Story Lines Terrific for First No-Hitter in 6 Years

While major league baseball has been basking in perfect games and no-hitters this season, it had been nearly six years since the Atlantic Leagueenjoyed such a feat before Southern Maryland’s Joe Newbyand Jim Ed Wardencombined to hold Newarkhitless in a 3-1 victory at Bears & Eagles Riverfront StadiumWednesday night.  The story had a delicious number of sidebars, some of them courtesy of Notebook reader Danny Phillips.

The first thing that jumps out is the two-person nature of the no-hitter, but Newby was making only his fifth start of the season and his fifth since 2005 when he was a 23-year-old in his second season in the lower levels of the Oakland Athleticsfarm system (Vancouver, BC, Northwest League).  “I don’t think I’ve been past the seventh (inning) since college (Colorado State-Pueblo),” Newby said, adding that he was “gassed” when he started the ninth.

Butch Hobsonallowed the right-hander every opportunity to finish, but three walks and a hit batsman gave the Bearsa run, and no one had been retired.  Warden wiggled his way past two veterans of major league play, Daryle Wardand Carl Everett, then induced Isaiah Kaaihueto hit into a force at second for his league-leading 20 ^th save.

Everett provided one of the game’s ironies, as Danny Phillips reminded, because the 14-year major league vet had broken up the perfect game effort of the New York Yankees’ Mike Mussinawith a pinch safety just out of the reach of Derek Jeterand Chuck Knoblauchwith two out in the ninth at Boston’s Fenway ParkSeptember 2, 2001.

The Atlantic League’sother no-hitters were complete-game efforts.  Rod Hendersonof Long Islandstopped Atlantic City3-0 May 25, 2001, and Newark’s Joe Gannonaccomplished the feat 6-0 against SomersetAugust 17, 2004.

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This ‘n That

Bridgeporthas won eight of nine to move within one game of Libertyleader Southern Marylandand strengthen its hold on the first postseason wild card… Matt Watson (Lancaster)has been getting more playing time in the Oaklandoutfield, logging 15 at-bats in the last eight days with three hits and two RBI.  He is 5-for-27 overall in his 11 games in the majors this season…The Atlantic League proved very prominent in a Pacific Coast Leaguecontest earlier this week when Michael Ryan (Somerset)got Salt Lake City (Angels)off toward a 5-2 win over Portland (San Diego)with a three-run double in the first and recent signee Ryan Houston, also a Patriotsgrad, got the final out when he struck out Wily Mo Pena,who was with Bridgeportuntil last month.  Pena has not hurt his chances of getting called up to the parent Padres,however, by hitting .340 (16-for-47) and an on-base percentage of .407 in 14 games.  He had a five-hit (all singles), four-RBI game at Las Vegas.

(These are excerpts from the Atlantic League Notebook.  Subscriptions to the full Notebook are available via www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com or www.WirzandAssociates.com .  Bob Wirz also writes a weekly column, the Independent Baseball Insider, as well as a blog, www.IndyBaseballChatter.com. The author has 16 years of major league baseball public relations experience with Kansas City and as chief spokesman for two Commissioners and lives in Stratford, CT.)