Dylan Cease no-hitter Yields Thoughts Of Clay Kirby

Yesterday pitcher Dylan Cease (wish this 6 or 7 innings c-a- would cease) lobbied to stay in, did so and completed just the second no-hit game by a San Diego Padres pitcher, in this, their 56th season.

The “package” in its last free day was available, but the way I “folla” (ode to “The Sting,” and missing this and not knowing until the next day, “stings” a bit) the once great sport, does not notify possible feats, including that of possible no-hit games.

Anyway, Cease’s feat joining Joe Musgrove in 2021, when his game enabled all big league teams to have at least one no-hitter, also evokes memories of pitcher Clay Kirby being denied a chance for one in 1970.

Cito Gaston, later to manage the only non Yankees’ back to back title teams, the ’92 and ’93 Toronto Blue Jays (what has happened to them, alas baseball does not want Canada is one answer) since the ’75/’76 great Cincinnati Reds with Kirby a fine pitching member of the ’75 team, was sent up by manager Preston Gomez, I believe the third base coach on my beloved ’65 title winning Dodgers (I no longer root) to bat for Kirby, as the Mets (despite so many excellent pitchers have just one no hit game in their roughly 63 seasons) led (1-0), two outs bottom 8th.

Thus no chance for a no-hitter.

Clay Kirby, pictured above, who so sadly died at age 43, hopefully putting all this and else in perspective, hurled those 8 innings of no-hit baseball 54 years and 4 days before Cease’s game yesterday.