Tag: No-hitter

Nothing Like It

(This story originally appeared in the June 2021 edition of Yankees Magazine.)

For all the baseball games I’ve been to in my life, I can only count one no-hitter to my ledger. Fortunately, it was an extremely weird and memorable one, when the Astros used six pitchers to no-hit the Astros in 2003. I was sitting in the stands at the old Yankee Stadium that night, about 13 rows back, right behind the plate.

The night was amazing partly for how weird it was. My impression of a no-hitter had always been a dominant effort by a starter, one that had you humming in anticipation from about the fifth inning on. That night, it took a lot longer to realize what was happening, because Roy Oswalt had been knocked from the game in the second inning.

History is obviously kinder to the more singular no-nos. It’s easier to attach the feat to a single pitcher. But I’ve long wondered what type is worth to be on the losing end of? Would you rather just tip your cap to a pitcher who was rolling that night, acknowledging that everything he did was working? Or do you want to reckon with the reality that even no-name relievers were shutting you down on one particular night. I’m still not sure what the answer is.

Either way, on May 19, 2021, when Corey Kluber was starting in Texas, we had all but closed out our June issue. I had the cover story, about the Yankees up-to-that-point untouchable bullpen. For the July issue, I was thinking of writing about Corey Kluber, which was why I decided I wanted to watch that night’s story very closely, asking my wife to handle bedtimes and things like that so I could plant myself in front of the TV.

Arlington, TX: New York Yankees pitcher Corey Kluber delivers a pitch in the midst of throwing a no hitter, the first of his career during a game against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Photo by Ben Ludeman/Texas Rangers

By about the sixth inning, I was worried that we might have to fit some mention of the game into the June issue. By the ninth, I was worried we might have to scrap the cover. So it goes with no-hitters.

The next day, I wrote an entirely new cover story, about the Yankees’ first no-hitter in a couple of decades. Corey Kluber had a rocky, up-and-down year in pinstripes, with a few injuries and some incredible outings, but the no-hitter will live forever. As much of a hassle as it was to have to recreate our cover and write a story on the fly, I was incredibly grateful to get to write this one. It’s a story that I hope people will go back to when they think about great moments in Yankees history, and it’s nice to have had the chance to tell it.

https://www.mlb.com/news/yankees-magazine-corey-kluber-no-hitter

Icebreaker

(This story originally appeared in the Spring 2019 edition of Yankees Magazine)

“People think we live in igloos,” new Yankees pitcher James Paxton jokes in the story I wrote after visiting him in his offseason home of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, in early January. We probably deserved that after suggesting that we introduce the Canadian left-hander to his new fans in New York by heading out ice fishing. As Paxton reminded us, the weather where he’s from — just south of Vancouver, about 100 miles from Seattle — is actually perfectly mild.

But hanging out on a frozen lake (a first for me — and for James) seemed an excellent way to get a sense of his personality, to “break the ice,” if you’ll forgive the strained metaphor. And Paxton couldn’t have been more game. In fact, after about 45 minutes of photos and intermittent fishing, we (me, the photographer, the two videographers from Yankees on Demand and the YES Network producer) told him that he could leave whenever he wanted, that we had everything we needed. But he wanted to keep fishing for as long as we would let him, so it was nice to know that we weren’t bothering him all that much.

Paxton’s one of those guys that proves the media’s East Coast bias. He really should be more famous than he is, and Brian Cashman probably deserves more credit than he has received for plucking him out of Seattle. His stuff is filthy, with a great four-seam fastball (he is very clear about the fact that his philosophy on the mound is just to go right after the hitters). He also has a terrific, somewhat unfair knuckle-curve, as well as a solid two-seamer, cutter and change. It’s an excellent arsenal, matched with fluid and easy mechanics that keeps his arm in good shape (knock on wood).

He’s also just a good guy. He couldn’t have been more pleasant and helpful over the few days we spent together (guess those Canadian stereotypes are true). Watching him work with kids during a clinic at the facility his brother-in-law Steven Hensley, owns, he made sure to give personal attention to everyone there. Hensley thinks the kids have no idea just how good Paxton is when he’s teaching them. He wishes that the pitcher got the attention he deserves. But if Paxton keeps pitching like he did in May of 2018 — when he threw a 16-K game, then followed it up with a no-hitter — the attention will definitely come his way. You can’t go under the radar in the Bronx.

(Courtesy New York Yankees)

This was a fun one — I got to ice fish! I even caught some! That was extremely cool. And I like the story, too. Hope you’ll read.

https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/getting-to-know-yankees-lefty-james-paxton/c-303341582?tid=163658034