12/03/24
June 12, 2007
Justin Verlander pitches no-hitter.: The Detroit Tigers' Justin Verlander shuts down the Brewers while striking out 12 batters. Verlander becomes the first Tiger to throw a no-hitter since Jack Morris in 1984.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia to baseball at 08:46 PM - 29 comments
The Curse David Cone: in this century, no AL team for whom a pitcher has tossed a no-no has made the playoffs in that year . Time to start placing bets on the Indians, I guess.
posted by The Crafty Sousepaw at 09:28 PM on June 12, 2007
homer
posted by scully at 09:50 PM on June 12, 2007
The last time a Tigers pitcher threw a no-hitter, Detroit won the World Series. Time to start placing bets on the Tigers, I guess. Detroit is paying 10 to 1 to win the World Series as of today.
posted by tommybiden at 09:59 PM on June 12, 2007
The Curse David Cone: in this century, no AL team for whom a pitcher has tossed a no-no has made the playoffs in that year . posted by The Crafty Sousepaw Jack Morris 1984, The Detroit Tigers. Your right, it's time to start placing bets on the Tigers.
posted by rh1914 at 09:59 PM on June 12, 2007
Meanwhile, Kelvim Escobar strikes out 14 in 6 innings (!). And loses.
posted by diastematic at 10:04 PM on June 12, 2007
Tigers have some great pitching and some more on the way. They are going to be very good for a number of years if they can keep those arms healthy and the ones in the minors on a good development path. My only complaint (if you can call it such -- and I don't recall anyone giving me a vote) about the no hitter is the 4 walks. Not that he should have had a perfect game, but I prefer my one hitters of the 1-2 walk variety. That said, we are still talking about less than 0.5 baserunners per inning (which is just plain silly) and a 3:1 K/BB ratio. Great accomplishment for Verlander, who is fast becoming one of my favorite pitchers and baseball players in general, and I'm not a particularly big Tigers fan.
posted by holden at 10:20 PM on June 12, 2007
Hot damn, that'll will help in my non-spofi fantasy league.
posted by trox at 10:23 PM on June 12, 2007
prediction: this guys stuff is so nasty he will throw at least one more before his career over.
posted by erkno11 at 10:31 PM on June 12, 2007
That just plain sucked, but sometimes you have to tip your cap to the opposition. He brought his A-game tonight, that's fer sure.
posted by rocketman at 11:48 PM on June 12, 2007
Going into the season, JV was considered likely to succumb to arm troubles after the number of innings he tossed in his rookie (of the year) campaign. Hopefully they will not arise, but even if they do, he's got a 2007 performance that he can hang his hat on. His velocity is simply awesome, and his change and curve are filthy. Needless to say, he's one of the most promising young pitchers in MLB and I'm looking forward to seeing what he does next. And yeah, I have him in my insanely serious fantasy league. For only three dollars!
posted by Venicemenace at 08:07 AM on June 13, 2007
Is he the best young pitcher or what?
posted by sickleguy at 08:18 AM on June 13, 2007
Damn, but that was fun to watch. I flipped back and forth from that and KC beating the Cards last night. I was at Grand Lake of the Cherokees in Oklahoma in 1984 fishing in a bass tournament and got rained out and watched Jack Morris throw his. I'm not even really a Tiger fan, but love baseball. Erkno, I was thinking he might get another this season. 102 mph in the ninth? Really?
posted by hawkguy at 09:01 AM on June 13, 2007
And yeah, I have him in my insanely serious fantasy league. For only three dollars! Can I play in that league next year? It doesn't sound too competitive if Verlander can go for only $3. Is he the best young pitcher or what? He's up there with the following: Jeremy Bonderman Felix Rodriguez Jake Peavy Danny Haren Scott Kazmir C.C. Sabathia 102 mph in the ninth? Really? The radar gun they use in Detroit is probably 3-4 mph high compared to reality, but it doesn't matter, as 98 mph stuff in the 9th is still freaking amazing. He was throwing heat AND off-the-table breaking stuff, and everything clicked. Some notes of interest: It's the best game score since John Lackey's 1-hit masterpiece on July 7th 2006. It's the best no-hit (but not-perfect game) game score since Hideo Nomo's no-hitter on April 4, 2001. The last time Milwaukee got no-hit was April 27, 1994 by Scott Erickson. All three Detroit no-hitters are by guys whose first name start with J (Justin Verlander, Jack Morris, Jim Bunning). It's the third time the Brewers have been no-hit (Verlander, Erickson, and the legendary Steve Busby).
posted by grum@work at 09:30 AM on June 13, 2007
Maybe I'm making something out of nothing, but when he said "that ninth inning was the best thing to ever happen to me," I couldn't help but immediately think: Really? Didn't you go to the World Series last year? Isn't that better than something as aberrant as a no hitter? Anyway - this guy has stuff for miles. Great performance.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:32 AM on June 13, 2007
Heard him interviewed on Baseball Tonight afterwards and it was weird: he was friendly, funny, interesting and seemed to give genuine answers free from cliches. I adjusted my set, but to no avail. Add me to his fan club.
posted by yerfatma at 09:42 AM on June 13, 2007
Add me to his fan club. Send $3 and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Tigers Super Fans, c/o YYM. You'll receive your orange and black Super Fans t-shirt, orange and black pom poms and foam tiger claw in 6-8 weeks.
posted by jerseygirl at 09:53 AM on June 13, 2007
My only complaint (if you can call it such -- and I don't recall anyone giving me a vote) about the no hitter is the 4 walks. Not only that, but why walk Bill Hall three of those times?
posted by chris2sy at 09:55 AM on June 13, 2007
Weedy, if I can hazard a guess, I'd say he's suffering from Dan Marino Syndrome. When you go to the Big Dance as a rookie, you just assume that you'll be back sometime in your career. Hell of a performance by Verlander, whose abilities were recognized by a certain manager in last year's SpoFi league, who picked J.V. up shortly after the draft. Unfortunately, Verl and me weren't able to overcome the ruthless efficiency that is jerseygirl. I was tempted to get on here last night and offer odds that YYM was going to post this story. Good odds, too.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 10:15 AM on June 13, 2007
All three Detroit no-hitters are by guys whose first name start with J (Justin Verlander, Jack Morris, Jim Bunning). Virgil Trucks and George Mullin would like to see you in their office. Bring your reference tools. I was thinking he might get another this season. Talk about curses, the last time a Tigers pitcher threw two no-hitters in a single season he went 5-19 on the year and the team finished with 104 losses.
posted by The Crafty Sousepaw at 10:23 AM on June 13, 2007
Send $3 and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Tigers Super Fans, c/o YYM. Honestly, with the way Dr. Steinberg and his minions are pimping out the team of my (misspent) youth, I'm about a year away from doing something like that.
posted by yerfatma at 10:57 AM on June 13, 2007
I Yam a Tigerfan4ever: Glory be!!! our ace has arrived, and so lately have are bats. Hopefully, Bonderman is next inline for a no-hitter. Go Tigs!!! PS - Peavy is uber sick, I would even put him ahead off C.C.
posted by dezznutz at 11:17 AM on June 13, 2007
I don't think we should hold an athlete accountable for saying something is the "best experience of my life" (a) when he/she is saying it right after accomplishing a rare, amazing or exhilarating feat, or (b) when no additional context is given. On point (a), I think generally when people experience extreme highs, it's hard to think of something else ever being so good. On point (b), there's probably room for athletes to have the best individual feeling/experience, the best team experience, the best personal life experience, etc. without cheapening any of the others. I'm sure Verlander wasn't thinking about his first kid or his wedding (I actually don't think he's married or has kids, but you get the point) when he's being interviewed after the game, or really his best experience from a team perspective. If this was on Sunday Conversation or an interview that's more removed from the immediacy of the accomplishment and allows for more sober reflection, I might hold it against him. But not in the heat of the moment.
posted by holden at 11:42 AM on June 13, 2007
It doesn't sound too competitive if Verlander can go for only $3. It would take too long to explain the unique (read: bizarre) economics, but it's a keeper league and I "signed" him last year before he began his ROY season...eventually I'll have to pay a fair price for him! But not today. Please resume your regularly-scheduled discussion.
posted by Venicemenace at 12:19 PM on June 13, 2007
Virgil Trucks and George Mullin would like to see you in their office. Bring your reference tools. Ah. See, those happened in before 1957. To me, there isn't anything worth talking about before 1957, since Baseball Reference and Retrosheet don't have reliable box scores before that date. Remember, it's not the tool being used, but the tool using it, that matters. /shamed
posted by grum@work at 12:37 PM on June 13, 2007
Honestly, with the way Dr. Steinberg and his minions are pimping out the team of my (misspent) youth, I'm about a year away from doing something like that. What!? You mean you don't like the recent appointment of Jerry Remy as president of Red Sox Nation?
posted by jerseygirl at 12:39 PM on June 13, 2007
I have yet to expend all of my remaining homer credits on sportsfi so here is my hell yeah! for the Tigers and Justin V.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 01:33 PM on June 13, 2007
Homer credits? I must have been sick the day they handed those out. Damn it!
posted by apoch at 05:54 PM on June 13, 2007
This Justin is a really good pitcher but i dont no much about him but then again im a girl. I do no he was in the world series with my babies the STL Cardinals!!
posted by i_love_me1994 at 10:52 AM on June 22, 2007
Verlander just shut them down tonight. Only three balls reached the outfield which is pretty incredible. When a pitcher hits 101 mph on the radar gun in the 9th inning after pitching the whole game you know he's something special.