Seattle Mariners History: No Hitters

1 of 5
Next

Aug 15, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez (34) celebrates the final out of a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

I cannot believe we are only three days away from Opening Day 2014. Ozzie Smith was right on the money when he said that Opening Day should be a holiday. This is the first year in a long time that I have not had to work on opening day and both my recliner and beer mugs will be getting a whole lot of attention.

There are so many things that I love about baseball season. The fresh cut grass, finely raked dirt in the infield, and the perfectly formed chalk lines heading up towards the corners of the outfield. The smell of dogs and burgers hitting the grill. The obnoxiously loud peanuts/cotton candy/ice-cold-beer vendors walking around the stadium.

Its days like this that make me feel like a kid again. It makes me remeniss about being a kid and pretending to be rounding the bases after blasting a home run in the Kingdome to win game 7 of the World Series.

Why must these last days go by so slow? A wise man once told me the only things you should ever fight in your life are time and gravity. Right now we are fighting the hands of time, counting down the days.. but what better way to pass time then take a look at a few of the greatest moments we have experienced as Mariners fans. The first four no hitters Seattle Mariners history.

The Big Unit was the man for the Mariners in the 90’s. Randy Johnson, the future hall of famer, was the first to throw a no hitter in Mariners franchise history. He completed this feat on June 2nd, 1990 against the Detroit Tigers, blanking them 2-0.

The Big Unit was inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame on January 17th, 2012. After completing this no hitter, Randy Johnson claimed the rights to being the first no hitter in franchise history, the first lefty to throw a no hitter in franchise history, and the only pitcher in franchise history to throw a no hitter while sporting a mullet.

One of the most complete team games by a Seattle Mariners ball club happened on April 22nd, 1993. It took an unbelievable defensive effort from the 8 men surrounding starting pitcher Chris Bosio to get the no hitter. The last out of the game came on a bare-handed grab by short stop Omar Vizquel and he threw out the runner in dramatic fashion.

Bosio currently serves as pitching coach for the Chicago Cubs. Thanks for the memories, Chris.

Speaking of a strong team effort. Here’s a video of the first combined no hitter in Seattle Mariners franchise history. Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Kevin Millwood combined with strong outings from Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League, and Tom Wilhelmsen. These memories should still be fresh in people’s minds. This combined effort came just 2 years ago on June 8th, 2012 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Remember folks, always save the best for last. I think that everyone can remember where they were when this happened. The first perfect game thrown in Seattle Mariners history came just a couple of months after the combined no hitter. The man who has been the face of this franchise for so long put his name in the history books on the afternoon of August 15th, 2012. (King) Felix Hernandez became the first Seattle Mariners pitcher in franchise history to throw a perfect game. He carved his name in the record books by becoming just the 23rd pitcher in Major League history to do so.

This is without a doubt my favorite moment in Mariners history. I get chills every time I watch this highlight.

Next