My Many Near No-No's

"The baseball gods are a fickle pain in my ass" - Jay Austin, May 7, 2011

The only thing I love more then the actual game of baseball is the history behind the game. I was captivated when Sosa and McGwire were chasing the home run record. I watched with intrigue as my childhood hero, Cal Ripken Jr., broke the consecutive games streak. When John Olerud was hitting better then .400 in '93, Blue Jays games were appointment viewing for me.

But the one thing I've never seen is a no-hitter. I've been so close...so many times.

• Last year when Ubaldo Jiminez was throwing his, I had to go to work. My boss didn't like me watching the game on my computer...so I had to turn it off.
• Roy Halladay's Perfect Game in Florida was on my MLB.tv when I got a phone call for a gig and missed the last two innings while making the arrangements.
• When my wife had just moved to Toronto, I took her to see Brandon Morrow pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays. We saw 8.2 no-hit innings of 17 strikeout baseball before Evan Longoria broke his bat...and the no hitter.
• I had watched the first 8 innings of Matt Garza's no hitter last summer...when our internet cut out and I missed the last 3 outs.
• Roy Halladay's playoff no hitter hurt. I was watching until I had to go to work. When I got off the subway I had 7 text messages saying "did you just see that?"...sigh
• Yesterday, I also had to go to work after watching the first 7 innings of Justin Verlander's no hitter.

I've been a part of a no hitter though. When I was 17 years old, I was on the team that got no hit. I contributed 3 K's and several profanities to that one.

I don't know what I've done to disrupt the baseball gods, or why they choose to smite me so. To my wonderful wife's dismay, I decree that I'll watch as much baseball as I can until I finally see the coveted no-no.