No-hitter for CC? Who Cares?

CC Sabathia has dominated in the National League since being traded from the Indians, and yesterday was no exception. The combination of his excellent pitching and a very weak Pittsburgh lineup led to a complete-game shutout. The only hit allowed was a slow-rolling ground ball, that was not fielded cleanly by Mr. Sabathia. The scorer ruled it a hit, while the Brewers dugout ruled it an error. It's too bad the only opinion that counts is the official scorer...

Milwaukee has appealed the call to MLB, hoping for the call to overturned, and a no-hitter awarded to Sabathia. Does it really matter? This is a complete waste of time and money - it is still a Milwaukee win, and a shutout for the pitcher. While a nice accomplishment, I just don't think no-hitters are as big a deal as they are made out to be. A guy can give up no hits, but walk 4, 5, or more batters. There have been no-hitters where the pitcher has still given up runs. What good is that? How about a no-hitter where where the pitcher only strikes out two batters? That means 25 batters put the ball in play - the fielders just happen to be in the right place at the right time. Dock Ellis once no-hit the Padres while walking 8 and hitting a batter. No one got a hit because there weren't many pitches they could hit. Andy Hawkins pitched a no-hitter in 1990, and lost the game (it was before the rules change, now if the pitcher loses, it is not an official no-hitter).

A no-hitter depends too much on people other than the pitcher: the official scorer (as seen yesterday), the team's defense (even if they don't make errors, some players can make more plays, and take hits away. I would rather have a ball hit to Carlos Beltran than Manny Ramirez), the other team's lineup (hmmm, the pirates??), and the catcher calling the game.

Personally, I am not sure if it was a hit or not - but I could care less. This isn't the norm though, the web is already filled with some very colorful reactions to this. It would be one thing if an outfielder dropped the ball, but it was CC!! Ultimately, it was his mishandling of the ball that cost him the highly-overrated no-hitter, not the scorer.

What do you think? Leave us your comments.

Comments

[Shotgun]

Mike, I would venture to say that you have never been a pitcher. Throwing a no hitter has to be one of the most difficult things I've ever attempted (and failed).

It is so difficult because you have to make so many good to great pitches over the course of a game. Combined with the catcher, you have to be able to read a hitter's stance, swing, etc. in an attempt to keep them off balance just for 1 at bat...much less for 3 or 4.

While many hitters do not appear to be the smartest people on the planet (ala Manny Ramirez), most of them know what they are doing with a bat and know how to make adjustments the 2nd and 3rd time through the lineup.

A dominant pitcher can breeze through a lineup the first time without an issue only to get ripped his second time through because he gets into a pattern of pitch sequence or the hitters are able to make an adjustment to something that fooled them when they saw it for the first time.

All of that said, I agree that it was C.C.'s fault. He should have known his runner's speed and fielded the ball with his glove. I have always thought if a pitcher made an error it should still count against his ERA because pitcher's should be athletic enough to be more than just throwers.

[Mike]

Wow - great comment - you're right, I have never been a pitcher, just a fan.

Don't get me wrong - I think it is a great accomplishment, but I don't think it's the end-all. There have been no-hitters that have been not so great, and some pitchers who have pitched incredible games, but given up one or two hits. If a pitcher gives up no hits and loses, it is still a loss.

Thanks for your comment!

[Shotgun]

I don't think it is an end-all, but I definitely think it is a great accomplishment. There are so many great pitchers through the years (Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, Clemens, Pedro, Schilling, Mussina, Santana, Peavy - just to name a few recent ones) who have never been able to say that they've thrown a major league no-hitter.

Of course, they each have thrown tremendous one or two hitters, but they all would love to be able to say that they threw that one no hitter.

And then there are those crazy no-hitters (ala Houston's 5 or 6 pitcher no hitter a few years ago after Roy Oswalt had to leave the game) and those who have never done much of anything else in their career (ala Bud Smith with the St. Louis Cardinals whose name I only know b/c I looked it up).

"If a pitcher gives up no hits and loses, it is still a loss." - This is a completely different discussion/argument then what you are necessarily saying here, but I've argued, debated, and discussed this in the past with some other baseball guys and come to the semi-conclusion that the W/L record is a way overrated pitching statistic b/c it doesn't just measure the pitcher but how well the pitcher's team plays on the days he pitches (just look at Johan Santana or Jake Peavy's W/L record this season and tell me they've pitched only well enough for a record barely over .500. Peavy even threw eight scoreless yesterday for a no-decision).