Playing for the Detroit Tigers, 1973 Highland Park graduate Jack Morris pitched a no-hitter in Chicago on April 7, 1984.
Morris got into a jam in the fourth, walking the first three batters before inducing a P-C-1B double play from DH Greg Luzinski, playing in his final major league season. Morris then struck out Ron Kittle to end the inning.
He walked six White Sox altogether in the 4-0 Tigers win. (Twins lefty Francisco Liriano also issued six walks in his no-hitter on a chilly 42° night in Chicago on May 3, 2011.)
As luck would have it, the Saturday afternoon game was broadcast in Minnesota as NBC’s Game of the Week. KARE11’s Jeff Passolt was actually at the game, being in town for the North Stars versus Blackhawks playoff series. “I remember it being colder than you know what,” Passolt said in 2018. “Hitters didn’t have a chance against Jack’s fireball!”
Morris also pitched three career one-hitters
He one-hit his hometown Twins in the second game of a doubleheader at Met Stadium on August 21, 1980, but still gave up two unearned runs on Roy Smalley RBI groundouts in both the first and ninth innings.
Center fielder Rob Wilfong got the Twins’ only hit in the first inning. Morris then had him picked off of first base, but made a throwing error, allowing Wilfong to advance to third, and score on Smalley’s groundout to second.
Wilfong walked in the ninth, advanced to third on a passed ball and wild pitch, and scored on another Smalley groundout to second. The Tigers won 4-2.
Morris pitched a one-hitter with two walks in Baltimore on September 25, 1988. He allowed an unearned run in the first inning of the 2-1 Tigers win.
Perhaps the most impressive performance of the four, though, (including his no-hitter) was his one-hit shutout against the Royals at Tiger Stadium on July 6, 1990. He did not issue a walk and faced the minimum. After surrendering a single to Kurt Stillwell in the top of the first, Morris promptly induced a 4-6-3 double play from George Brett.
See all four of these games on Baseball Reference.
Support for the Twins Almanac comes from Minnesota’s own Delano Bats.
Morris best day ever as a pitcher was the 1991 World Series