The Day I Saw A Near No-Hitter

Published June 25, 2007 @ 09:00 in Toronto Blue Jays

bluejaysDustin McGowan pitching a no-hitter into the ninth yesterday reminded me of the final regular season game of the season, September 27, 1998.

I was sitting in aisle 120, row 20, seat 4, and the Jays were facing the Detroit Tigers. A young Roy Halladay was on the mound and he was pitching a gem. He entered the ninth inning with a no-hitter and retired the first two batters he faced. I was going to witness the second no-hitter in franchise history.

I didn't. In fact, there's yet to be a second no-hitter after Dave Stieb's in 1990. Still, whenever I see a pitcher lose his no-hit bid in the ninth, I think about that September day at SkyDome when we were oh so close.

4 Responses to "The Day I Saw A Near No-Hitter"

Mike H
June 25, 2007 / 09:21

I wonder what it's like for the hitter that spoils the attempt. Is he proud that he did what no one else on his team could do? Is he conscious of the fact that he just ruined a fellow player's shot at history?

Toronto Mike
June 25, 2007 / 09:24

I think every guy is up there trying to break up the no-hitter. No team wants to be on the losing end of a no-hitter.

Mike (Buffalo Boy)
June 25, 2007 / 17:31

I was Oh so close to getting a ticket to come up yesterday but not to See Dustin Mcgowan...to See Frank Thomas hit 500 possibly. hes been hot lately....Im kinda glad that Dustin lost it for selfish reasons...because if he did get it, I would have been kicking myself more than I am already for not spooning over the $72 for a field level infield ticket to sit behind the Jays Dugout and watch history.
Get behind these guys!!! who in their right state of mind after BJ Ryan went down for the season would have said that without Overbay, Zaun, Chacin and others in the lineup this team would be .500 and a half game ahead of the Yankees in late june.
They are only 6 games out of a wildcard. they remind me a lot of the 1990 team that was i believe 10 or so games back in late august and came back to finish second to Boston in 1990. The only difference is now finishing second can still get you into the playoffs....This team is bouncing back more this season than it did last year and the young pitchers like Mcgowan are finally showing signs of doing what they thought they could do. Could be an interesting second half of the season!!!

Old Curmudgeon
June 25, 2007 / 23:27

After his stellar outing, McGowan was, as is usual, interviewed on TV, and, as has become customary,professed no excitement over his achievement, only glad that his team had climbed back to a .500 record. Would viewers blame the guy if he honestly admitted that, yes, he was excited, and yes, he was proud of his best outing in the bigs? Why all this false modesty? Who believes it? When Frank T. hits his 500th, I hope he admits it was a great moment for him.

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