Any story about high school baseball no-hitters has to begin with the mysterious 40 no-hitters by six-time MLB All-Star Sam McDowell.
Considered the top prospect in the country in his senior year at Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, Pa.) in 1960, McDowell's high school was a block from Forbes Field, home of the Pirates, and he occasionally threw batting practice to a Pittsburgh team that won the 1960 World Series. He posted an 8-1 record as a senior with 152 strikeouts in 63 innings and had a reported 40 no-hitters in his Little League, Colt League, sandlot and high school career.
And that's the dilemma. How many of those 40 no-hitters came as a member of the Central Catholic Vikings? Research of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on newspapers.com provided no clues.
Then serendipity prevailed. On a recent trip to a local bookstore, yours truly perused the sports section and curiously came across a biography on McDowell. Curious in the fact that McDowell hasn't played in over 50 years. But there it was, "The Saga of Sudden Sam: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of Sam McDowell."
In the pages of the book, McDowell recounts his high school days and the no-hitters he threw. "My coach exaggerated a little bit and said I had 15, but I really only had nine," said McDowell.
Mystery solved.
Interestingly enough, McDowell didn't set the national high school record. Dean Chance, a future teammate with the Cleveland Indians, set the mark one year earlier. McDowell and Chance played together on the field at the same time when Indians manager Alvin Dark took McDowell off the mound and put him at second base to bring in Chance for one batter. McDowell then re-entered the game at pitcher and finished the contest.
Chance set the no-hitter record with 17, which came to light thanks to the research of Tim Hudak of Cleveland. Chance's mark fell in 1989 when Rusty Rugg of Downsville (La.) finished his career with 19 no-hitters.
Several Iowa pitchers are on the list with spring and fall seasons combined. Larry Frakes of Goldfield makes the list with 18 no-hitters in the combined seasons along with John Kuester of Norway who is tied with McDowell with nine.
Bubba Gomez of Fremont Christian (Calif.) is the most recent entry onto the list with 10 no-hitters from 2016 to 2019.
Other sources include state association record books and the National Federation of High Schools Record Book.
Bubba Gomez, Fremont Christian
File photo by Jim Malone
19 — Rusty Rugg,
Downsville (La.), 1986-89
18 — Larry Frakes, Goldfield (Iowa), 1968-72 (two fall seasons)
17 — Dean Chance,
Northwestern (West Salem, Ohio), 1956-59
15 — Jack Mustapha,
Boone (Iowa), 1962-65
13 — Duncan King,
Grandfield (Okla.), 1974-77
12 — Chris Taranto, Notre Dame (Biloxi, Miss.), 1959-61
11 — Kevin Lomon,
Cameron (Okla.), 1987-90
11 — Marvin White,
Asher (Okla.), 1976-79
10 — David Clyde, Westchester (Houston), 1970-73
10 — Bubba Gomez,
Fremont Christian (Fremont, Calif.), 2016-19
10 — Kelly Owens,
Junction City (Ark.), 1979-82
9 — John Kuester, Norway (Iowa), 1980-83 (two fall)
9 — Sam McDowell,
Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, Pa.), 1957-60
9 — David Flattery,
St. Edmond (Fort Dodge, Iowa), 1974-77
9 — Tommy Greene,
Whiteville (N.C.), 1983-85
9 — Dickie Gonzalez,
Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas), 1995-97
8 — Tyler Sander,
Okoboji (Milford, Iowa), 2000-03
8 — Kevin Waldrum,
Millsap (Texas), 1994-97
8 — Steve Streater, Sylva Webster (NC), 1974-77
8 — Marvin Julien,
Twin Lakes (Monticello, Ind.), 1968-71
8 — Tom Murray,
St. Bernard (Uncasville, Conn.), 1967-69
8 — Ken Beardslee, Vermontville (Mich.), 1947-49
8 — Jerry Walker,
Byng (Ada, Okla.), 1955-57
8 — Mike Salling,
Mesick (Mich.), 1995-98
8 — Dan Holcomb,
Homer (Mich.), 2003-06
8 — Griffin Glaude,
Beebe (Ark.), 2008-11
8 — Chris Walden,
Bellefontaine (Ohio), 2004-06
