Johnny Vander Meer Threw Consecutive No-Hitters in 1938

Published on January 17th, 2024 4:26 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


Talk about an unbreakable record.

500 years from now, Johnny Vander Meer's feat of throwing consecutive no-hitters may still not have been broken.

It was 1938, and Johnny Vander Meer was in his second season with the Cincinnati Reds.

Vander Meer was a tall, left-handed pitcher who had a tendency to be wild.

When things were clicking, Vander Meer was practically unhittable.

When things weren't clicking, Vander Meer would be absolutely wild.

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It was June 5th, 1938, and the 5-2 Vander Meer was pitching against the Boston Bees.

Vander Meer had been red-hot and was in the midst of a three-game winning streak.

Vander Meer posted a no-hitter against the Bees, striking out four batters and walking three.

He wasn't done yet.

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On June 11th, 1938, less than one week after his first no-hitter, Vander Meer did it again.

This time the victims were the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Vander Meer would post a wild stat line in the 6-0 win - 7 strikeouts, 8 walked batters and 0 hits.

Vander Meer had become the first ever player to toss back-to-back no-hitters, and nobody has done it since.

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Vander Meer would finish his career with a lifetime record of 119-121, which is certainly underwhelming.

This is a testament to Vander Meer's wildness, which he could never get under control.

Having said that, Vander Meer did set a record that may never be broken.