Which is more rare, a pitcher throwing a no hitter or a batter hitting for the cycle (a single, double, triple and home run in one game)?
Turns out that throwing a no hitter is slightly rarer than hitting for cycle, at least since a Major League Baseball committee tightened its definition of a no hitter in 1991, knocking 50 of such feats off the record books.
So why have 10 Mets players hit for cycle, yet just one has hurled a no hitter?
.
Players have had 304 hits for cycle while there have been 284 sanctioned no-hitters thrown in Major League history. The 50 no-nos thrown out the the Committee for Statistical Accuracy either involved games not lasting the full nine innings or games in which the pitcher yielded an extra-inning hit after no-hitting through nine.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of these two rare feats:
No-Hitters
|
Hits for Cycle
|
|
Total in history | 284 | 304 |
Mets accomplishing this |
1 Johan Santana, June 1, 2012 |
10 Jim Hickman Aug. 7, 1963 Tommie Agee July 6, 1970 Mike Phillips June 25, 1976 Keith Hernandez July 4, 1985 Kevin McReynolds Aug. 1, 1989 Alex Ochoa July 3, 1996 John Olerud Sept. 11, 1997 Eric Valent July 29, 2004 Jose Reyes June 21, 2006 Scott Hairston April 27, 2012 |
Teams without one |
San Diego Padres | San Diego Padres Florida Marlins |
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