Johnny Vander Meer

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Born in Prospect Park, New Jersey, he moved with his family to Midland Park, New Jersey in 1918. He had an inauspicious start to his professional baseball career. He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1933 and assigned to the Dayton Ducks. Dayton then sold his contract to a Boston Bees minor league affiliate, the Scranton Miners of the New York–Pennsylvania League. The Miners found his playing ability to be lacking and sent him to the Cincinnati Reds affiliate, the Nashville Volunteers, in a trade for Tiny Chaplin. From Nashville, he was sent to the Durham Bulls, where the Bulls manager and catcher, Johnny Gooch, was credited with helping control the wildness of Vander Meer's pitching. In 1936, he posted a record of 19 wins against six losses for Durham. Vander Meer made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds on April 22, 1937, at the age of 22. He went 3–4 before being sent back to the minor leagues with the Syracuse Chiefs for most of the season when the Reds recalled him in September. The following year on June 11, 1938, Vander Meer pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Bees. Four days later against the Brooklyn Dodgers in what was the first night game ever held at Ebbets Field, he threw another no-hitter, becoming the first and thus far only player in major league history to throw two straight no-hitters. He was nicknamed "The Dutch Master" due to his Dutch heritage, and after the no-hitters was also nicknamed "Two No-Hit". Vander Meer's performance earned him the role as the starting pitcher for the National League team in the 1938 All-Star game held at Cincinnati's Crosley Field. The American League team – having won four of the previous five All-Star games – was favored to win the game, but Vander Meer pitched three scoreless innings and allowed only one hit, as the National League went on to win 4–1. He ended the season with a 15–10 record and a 3.12 earned run average for the fourth-place Reds. He might have won more games, but spent nearly a month in the hospital being treated for boils late in the season. Following the season, The Sporting News named Vander Meer their MLB Player of the Year for 1938. After his impressive rookie season, Vander Meer had a disappointing 1939 season, when he fell ill during spring training, and then suffered an injury when he slipped on a wet pitching mound in Pittsburgh. He poste

In Their Own Story

The story of Johnny Vander Meer's no-hitters begins not in a major league stadium, but in the minor leagues with the Durham Bulls. There, manager Johnny Gooch, a former Pirate, worked tirelessly with the young pitcher to refine his control. Gooch's efforts paid off spectacularly. Then, on June 19, he did it again against the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the only pitcher in MLB history to throw two consecutive no-hitters. The source does not describe the games themselves, but the raw fact of the achievement remains one of baseball's most untouchable records.

Reader's Guide

A four-time All-Star, Vander Meer compiled a 119–121 record with 1,294 strikeouts and a 3.44 ERA in 2,104+2⁄3 innings over a 13-year Major League career. He had 29 career shutouts, ranking third on the Reds franchise list. His 1,251 strikeouts with the Reds were the team record at the time of his retirement in 1951. Along with Dizzy Dean (1932–1935), Warren Spahn (1949–1952), Randy Johnson (1999–2002), Tim Lincecum (2008–2010), and Max Scherzer (2016–2018), Vander Meer is one of only six NL pitchers since 1930 to lead the league in strikeouts in three straight seasons (1941–1943).

Did You Know?

• Johnny Gooch was credited with helping young pitcher Johnny Vander Meer cure the wildness of his pitching while managing the Durham Bulls.
• Vander Meer is the only pitcher in MLB history to throw two consecutive no-hitters.
• He led the National League in strikeouts for three straight seasons (1941–1943).