The no hitter is one of the most difficult things to attain in sports and is truly an amazing feat when completed. To pitch nine innings without surrendering a hit against the best players in the world is nuts. But not all no hitters are created equal, and here are three of the craziest.
1. Ken Johnson’s Losing No Hitter
(source: cbssports.com)
In the over 100 year history of baseball, only one player has ever pitched a no hitter and still lost, and that is Ken Johnson. So how does this happen? Well, while he didn’t allow any hits, a few errors occurred that actually allowed a run to score. It was a series of very unfortunate events on a very fortunate night for the pitcher. Personally, I am not sure how I would feel getting a no hitter (an unbelievable feat), while also losing the game.
2. Henderson Alvarez Wild Pitch No Hitter
(source: cbssports.com)
This was a crazy one and Alvarez was extremely lucky to actually get this no hitter. While the Marlins were awful in 2013, Alvarez gave them something to cheer about on this night. Him and Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander were going head to head in a true pitcher’s duel and the game as knotted up at 0-0 in the bottom of the ninth with the Marlins coming up to bat. After a few hits, it was actually an errant wild pitch thrown by the Tigers pitcher that allowed the Marlins to score. This no hitter was about as cutting it close as physically possible.
3. Dock Ellis Gets a No Hitter Under the Influence
(source: pittsburghsportsreport.com)
This is a historic fact and without a doubt the most insane no hitter in history. While Ellis’s career isn’t that crazy, he is best known for his no hitter. Now, the reason his no hitter is so nuts is because he is reported to have thrown it while high under the influence of LSD (though this is somewhat disputed). He was so high during the game he could barely make out the batters and saw them as blurry objects. While the game wasn’t flawless as he hit a batter and walked a ton, he didn’t allow a single hit.
