In baseball, a no-hitter (also known as a no-hit game and colloquially as a no-no) is a game in which a team was not able to record a single hit. Major League Baseball officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter". This is a rare accomplishment for a pitcher or pitching staff: only 276 have been thrown in Major League Baseball history since 1875, an average of about two per year. In most cases in MLB, no-hitters are recorded by a single pitcher who throws a complete game. The last no-hitter was thrown on June 1, 2012, by the New York Mets, the first no-hitter in franchise history.

Most of the time, a no-hitter is also a shutout. However, as it is possible to reach base without a hit (most commonly via a walk, error, or hit batsman), a pitcher can throw a no-hitter and still give up runs, and even lose the game, although this is extremely uncommon. In 25 of the 276 recorded no-hitters in MLB history, one or more runs were given up, most recently by Ervin Santana of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a 3-1 win against Cleveland Indians on July 27, 2011. On two occasions, a team has thrown a nine-inning no-hitter and still lost the game. On a further four occasions, a team has thrown a no-hitter for eight innings in a losing effort, but those four games are not officially recognized as no-hitters by Major League Baseball because the outing lasted fewer than nine innings.

It is theoretically possible for opposing pitchers to throw no-hitters in the same game, although this has never happened in the majors. A game in which a team allows no runners to reach base at all is a perfect game, as well as being a shutout victory. A perfect game is by definition also a no-hitter. 21 perfect games have been recorded in MLB history.

Major League Baseball no-hitters[link]

Definition[link]

A no-hitter is defined by Major League Baseball as follows: "An official no-hit game occurs when a pitcher (or pitchers) allows no hits during the entire course of a game, which consists of at least nine innings."^[1] This definition was specified by MLB's Committee for Statistical Accuracy in 1991, causing previously recognized no-hitters of fewer than nine innings or where the first hit had been allowed in extra innings to be stricken from the official record books. Games lost by the visiting team in 8½ innings but without allowing any hits do not qualify as no-hitters, as the visiting team has only pitched eight innings.^[2][3]

Frequency[link]

Major League Baseball has officially recognized 276 no-hitters between 1876 and 2012; only 21 of those were perfect games. Two no-hitters have been thrown on the same day twice: Ted Breitenstein and Jim Hughes on April 22, 1898; and Dave Stewart and Fernando Valenzuela on June 29, 1990.

Eight no-hitters were thrown by major league pitchers in the 1884 season. In the modern era (since 1901), seven no-hitters were thrown in both 1990 and 1991.

The longest period between any two no-hitters in the modern era is &100000000000000030000003 years, &1000000000000004400000044 days between Bobby Burke on August 8, 1931, and Paul "Daffy" Dean on September 21, 1934. There was a drought of 3 years, 11 months, without a no-hitter after the first National League no-hitter on July 15, 1876, pitched by George Bradley. The most recent year that saw zero no-hitters is 2005.

The greatest number of games played between any two no-hitters is 6,364, between Randy Johnson's perfect game on May 18, 2004, for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Anibal Sánchez's no-hitter on September 6, 2006, for the Florida Marlins. The previous record was a 4,015-game streak without a no-hitter from September 30, 1984, to September 19, 1986.

Individual[link]

Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax

The pitcher who holds the record for the most no-hitters is Nolan Ryan, who threw seven in his long career. His first two came exactly two months apart, while he was with the California Angels: the first on May 15, 1973, and the second on July 15. He had two more with the Angels on September 28, 1974, and June 1, 1975. Ryan's fifth no-hitter with the Houston Astros on September 26, 1981, broke Sandy Koufax's previous record. His sixth and seventh no-hitters came with the Texas Rangers on June 1, 1990, and May 1, 1991. When he tossed number seven at age 44, he became the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter.

Only Ryan, Sandy Koufax (four), Cy Young (three), Bob Feller (three), and Larry Corcoran (three) have pitched more than two no-hitters.^[4] Corcoran was the first pitcher to throw a second no-hitter in a career (in 1882), as well as the first to throw a third (in 1884).

Thirty men in all have thrown more than one no-hitter. Randy Johnson has the longest gap between no-hitters: he threw a no-hitter as a member of the Seattle Mariners on June 2, 1990, and a perfect game as an Arizona Diamondback on May 18, 2004. The pitcher who holds the record for the shortest time between no-hitters is Johnny Vander Meer, the only pitcher in history to throw no-hitters in consecutive starts, while playing for the Cincinnati Reds in 1938.^[5] Allie Reynolds (in 1951), Virgil Trucks (in 1952), and Ryan (in 1973) are the only other major leaguers to throw two no-hitters in the same regular season. Jim Maloney (in 1965) technically threw two no-hitters in the 1965 season, but his first one ended after he allowed a home run in the top of the 11th inning. According to the rules interpretation of the time, this was considered a no-hitter. Later that season, Maloney threw a more traditional 9-inning no-hitter. Roy Halladay threw two no-hitters in 2010: a perfect game during the regular season and a no-hitter in the 2010 National League Division Series. He is the only major leaguer to have thrown no-hitters in regular season and postseason play.

Two pitchers missing their non-pitching hand have thrown no-hitters; Hugh Daily, of the Cleveland Blues, defeated the Philadelphia Quakers 1–0 on September 13, 1883, and Jim Abbott, of the New York Yankees, defeated the Cleveland Indians 4–0 on September 4, 1993. Daily lost his left hand in a gun accident as a child, and Abbott was born without a right hand.

Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers is the most recent pitcher to throw his second no-hitter, the 30th to do so. His second, on May 7, 2011, was the seventh no-hitter in Detroit Tigers history.

The record for most no-hitters caught by a catcher is four, by Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek. He caught no-hitters for Hideo Nomo, Derek Lowe, Clay Buchholz, and Jon Lester.^[6] Varitek also caught a rain-shortened, five-inning unofficial no-hitter for Devern Hansack on October 1, 2006.^[7] Before MLB redefined "no-hitter," Ray Schalk had long held the record of catching four no-hitters, but his first nine-inning no-hitter had ended with a hit in the tenth inning.^[7][8]

Five pitchers have thrown a no-hitter in both the American League and the National League: Cy Young, Ryan, Jim Bunning, Nomo, and Randy Johnson. Only four catchers have caught a no-hitter in each league: Gus Triandos, Jeff Torborg, Darrell Porter and Ron Hassey. Triandos caught Hoyt Wilhelm's 1958 no-hitter and Jim Bunning's perfect game, Torborg caught Koufax's perfect game and Ryan's first no-hitter, Porter caught Jim Colborn's 1977 no-hitter and Bob Forsch's second no-hitter in 1983, and Hassey caught Len Barker's and Dennis Martinez's perfect games.

Team[link]

No team has thrown no-hitters in consecutive games, although it has happened once on consecutive days: On May 5, 1917, Ernie Koob of the St. Louis Browns no-hit the Chicago White Sox, and teammate Bob Groom repeated the feat in the second game of a doubleheader the following day.

On two occasions, there have been back-to-back no-hitters thrown by each team in a series. On September 17, 1968, Gaylord Perry of the San Francisco Giants no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Cardinals' Ray Washburn no-hit the Giants the following day. On April 30, 1969, Jim Maloney of the Cincinnati Reds no-hit the Houston Astros, and the Astros' Don Wilson no-hit the Reds the following day.

The Tampa Bay Rays are the only MLB team to fail to get a hit in three games in a span of 12 months or fewer. No-hit by Arizona's Edwin Jackson on June 25, 2010, the Rays were also the victims of two perfect games: the first by White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle on July 23, 2009, the second by Oakland's Dallas Braden on May 9, 2010.

Combined no-hitters[link]

The vast majority of no-hit games are finished by the starting pitcher, but nine MLB no-hitters have been thrown by a combination of the starting and relief pitchers. The first such combined no-hitter occurred on June 23, 1917, when Ernie Shore of the Boston Red Sox relieved starter Babe Ruth, who had been ejected for arguing with the umpire after walking the first batter of the game. The runner was subsequently caught stealing and Shore retired the next 26 batters without allowing any baserunners. This game was long considered a perfect game for Shore, since he recorded 27 outs in succession; current rules classify it only as a combined no-hitter. Another major league combined no-hitter did not occur until April 30, 1967, when Stu Miller recorded the final out in relief of Steve Barber, a 2-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

The only combined extra inning no-hitter to date occurred on July 12, 1997. Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers Francisco Cordova (9 innings) and Ricardo Rincon (1 inning) combined to no-hit the Houston Astros, 3-0. Victory was secured with a three-run walk-off home run by pinch hitter Mark Smith in the bottom of the tenth inning.

On June 11, 2003, the Houston Astros set a record with six pitchers involved in a one combined no-hitter. On that day, Roy Oswalt, Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel, and Billy Wagner combined to hold the New York Yankees hitless. Oswalt was removed after one inning due to injury. Munro pitched the most innings, 2⅔. He also allowed five of the six baserunners, giving up three walks, hitting a batter and seeing another reach on an error by third baseman Geoff Blum. The only other baserunner was allowed by Dotel, who threw a third-strike wild pitch to Alfonso Soriano with one out in the eighth; Dotel went on to record the 45th four-strikeout inning in regular-season play.^[9] Lidge, who retired all six hitters he faced over the sixth and seventh innings, earned the victory.

Only one pitcher, Mike Witt, has thrown a no-hitter as a starter and contributed to a combined no-hitter as a reliever. On September 30, 1984, Witt threw a 1-0 perfect game for the California Angels against the Texas Rangers. On April 11, 1990, pitching the eighth and ninth innings in relief of Mark Langston, Witt earned a save in another 1-0 no-hit victory for the Angels over the Seattle Mariners.

Kent Mercker and Vida Blue are the only pitchers to start both a complete game no-hitter and a combined no-hitter. While with the Atlanta Braves in 1991, Mercker, Mark Wohlers and Alejandro Peña no-hit the San Diego Padres in the National League's first combined no-hitter. Mercker threw a complete game no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 8, 1994. Vida Blue no-hit the Minnesota Twins on September 21, 1970, while pitching for the Oakland Athletics. He combined with Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad, and Rollie Fingers to no-hit the California Angels on September 28, 1975. Both Mercker and Blue were All-Stars in the seasons of their combined no-hitters, and Blue also won the Cy Young Award and the Most Valuable Player Award during his career.

Earliest, latest, title-clinching, and postseason no-hitters[link]

Hideo Nomo threw the earliest no-hitter based on calendar date: April 4, 2001, the second game of the season for the Boston Red Sox. The Cleveland Indians' Bob Feller left the Chicago White Sox hitless in the 1940 season opener on April 16, the only official Opening Day no-hitter.

No-hitters have twice been thrown on the final day of the season: the aforementioned Blue-Abbott-Lindblad-Fingers effort for Oakland in 1975, as well as Witt's perfect game in 1984. Hansack's five inning effort took place on the final day of the 2006 season.

The Houston Astros' Mike Scott no-hit the San Francisco Giants on September 25, 1986, a victory that also clinched the National League West title for the Astros; this is the only such occurrence in Major League history to date. In the first game of a double header on September 28, 1951, Allie Reynolds of the New York Yankees pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox which clinched a tie for the American League pennant (the pennant was clinched outright in the double header's second game).

There have been two postseason no-hitters in MLB history, one in each league. For the AL, on October 8, 1956, Don Larsen of the New York Yankees threw a perfect game in Game 5 of that year's World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. The feat had nearly been accomplished nine years earlier by the Yankees' Bill Bevens, who came within one out of a no-hitter (though not a perfect game) against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 4 of the 1947 World Series, only to lose the game on a pinch-hit double by Cookie Lavagetto. There have been other one-hitters in the World Series, with the lone hit coming earlier in the game than in Bevens' feat. On October 6, 2010, Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies, in the first postseason appearance of his career, threw the second no-hitter in postseason history, and first in the NL, in Game 1 of the Phillies' NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds.

Rookie no-hitters[link]

Twenty-one MLB rookies have pitched a no-hitter since 1901. Three pitchers have thrown a no-hitter in their first major league starts; two others have done it in their second major league starts.^[10]

Bumpus Jones of the Cincinnati Reds threw a no hitter on October 15, 1892 in his first major league game. Jones pitched only eight games in the big leagues, finishing with a career win/loss record of 2-4 and a career earned run average of 7.99.

Ted Breitenstein pitched a no-hitter in his first Major League start on October 4, 1891, however, it was not his first Major League game.^[11] He later threw a second no-hitter on April 22, 1898.

On May 6, 1953, Bobo Holloman pitched a no-hitter for the St. Louis Browns in his first major league start (also not his first major league game). This game would prove to be one of only three major league wins that Holloman achieved, against seven losses, all in 1953. Bill Veeck, then-owner of the Browns, in his autobiography described the 27 outs of Holloman's no-hitter as consisting of hard-hit ground balls, screaming line drives, and deep fly balls. At the other end of the spectrum, there are nine 300-game winners—Grover Cleveland Alexander, Kid Nichols, Lefty Grove, Early Wynn, Steve Carlton, Don Sutton, Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens and Tom Glavine—who failed to pitch a no-hitter.

On August 11, 1991, Wilson Alvarez of the Chicago White Sox pitched a no-hitter in his second career major league start. During Alvarez's first career start, he had allowed three runs on a pair of home runs and did not retire a single batter. Unlike Jones and Holloman, Alvarez went on to win 102 games over a 16-year career.

Clay Buchholz pitched a no-hitter for the Boston Red Sox in his second major league start on September 1, 2007 at Fenway Park. The game ended in a 10-0 victory for the Red Sox over the Baltimore Orioles.

Nine-inning no-hitters in a losing effort[link]

Unlike a perfect game, in which no batters reach base, in regular no-hitters batters can reach base in other ways, such as a walk, an error, or a hit batsman, thus it is possible for the team pitching the no-hitter to lose. On April 23, 1964, Ken Johnson of the Houston Colt .45s became the only pitcher to lose a complete game no-hitter in nine innings when he was beaten 1-0 by Cincinnati. The winning run was scored by Pete Rose in the top of the ninth inning via an error, groundout, and another error.^[12]

On April 30, 1967, Steve Barber and Stu Miller of the Baltimore Orioles pitched a combined no-hitter, but lost 2-1 to the Detroit Tigers.^[13]

On July 1, 1990, Andy Hawkins of the Yankees pitched an eight-inning no-hitter (the Yankees were the away team) against the Chicago White Sox and lost the game 4-0 after an eighth inning which saw three errors.^[14] The four runs that the White Sox scored are the most by any team in a game in which they had no hits. ^[15] Because Hawkins only threw eight innings, this game is not recognized as an official no-hitter by Major League Baseball.

Jered Weaver and Jose Arredondo of the Angels also combined for eight innings of no-hit baseball in a 1-0 road loss to the Dodgers June 28, 2008, where Matt Kemp reached on an error, stole second, advanced to third on another error, and scored on a sacrifice fly. However, since the Angels only pitched eight innings, this game is not recognized as an official no-hitter.

[edit] Shortened no-hitters

A game that cannot continue due to weather or darkness may be considered a completed official game, as long as at least five innings have been completed. Until 1991, any such game in which a pitcher held the opposing team without hits was considered an official no-hitter; however under the current rule, a no-hitter must last for at least nine innings to count. As the rule was applied retroactively, thirty-six games in which a no-hitter was interrupted by weather or darkness, with lengths ranging from 5 to 8 innings, are no longer considered no-hitters.

If the home team leads after the top of the ninth, they do not bat in the bottom of the ninth, thus the visiting team only pitches 8 innings. Since it is possible to score runs without getting hits, a visiting team can complete a full game without allowing a hit but not be credited with an official no-hitter. This has happened four times in MLB history: Silver King (1890), Andy Hawkins (1990), and Matt Young (1992) pitched complete games without allowing a hit, but pitched only 8 innings as the losing pitcher from the visiting team, and thus are not credited with a no-hitter.^[16][17] On June 28, 2008, Jered Weaver and José Arredondo of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim threw 8 no-hit innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, but lost the game 1-0 and are not credited with a no-hitter. This is the first near no-hitter of this kind in which more than one pitcher was involved.

No-hitters lost in extra innings[link]

A game that is a no-hitter through nine innings may be lost in extra innings. Under current rules, such a game is not considered an official no-hitter because the pitcher did not keep the opponent hitless for the entire course of the game.

On May 2, 1917, a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds reached the end of nine innings in a hitless scoreless tie,^[18] the only time in baseball history that neither team has had a hit in regulation. Both Hippo Vaughn of the Cubs and Fred Toney of the Reds continued pitching into the tenth inning. Vaughn lost his no-hitter in the top of the tenth, as the Reds got two hits and scored the winning run. Toney retired the side in the bottom of the tenth and recorded a ten-inning no-hitter. This game was long considered a "double no-hitter," but Vaughn is no longer credited with a no-hitter under the current rules.

Of the thirteen potential no-hitters that have been lost in extra innings, two were perfect games until the inning when the first hit was surrendered. On May 26, 1959, Harvey Haddix of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitched a remarkable twelve perfect innings against the Milwaukee Braves before losing the perfect game on an error and then the no-hitter and the game in the thirteenth inning. On June 3, 1995, Pedro Martínez of the Montreal Expos pitched nine perfect innings against the San Diego Padres before giving up a hit in the tenth and exiting the game, which the Expos then won 1-0.^[19]

Teams without no-hitters[link]

Only one existing franchise in Major League Baseball has not had a pitcher toss a no-hitter: the San Diego Padres, who have gone 43 years without a no-hitter since they began play in 1969. Their closest bid came against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 18, 1972; Steve Arlin came within one out of a no-hitter before a Denny Doyle single broke up the bid. Again on July 9, 2011, five Padres pitchers combined for 8 2/3 innings of no-hit pitching against the Los Angeles Dodgers before a Juan Uribe double broke up the bid, followed by a Dioner Navarro single which won the game, which had been scoreless up to that point.

The New York Mets, who began play in 1962, went without a no-hitter until Johan Santana pitched one on the night of June 1, 2012 playing the St. Louis Cardinals at home at Citi Field, in their 51st season. The Mets won 8-0. Until then, they had held the record as the oldest team without a no-hitter in its history. Before Santana's no hitter, the franchise went 8,019 regular season games, and 74 postseason games without a no-hitter. Mets' pitchers, however, have thrown 36 one-hitters.

Though the Washington Nationals franchise has four no-hitters in its history, including a perfect game by Dennis Martinez, all of them took place during the team's existence as the Montreal Expos.

Six current NL teams—the Braves, Dodgers, Giants, Phillies, Cubs and Reds—all pitched their first no-hitters before the advent of the American League in 1901. The last of the original National League teams to get their first no-hitter was the St. Louis Cardinals, when Jesse Haines pitched one on July 17, 1924. Of the original American League teams, the last team to get their first no-hitter was the New York Yankees, when George Mogridge pitched one on April 24, 1917.

Avoiding no-hitters[link]

All modern-era MLB teams have experienced at least one no-hitter pitched against them. The record for the longest period of time without being no-hit is held by the Chicago Cubs and is still ongoing: the Cubs have succeeded in getting at least one hit in every game since Sandy Koufax's perfect game on September 9, 1965, a period of &1000000000000004600000046 years, &10000000000000265000000265 days (7420 games: Including Postseason) as of May 31st, 2012. The second-longest streak without having an official no-hitter pitched against them is held by the New York Yankees, who had a gap of &1000000000000004400000044 years, &10000000000000263000000263 days between nine-inning no-hitters from September 21, 1958 to June 10, 2003. However, during this time, the Yankees team hitting streak ended in a rain-shortened official game on July 12, 1990,^[20] after &1000000000000003100000031 years, &10000000000000294000000294 days. The St. Louis Cardinals have the second-longest team hitting streak in MLB history: May 12, 1919 to May 14, 1960, a period of &1000000000000004100000041 years, &100000000000000030000003 days.

Forbes Field, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates from the middle of the 1909 season until the middle of the 1970 season, is the only long-term home field where a no-hitter was never thrown during its existence. There are several recently-built fields where no-hitters have not yet been thrown. Two parks in existence for a decade or more have only seen one no-hitter to date—the Orioles' current home, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and Coors Field, the notoriously hitter-friendly home of the Colorado Rockies. In both parks, the only pitcher to throw a no-hitter is Hideo Nomo.

International competition[link]

In the 2006 World Baseball Classic Shairon Martis pitched a no hitter for the Netherlands against Panama, however it was only seven innings due to the mercy rule.

Superstitions[link]

One of the most common baseball superstitions is that it is bad luck to mention a no-hitter in progress, especially to the pitcher and in particular by their teammates (who sometimes even go so far as to not even be near the pitcher).^[21] Some sportscasters observe this taboo while others have no reservations about mentioning no-hitters before completion. When Sandy Koufax pitched his no-hitter against the Mets in 1962, one of their 120 losses that season, Mets' coach Solly Hemus, apparently trying to jinx Koufax, kept heckling him through the game about pitching a no-hitter, according to a post-game interview Koufax gave after pitching his third no-hitter in 1964. Mickey Mantle, in an interview for Ken Burns' Baseball documentary series, relates that Don Larsen, famed for his 1956 World Series perfect game, tried to talk about his no-hitter throughout the contest but much to his chagrin his Yankee teammates avoided his conversation and maintained the superstition.

When Jim Bunning was pitching his perfect game, he deliberately violated this superstition, talking to his teammates about the perfect game's progress in order to dispel the tension in the dugout.^[22]

See also[link]

Baseball portal

• Perfect game
• Baseball
• Pitching

References[link]

External links[link]

• Chronological list of no-hitters at Retrosheet
• American League no-hitters
• National League no-hitters
• No-hitters alphabetically by umpire
• List at MLB.com. Does not include defunct leagues.

Justin Verlander
Verlander warming up before a game.
Detroit Tigers – No. 35
Starting pitcher
Born: (1983-02-20) February 20, 1983 (age 29) Manakin-Sabot, Virginia
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
July 4, 2005 for the Detroit Tigers
Career statistics (through May 29, 2012)
Win–Loss record	112–60
Earned run average	3.48
Strikeouts	1,297
Teams
Detroit Tigers (2005–present)
Career highlights and awards
4× MLB All-Star (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011) AL Rookie of the Year (2006) AL MVP (2011) AL Cy Young Award (2011) Pitched a no-hitter on June 12, 2007 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Pitched a second no-hitter on May 7, 2011 against the Toronto Blue Jays. Led AL in strikeouts (269), innings pitched (240), and tied in wins (19) in 2009. AL pitching Triple Crown (2011) AL TSN Pitcher of the Year (2011) Sporting News Player of the Year (2011) Led AL in strikeouts (250), wins (24), ERA (2.40) and WHIP (0.92) in 2011.

Medal record
Baseball
Competitor for  United States
Pan American Games
Silver	Santo Domingo 2003	Baseball at the 2003 Pan American Games

Justin Brooks Verlander (born February 20, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball.

In 2006, he was named the American League Rookie of the Year. On June 12, 2007, he pitched a no-hitter—the first ever at Comerica Park—against the Milwaukee Brewers, striking out 12 batters and walking four.^[1] He pitched a second no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 7, 2011, in Toronto, walking one and facing the minimum 27 batters.^[2] On November 15, 2011, Verlander was named the 2011 AL Cy Young Award winner by a unanimous vote, becoming the first American League pitcher since Johan Santana in 2006 to win the award in such a fashion. On November 21, 2011, Verlander was voted the AL MVP, winning with 280 points over Jacoby Ellsbury's 242, completing a sweep of the Cy Young Award and MVP, a rare feat for a pitcher in the modern era.^[3]

Playing career[link]

Amateur career[link]

His father Richard, who was president of the local Richmond, Virginia chapter of the Communications Workers of America, sent Justin to The Richmond Baseball Academy. Justin clocked 84 mph (135 km/h) shortly after joining the academy. His velocity kept climbing, and hit 86 MPH by the time he entered Goochland High School. He had been a top pitching prospect in high school, but his career suffered a setback when he came down with strep throat early in his senior season of baseball. A weakened Verlander topped out at 81 during that season, causing professional scouts to lose interest.^[4] After he recovered, his velocity reached 87 during his first year at Old Dominion.

Verlander, a 6' 5" 200 pound (1.96 m, 91 kg) right-hander, pitched for the Old Dominion University baseball team for three years. On May 17, 2002, he struck out a then school record 17 batters against James Madison. In 2003, he set a school single-season record by recording 139 strikeouts; in 2004, he broke his own record and established a new Colonial Athletic Association record with 151 strikeouts. Verlander completed his career as the all-time strikeout leader in Old Dominion, the Colonial Athletic Association and the Commonwealth of Virginia (Division I) history with 427 in 335⅔ innings. During his three years, he averaged 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings, and his career collegiate earned run average was 2.57.

Verlander pitched for Team USA in 2003 and helped the USA to a silver medal in the Pan Am Games. He was named CAA Rookie of the Year in 2002 and earned All-CAA honors in 2003 and 2004. Verlander was named the ODU Alumni Association's Male Athlete of the Year in 2004, and was the second overall pick in the 2004 Baseball draft by Detroit.

Minor leagues[link]

Verlander's professional baseball career began when the Detroit Tigers selected him second overall in the 2004 MLB Draft. After lengthy negotiations, he signed a contract on October 25, 2004. Verlander started the 2005 season for the Lakeland Tigers, where he showed surprisingly good control. He was rewarded with a brief appearance in the majors, making his first major league start against the Cleveland Indians on July 4, 2005. After two starts in the majors, he returned to the minor leagues pitching for the Erie SeaWolves, the AA affiliate of the Tigers.

Major leagues[link]

2006[link]

Verlander and his teammates celebrate after the final out of his first no-hitter.

In his first full season, Verlander went 17–9 with a 3.63 ERA, striking out 124 batters in 186 innings. On July 4, 2006, at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California, Verlander, Joel Zumaya, and Fernando Rodney each threw multiple fastballs clocked in at over 100 mph (160 km/h), becoming the first time in MLB history that three pitchers, on the same team, had done so during a game. He allowed only one stolen base in 2006 and picked off 7 baserunners. In 2006, he became the first rookie pitcher in the history of the game to win 10 games before the end of June, which eventually led to him being named AL Rookie of the Year at the end of the season. During Game 1 of the 2006 World Series, Verlander was the Tigers' starting pitcher against Anthony Reyes of the St. Louis Cardinals; the first time two rookies faced off to start a World Series.

2007[link]

His success continued in 2007, as he accumulated 18 wins and posted a 3.66 ERA with 183 strikeouts 201⅔ innings. On June 12, Verlander recorded a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers, striking out 12 and hitting 102 MPH on the radar gun.

2008[link]

In 2008, Verlander performed poorly to start the season. He lost 4 consecutive games before winning his first one. He led the A.L. in losses, totaling 17. Overall, he finished the 2008 season with a 11-17 win-loss record and an ERA of 4.84.

2009[link]

His 2009 season proved successful. He finished with a 19–9 record, an ERA of 3.45 and an MLB-leading 269 strikeouts.^[5] Verlander finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting behind winner Zack Greinke and runner-up Felix Hernandez.

2010[link]

On February 4, 2010, it was announced that Verlander and the Tigers had reached a deal for an $80 million, 5 year contract extension.^[6] On July 3, Verlander earned his 10th win of the season. This marked the fourth time in five years he has had double digit wins before the All-Star break. On September 18 Verlander beat the Chicago White Sox, throwing a complete game to earn his 17th win of the season. With that win he became the first pitcher to win 17 games in 4 of his first 5 seasons since Dwight Gooden.^[7] He would finish 2010 with an 18–9 record and 3.37 ERA.

2011[link]

On April 22, Verlander recorded his 1,000th career strikeout in a 9–3 win over the White Sox, becoming the 15th Tiger to do so.^[8] On May 7, he recorded his second career no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays, throwing four strikeouts, walking one batter and throwing at a maximum speed of 101 MPH on the radar gun. He carried a perfect game into the 8th inning before allowing a walk to J. P. Arencibia, who was the only man to reach base for the game.^[2] Verlander became the second Tigers pitcher since Virgil Trucks, and the thirtieth pitcher in the history of baseball, to throw multiple no-hitters. On his next start, against the Kansas City Royals on May 13, Verlander took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before surrendering a triple. Altogether, he pitched 15⅔ consecutive no-hit innings, spread over three starts.

On June 14, Verlander took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. He pitched 7⅓ innings until he gave up a base hit to Cleveland's Orlando Cabrera. Verlander ended up with a complete game shutout allowing two hits. In his next start on June 19, he threw another complete game allowing a solo home run to Ty Wigginton.^[9] On June 25, he recorded a career-high 14 strikeouts against Arizona.^[10] On July 3, 2011, Verlander was selected to his fourth AL All-Star team, but he was unable to participate in the game due to the scheduling of his starts. On July 31, 2011, Verlander took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before surrendering a single to Maicer Izturis. He walked two and struck out nine. On August 11, Justin won his 100th major league game against the Cleveland Indians. On August 27, he became the first pitcher in the major leagues to attain 20 wins in the current season. The victory also made Verlander the first Tiger since Bill Gullickson in 1991 to win 20 games, and the first major leaguer since Curt Schilling in 2002 to reach 20 wins before the end of August.^[11]

By the end of the season, Verlander had won the Triple Crown of pitching in the AL, leading the league in wins (24), strikeouts (250; tied for 6th-most in Tigers history), and ERA (2.40).^[12] Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw clinched the NL Triple Crown earlier in the week, making it the first since 1924 that a season featured a Triple Crown pitcher in both leagues. Verlander also led the AL in innings pitched (251), win-loss percentage (.828; 6th-best in Tigers history), and in errors committed by a pitcher (5).^[13] Throughout the season, he never had an outing in which he threw fewer than 6 innings or 100 pitches. Through 2011, Verlander had the best career strikeouts-per-9-innings-pitched percentage in Tigers' history (8.3), and the second-best career win-loss percentage (.652; also the fourth-best percentage of all active pitchers).^[13][14]

Verlander received various awards for his play in 2011. Those awards included the AL TSN Pitcher of the Year, The Sporting News Player of the Year Award, a Players Choice Award for Player the Year and Most Outstanding American League pitcher, and a USA Today American League Cy Young.

On November 3, 2011, Verlander was named the cover athlete of Major League Baseball 2K12.^[15]

On November 15, the Baseball Writers Association of America announced that Verlander had unanimously won the 2011 AL Cy Young Award.^[16]

On November 21, 2011, it was announced that Verlander had also won the AL MVP Award, a rarity for a pitcher, in a much closer vote. Verlander edged out Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury, 280 points to 242 points, while collecting 13 of 28 first-place votes.^[17] He became the first pitcher to claim an AL MVP Award since Dennis Eckersley in 1992, the first starting pitcher to do so since Roger Clemens in 1986, and the third Tiger to do so in franchise history (joining Denny McLain and Hal Newhouser).

2012[link]

On May 18, Verlander took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates before giving up a one-out single in a 6-0 victory. It was his first-career complete game one-hitter, his 16th complete game overall, and sixth career shutout. Verlander, who struck out 12 in the game, was hitting the upper-90s and even 100 mph into the eighth inning.^[18]

Pitch repertoire[link]

He features two fastballs: a four-seamer in the high-90s (which routinely pushes and occasionally eclipses 100 MPH) and a two-seamer in the low- to mid-90s with good arm-side run. He also throws a 12–6 curveball in the 78–83 mph range, a circle changeup in the low to mid-80s, and a slider which he throws 83–89 mph. Observers frequently note that Verlander's fastball regularly registers in the high-90s, and the velocity of the pitch remains relatively uniform throughout the course of a game. Many attribute Verlander's success to his outstanding endurance.^[19]

Awards and accolades[link]

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	Baseball portal

• List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions
• List of Major League Baseball wins champions
• List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Justin Verlander

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Tim Lincecum
Lincecum in 2009
San Francisco Giants – No. 55
Starting pitcher
Born: (1984-06-15) June 15, 1984 (age 28) Bellevue, Washington
Bats: Left	Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 6, 2007 for the San Francisco Giants
Career statistics (through May 16, 2012)
Win–Loss	71–44
Earned run average	3.08
Strikeouts	1,168
Teams
San Francisco Giants (2007–present)
Career highlights and awards
4× All-Star (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) World Series Champion (2010) Babe Ruth Award (2010) 3× NL Strikeout Champion (2008, 2009, 2010) 2× NL Cy Young Award (2008, 2009) 2× NL TSN Pitcher of the Year (2008, 2009) NL Player of the Week (2009) NL Pitcher of the Month (2009) MLB strikeout leader (2008) NL Outstanding Pitcher Award (2008) Golden Spikes Award (2006)

Timothy Leroy Lincecum (pronounced /ˈlɪnsɨkʌm/ LIN-sə-kum;^[1] born June 15, 1984) is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He has been nicknamed both "The Freak" and "The Franchise."