And there’s another important Cubs anniversary today.
Before I get to Sam Jones’ no-hitter, there’s another key Cubs anniversary today — Ernie Banks’ 500th home run, hit 55 years ago today. Here it is:
But May 12 is also the anniversary of another significant event in Cubs franchise history. Righthander Sam Jones threw a no-hitter against the Pirates at Wrigley Field May 12, 1955.
That was, as you know, a down time in Cubs history. A very small gathering of just 2.918 attended this game. The Cubs entered the game 13-14 and in fourth place in the National League, actually not too bad for that era.
Jones was wild throughout the game. Entering the ninth inning, with the Cubs leading 4-0, Jones had walked four hitters.
In the ninth, he walked the bases loaded. Back in that era, no thought would have been given to removing a starting pitcher going for a no-hitter, even as the tying run stepped to the plate. Two Cubs relievers did get up in the bullpen, though, per Edward Prell’s recap in the Tribune.
Jones rose to the occasion. Dick Groat watched three pitches go by and was called out on strikes. Roberto Clemente, then in his rookie year, took two called strikes, fouled off two pitches, then struck out swinging.
The last chance to break up the no-no fell to “the other” Frank Thomas, who would eventually become a Cub in 1960. Thomas looked at strike three, which was Jones’ 136th pitch, to end the game and give the Cubs their first official no-hitter since Jimmy Lavender’s in 1915. Jim “Hippo” Vaughn, who had long been credited with a no-hitter in 1917 in the famous “double no-hit game” along with Fred Toney of the Reds, had that taken away in the 1990s when MLB ruled that games such as Vaughn’s weren’t official no-hitters.
In 1955, though, Vaughn was still living and the Tribune interviewed him about Jones’ gem. Jim Thorpe, more famous for Olympic feats, was playing for the Reds then.
“Thorpe tagged a high fast one,” recalls Vaughn. “I scooped it up and tossed to Wilson at the plate, since I knew I couldn’t get Jim. My throw caught Art right in the belly, because he wasn’t expecting the play. He stared at me like a wild man. Kopf still was behind me, and if I’d had the ball, I could have tagged him.”
In addition to Jones having the first Cubs no-hitter in several decades, he became the first Black pitcher to throw a no-hitter. The Cubs won the game 4-0; Jones threw 136 pitches.
Jones was a pretty good pitcher, but as was the case for many Cubs in those days, he was traded to the Cardinals for no one you’ve ever heard of. The Cardinals traded him after that, but at least got someone in return who had a long, successful career in St. Louis: Bill White. Jones had an excellent year for his new team, the Giants, in 1959: 21 wins and a league-leading 2.83 ERA for 5.7 bWAR and a second-place Cy Young finish. (There was only one Cy Young Award for both leagues back then and if there had been separate league awards, Jones would likely have won in the NL.) The Cubs weren’t a bad offensive team in 1959 but their starting pitching was awful. A very good starter like Jones that year might have thrust them into contention.
Finally, Jones’ no-hitter was the first of five that Cubs pitchers would throw over the subsequent 17-plus seasons: Don Cardwell in 1960, Ken Holtzman in 1969 and 1971 and Hooton and Milt Pappas in 1972. They seemed almost commonplace. It would take 36 more years after Pappas for another Cub to throw a no-no, Carlos Zambrano’s in 2008. Since then, the Cubs have had five more: Jake Arrieta’s pair in 2015 and 2016, Alec Mills’ in 2020, and two combined no-hitters, over the Dodgers in 2021 and the Pirates last September.
Sam Jones’ no-hitter happened 70 years ago today, Thursday, May 12, 1955.