No. 1917.05.02 · Dead Ball Era
The Double No-Hitter Breaks
Hippo Vaughn and Fred Toney both pitched nine no-hit innings. In the tenth, a single, a dropped fly, and a throw home the catcher was not looking for ended it.
May 2, 1917, Weeghman Park, later Wrigley Field. Vaughn of the Cubs and Toney of the Reds retired the first twenty-seven men they faced. Vaughn had walked two, and both were erased on double plays. Through nine innings the score was 0–0, and neither side had a hit.
In the tenth, Larry Kopf singled between Larry Doyle and Fred Merkle for the game's first hit. Cy Williams dropped Hal Chase's line drive. Chase stole second. Jim Thorpe then topped a ball up the third-base line. Vaughn threw home. Catcher Art Wilson was looking for a throw to first. The ball hit him, and Kopf scored. Wilson recovered in time to tag Chase.
Toney then finished the tenth without a hit. The Reds won, 1–0. Vaughn said afterward that he had grown careless on Kopf. The game is remembered as the double no-hitter, which is almost right: two men pitched nine hitless innings, and only one of them was allowed to finish the tenth that way.
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