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Sale Tale: Be Careful
What You Wish For

By Paul Ladewski, Executive Director
Posted on Monday, May 13
Paul Ladewski photo

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale had his perfect game broken up in the seventh inning on Sunday night. Maybe it was for his own good.

Ask ex-teammate Phil Humber, the most recent Chicago pitcher who has seen his fortunes take a sudden and mysterious turn for the worse immediately after the highlight of his career. Since Humber authored a perfect game against Seattle Mariners last spring, he has a 4-13 record and 8.03 earned run average in 33 appearances.

Even four-time All-Stars such as Mark Buehrle have fallen prey to the no-hit jinx over the years. The veteran has a 42-44 record and 4.61 ERA since his perfecto against the Tampa Bay Rays four years ago.

No doubt Sale was disappointed to fall short in his bid for the 19th no-hitter in franchise history, but at least he was part of no small bit of irony. The Houston Astros designated Humber for assignment only hours before it happened.

No-hitters generate unusual tidbits
on which to chew through the decades

By George Castle, CBM Historian
Posted on Tuesday, May 21^th

An embarrassment of riches: Mark Buehrle pitched no-hitters two seasons part at U.S. Cellular Field. Photo credit Sliver7.

The years and decades keep flipping past, but the Cubs maintain one proud record.

A team enmeshed in so much failure has succeeded in avoiding one ignominious record. The Cubs have compiled the longest active streak without being no-hit, since Sandy Koufax did a real number on them with his famed perfect game on Sept. 9, 1965.

And Wrigley Field itself has avoided hosting a no-hitter since Sept. 2, 1972, when Milt Pappas went 1-and-2 on the Padres’ Larry Stahl – one strike away from a perfect game. Uncle Miltie then tried to paint the corners, plate ump Bruce Froemming disagreed, and Stahl walked. Somehow, a peeved Pappas collected himself to get Garry Jestadt, the next hitter, to pop to second baseman Carmen Fanzone to complete the no-no.

Ever since, a no-hitter has been broken up either for or against the Cubs four times in the ninth inning at Wrigley Field. “For” being Chuck Rainey against the Reds in 1983 and Mike Morgan against the Braves in 1993. “Against” was Tom Seaver of the Mets in 1975 and Alex Fernandez of the Marlins in 1997.
STORY >>

Allen Returns to Chicago

CBM Backs Veeck Bid

Campaign to get William Veeck Sr. into the Baseball Hall of Fame</a> on WGN Radio 720

Audio from WGN (mp3 6mb)

CBM Historian
Publishes New Book

CBM Historian George Castle’s 11th book presents 10 "what if’s" in Cubs history. "Alou Makes the Catch: An Alternative History of the Chicago Cubs" plays off real persons and events to show how the star-crossed team’s championship drought might have been broken on several occasions since 1908.

In this excerpt, Castle sketches what might have happened had McDonalds founder Ray Kroc, who tried but failed to buy the Cubs in the early 1970s, actually succeeded in the off-season of 1973-74. Purchase “Alou Makes the Catch” for Kindle at Amazon.com.
READ EXCERPT>> (PDF)