Oakland A’s pitcher Jim Catfish Hunter pitches the 10th MLB perfect game in 1968 at the Oakland Coliseum (Mercury News file photo)
2024: The Final Season of the A’s at the Coliseum (PART VI) No-No’s and Perfecto’s
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
We continue to reminisce about all the great moments that have taken place for the Oakland A’s at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum during this final season for the team in Oakland. Since the Oakland A’s first game in 1968 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, there have been a total of twelve (12) no-hitters at the site currently called Rickey Henderson Field, and seven (7) of those twelve (12) have been by Oakland A’s pitchers, including one combined no-hitter. 1968.
Jim”Catfish” Hunter (Perfecto) on May 8, 1968. A’s 4 Minnesota 0. Attendance: 6,298 Time: 2:28 1970. Vida Blue. September 21, 1970. A’s 6 Minnesota 0. Attendance: 4,284 Time: 2:21 1975. Vida Blue (5 Inn) September 28, 1975. A’s 5 Minnesota 0. Attendance: 22,131 Time: 1:59 Glenn Abbott (1 INN) Paul Lindblad (1 INN) Rollie Fingers (2 INN) (Combined no-no on the last day of the season) 1983.
Mike Warren, at 22 years of age, threw a no-hitter vs Detroit Tigers on September 29, 1983. Nine innings, zero hits, zero runs, walked three and struck out five. As no-hitters usually go, it was also a quick game (before the clock era) of 2 hours and 20 minutes and a small crowd of 9,058 2010.
Dallas Braden’s (Perfecto) occurred on May 9, 2010, on Mother’s Day. He made 109 pitches to retire all 27 batters and struck out 6. in a 2-hour and 7-minute game in front of 12,228 fans at the Coliseum. 2018. Sean Manaea pitched a no-hitter over a sizzling Red Sox team that came into Oakland with an 8-game winning streak.
A’s 3 Boston 0. In front of 25,746 fans during a 2-hour and 15-minute game. 2019. Mike Fiers threw a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds. A 2-0 final in front of 11,794 at the Coliseum, lasting 2 hours 25 minutes. (Four years earlier, Fiers also threw a no-hitter with the Houston Astros on August 21, 2015, against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
However, Fiers is mainly remembered in baseball history for blowing the whistle about the Houston Astros who allegedly engaged in sign-stealing methods in 2017, the year the Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers to win their franchise’s first World Series.
Note: Johnny Vander Meer of the Cincinnati Reds threw consecutive no-hitters against the Boston Bees (now the Atlanta Braves) and the Brooklyn (now Los Angeles) Dodgers. In 1938, Cincinnati pitcher Johnny Vander Meer pitched back-to-back no-hitters on June 11 and 15. One record that might never be broken. What was the quickest MLB game ever played? April 16, 2005. Chicago White Sox 2, Seattle Mariners 1. 1 hour, 39 minutes.
Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice for the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
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