Touche'

CINCINNATI, OHIO - Consecutive no-hitters by Cincinnati Red's Johnny Vander Meer in 1938 is a fairly well-known bit of baseball trivia. How about this one, also involving Cincinnati? On this date in 1969 the Astros' Don Wilson no-hit the Reds 4-0 (box score/stats), one day after Reds pitcher Jim Maloney no-hit the Houston Astros 10 to nothing (box score/stats). What are the odds the Reds and Astros would turn-tables on each other?

No-hitters are significant accomplishments, but they aren't unheard of. There have been over 250 in Major League history. That's almost two per season. Here are a few accomplishments that are even rarer than a no-hitter:

• Two no-hitters on the same day - June 29, 1990. Dave Stewart of the Oakland A's no-hit the Toronto Blue Jays. A couple hours later the Dodgers' Fernando Valenzuela no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals.

• In 1959, Harvey Haddix of the Pittsburgh Pirates not only had a no-hitter for 12 innings, he had a perfect game. He lost the perfecto, the no-hitter and the game in the 13th inning. [See May 26]

• In 1990 Andy Hawkins of the New York Yankees pitched a no-hitter and lost 4-0 when the Chicago White Sox took advantage of Yankee errors. Initially Hawkins got credit for a no-hitter. Later Major League Baseball changed the criteria and took away Hawkins' no-hitter because it didn't go a full 9 innings. It only went 8 and a half because the home team White Sox were ahead and didn't bat in the ninth.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
April 30, 1969: Maloney no-hits Astros
May 1, 1969: Wilson no-hits Reds
Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio, May 2, 1969

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