One Out Away

Even though I am huge Cub fan, I must give props to Mark Buehrle who went out Wednesday night and threw a no hitter. It is a rare treat, to see something like that. Baseball is a funny game and you never know what can happen when you walk into a ballpark on any given night.

I have come close to seeing a no hitter twice in my life. Once was in a minor league game and once at Wrigley. Both times I got within one out of being in the ballpark for a no hitter.

June 23, 1984 I was in Columbus visiting my Dad. It was my 15^th birthday so, it was a memorable day already. We had tickets to see the AAA game between the Columbus Clippers and the Toledo Mud Hens that night. We started the day off watching as Ryne Sandberg hit two homers of Sutter as the Cubs would win an improbable game. So we were already on cloud nine as we entered the ballpark to catch the game.

Jim Lewis, a career minor leaguer started for the home team Clippers and as we settled into our seats we had no idea we were going to come oh so close to witnessing history. One by one Lewis sat down the Mud Hen Hitters. At one point around the 6^th or 7^th inning my Dad looked and noticed that Lewis was pitching a no hitter. He went through the 7^th and 8^th without surrendering a hit. We were one inning from seeing a no hitter. Lewis then retired the first two hitters he faced in the 9^th. He only had one out to go. All that stood between him and that no hitter was Boomer Wells. Boomer Wells was another career minor leaguer who would never get as much as a cup of coffee in the bigs. Sure enough he would ruin the fun singleing in between short and third.

Nine years later, I again would get one out from greatness but this time my beloved Cubs would be involved. It was April, 6^th 1993. The Cubs were hosting the Atlanta Braves. As is my usual practice I attend the second home game of the year. I was dating Jenny at the time so, the two of us bundled up and headed out to Wrigley. Jose Guzman, was making his first career start as a Cub. He had just been signed as a free agent over the winter.

Again, the game started normal enough. Then as it went on, Guzman kept retiring hitters. He was perfect through seven. He walked the leadoff hitter to open the 8^th but then would retire the next three hitters. We were three outs from seeing history. Guzman got the first two hitters to start the 9^th. All that stood between him and baseball immortality was Otis Nixon. Nixon hit leadoff and was a threat to bunt. This brought 3^rd baseman Steve Buchelle in a couple of steps. Sure as shit Nixon wound up blooping a single right over Buchelle’s head. Had he been playing normal depth he would have probably caught the thing. Guzman retired the next hitter and had to settle for the one hitter.

I have been to more baseball games in my life then I could ever remember. But those two in particular stand out. As much as people may love the home run and offense, there is nothing more exciting then a no hitter in baseball. To put this in perspective, the Cubs have not had a pitcher throw a no hitter since 1972 by Milt Pappas. The last time they were no hit as a team you have to go back to 1965 when Sandy Koufax threw one at them. I was oh so close twice and both times the feeling in the ballpark was magical. I have not been close to seeing one since then. I guess that is the great thing about baseball, I mean no one could have predicted Buehrle was going to throw a gem like that last night but, he went out and did it.