit but Gardner had responsibility for the baserunner and was charged with the loss.

Pedro Martínez (9 in)
Mel Rojas (1 in)
June 3, 1995 NL Montreal Expos 1 San Diego Padres 0 Game went 10 innings. Martinez had a perfect game through nine. After he gave up a leadoff double in the 10th, Rojas came in and retired the next three batters.

Key: (1) or (2) after date indicates game of doubleheader. NL: National League, AL: American League, IL: Interleague, AA: American Association, UA: Union Association, PL: Players League




One Response to Close, but no cigar: No-hitters not officially recognized

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