The Main Event
- April 16, 1972 – Burt Hooton of the Cubs no-hit the Phillies 4-0 at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, but walks 7 batters.
- April 16, 1978 – Bob Forsch of the St. Louis Cardinals no-hit the Phillies, 5-0.
The Philadelphia Phillies have been on both sides of baseball history over the years, but a pair of games in the 1970s stand out for a different reason. In 1972 and again in 1978, the Phillies found themselves on the wrong end of no-hitters, each one unique in its own way but connected by a familiar core of players and a franchise still working its way toward contention.
Hooton’s Wild No-Hit Gem at Wrigley
On April 16, 1972, at Wrigley Field, Burt Hooton of the Chicago Cubs delivered one of the more unusual no-hitters in modern history.
Hooton held the Phillies hitless in a 4-0 Cubs victory, but it was far from a dominant, clean performance. He walked seven batters over the course of the game, constantly flirting with trouble. Time and again, Phillies hitters reached base, only to be stranded as Hooton worked out of jams.
That combination of wildness and effectiveness made the outing memorable. It wasn’t a case of overpowering stuff from start to finish. Instead, Hooton relied on a mix of pitches and a bit of good fortune, with the Phillies unable to deliver a timely hit when it mattered most.
For Philadelphia, the frustration built inning by inning. Opportunities were there, especially with that many free passes, but the breakthrough never came. It was an early-season game, but one that lingered because of how close the Phillies came to breaking it up.
The 1972 Phillies were still in a rebuilding phase, a team searching for consistency and identity. Games like this, where chances slipped away, were part of that growing process.
Forsch’s Command Performance in St. Louis
Six years later, on April 16, 1978, the Phillies again found themselves part of history, this time at Busch Stadium against Bob Forsch and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Unlike Hooton’s effort, Forsch’s no-hitter was defined by control and efficiency. He walked just one batter in a 5-0 victory, keeping Phillies hitters off balance all afternoon. Where Hooton had danced around danger, Forsch largely avoided it altogether.
By 1978, the Phillies were no longer rebuilding. They were a contender, coming off consecutive division titles in 1976 and 1977. The lineup featured established stars and a deeper sense of expectation.
That made the result even more striking. This was not a struggling offense. It was a team capable of producing runs in bunches, yet on that day, Forsch neutralized them completely.
Familiar Faces on Both Sides of History
What ties these two games together beyond the opponent is the presence of several key Phillies players who experienced both.
Larry Bowa, the steady shortstop and emotional leader of the infield, was there for both no-hitters. So was Greg Luzinski, whose power bat would later become a centerpiece of the Phillies’ rise. Bob Boone also connects the two moments, providing defensive stability behind the plate. Steve Carlton was also on both rosters but did not appear in either game.
For players who lived through both games, the contrast must have been striking. In 1972, they were part of a team still finding its footing. In 1978, they were part of a club with championship aspirations. And yet, in both cases, they were reminded of baseball’s unpredictability. Even the best lineups can be silenced on a given day.
A Reminder of Baseball’s Unforgiving Nature
No-hitters always carry a certain mystique, and being on the losing end of one is never easy. For the Phillies, these two games serve as reminders of how the game can turn on the smallest margins.
In 1972, it was missed opportunities against a pitcher who struggled with control. In 1978, it was a polished, near-flawless performance that left little room for resistance.
Different styles, different teams, but the same result. Two afternoons where the Phillies could not find a hit, and two moments that remain part of the long, unpredictable story of the franchise.
Philadelphia Baseball Events for April 16
- April 16, 1906 – Johnny Lush earns the win in a 4-2 victory over the Giants even though he issued 11 walks and four hits. He did strike out 10 batters.
- April 16, 1951 – Lost Blix Donnelly on waivers to the Boston Nationals. Donnelly had pitched the previous five seasons with the Phillies and posted a combined 3.64 ERA. The 1951 season would be his last in the majors.
- April 16, 1953 – Second baseman Connie Ryan had six consecutive hits — four singles and two doubles — at Pittsburgh, setting a team record, but the Phillies lose to the Bucs, 14-12.
- April 16, 1954 – The Phillies hired Roy Hamey as GM. He had previously been an assistant GM for the Yankees and Pirates. Phillies owner Bob Carpenter had handled GM duties himself since the 1948 death of Herb Pennock.
- April 16, 1957 – A record 37,667 fans packed Connie Mack Stadium to see the Phillies season opener against Brooklyn. The Phils lost 7-6 on a 12th inning home run by Dodger Gino Cimoli off of Robin Roberts. Before the game, a memorial to Mack was dedicated in a park across the street.
- April 16, 1959 – Dave Philley gets a hit in his first pinch-hitting appearance of the year, extending a streak of eight straight pinch-hits from the previous season, and setting a new major league record.
- April 16, 1996 – Lenny Dykstra and Mickey Morandini hit back-to-back homers to start the game at Montreal and build a 5-0 lead. They eventually lose the game 7-6.
- April 16, 2006 – Brett Myers shut down the Rockies in Denver for a 1-0 victory — the first game with a single run won by the visiting team in Coors Field history.
- April 16, 2012 – Roy Halladay records his first-ever victory over the Giants in Philadelphia’s 5 – 2 win, also helping his own cause with an RBI single in the 4th. “Doc” has now recorded wins against 29 of the 30 major league teams, the only one missing from his trophy list being the Phillies. Halladay never did beat the Phillies, but in fairness, he only pitched 3.2 innings of relief in two games against the Phillies during his career.
- April 16, 2019 – The Phillies score 10 runs in the first inning on their way to a 14 – 3 win over the Mets. New York starter Steve Matz allowed eight of the runs and was taken out before he retired a batter.
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Philadelphia Baseball Birthdays for April 16
- Piggy Ward (born 1867) – Made his MLB debut with the Phillies in 1897. The switch-hitting second baseman hit .160 in seven games with the Phillies.
- Jim Lonborg (born 1942) – Made 175 starts with the Phillies over seven seasons (1973-1979). Went 75-60, 3.98 with the Phillies.
- Antonio Alfonseca (born 1972) – Made 60 relief appearances with the 2007 Phillies. Went 5-2, 5.44 that season.
- Luke Gabrysh (born 2003) – Currently in the starting rotation for the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, Gabrysh was drafted by the Phillies in the 15th round of the 2024 Draft.
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