On This Date in Sports June 30, 1948
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Bob Lemon of the Cleveland Indians throws a No-Hitter as the Tribe blanks the Detroit Tigers 2-0 at Briggs Stadium. Player-Manager Lou Boudreau sparks a two-run rally in the first inning. Lemon, improving to 11-6 with the win walked three a struck out four on his way to making history in Detroit. Bob Lemon would finish the season with a record of 20-14 as the Indians won the World Series.
It was a magical season in Northern Ohio as the Cleveland Indians had spent much of the first three months in first place in the American League. Managed by shortstop Lou Boudreau who was in the midst of an MVP season. The Tribe had three frontline pitchers in Bob Feller, Gene Bearden, and Bob Lemon. Lemon was the most interesting of Cleveland’s three aces. Born September 22, 1921, in San Bernardino, California, Lemon made his debut with Indians as a third baseman in 1941 seeing limited action in the majors in his first two seasons. While in the Navy, during World War II, Lemon pitched for a service team. On the same team was New York Yankees Catcher Bill Dickey, who told Boudreau how hard Bob Lemon was throwing. When Lemon returned to the Indians in 1946, he started the season as an outfielder but after struggling with the bat he was given a chance to pitch out of the bullpen. After a 4-5 record in 1946, Lemon went 11-5 and became a full-time starter at the end of the season.
In his first full season as a starter, Bob Lemon was established as one of the top pitchers on a team with Bob Feller. Holding a record of 10-6, Lemon took the mound on the last day of June against the Detroit Tigers at Briggs Stadium. The Tigers managed by Steve O’Neill countered with Art Houtman. The Tigers pitcher found himself in early trouble when leadoff hitter Dale Mitchell reached base on an error by shortstop Johnny Lipon. After Johnny Berardino flew out, Lou Boudreau gave the Indians a 1-0 lead on a double, advancing to third on an error by George Kell. Getting to third was key for the Tribe’s player-manager was he scored on a sacrifice fly by Hank Edwards. It would all the Indians could get off Houtman as the Tigers pitcher allowed just five hits and was not charged an earned run, falling to 2-10 on the season. Lemon meanwhile went to work staked to a 2-0 lead. After allowing a first-inning walk to Kell, another Tiger did not reach base until the fifth inning when Sam Vico walked with two outs. In the seventh, Ken Keltner was walked by the Indians pitcher, as all three bases on balls thrown by Bob Lemon came with two outs. In the ninth inning against the top of the Tigers order, Lemon got Vic Wertz to bounce back to the box, struck out Eddie Mayo and got Kell on a chopper back to the pitcher to complete the No Hitter.
Bob Lemon would go on to finish the season with a record of 20-14 as the Indians won the American League Pennant. In the World Series Lemon earned two wins as the Tribe beat the Boston Braves for their second World Championship. Lemon would win 20 games in seven-of-nine seasons, posting a record of 207-128, earning induction in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.