University of Massachusets Athletics
Field of Dreams
June 01, 1997 | Baseball
Scott Barnsby was the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in Fenway Park in over 30 years.
Jamie Zeitz | The Maroon & White
So many names, so many memories, so much tradition. Fenway Park–the site of so much history, the home of so many dreams. Yet, with all of the storied names that have shaped baseball history at Fenway Park–Cy Young, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Bernie Carbo, Carlton Fisk, Roger Clemens, and yes, Bucky Dent and Bill Buckner–there is now a new name to add to that list that might not be so familiar. The name is Scott Barnsby, a junior pitcher from the UMass baseball. Barnsby defied all odds and tossed the first nine-inning no-hitter for UMass since 1957, and the first no-hitter in Fenway Park since 1965, in defeating Northeastern, 1-0, in the semifinals of the Beanpot Baseball Tournament on April 22.
For Barnsby, it wasn't as much about making history, but rather making his way back into the starting weekend rotation. Barnsby had been removed from the weekend rotation after two bad outings, including a six-run, six-hit barrage in 1.2 innings against Temple on April 13. Barnsby was as low as he had been in his three years at UMass, and even agreed that he didn't deserve to throw on weekends anymore when UMass plays the all-important Atlantic 10 Conference games. His confidence was shot.
So what better to cure the slump than a return to the site of his previous best collegiate performance. Pitching in Fenway Park for the first time since ston ing Northeastern with a four-hit 11- strikeout performance in a 1-0 victdry in the finals of the 1996 Beanpot, Barnsby blanked the Huskies, allowing no runs on no hits and striking out three to run his career line at Fenway Park to:
2-0, 0.00 ERA, 14 Ks, 2 MVPs
"I had the adrenaline pumping," said the junior righthander, who became the first Minuteman to hurl a nine-inning no-hitter since Ralph Lumenti no-hit Rhode Island, striking out 18 batters in a 2-0 victory on April 13, 1957.
"Everybody dreams of throwing a no-hitter, but you really don't spend much time thinking about it." Actually, Barnsby did not spend much time thinking about it until the middle of the eighth inning. "I realized in the fifth inning that there were no hits on the board," says Barnsby, "but a pitcher in college baseball is destined to give up hits at some point, its just a matter of trying to spread them out so they don't hurt you. After the eighth inning, it began to enter my mind mainly because no one would say anything to me or even sit near me in the dugout. According to many of the UMass players, they didn't know the no-hitter was going on until the very end. "I didn't know until the seventh or eighth inning when the umpire told me that there were a lot of zeros up on the scoreboard," said catcher Brian Samela, who was one of many on hand taking part in their first no-hitter. It wasn't even until the seventh inning, that the UMass media relations staff began to discuss and research the issue out of fear of jinxing the whole situation. UMass' radio team of Marc Vandermeer and Mike Reiss never mentioned the words "no-hitter" throughout the entire broadcast.
Of all the great people to pitch in Fenway Park, Barnsby became the first to throw a no-hitter since Dave Morehead of the Red Sox blanked Cleveland, 2-0, on September 19, 1965. And now, more than month after the accomplishment, Barnsby has had some time to think about his spot in the annals of Fenway Park. "It's just a thrill to step onto a Major League baseball field, let alone do so well as I have over the last couple of years," said Barnsby. "It is actually a bit ironic, considering I am a big Yankees fan and my whole family supports the Red Sox. Everytime I step into Fenway, I look up at the red seat in right field, where Ted Williams hit the 512-foot home run over 40 years ago, and just think about all of the great players that have stood in that batter's box, that have run those basepaths and that have stood on that mound."
The no-hitter could not have come at a better time for the Minutemen, as Northeastern's John Burns had found a way to quiet the usually boisterous UMass bats, allowing only one run on seven hits while striking out five. However, the day belonged to the Minutemen, and more specifically, to Barnsby. The Minutemen got all the runs they would need in the fifth when first baseman David Giglio scored from second on an Adam Correa single. It was now up to the UMass defense, which turned in an MVP performance of its own, to help Barnsby finish the improbable feat.
There were three key plays in the game, the first of which occured in the sixth inning when second baseman Ryan Thistle, making his first start of the year at second for regular Muchie Dagliere, made a diving stop of a Kevin Kim shot destined for right field, and then threw to a covering Barnsby at first to save the nohitter. "Thistle made that play right after making an error," said Barnsby. "He bounced right back to make the big play–that's just the kind of person Ryan Thistle is–tough." The biggest threat to the no-no, however, came in the seventh.
Barnsby seemed to be losing command after striking out the leadoff hitter. He walked the designated hitter Carlos Pena and then hit Northeastern catcher Patrick Mason to put runners on first and second with only one out. The pressure was erased, though, when Samela made a snap-throw to shortstop Brad Corrie, who had Pena picked off by two steps. "A play like.that gives you a tremendous lift," said Barnsby, who also struggled a bit in the eighth, falling behind 3-0 to leadoff hitter Bob McLaughlin before coming back to strike him out and finish the inning with two easy flies to centerfielder Doug Clark.
In the ninth, Barnsby got the leadoff man on a ground ball to second - the 14th groundout of the game recorded by the UMass infield. Then came an easy fly ball to Clark–followed by the play that is indelibly etched into the minds of all on hand on that sunny Tuesday afternoon at Fenway Park.
With two outs, Northeastern cleanup man Tim Daley put a real charge into a drive to left centerfield. It looked like a hit to everyone (Barnsby even began to back up third base) except centerfielder Doug Clark, who got a great jump on the ball and came out of nowhere to make a diving, tumbling catch at the foot of the legendary Green Monster to preserve the no-hitter. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day.
When Clark regained his feet, he got knocked over again–by Barnsby, who charged him in celebration of the momentous event. "I saw Scott coming at me, and I had to laugh. He was so fired up. I guess he might have figured the ball was going to be in there, but I was ready for it," said Clark. "It was a strange thing–I either wanted a strikeout or the ball hit to me, because I was so ready for it. I was going to do anything to save this game, because he pitched so great. "The Catch" was so sensational that it was featured as CNN's "Play of the Day" and made a two-day run on ESPN's SportsCenter.
"I didn't even see Doug until the last second - I thought it was dropping," said Barnsby, who left a slider up in the strike zone. "I was set up to throw a slider in the dirt, because I was not going to lose the no-hitter on a pitch that is not my best. I was thinking that if I was going to go down, it was going to be on my fastball. On a normal occasion, no one gets to that ball. Doug was just determined to make the play."
"Tremendous. Terrific. It's real nice to see Barnsby pitch like that, especially after he struggled in his last few outings," said head coach Mike Stone, after coaching the first no-hitter of his 15-year career. "He was relaxed and in a groove all the way. It was a fantastic performance."
Barnsby relied on a fastball that was helped by adrenaline in the later innings, and a change up that threw hitters off all afternoon. Samela called the entire game for the first time this season - a job usually reserved for Stone - making the feat even more special for everyone involved. "In the past few games, I was getting behind the hitters, and that's when you get hurt," said Barnsby. "This time, I was determined to stay ahead and make them swing. I worked fast - no wasting time." Barnsby faced only 31 batters (none of which made it past second base), walking two, hitting one, while two reached on infield errors.
UMass went on to capture its second Beanpot Championship in as many tries, defeating Harvard 11-4 in the finals two days later (April 24). Clark would have the opportunity to be the hero again as he went a perfect 5-for-5 with three runs scored to earn Co-MVP honors alongside Barnsby. It was only fitting that the two stood side-by-side, with the Beanpot Championship trophy hoisted high in the air, smiling for the many cameras flashing their way. They had made history - but at the same time - had turned history into their own personal Field of Dreams.
About the Archives
This is a digitized version of a press release from the University of Massachusetts archives, before the start of online publication. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, UMass does not alter, edit or update them. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other items. Please send reports of such problems to the appropriate sport contact in the UMass Athletic Communications office.
So many names, so many memories, so much tradition. Fenway Park–the site of so much history, the home of so many dreams. Yet, with all of the storied names that have shaped baseball history at Fenway Park–Cy Young, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Bernie Carbo, Carlton Fisk, Roger Clemens, and yes, Bucky Dent and Bill Buckner–there is now a new name to add to that list that might not be so familiar. The name is Scott Barnsby, a junior pitcher from the UMass baseball. Barnsby defied all odds and tossed the first nine-inning no-hitter for UMass since 1957, and the first no-hitter in Fenway Park since 1965, in defeating Northeastern, 1-0, in the semifinals of the Beanpot Baseball Tournament on April 22.
For Barnsby, it wasn't as much about making history, but rather making his way back into the starting weekend rotation. Barnsby had been removed from the weekend rotation after two bad outings, including a six-run, six-hit barrage in 1.2 innings against Temple on April 13. Barnsby was as low as he had been in his three years at UMass, and even agreed that he didn't deserve to throw on weekends anymore when UMass plays the all-important Atlantic 10 Conference games. His confidence was shot.
So what better to cure the slump than a return to the site of his previous best collegiate performance. Pitching in Fenway Park for the first time since ston ing Northeastern with a four-hit 11- strikeout performance in a 1-0 victdry in the finals of the 1996 Beanpot, Barnsby blanked the Huskies, allowing no runs on no hits and striking out three to run his career line at Fenway Park to:
2-0, 0.00 ERA, 14 Ks, 2 MVPs
"I had the adrenaline pumping," said the junior righthander, who became the first Minuteman to hurl a nine-inning no-hitter since Ralph Lumenti no-hit Rhode Island, striking out 18 batters in a 2-0 victory on April 13, 1957.
"Everybody dreams of throwing a no-hitter, but you really don't spend much time thinking about it." Actually, Barnsby did not spend much time thinking about it until the middle of the eighth inning. "I realized in the fifth inning that there were no hits on the board," says Barnsby, "but a pitcher in college baseball is destined to give up hits at some point, its just a matter of trying to spread them out so they don't hurt you. After the eighth inning, it began to enter my mind mainly because no one would say anything to me or even sit near me in the dugout. According to many of the UMass players, they didn't know the no-hitter was going on until the very end. "I didn't know until the seventh or eighth inning when the umpire told me that there were a lot of zeros up on the scoreboard," said catcher Brian Samela, who was one of many on hand taking part in their first no-hitter. It wasn't even until the seventh inning, that the UMass media relations staff began to discuss and research the issue out of fear of jinxing the whole situation. UMass' radio team of Marc Vandermeer and Mike Reiss never mentioned the words "no-hitter" throughout the entire broadcast.
Of all the great people to pitch in Fenway Park, Barnsby became the first to throw a no-hitter since Dave Morehead of the Red Sox blanked Cleveland, 2-0, on September 19, 1965. And now, more than month after the accomplishment, Barnsby has had some time to think about his spot in the annals of Fenway Park. "It's just a thrill to step onto a Major League baseball field, let alone do so well as I have over the last couple of years," said Barnsby. "It is actually a bit ironic, considering I am a big Yankees fan and my whole family supports the Red Sox. Everytime I step into Fenway, I look up at the red seat in right field, where Ted Williams hit the 512-foot home run over 40 years ago, and just think about all of the great players that have stood in that batter's box, that have run those basepaths and that have stood on that mound."
The no-hitter could not have come at a better time for the Minutemen, as Northeastern's John Burns had found a way to quiet the usually boisterous UMass bats, allowing only one run on seven hits while striking out five. However, the day belonged to the Minutemen, and more specifically, to Barnsby. The Minutemen got all the runs they would need in the fifth when first baseman David Giglio scored from second on an Adam Correa single. It was now up to the UMass defense, which turned in an MVP performance of its own, to help Barnsby finish the improbable feat.
There were three key plays in the game, the first of which occured in the sixth inning when second baseman Ryan Thistle, making his first start of the year at second for regular Muchie Dagliere, made a diving stop of a Kevin Kim shot destined for right field, and then threw to a covering Barnsby at first to save the nohitter. "Thistle made that play right after making an error," said Barnsby. "He bounced right back to make the big play–that's just the kind of person Ryan Thistle is–tough." The biggest threat to the no-no, however, came in the seventh.
Barnsby seemed to be losing command after striking out the leadoff hitter. He walked the designated hitter Carlos Pena and then hit Northeastern catcher Patrick Mason to put runners on first and second with only one out. The pressure was erased, though, when Samela made a snap-throw to shortstop Brad Corrie, who had Pena picked off by two steps. "A play like.that gives you a tremendous lift," said Barnsby, who also struggled a bit in the eighth, falling behind 3-0 to leadoff hitter Bob McLaughlin before coming back to strike him out and finish the inning with two easy flies to centerfielder Doug Clark.
In the ninth, Barnsby got the leadoff man on a ground ball to second - the 14th groundout of the game recorded by the UMass infield. Then came an easy fly ball to Clark–followed by the play that is indelibly etched into the minds of all on hand on that sunny Tuesday afternoon at Fenway Park.
With two outs, Northeastern cleanup man Tim Daley put a real charge into a drive to left centerfield. It looked like a hit to everyone (Barnsby even began to back up third base) except centerfielder Doug Clark, who got a great jump on the ball and came out of nowhere to make a diving, tumbling catch at the foot of the legendary Green Monster to preserve the no-hitter. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day.
When Clark regained his feet, he got knocked over again–by Barnsby, who charged him in celebration of the momentous event. "I saw Scott coming at me, and I had to laugh. He was so fired up. I guess he might have figured the ball was going to be in there, but I was ready for it," said Clark. "It was a strange thing–I either wanted a strikeout or the ball hit to me, because I was so ready for it. I was going to do anything to save this game, because he pitched so great. "The Catch" was so sensational that it was featured as CNN's "Play of the Day" and made a two-day run on ESPN's SportsCenter.
"I didn't even see Doug until the last second - I thought it was dropping," said Barnsby, who left a slider up in the strike zone. "I was set up to throw a slider in the dirt, because I was not going to lose the no-hitter on a pitch that is not my best. I was thinking that if I was going to go down, it was going to be on my fastball. On a normal occasion, no one gets to that ball. Doug was just determined to make the play."
"Tremendous. Terrific. It's real nice to see Barnsby pitch like that, especially after he struggled in his last few outings," said head coach Mike Stone, after coaching the first no-hitter of his 15-year career. "He was relaxed and in a groove all the way. It was a fantastic performance."
Barnsby relied on a fastball that was helped by adrenaline in the later innings, and a change up that threw hitters off all afternoon. Samela called the entire game for the first time this season - a job usually reserved for Stone - making the feat even more special for everyone involved. "In the past few games, I was getting behind the hitters, and that's when you get hurt," said Barnsby. "This time, I was determined to stay ahead and make them swing. I worked fast - no wasting time." Barnsby faced only 31 batters (none of which made it past second base), walking two, hitting one, while two reached on infield errors.
UMass went on to capture its second Beanpot Championship in as many tries, defeating Harvard 11-4 in the finals two days later (April 24). Clark would have the opportunity to be the hero again as he went a perfect 5-for-5 with three runs scored to earn Co-MVP honors alongside Barnsby. It was only fitting that the two stood side-by-side, with the Beanpot Championship trophy hoisted high in the air, smiling for the many cameras flashing their way. They had made history - but at the same time - had turned history into their own personal Field of Dreams.
About the Archives
This is a digitized version of a press release from the University of Massachusetts archives, before the start of online publication. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, UMass does not alter, edit or update them. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other items. Please send reports of such problems to the appropriate sport contact in the UMass Athletic Communications office.
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