We all know Mike Waters, SU basketball beat writer for the Post-Standard and Syracuse.com and one-half of the menacing Waters-Ditota Hydra that greets you every time you visit the Syracuse.com SU Basketball Blog. He's been covering the Orange since 1989 and has three books on them to show for it. He's been covering them for so long and so extensively it's hard to imagine there was a time he was writing anything else. Well apparently, he was... ESPN's SportsNation is hawking Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Legends, a collection of obscure baseball stories, and they asked people to submit some of their own. ESPN then posted the best ones. And unless there's another Mike Waters in Syracuse, NY who has worked as a sportswriter in Nashville, Mike submitted a story of his own:
"In the summer of 1988, I was covering the Triple-A Nashville Sounds for the now-defunct Nashville Banner. In August of that season, I witnessed no-hitters in consecutive games on consecutive days. Randy Johnson (yes, that Randy Johnson) threw a no-hitter for Indianapolis, but Johnson lost the decision 1-0. Nashville's Lenny Harris drew a first-inning walk, stole a base and later scored on a groundout. The run stood up as Nashville's Keith Brown tossed a two-hitter. I remember Indianapolis had to pinch-hit for Johnson in the eighth inning and Pat Pacillo pitched the bottom of the eighth. The next day, Nashville pitcher Jack Armstrong happened upon Johnson prior to that day's game. Johnson told Armstrong, "Don't throw a no-hitter and lose.'' Armstrong took Johnson's advice. He threw a no-hitter and won 4-0. Armstrong's no-hitter was nearly a perfect game; the only blemish was a walk to the fabulously named Razor Shines. You can look it up."Hopefully that Johnson kid made something of himself.
(HT: Matt, Photo Credit: Syracuse.com)