Chicago Cubs no hitters pitched

Answer 1

Well, this is a very qualified answer. The qualifiers are: Where do you draw the line in calling them Chicago Cubs no-hitters? --AND-- What truly qualifies AS a no-hitter.

I'll clarify those two points in reverse order. Major League Baseball changed it's rules on this several years ago. It USED to be that they listed all games where a pitcher (or in a few case, combined pitchers on the team) allowed zero hits in 9 innings or had a complete game with no hits in 8.5 innings. Thus, an opposing team could score a run, for instance, via a walk followed by a 3-base error and win 1-0, not having to bat in the bottom of the ninth. The worst such game I found from my old record books was a 5-0 no-hit loss. Also, it would include games where a pitcher allowed zero hits in 9 innings, but allowed one or more hits in extra innings. There was also a separate section in the no-hitter list that showed no-hitters in games that were complete but shortened (e.g. a rain-shortened 7-inning nohitter).

However, a few years ago, the OFFICIAL requirements of a no-hitter eliminated all of that exceptions.

1. Must be at least 9 full innings.2. Must be no hits, regardless of how many innings.3. Must be a complete game.4. The one I am not sure of is the one where all three of those conditions are met, but the game is won by the team who is no-hit. I think that it is still officially a no-hiter.

The second issue is: what do you mean by the Chicago Cubs. This same club was started as the Chicago White Stockings in 1876. (Actually, they were started in 1871, but the National League was not started until 1876, so records begin in 1876.) There were the White Stockings from 1876-1889, the Chicago Colts from 1890-1897, the Chicago Orphans from 1898-1901, and the Cubs from 1902 to present.

So, I will start out by listing the no-hitters from the present-day "purist" -- only those from 1902 on, and only those officially called no-hitters today. According to this list, there would be 7 no-hitters in Cubs history.

08/31/15 Jimmy Lavender 2-0 vs NY Giants05/12/55 Sam "Toothpick" Jones 4-0 vs Pittsburgh Pirates05/15/60 Don Cardwell 4-0 vs St Louis Cardinals08/19/69 Ken Holtzman 3-0 vs Atlanta06/03/71 Ken Holtzman 1-0 vs Cincinnati04/16/72 Burt Hooten 4-0 vs Phil Phillies09/02/72 Milt Pappas 8-0 vs San Diego*

• Perfect Game through the first 26 batters. After getting to a 2-2 count, he threw two called balls to walk Larry Stahl. He then got the last out. It was the only game in MLB history where a pitcher retired the first 26 batters and then walked the 27th batter.

Other allowable games -- Expanding on the definition, the following games were 9-inning no-hitters, but then the Cub starter gave up one or more hits in extra innings:

06/11/1904 Bob Wicker 1-0 vs NY Giants Allowed a single in the 10th05/02/1917 Hippo Vaughn 0-1 vs Cincinnati This game still stands as the only game in MLB history where two teams combined had zero hits through 9 innings. Fred Toney of the Reds completed his no-hitter in extra innings, while Vaughn gave up two hits in the 10th and lost the game.

Other purist no-hitters by the Chicago National League ballclub that pre-date the Chicago Cubs (before 1902):

--White Stockings--08/19/1880 Larry Corcoran 6-0 vs Boston Red Caps09/20/1882 Larry Corcoran 5-0 vs Worcester Worcesters (Gee...who was the creative chap who named Worcester?)06/27/1884 Larry Corcoran 6-0 vs Providence Grays07/27/1885 John Clarkson 4-0 vs Providence Grays

--Colts--

--Orphans--08/21/1898 Walter Thornton 2-0 vs Brooklyn Bridegrooms (Hey! Wonder why THAT team name never stuck!) Game 2 of a doubleheader

True "*" Games:07/31/1910 King Cole 4-0 vs St Louis Cardinals 7-inning shortened game

So, for me personally, I would say that the Cubs have had 9 no-hitters, going by the definition when I grew up of it being one at the end of 9-innings, complee game or not.

I would also say that the Chicago National League ballclub has had 14 no-hitters, adding in those from before 1902.

And lastly....no-hitters thrown AGAINST them.

Before 1902 -- NONE.

09/18/03 0-10 vs Philadelphia Phillies06/13/05 0-1 vs NY Giants[Already mentioned above: 05/02/17 0-1 in 10 inn vs Cincinnati]06/19/52 0-5 vs Brooklyn Dodgers08/19/65 0-1 vs Cincinnati (10 innings)09/09/65 0-1 vs LA Dodgers. This was a perfect game thrown by Sandy Koufax. It also holds the record for the fewest hits allowed, two teams combined, for a complete game. The Cubs only gave up one hit in this game.