BASEBALL AND OTHER STUFF
WE HAD ANOTHER FEW INCHES OF SNOW THIS MORNING
A FLURRY OF STORIES FOR YOU…
10+ STRIKEOUTS AND NO WALK GAMES
I read that a Max Scherzer reunion with the Toronto Blue Jays is still a possibility. Scherzer is now 41, but he showed the Jays in the World Series that he has something left in the tank and will certainly continue to be a role model for their young pitchers.
One thing we probably won’t see from Max again is another 10+ strikeout/no-walk game. It’s unlikely that the bullets are left in his arm to produce another game like that. Scherzer was the active leader, having thrown 31 such games in his career. That ranks him second all-time behind Randy Johnson’s 36. Second on the active list was Clayton Kershaw. He retired with 27 games, tied with Curt Schilling for third place.
The active leader is Gerrit Cole, with 22 games, good for fifth all-time. Tied for seventh all-time, with 20, is Chris Sale, who just received a contract extension from the Braves. It was announced yesterday that Sale and the Braves agreed to a one-year, $27 million contract extension, with a $30 million club option for 2028. Sale is tied with Justin Verlander, who is back with the Tigers for the 2026 season.
Of the 20 such games in Verlander’s collection, six came during his first stint with Detroit. That puts him second all-time amongst Tigers pitchers. Third, with five, are Scherzer and Mickey Lolich, who recently passed away. The leader is Tarik Skubal, who has nine games of 10+ strikeouts and no walks. He’s gotten all of those games in the 2024 and 2025 seasons when he won his two Cy Young Awards.
In case you were curious, Nolan Ryan had eight such games in his multiple-decade career.
LEFTY
Steve Carlton had seven games of 10+ strikeouts and no walks, all of them with the Phillies. Lefty pitched with the Phils for 15 seasons. He joined the club on February 25, 1972 (oh my goodness, is today the anniversary?!?) after the Cardinals dealt him straight up for pitcher Rick Wise.
In that 1972 season, Carlton won 27 games for the last-place Phillies and won the first of his four Cy Young awards. Carlton finished with 329 wins, 241 of them with Philadelphia. Carlton helped the Phils win six NL East crowns and two National League pennants. Carlton led the Phils to a 1980 World Series victory. That season, Carlton went 24-9 and pitched 304.0 innings. It’s a safe bet that no other pitcher will throw 300 innings again, making Carlton the last to achieve that feat.
METS WITH A GREAT PROMOTION
The Mets will be hosting Bobby Valentine Disguise Night on May 29. The first 15,000 fans will receive a glasses-mustache combo similar to what Valentine wore on June 9, 1999. Valentine, the Mets manager at the time, was ejected from a game against the Blue Jays. He was tossed in the 12th inning, but returned to the dugout with the fake mustache fashioned from eye black and sunglasses for the rest of the game that the Mets won in 14 innings.
MONTE IRVIN WAS BORN ON THIS DATE
Hall of Famer Monte Irvin, born on February 25, 1919, passed away at the age of 96 in 2016. He was a four-time All-Star in the Negro Leagues and was an All-Star for the New York Giants in 1952. Irvin and Hank Thompson broke the Giants' franchise color barrier on July 8, 1949.
In 1951, the year the Giants won the pennant, the Giants won the pennant (that’s my salute to Russ Hodges), Irvin led the NL with 121 RBI. In the World Series that season, the Giants faced off against the Yankees, which was not exactly a piece of “did you know” information.
However, you may not be aware that in Game 1, an important piece of baseball history occurred. It’s a perfect piece of information for Black History Month.
On October 4, 1951, just a day after Bobby Thomson homered to defeat the Dodgers in their famous playoff game, the Giants faced the Yankees. Monte Irvin, Hank Thompson, and Willie Mays were the starting outfielders for the Giants. It was the first time ever that there was an all-Black outfield. in a World Series game. In that opener, Irvin stole home in the 1st inning and picked up four hits. The Giants defeated Allie Reynolds and the Yankees, 5-1, with Dave Koslo pitching a complete game at Yankee Stadium.
NOT READING THE ROOM
Terrific column today from Jerry Brewer about the U.S. men’s hockey team just not reading the room.
The Washington Post’s loss is The Athletic’s gain; Jerry is a great addition.
BASEBALL IS THE BEST
So are Sarah Langs and Tito Francona.
TITO
Here’s another reason to love Terry Francona.
Bob Nightengale was talking to Tito about facing the Dodgers last year.
“When we played them in the playoffs last year,” Reds manager Terry Francona said, “I didn’t know whether to try to get them out or get their autographs. They just keep running guys at you.”
SHOHEI OTANI GOALS TO LOOK FOR THIS COMING AWARDS SEASON
