Johnny Vander Meer Throws Back To Back No Hitters

Johnny Vander Meer c. 1939

It’s debatable what baseball records will never be broken. I don’t bet on things that I have no control over. But I would be willing to gamble that no pitcher will ever pitch back to back no hitters like Johnny Vander Meer did.

On June 11, 1938 the 23-year-old Cincinnati Reds lefty threw a ho-hitter over the Boston Bees in a 3-0 victory. In Vander Meer’s next start on  June 15, 1938, at the first night game at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field, Vander Meer repeated his no hit performance in a 6-0 triumph over the Dodgers.

In the second no hitter, Vander Meer was wild walking eight Dodgers. After the game the New York Daily News baseball writer Hy Turkin called it “the greatest pitching performance in the 100 year history of the game.”

Vander Meer said, “I was trying for it all the way. From the first batter on I bore down. I tried to whip that ball past every one of ’em. No flies. no grounders. I wanted strikeouts.  I was rattled in the ninth with the bases full and only (Leo) Durocher between me and that shutout. Bill McKechnie ran out, slapped my back and said ‘Hell kid. They’re more scared of that ball than you are. pour it in there!'”

In his next game on June 19 against the Bees, Vander Meer finally gave up a hit in the fourth inning. The Reds won the game 14-1. Vander Meer  pitched 21 and 2/3 innings of consecutive no-hit ball.

No one will ever pitch back to back no hitters again. Today, so few pitchers pitch complete games and there are even fewer shutouts.

Vander Meer’s 13 year career shows a 119 -121 record. But he will live forever in the record books as the only major league pitcher to throw consecutive no-hitters.