On This Date in Sports July 1, 1990
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Andy Hawkins of the New York Yankees pitches one of the strangest games in baseball history, no hitting the Chicago White Sox, put losing 4-0 at Comiskey Park. The White Sox scored four runs in the eighth inning thanks to a pair of walks, and three Yankee errors, including a dropped fly ball by Jim Leyritz, allowing three runs to score. The game would be the catalyst to a change in the definition of a No-Hitter.
The New York Yankees of 1990 was not a great vintage. As a decade of questionable moves culminated in a team that was among the worst in the history of the franchise. The team was making bad headlines on and off the field, as Owner George Steinbrenner was under investigation for paying Howard Spira to spy on Dave Winfield. The Yankees had started the season under manager Bucky Dent, who was fired in May and replaced by Stump Merrill. Showing bad timing, the Yankees made the change while playing the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park.
Andy Hawkins who had 15 wins in 1989, was among the Yankees scuffling in 1990 as he was nearly released in May. Hawkins was born in Waco, Texas on January 21, 1960. Selected with the fifth overall pick in the 1978 draft by the San Diego Padres, Hawkins made his debut in 1982. His best season in San Diego was in 1985, with a record of 18-8. After becoming a free agent in 1988, Andy Hawkins signed a three-year deal with the New York Yankees.
The Chicago White Sox managed by Jeff Torborg were the surprise team in 1990, challenging the defending champion Oakland Athletics for first place in the American League West. After 80 years the White Sox were playing their final season in the original Comiskey Park, with their new stadium rising next door. As July began the White Sox celebrating the anniversary of the first game at Comiskey which opened on July 1, 1910, while closing out a three-game series against the last place Yankees.
Andy Hawkins entered the game with a record of 1-4 with a hefty ERA of 6.49. The White Sox meanwhile countered with Greg Hibbard. On a sunny and windy day in Chicago, bot pitchers dominated early as nobody reached base until Hawkins issued a pair of walks in the fifth inning. The Yankees pitcher was lucky to escape the inning, as Sammy Sosa had a sure home run knocked down by wind and caught by Jim Leyritz in leftfield. Leyritz a catcher by trade was an inexperienced outfielder and looked uncomfortable even making the easiest catches. Bob Geren and Alvaro Espinosa recorded the game’s first hits in the sixth inning. However, it went to waste as Roberto Kelly popped up and Steve Sax struck out to end the rally. The Yankees again had two hits in the seventh but could not scratch across the first run. Andy Hawkins continued to mow down the Sox, as he allowed just one walk over the next two innings. Barry Jones relieved Hibbard in the eighth and pitched around an error to keep the game scoreless. Hawkins started the eighth by getting Ron Karkovice and Scott Fletcher to pop up on the infield. Looking for a 1-2-3 inning he got Sosa to hit the ball on the ground, but it was mishandled by Mike Blowers at third. After initially being called a hit the play was ruled an error. Sosa would steal second as Ozzie Guillen walked. Lance Johnson also walked to load the bases. It appeared that Andy Hawkins escape as he got Robin Ventura to fly out to left, but Jim Leyritz stumbled and dropped the ball allowing all three runners to score. Ivan Calderon followed up with a fly ball to right, which would be dropped by Jesse Barfield allowing a fourth run to score without the White Sox recorded a hit. Dan Pasqua would end the ending with a popup to short. In the bottom of the ninth Scott Radinsky finished the game, pitching around an error as Jesse Barfield hit into a game-ending double play.
Andy Hawkins next two starts would also be notable as he pitched a 12-inning complete game, losing to the Minnesota Twins 2-0 five days later. A week later he was the losing pitcher as Melido Perez pitched a rain-shortened No-Hitter against the Yankees on July 12th. Hawkins would post a record of 5-12 as the Yankees finished in last place with a record of 67-95. It was the most lost the Yankees had since 1912 when they were still known as the Highlanders. The season would see George Steinbrenner banished from the day-to-day operations for what would be two years. In a season of bad memories, the lost No Hitter would be rock bottom for the Yankees as they began quietly building a talented team in the minors that would help them return to glory in 1996. Jim Leyritz who dropped the fly ball would be a part of the title team, hitting a big game-tying home run in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series.
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At the time Andy Hawkins eight-inning no-hitter counted as a no-hitter, just like the No-Hitters thrown by Dave Stewart of the Oakland Athletics and Fernando Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Dodgers two days earlier, as did the rain-shortened no-hitter by Melido Perez. However, a year later baseball redefined a No-Hitter as requiring nine innings and requiring the game end with no hits, eliminating all the no-hit games that were broken up in extra innings.