Stark: The no-hitter is dying; does that matter?
From SABR member Jayson Stark at The Athletic on April 22, 2019:
The no-hitter is dying, you guys. Don’t tell Nolan Ryan. Don’t tell Sandy Koufax. And whatever you do, don’t relay this news to the afterlife, where Bob Feller could get word of it.
The no-hitter is dying, for reasons that make perfect sense but no sense at all. Pitch counts make sense. Protecting pitchers – that makes sense. Caring about tomorrow – that makes sense, too. But…
Plunging a flaming sword through the heart of baseball lore, “Game of Thrones”-style? That’s not good. Disdaining a feat that evokes more tears, more sweat, more raw emotion and more pounding hearts than just about anything else we can think of on a baseball diamond? Don’t do that!
So this isn’t just about a baseball trend that is gathering steam by the week. It’s about where the sport is leading itself in these complicated times.
Read the full article here (subscription required): https://theathletic.com/937276/2019/04/22/stark-the-no-hitter-is-dying-does-that-matter/
- Related link: Get your free e-book copy of SABR’s No-Hitters book
Originally published: April 23, 2019. Last Updated: April 23, 2019.