Rules Regarding No-hitters In Baseball

The no-hitter has evoked awe in baseball players and fans alike since 1882, when the first no-hitter was recorded by Tony Mullane for Louisville. Nolan Ryan's 1991 career record of seven no-hitters remains unbroken at the time of publication. Rule changes throughout the years have affected the ease or difficulty of pitchers achieving the no-hitter. But however you count them and in whatever era they occurred, no-hitters remain noteworthy achievements.

Early Rules

Rules changed rapidly in the early days of baseball, affecting what was considered a hit and thus, what was considered a no-hitter. In 1858, balls caught on one hop were no longer outs, giving hitters an advantage over pitchers. Umpires began actually calling balls and strikes in 1860, with advantage going back to pitchers. In 1895, a foul tip was ruled a strike, allowing the pitcher to get batters out more quickly. From 1870 until 1887, batters were allowed to call for a high or low ball. And in 1884, all restrictions on how a pitcher pitched were lifted, ushering in the modern change-ups, sliders, knuckleballs and curveballs.

Later Rules

In 1902, the infield fly rule, benefiting the pitcher, was called with no outs as well as with one out. Hitters gained an advantage in 1911, when balls with cork centers came into play. The advantage to hitters continued in 1920 when "lively" balls with special Australian yarn were allowed and also in 1920, when spitballs were disallowed. In 1974, umpires were allowed to declare illegal pitches with no physical evidence if they thought the pitcher was using a spitter.

Current Rules

According to Major League Baseball, a no-hitter means that no hits occurred by one of the teams during the entire nine-inning game. A batter might get on base through any number of methods, such as a walk, an error, being hit by a pitch, a passed ball or wild pitch on the third strike or by a catcher's interference. In a perfect game, on the other hand, no batters on one of the teams reach a base during the nine-inning game.

Unwritten Rules

Traditionally, when a pitcher is on course for a no-hitter, players and coaches will not mention that fact aloud, for fear of jinxing the event.

ESPN commentator Jerry Crasnick asked three pitchers about the unwritten rule regarding a batter bunting to risk breaking a pitcher's potential no-hitter. Former Orioles Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer says bunting is part of the game and infielders need to back up the pitcher. Bert Blyleven, ninth on baseball's list for shutouts, agrees, even when it's late in the game. And Goose Gossage, also a Hall of Fame pitcher, says he never took offense at batters bunting to try and win a game for their team. He added though that if the other team had no chance of winning, that his opinion on bunting would be different.