TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

May 17, 1963, just 8,223 fans showed up at Colt Stadium in Houston. By the time the final out was recorded two hours later, many more would wish they'd been there. Don Nottebart, a 27-year-old right-hander, had just thrown the first no-hitter in Houston Colt .45s history—and the first ever by an expansion team.

Traded from Milwaukee to Houston in the winter of 1962, Nottebart was making only his 19th career big league start. A former Braves prospect whose career had been stalled in the minors, he was now part of a struggling Houston squad with little offense and few bright spots. That night, however, belonged entirely to him.

Facing the Philadelphia Phillies—who had won 21 of their first 23 games against Houston—Nottebart was dominant. Mixing sliders, sinkers, and changeups, he kept the Phillies off balance all night. The only blemish came in the fifth inning, when an error by shortstop J.C. Hartman led to an unearned run. Remarkably, Philadelphia became just the third team since 1920 to score without registering a hit.

In the ninth, with two outs and slugger Wes Covington at the plate, Nottebart got him to loft a fly ball to left. Al Spangler made the catch, and history was made. “Nottebart’s was the smoothest I’ve ever seen,” said teammate Don McMahon, who had witnessed six other no-hitters. Nottebart fans eight and walks three. Carl Warwick and Howie Goss homer to supply Houston its runs.

Though Nottebart never reached stardom—finishing his nine-year career with a 36-51 record—his place in history was secure. He remains the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter for the Houston franchise, which would later become the Astros and accumulate several more. But none could ever claim to be the first.

Nottebart’s career was marred by injuries and inconsistency, but for one night in May 1963, he was untouchable.

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May 17, 1939 — The first baseball game ever televised – Princeton against Columbia at the Baker Bowl – is watched by a handful of viewers via W2XBS in New York City. Bill Stern announces the ten-inning victory of visiting Princeton, 2 – 1. Reviewing the game the next day, the New York Times reports: “it is difficult to see how this sort of thing can catch the public fancy.”

May 17, 1956 – In New York’s Polo Grounds, Warren Spahn outpitched Ruben Gomez for a 7-3 Braves victory. Spahn helped his cause by singling twice, scoring a run, and even stealing a base against a surprised Ruben Gomez.

May 17, 1959 — Loudly echoing teammate Dick Stuart’s May 1st moon shot, Roberto Clemente likewise sets off a two-out, 9th-inning bomb, which, like its predecessor, leaves Pittsburgh one run short while winning admirers in the opposing clubhouse. Unaided by wind, it performs the rare, perhaps unprecedented feat of clearing the diagonal fence behind the centerfield bleachers; in so doing, it barely misses becoming the only batted ball ever to strike Wrigley Field’s distant right-centerfield scoreboard, and will long be remembered in that light (along with HRs hit to the right-field side by the Braves’ Eddie Mathews and Chicago’s Bill Nicholson.)

May 17, 1963 — At Colt Stadium, Don Nottebart throws the first no-hitter in franchise history when the Houston Colt .45’s beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-1. Nottebart fans eight and walks three. Carl Warwick and Howie Goss homer to supply Houston its runs. Al Spangler snares Wes Covington’s fly on the run for the final out. It is just the third Colts win in 24 tries against their early nemesis.

May 17, 1970, At Crosley Field Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves reaches the 3,000-hit club with an infield single against the Cincinnati Reds Wayne Simpson. Aaron, who later hits his 570th career home run, becomes the first major leaguer to reach 500 home runs and 3,000 hits. the Reds will previal 7-6 in extra innings.

May 17, 1971, Tom McCraw of the Washington Senators hits one of the shortest home runs in history. McCraw’s 140-foot pop fly falls in between three Cleveland Indians, shortstop Jack Heidemann, and outfielders Vada Pinson and John Lowenstein. When the three players collide, McCraw circles the bases for an inside-the-park home run.

May 17, 1973, At Anaheim Stadium promising California Angels outfielder Bobby Valentine catches his spikes in the wall (chain link fence) and suffers compound fractures of his leg while trying to climb the wall in an effort to catch Dick Green home run during a 5 – 4 loss to the Oakland Athletics The injury will sideline Valentine for the rest of the season. The 23 year-old speedster, who had started the season hitting .400 in April but will never fully recover and eventually finishing his playing days as a utility player with the Padres, Mets, and Mariners.

May 17, 1984 — Alan Wiggins of the San Diego Padres ties a National League record by stealing five bases in one game. Wiggins joins three others who have performed the feat: Dan McGann in 1904, Davey Lopes in 1974, and Lonnie Smith in 1982.

May 17, 1998, David Wells pitches the 13th perfect game in modern major league history as the Yankees beat Minnesota, 4 – 0. Wells, whose “perfecto” is the first by a Yankees pitcher since Don Larsen in the 1956 World Series, also sets an American League record by retiring 37 batters in a row, dating back to his start on May 12th against Kansas City. Minnesota shortstop Pat Meares flies out to right fielder Paul O’Neill to complete the perfect afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

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TRIVIA: Who is one of the few Hall of Fame-eligible position players to lead the American League in WAR during a full-length season and never appear on a Hall of Fame ballot again after his first year?

Hint: #1 The year he led the majors in being hit-by-pitch, it was with a total nearly three times higher than his next-highest of any of the seventeen years of his career in The Bigs.

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