04/16/24
September 29, 2012
No-hitter thrown by worst-named pitcher to do so.:
Homer Bailey throws the 7th no-hitter of 2012.
Maybe I'm a Reds homer (no pun intended), but I think he has a classic baseball name. Kind of a throwback.
I remember when the Reds drafted him in the first round. There have been some flashes of brilliance along the way, but we've all been patiently waiting for him to reach his potential. Hopefully this means that he has turned a corner, and will continue to pitch well and be consistent going forward. Assuming Chapman gets converted to a starter next year, a Reds rotation of Cueto-Latos-Chapman-Arroyo-Bailey could be fairly dominating. If they can just trade Mike Leake for a leadoff hitter who can break the .220 barrier, there could be great things a'brewing.
posted by tahoemoj at 11:14 AM on September 29, 2012
Well, they're already a good team, I mean, what with the chance to win the World Series and all.
However, too often no hitters are an indication of nothing.
I do agree that Homer Bailey is a classic baseball name, hell, classic name period. Couldn't you see Homer Bailey being the main character in a Frank Capra movie? A plucky salesman who gives away his big sale to his buddy down on his luck? How 'bout Homer Bailey the bomber pilot in a John Wayne WWII movie? HOW CAN YOU ROOT AGAINST HOMER BAILEY. He saved our ass over Iwo Jima.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:32 PM on September 29, 2012
So what's all that bad about the name David DeWitt Bailey? David DeWitt Bailey is a Congressman or Senator from a Midwestern state. He's the president of the local bank or the attorney who successfully defends those who cannot afford a lawyer. He's the heroic brigadier general who leads from the front and pays the ultimate price. If he were a football player, he could be nicknamed DD for "Devastating Dave". Homer? Who's he? "Homer" is the good-ol'-boy local yokel, a hero only in the most unlikely of circumstances. Nah, Homer couldn't possibly throw a no-hitter, but David DeWitt will do it with ease.
posted by Howard_T at 01:46 PM on September 29, 2012
Homer Bailey's a good baseball moniker, no question.
From the days when there were no baseball teams west of St. Louis.
Good as it is, though, it's not quite in the same league as Tug McGraw.
(Or Bake McBride).
posted by beaverboard at 03:59 PM on September 29, 2012
My favorite has been Sport McAlister, a super-utility guy around the start of the 20th century.
posted by LionIndex at 07:55 PM on September 29, 2012
No hitters are more common than 4 hit games.
posted by dyams at 11:58 PM on September 29, 2012
That ties the number of no-hitters thrown in 1990 and 1991.