Cy Young Throws His Third Career No-Hitter at Age 41

On June 30, 1908, Cy Young of the Boston Red Sox pitched the third no-hitter of his career, shutting out the New York Highlanders 8-0 at Hilltop Park in Manhattan. Young was 41 years and three months old, making him the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter, a record that stood for 82 years until Nolan Ryan surpassed it in 1990 at age 43.

Young walked the very first batter of the game, leadoff hitter Harry Niles, then retired the next 27 batters in order. Niles was caught stealing after the walk, so Young faced the minimum number of batters while falling one walk short of a perfect game. He had thrown an actual perfect game four years earlier, in 1904 against the Philadelphia Athletics, and the June 30 performance came tantalizingly close to duplicating that feat.

Young dominated the Highlanders with pinpoint control and a deep repertoire that still baffled hitters two decades into his career. He also swung a productive bat that afternoon, collecting three hits and driving in four of Boston's eight runs. Only one other pitcher in major league history, Wes Ferrell, has driven in four runs while pitching a no-hitter.

The no-hitter made Young the first pitcher to throw three since the modern pitching distance of 60 feet, 6 inches was adopted in 1893. His previous no-hitters came in 1897, when he was with the Cleveland Spiders, and the 1904 perfect game with Boston. Each one came at a different stage of a career that spanned from the 1890s through the dead-ball era.

Young was in his nineteenth major league season. He would pitch two more years, retiring after the 1911 season with 511 victories, a total so far beyond any other pitcher that it has become the sport's most untouchable record. He also holds the records for career losses (316), complete games (749), and innings pitched (7,356).

The no-hitter on June 30 was the last gem of a career that defined pitching longevity. Young proved that at 41, with his fastball fading and his body wearing down, guile and precision could still make a lineup look helpless.