Tag Archives: New York Yankees

Kluber on short list of former S.A. minor leaguers with no hitters in the majors

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Right-hander Corey Kluber on Wednesday night became at least the seventh former San Antonio minor leaguer to throw a no-hitter in the majors.

In his first season with the New York Yankees, Kluber fired the first no-hitter of his career in downing the Texas Rangers 2-0 in Arlington.

It was the sixth no hitter in baseball this season and the second in two nights, raising eyebrows around the country. Spencer Turnbull of the Detroit Tigers did it in Seattle late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning.

The MLB record for a season is seven.

Coming up in the minor leagues, Kluber, from Coppell High School in the DFW MetroPlex, pitched for the Missions in 2009 and 2010 as a San Diego Padres prospect.

He went on to win Cy Young Awards for the Cleveland Indians in 2014 and 2017 before an injury derailed him last season when he was with the Rangers.

Here’s a list of former San Antonio minor leaguers (that I know of) who have thrown no hitters in the majors. We’ll update this information if others come to our attention:

Corey Kluber, May 19, 2021, for the Yankees against the Rangers. With the Missions: 2009, 2010.

Felix Hernandez, Aug. 15, 2012, for the Seattle Mariners. He beat the Tampa Bay Rays (perfect game). With the Missions: 2004

Ramon Martinez, July 14, 1995, for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He beat the Florida Marlins 7-0 at Dodger Stadium. With the Missions: 1988.

Fernando Valenzuela, June 29, 1990, for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-0, at Dodger Stadium. With the San Antonio Dodgers: 1980.

Dave Stewart, June 29, 1990, for the Oakland A’s. He beat the Toronto Blue Jays at SkyDome in Toronto. With the San Antonio Dodgers: 1978.

Dennis Eckersley, May 30, 1977, for the Cleveland Indians. He beat the California Angels, 1-0. With the San Antonio Brewers (an Indians affiliate), 1974.

Joel Horlen, Sept. 10, 1967, for the Chicago White Sox. He beat the Detroit Tigers, 6-0. With the San Antonio Brewers (an Indians affiliate), 1973.

Trade speculation swirls around former Mission Taylor Williams

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Taylor Williams pitching for the San Antonio Missions against the Oklahoma City Dodgers on April 28, 2019 at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander

Taylor Williams pitched in 46 games for the Missions last year. He was 3-3 with a 2.83 ERA and six saves. – photo by Joe Alexander

The name of a player familiar to fans of the San Antonio Missions has surfaced in speculation with the baseball trade deadline approaching on Aug. 31.

It’s 29-year-old Seattle Mariners reliever Taylor Williams, who might be a target of teams contending for the playoffs.

According to a story in the New York Post, Williams, a right-handed reliever, might be a player who could help the New York Yankees. In addition, SB Nation mentions that the Tampa Bay Rays also might benefit from his talents.

Williams pitched in 46 games for the Missions last year, all out of the bullpen.

He was 3-3 with a 2.98 earned run average and six saves in San Antonio, where the Missions served as the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.

During the season, Williams was called up to the Brewers a few times, but he never seemed to gain any traction. He was 1-1 with a 9.82 ERA in Milwaukee.

On Feb. 21, the course of his career took a detour as the Mariners claimed him off waivers.

Though the Mariners have struggled with an 11-19 record, Williams has emerged as one of the bright spots in the bullpen.

He has made 12 appearances out of the bullpen and has recorded six saves. He’s been steady, with a 3.00 ERA. In 12 innings pitched, Williams has struck out 17 and walked just four.

Recently, the Vancouver, Wash., native of has pitched well in two outings against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team with the best record in the majors.

Combined, Williams yielded only one hit in two scoreless innings while striking out five L.A. batters. On Aug. 17 at Dodger Stadium, he struck out two in one inning. Two nights later, at Seattle, he walked two but retired the side on three strikeouts to earn the save.