Prior to Saturday, you'd have to go back some 7,920 games to witness the last no-hitter tossed at Chicago's historic Wrigley Field when Cubs pitcher Milt Pappas twirled one on September 2, 1972. With the Philadelphia Phillies in town, sporting the worst record in all of baseball, the Fightin's threw their best pitcher on the mound in lefty ace Cole Hamels. Granted Hamels was seeking his first win since May 23 and the Cubbies had gone a span of 49 years without being no-hit, the odds of the Philadelphia southpaw delivering a no-no were incredibly stacked against him, as if they aren't to begin with for any pitcher on any given day. And with a nine-game win-less streak under his belt entering Saturday's game, the 3-time All-Star and former World Series MVP made sure that mark would fall short of reaching double-digits.
With trade rumors all we've heard of regarding the Phillies ace over the past few months and even dating back to last season's trade deadline, Hamels' name was finally mentioned in a positive light as he made history by tossing the 13th no-hitter in franchise history and first since a combined no-hitter last season, which coincidentally, Hamels started. But instead of throwing six hit-less innings like he did in last season's combined no-no before handing it off to relievers Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon to finish it off, Hamels was a one-man-show on Saturday. Hamels finished with 13 strikeouts on the afternoon and saw his only blemish come in the form of a pair of walks allowed in Philadelphia's 5-0 win. Though Hamels' gem was the third no-hitter thrown this season behind the Giants' Chris Heston and Washington's Max Scherzer, it's without a doubt the most impressive out of the bunch. For what it's worth, Hamels even out-hit the opposition on Saturday when he laced an 8th inning double, becoming just the fifth pitcher in Major League history with both a solo no-hitter and combined no-no on his resume.
Two individuals who are no stranger to witnessing the no-hitter is Cubs skipper Joe Maddon who has now been on the receiving end of five no-hitters while watching one of his own pitchers throw one, and Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz who has caught a few. For Ruiz, Saturday's feat was his fourth no-hitter while behind the plate (all with the Phillies) which sets a new National League record and ties Boston's Jason Varitek for the most no-hitters caught in Major League history. Before Hamels took to the mound on Saturday, the you'd have to turn the calendar all the way back to August 19, 1965 when the Cubbies were last held hit-less, a 49 year drought which is the longest in MLB history for any ball club. And with the MLB trade deadline looming and multiple teams looking to make a move to bolster their pitching staff, the question of whether or not we've seen Hamels' last outing in a Phillies uniform comes into play. If he is dealt, he would become just the third pitcher to ever be traded in the same season in which he notched a no-hitter, and what a farewell it would be to the city of Brotherly Love.
With the Rangers and Dodgers currently leading the pack in those looking to acquire Hamels' services, the Giants, Yankees and Cubs are also rumored to be in the Cole Hamels sweepstakes. Three years removed from signing what was the second-largest contract ever by a pitcher, $144 Million over six-years, a trade involving Hamels could be the start of a Philadelphia fire sale.
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With Major League Baseball's Opening Day just around the corner and Spring Training nearing its end, the Chicago Cubs have been all the rave up to this point. After what could very well end up being a historical off-season for the franchise which saw the signings of one of the top two free-agent pitchers on the market in Jon Lester and arguably the best skipper in the bigs in Joe Maddon, Kris Bryant who is not only Chicago's top prospect but is the number one prospect in the Majors, has been tearing the cover off of the ball this Spring. The 23-year old third baseman which has also seen some playing time in the outfield, leads the league in home runs this Spring and has Cubbie fans licking their chops looking into what should be a very bright future for an organization which hasn't won a World Series title in over a century.
In just 14 games this Spring, Bryant, a Las Vegas native and graduate of Bonanza High School, has belted 9 home runs, while driving in 15 RBIs and logging a robust .425 batting average, the type of numbers that would usually result in a player being a lock to get the opening day nod at the hot corner. But not in this case. Monday, the Cubs made a decision that was sure to grind the gears of Bryant's agent Scott Boras and the MLB Players Association alike when Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein announced the team's plan to have Bryant start the season at the Minor League level. Though the news of the team's decision is fresh off the presses and was finally made official, sources around the ball club say Epstein and company had their minds made from the start which has caused the Cubs front-office to be the target of criticism from those on the outside looking in. But if we're talking solely from a business standpoint while keeping the future in mind, the front-office made the decision every single one of us would make if we were at the helm.
By having Bryant start the year in the Minors, they can delay the start of his service clock and thus gain another full year of his services as he won't become eligible for free agency until after the 2021 season instead of 2020 had he made the opening day roster. To dumb it down some; if the Cubs can wait it out for the first nine games of the season (12 days), they'll have another year's worth of Bryant's services which considering his potential, is a no-brainer. Not to mention the championship drought that lingers on the north side of Chicago. If I'm a fan of the Cubs, I'm thrilled that the brain trust has their eyes focused on the bigger picture and that's the future of the franchise, opposed to the front-office giving him the green light to start the year only to watch him struggle out of the gates and send him back down to the Minors. Or worse, witness him become a free-agent and sign elsewhere a year earlier than he could have had we been patient for an additional two weeks.
Bryant's red-hot hitting this spring is no fluke as the second overall pick of the 2013 MLB Draft also hit a league-leading 43 home runs in the Minors last year which should bring smiles to the faces of fans sitting in the bleachers at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. With such bright young talent as Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo and Jorge Soler already on the big league roster and prospects Javier Baez and Addison Russell in the Minors and next in line to be the core of the franchise, the Cubs should be a fun team to watch and a contending powerhouse in the NL Central for many years to come.
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