No Hitter
Dodgers at Pirates, May 24, 1949 - Including Day In Review
No Hitter
You should know that I play every game of these replays out by myself.
I haven’t had a single computer-only game yet, nor have I touched the autoplay button. I manage the home team for every single Diamond Mind Baseball game.
People have asked why. Some have asked whether the extra time required to play like this is worth it.
I think it is worth it — especially when it comes to games like this one. A no-hitter means so much more when you play it out yourself.
The Game
The game itself was really anticlimactic.
Pittsburgh scored a run in the bottom of the 1st and never looked back. The Pirates knocked Don Newcombe out of the box in the 6th inning, at which point it was 5-0 Pirates. The Pirates eventually added 2 more, winning the game 7-0 on 13 hits.
Cliff Chambers was the man who did the pitching trick for Pittsburgh. I actually briefly considered starting somebody else, but decided to go with Chambers. He came in with a 5-1 record and has clearly been the best Pirate pitcher in the beginning of the season.
The funny thing about this game is that there really weren’t any great plays to speak of — no defensive gems or incredible highlights. It was kind of bland as no-hitters go.
You knew something special was happening when Cliff came up in the bottom of the 8th to bat:
Chambers singled in this at bat for his second hit of the game. He also scored.
The top of the 9th went quietly. First came pinch hitter Tommy Brown:
Then it was Roy Campanella’s turn. Campy has played superbly this season, but today just wasn’t his day:
Jackie Robinson was up next, and he forced a walk. I would guess that Robinson probably would be the most likely Brooklyn hitter to break the spell.
Up next was the Duke of Flatbush:
And, well, that’s how it ended. There was no special play by play text, no pop up, no acknowledgement of the feat. If I hadn’t been paying attention, I would have had no indication that anything out of the ordinary had happened.
Diamond Mind Baseball is kind of funny that way.
Dem Bums
And so continues the plight of the Dodgers here in the early season.
Brooklyn was good for a stretch, and I thought for sure that the arrival of Don Newcombe would turn things around.
However, Newk looked awful in this one, and the famous Dodger offense — legitimately one of the greatest offenses in National League history — decided not to show up for whatever reason.
Pittsburgh is trying to stay relevant in the National League pennant race. It’s a long race, and we’ll see what happens in the long term.
Brooklyn, meanwhile, is fading fast. And the Giants simply don’t lose.
Other Action
Red Sox 6, Tigers 5: At Boston, Vern Stephens hits two 2-run home runs to lead the Red Sox to a close victory over Detroit. Watch the game here. Read the summary here.
Senators 7, White Sox 6: At Washington, a Sherry Robertson pinch hit single with two men on and two out in the bottom of the 9th turns a Senators loss into a win. Read the summary here.
Athletics 4, Indians 3: At Philadelphia, the Athletics spoil Cleveland’s plans of occupying first place with the Yankees off today. Hank Majeski’s two run home run in the bottom of the 5th is the deciding blow. Watch the game here.
Pirates 7, Dodgers 0: At Pittsburgh, see above.
Cardinals 2, Braves 1: At St. Louis, Harry Brecheen throws a complete game for his 4th win of the season, making short work of the defending National League champions.
Giants 2, Cubs 1: At Chicago, the Cubs outhit the Giants, 12-7, but can’t manage to push more than a single run across. New York is still the hottest team in the major leagues. Watch the game here.
Reds 9, Phillies 1: At Cincinnati, Herm Wehmeier threw a 4-hit complete game as the Reds made short work of the Phillies.
Standings
