Sam Jones Becomes First Black To Pitch Major League No-hitter
by: Dr. Clint Wilson
Sad Sam Jones, 29-year-old right-hander of the Chicago Cubs, was a frightened man as he stood alone out there on the pitching rubber in Wrigley Field, last Thursday afternoon.
It was the first half of the ninth inning, the Cubs leading, 4-0 against the Pittsburgh Pirates who had been unable to nick Jones’ delivery for a single hit.
It was on this same mound in 1917 that Fred Toney of the Cincinnati Reds and James (Hippo) Vaughan of the Cubs had etched their names deep on baseball’s record of immorality by pitching nine innings each without allowing a hit. Vaughan gave up two hits in the 10th and lost to Toney, whose pitching was unsullied.
NEWK MISSES OUT
It was also on this same mound that Don Newcombe, Brooklyn’s big right-hander, had handcuffed the Cubs two days earlier by holding the Bruins to a single blow, a one-baser by Gene Baker in the fourth inning.
This prevented Newcombe from becoming the first pitcher to hurl a perfect game since Charley Robertson of the Chicago White Sox turned the trick against the Detroit Tigers in 1922.
Jones did not realize he had a no-hitter going until that ninth inning. At that time he turned and looked at the score board. There were no hits registered for the Pirates. The realization scared him stiff.
First he walked Eugene Freese, Pittsburgh’s lead off batter, Preston Ward, former Cub first sacker, pinch-swung for Vernon Law, and drew a pass after Freese had...
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