Johnny Vander Meer is remembered as being the only pitcher to throw consecutive no hitters. But in 1904, Cy Young, pitching for the Boston Red Sox, holds the record for the longest streak of innings without allowing a hit, a streak that ended on this day.
When discussing the greatest pitchers in baseball history, Cy Young is often included. Remembered mainly for his time with the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Spiders, Young won an astonishing 511 games during his career, and is immortalized with the Cy Young Award. Prominently listed in the record books, Young certainly made his mark on the game.
Yet, one record he holds is a bit obscured in history. While Johnny Vander Meer is remembered for being the only pitcher to throw consecutive no hitters, he does not hold the record for the most consecutive no hit innings. That record belongs to none other than Denton “Cy” Young.
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Young’s impressive streak began on April 25th, when he threw two no hit innings to close out his performance against the Philadelphia A’s. He threw another six no hit innings against the Washington Senators on April 30th before throwing a perfect game against the A’s on May 5th. That streak came to an end on this day after six more hitless innings against the Detroit Tigers, retiring 76 batters without issuing a base knock.
Had this performance occurred without relief appearances, the chances are that Young would have equalled Vander Meer’s task of pitching consecutive no hitters. As it is, he managed to set a major league record with 23.1 consecutive hitless innings.
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The Boston Red Sox have had some great pitchers during their history, and Cy Young was certainly one of the best. He also turned in his greatest performance while wearing a Red Sox uniform, holding a record that few may even realize that he has.