Yankees History: George Mogridge Throws First No Hitter
A solid pitcher, George Mogridge played for the New York Yankees before their first Golden Age. Nonetheless, he still carved a place for himself in the team’s history books, as he threw the first official no hitter in team history.
It is difficult to think of the New York Yankees as a struggling franchise. They have seemingly always been in contention for the postseason, their star studded roster providing nightmares for the opposition. However, before 1921, they had never made the postseason, frequently finishing in the bottom half of the division.
That was the time when George Mogridge found himself playing for the Yankees. He was a relatively solid pitcher, posting a 48-57 record with New York, along with a 2.73 ERA and a 1.190 WHiP. However, it was on this day in 1917 that he made his way into both the Yankees and Red Sox history books, by throwing a no hitter.
Mogridge’s no hitter was not only the first to be thrown at the relatively new Fenway Park, but the first winning no hitter in Yankees history. Previously, Tom Hughes threw a nine inning no hitter against the Cleveland Indians on August 6, 1910, but he ended up allowing a hit in the tenth inning. Hughes would also end up losing the game 5-0.
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This time, Mogridge fared much better in his no hitter. He allowed just one unearned run, walking three while recording three strikeouts. The Red Sox also did their part to help New York score, as they committed four errors on the day. Dutch Leonard did well to hold the Yankees to only two runs, as he scattered eight hits and three walks along with those four errors. His six strikeouts certainly helped the cause as well.
Interestingly, 1917 would be the last year that Mogridge was used primarily as a starter. He split his time between the rotation and the bullpen afterwards, and led the American League with 45 appearances, 23 games finished, and seven saves in 1918.
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George Mogridge had the misfortune of playing for the Yankees before they became what we know the New York Yankees to be. Nonetheless, he still found his way into their history books, throwing the first no hitter in team history.