Today In Brewer History: No-No Nieves

by Kyle Lobner on Apr 15, 2011 6:00 AM CDT in History

On this day in 1987 lefthander Juan Nieves made his second start of the season for the Brewers, who were 8-0 at the time. Nieves had just turned 22 the previous week but was already making the 35th start of his major league career. As a 21 year old in 1986, Nieves had thrown 184.2 innings and posted a 4.92 ERA. The previous year, he'd pitched 188.2 innings as a 20 year old between AA and AAA.

Nieves' previous outing wasn't very good: He allowed six runs on eight hits to the Rangers over 5.1 innings, but picked up the win anyway in the Brewers' 11-8 victory. He more than made up for the weak outing this time out, however, as he threw the only no-hitter in Brewer history. Glenn Braggs, Dale Sveum and Greg Brock all homered in the game as the Brewers won 7-0 to move to 9-0 on the season.

Nieves walked five batters in the game but allowed nothing else, striking out seven. It was the fifth complete game of his young career, and his fourth shutout.

Unfortunately, at 22 years old Nieves was already nearing the end of the road. Following the no hitter, he pitched just 57 more games before an arm injury ended his major league career at age 23. If a 20-23 year old pitcher was handled like Nieves today and got injured, it's possible his manager would be publicly executed.

These days, Nieves is spending his fourth season as the bullpen coach for the White Sox.

With help from the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:

1996-01 Brewer Jeromy Burnitz, who turns 42.
1977 Brewer Barry Cort, who turns 55.
1964 Milwaukee Brave Ed Bailey, who would have turned 80.

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Two facts:

1) I was at Nieves’s no hitter in Baltimore
2) I am going to the game tonight

Celebrating the addition of Greinke and mourning the loss of my man crush Cain

by molitorfan on Apr 15, 2011 6:26 AM CDT reply actions

i was about to mention

Kyle doesn’t mention who we played against during Nieves’ no no (nor who walked, etc). But we know he pitched against the rangers the week previous;) it might also be helpful to post a link to the game’s log/box score.

by PagsBrewCrew on Apr 15, 2011 7:20 AM CDT up reply actions

Yeah, I didn't exactly have my best stuff when I wrote this one last night.

But I pitched to contact and got through it.

Now that's great tasting chicken!

by Kyle Lobner on Apr 15, 2011 9:44 AM CDT up reply actions 3 recs

Real battler out there last night kyle

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by Jeo on Apr 15, 2011 1:34 PM CDT up reply actions

Worst no hitter ever.

And still the only one in franchise history thanks to that chump in PIT.

by klwillis45 on Apr 15, 2011 7:33 AM CDT reply actions

I disagree

This no-hitter was much worse

by nullacct on Apr 15, 2011 8:35 AM CDT up reply actions

Ugh

That is ugly.

by MisterRok on Apr 15, 2011 8:53 AM CDT up reply actions

Yep

3 errors in one inning led to 4 runs scoring.

Yuck.

Pujols is the Barack Obama of baseball.

by sjlee on Apr 15, 2011 10:15 AM CDT up reply actions

Nice find

Is this the only game in MLB history where a team went hitless, but still won the game?

Pujols is the Barack Obama of baseball.

by sjlee on Apr 15, 2011 10:14 AM CDT up reply actions

nope

I think I remember seeing a bases loaded walk in a no hitter before

by PagsBrewCrew on Apr 15, 2011 10:17 AM CDT up reply actions

I think there was even a situation where 2 teams had no hitters through 9

but the score was tied at a non-0 value.

by PagsBrewCrew on Apr 15, 2011 10:18 AM CDT up reply actions

clearly I'm wrong there

I was probably thinking of this one: September 18, 1934 (10 innings) – Bobo Newsom, St. Louis Browns 1 Boston Red Sox 2 (surrendered single with two out in 10th; only hit allowed)

(can’t seem to locate a game log, but I suspect that was 1-1 going into extras)

I may have combined that one with this one from 1917 in my mind
May 2, 1917 (10 innings) – Hippo Vaughn, Chicago Cubs 0 Cincinnati Reds 1 (surrendered single with one out in 10th; allowed one more hit; known as “Double No-Hitter” prior to MLB rule change since opposing pitcher threw 10-inning no-hitter – see entry above for Fred Toney)

May 26, 1956 (11 innings) – Johnny Klippstein (7 inn.), Hersh Freeman (1 inn.) and Joe Black (3 inn.), Cincinnati Reds 1 Milwaukee Braves 2 (Black surrendered double with two out in 10th; allowed two more hits)

May 9, 1901 (10 innings) – Earl Moore, Cleveland Blues 2 Chicago White Sox 4 (surrendered leadoff single in 10th; allowed one more hit)

by PagsBrewCrew on Apr 15, 2011 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions

Nope

Matt Young lost a no-hitter once. I remember watching some of the Hawkins game, there was two outs in the bottom of the eighth and back-to-back errors let 4 runs score and he never came out to pitch the 9th.

by nullacct on Apr 15, 2011 10:20 AM CDT up reply actions

losses (wiki)

Full 9 innings (official no-hitter)
152 23 Apr 1964 Ken Johnson Houston Colt .45s 0 Cincinnati Reds 1 NL Jerry Grote 9-inning home loss
159 30 Apr 1967 Steve Barber (8 2⁄3 IP)
Stu Miller (1⁄3 IP) Baltimore Orioles 1 Detroit Tigers 2 AL Andy Etchebarren First game of a doubleheader. 9-inning home loss.

Visiting loss (8 IP)
    June 28, 2008 – Jered Weaver (6 inn.) and José Arredondo (2 inn.), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 0, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1
    July 1, 1990 – Andy Hawkins, New York Yankees 0 Chicago White Sox 4
    April 12, 1992 – Matt Young, Boston Red Sox 1 Cleveland Indians 2.
    June 21, 1890 – Silver King, Chicago Pirates 0 Brooklyn Ward’s Wonders 1

by PagsBrewCrew on Apr 15, 2011 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions

Today in Brewer Current Events:

The second Nieves in Brewers history catches the second no-hitter in Brewers history.

Ryan Braun: He loves it. -- Four pitchers in history with 8.5+ WAR and <250 IP seasons: Greg Maddux (age 29), Pedro Martinez (age 28), Roger Clemens (age 27), Zack Greinke (age 25).

by SRB on Apr 15, 2011 7:58 AM CDT reply actions

Baseball reference game log

Its scary to think that the game was 24 years ago. I was just a kid listening on the radio. I remember Ueck’s call on the last play (Long run Robin….he’s got it with a diving catch"). And the next day I cut out the article from the Lacrosse Tribune complete with the puntastic headline “Brewers wave their magic Juan”.

Now if I could only remember my anniversary….

by grant76 on Apr 15, 2011 7:59 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs

Bill Schroeder caught the no-no

With two out in the bottom of the ninth […] the Orioles’ dangerous Cal Ripken Jr. was batting, and when Nieves nervously missed the plate with his first two pitches, veteran catcher Bill Schroeder decided to put Ripken on base. “I didn’t want this to slip away,” Schroeder said later. “I didn’t want this kid to lose a no-hitter on a 2-0 pitch.” When CF Robin Yount snagged Eddie Murray’s line drive with a diving catch on the next play, Nieves had given Milwaukee its ninth straight win, and himself a line in the record book. “I never heard so much hootin’ and hollerin’,” says Schroeder. “Juan was the only guy who wasn’t going crazy. He didn’t know what hit him.”

Article

by nullacct on Apr 15, 2011 8:33 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs

Ugh

now that you mention it I kind of dont want to watch the broadcast tonight. I like that they mention it every year, but I really dont want them to talk about it all night again and make rock feel so damn special

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by Jeo on Apr 15, 2011 8:58 AM CDT up reply actions

That

is a great photo.

Celebrating the addition of Greinke and mourning the loss of my man crush Cain

by molitorfan on Apr 15, 2011 9:08 AM CDT up reply actions

I'm surprised color photography wasn't yet invented by the late 80s;)

by PagsBrewCrew on Apr 16, 2011 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions

No Mention of Harvey Haddix 12 innings of perfect baseball before losing against the Milwaukee Braves 1-0 in 1959. I dont think there’s been a longer continous number of innings no hitter than that.
I remember watching Juan Nieves no hitter when I was in college and that special 13 game winning streak. All Brewers fans remember where they were Easter Sunday when they got that 12th one with the come from behind victory against the Rangers. Go deep Rob Deer and Dale Sveum. I never did get my my free George Webb hamburger though for the 12 wins in a row

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by steelspuredsoxleafs on Apr 17, 2011 7:35 PM CDT reply actions

Hopefully another one comes soon!

steelspurredsoxbrewerleafs. A conglomeration of some of my favorite sports teams Update I added brewers as a second favorite major league team

by steelspuredsoxleafs on Apr 17, 2011 7:38 PM CDT up reply actions

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