Opening Day is the final day that all fans can believe their team will go undefeated and win it all. no one goes undefeated and only one team wins it all so it is always a vain but ongoing hope. The fans of the Anaheim Meihanas, owned by Joe Black and Moe Blue, had their hopes dashed in a most unseemly way. The opposing pitcher threw a no hitter at their heroes forcing them to endure nine innings of torture.
To be fair there were a great many in the filled to capacity opening day crowd who caught on to what they were seeing and as true baseball fans enjoyed what the had the opportunity to watch unfold.
Max Crandall, the starting pitcher for Anaheim had a string first inning. After getting lead off batter Lou Elko to ground out on the third pitch of the inning, Crandall did not get the call on a marginal 3-2 pitch and walked Boston third baseman Bob Rosen. Crandall struck out Chuck Schrieber swinging and then got the benefit of a call on right fielder Gary Segui to end the inning.
The 35vyear old veteran Dave Valdez, getting the Opening Day start after an outstanding spring showing began his biggest day ever in his long professional career.
The first inning did not take very long. Valdez used eleven pitches to retire shortstop Chick Swann on a flyball to Joe Cargo in centerfoield, second baseman John Erickson grounded out to his counterpart at second, Barney Clanton and Third baseman Eddie Hernandez bounced a comeback easily to the mound for the third out.
Boston scored their first run of the season in the top of the second with one out, Joe Cargo it his first homerun of the season. 1-0 Boston.
Valdez gave the Meihanas a glimpse of things to come in the bottom of the second by striking out Billy Siebern and Glenn Dickerson and breaking the bat of Buzz Hood on a one hopper to Clanton to end the inning.
Boston added to their lead in the top of the third with three hits off Crandall, all singles. Elko singled with one out, advanced on a ground out by Rosen and scored on a single to left by Chuck Schrieber. Gary Segui followed with the third hit but Clanton struck out to strand two runners.
In the home half of the 4th inning, John Erickson drew a one out walk to become Anaheim's first base runner, but then became the second out of the inning when he was throw out stealing by Boston catcher Bill Robertson. Then next batter, Hernandez flied out to Cargo, who had four putouts in the game, to end the inning.
The 5th inning was the only time in the game that a player for Boston had to extend himself on defense and that player on this occasion was third baseman Bobby Rosen who laid out for a sharply hit ball hit by Bill Seibern, caught it as he sailed though the air, got up and threw out Seibern to complete the best defensive play of the day. Dickerson flied out to Cargo in center and Hood struck out swinging on four pitches.
Anaheim's second base runner came in the same fashion as the first one did, a one out walk, this one in the 6th inning to Hugh Clark, Anaheim's catcher. Clark must have missed a sign because he, like Erickson before him, took off for second in a steal attempt, and Robertson pegged jhim out for the second out. Crandall, the pitcher, tried to bunt his way on, but Robertson was up to the task and pounced on the ball right out in front of the plate and threw out Crandall to end that inning.
Valdez struck out Lance Sauer to begin the 7th, then issued his third walk of the game, and second to John Erikson. Erickson, like he did earlier tried to steal second and like twice before in the game, catcher Bill Robertson gunned down the base runner with a strong accurate throw right to the bag.
If two runs weren't enough, Boston added on three more in the 8th inning. Crandall gave up his eighth and final hit, a single to Barney Clanton and then issued his second walk to Cargo and was replaced by Eddie Twombley. Twombley walked the fist batter he faced, Harry Potts, to load the bases with one out. Robertson singled in two runs (Clanton and Cargo) and Dave Valdez added to the luster of his day by getting a single to drive in the final run.
"As God is my witness, I just closed my eyes and swung at that pitch. I had a hard time waiting for that inning to be over and to be honest with you getting a hit right there was not high on my list of things to do. I wanted to get back out on the mound.'' Valdez said wih a big smile on his face after the game.
When he did go back out in the 8th inning he fanned Dickerson and Hood in the inning to go into the 9th on a high note.
In the 9th Valdez faced three pinch hitters in the inning.
Bob Ryan, batting for first baseman John Crooke, flied out to right fielder Gary Sequi, the only putout of the game in the outfield for anyone other than Cargo in center (4).
Pinch hitter Don Perry, batting for catcher Hugh Clark, struck out, the eighth strikeout for Valdez.
Pinch hitter George Narleski, Anaheim's last hope, batted for pitcher Matty Warwick, who got the final two outs in the top of the 9th for Anaheim. Narleski fouled one off deep to left but twenty feet foul on his first swing, grounded one foul past Rosen on his second, took a ball high from Valdez as the crowd awaited the outcome of this battle with great anticipation. Narleski fouled the next pitch straight back and stepped out with a look of his having the next one zeroed. Valdez' two - two offering was a change up and the surprised Narleski out on his front foot could only bounce it on one hop to the sure handed Rosen at third, whose throw to first begot the 27th and biggest out of the day.
Valdez had his no hitter!!!!
Someone in the club house later said, "Gosh, we DO have another game tomorrow!"
VALDEZ NO HITS ANAHEIM ON OPENING DAY!!!
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