Not just "any old no-hitter." An 11-INNING no-hitter as the Kenosha Eagles shut out the SB Cubs 1-0 on April 23rd. So who threw the gem? Phil? No. Joe?. No. It was the Eagles "closer" DAN SPILLNER. One of my old favorites from back then in the play-by-mail UBL. Talk about nerve-wracking. I rested my starting outfield after the 5th inning, not giving any thought to the no-hitter Spilly was tossing. John Denny was mystifying the Eagles hitters, and I thought it was just a matter of time before Spillner would break down. So, in the bottom of the 11th, with Billy Sample standing on third after walking, being Sac'd up to 2nd by Ed Ott and moving to 3rd on Garner's grounder to short, I have future HOFer Tim Foli strolling up to the plate. I look down my bench - and realize Foli's the best I have. To my amazement and the Eagles' fans delight, he lined Denny Martinez's 2-1 pitch to left center just out of Champ Summers' reach - and Danny Boy entered the SPB record books. Spillner walked 2 and struck out 11, and threw just 132 pitches (just?) in his gem. 4/23/1981, SBC81-KEN81, Astrodome 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E LOB DP 1981 Cubs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 1981 Eagles 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 9 0 11 0 Cubs AB R H BI AVG Eagles AB R H BI AVG Trillo 2b 4 0 0 0 .385 Griffey rf 3 0 1 0 .206 Summers lf 3 0 0 0 .500 Edwards D rf 0 0 0 0 .500 Dawson cf 4 0 0 0 .308 Howell R ph 1 0 1 0 .318 Evans Darrell 3b 4 0 0 0 .167 White J rf 1 0 1 0 .083 Wallach rf 4 0 0 0 .091 Lemon cf 2 0 1 0 .355 May M c 4 0 0 0 .000 Simpson cf 3 0 1 0 .148 Veryzer ss 2 0 0 0 .375 Castino 3b 4 0 0 0 .172 Smalley ph 2 0 0 0 .000 Chambliss 1b 5 0 1 0 .238 Leach R 1b 3 0 0 0 .000 Sample lf 4 1 2 0 .458 Denny p 1 0 0 0 .000 Ott c 4 0 0 0 .231 Jackson Ron ph 1 0 0 0 .000 Garner 2b 5 0 0 0 .227 Martinez T p 0 0 0 0 .000 Foli ss 5 0 1 1 .280 32 0 0 0 Spillner p 3 0 0 0 .000 40 1 9 1 Cubs INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Denny 8.0 6 0 0 2 4 114 69 0.00 Martinez T L 0-1 2.2 3 1 1 1 3 45 26 2.45 10.2 9 1 1 3 7 159 95 Eagles INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Spillner W 1-1 11.0 0 0 0 2 11 132 83 0.48 11.0 0 0 0 2 11 132 83 SBC: Smalley batted for Veryzer in the 8th Smalley moved to ss in the 8th Jackson Ron batted for Denny in the 9th KEN: Edwards D inserted at rf in the 6th Simpson inserted at cf in the 6th Howell R batted for Edwards D in the 7th White J inserted at rf in the 8th E-May M. RBI-Foli(3). K-Trillo 2, Summers, Dawson 2, Wallach 2, Veryzer, Leach R, Smalley, Jackson Ron, Griffey, Castino 3, Chambliss, Garner, Foli. BB-Summers, Leach R, Castino, Sample, Spillner. SH-Denny, Ott. GWRBI: Foli Temperature: 70, Wind: none. .................................................................................................... 4/23/1981, SBC81-KEN81, Astrodome 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E LOB DP 1981 Cubs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 1981 Eagles 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 9 0 11 0 Cubs -----A------ -----B------ -----C------ -----D------ -----E------ Trillo 2b 1>k 8 k 53 Summers lf k 4>W 8 53 Dawson cf 9 k 7>13 0>k Evans Darrell 3b 2>9 8 8 3 Wallach rf 8 9 k k May M c 9 5>43 8>43 1>7 Veryzer ss 3>k 53 Smalley ph 8 k Leach R 1b W 8 k 8 Denny p 13/SH.1-2 6>9 Jackson Ron ph 9>k Martinez T p Eagles -----A------ -----B------ -----C------ -----D------ -----E------ Griffey rf 1>S k 43 Edwards D rf Howell R ph S.1-2 White J rf S Lemon cf S.1-2 43 Simpson cf 6>3/g 9 S.1-2 Castino 3b W.2-3;1-2 4>k k 8>43 k Chambliss 1b note 1 8 S 63 k Sample lf 63 S S.1-3 8 1>W Ott c 2>43 43 13 9>Martinez T 24/SH.1-2 8 Garner 2b 53 5>7 7>k 3/g 63.2-3 Foli ss 63 63 3 k S.3-H Spillner p 3>8 W e2.B-1 0>63 1: 123/gdp.2-3;1-2 Cubs IN OUT ER Eagles IN OUT ER Denny A1 D5 0 Spillner A1 D8 0 W 1-1 Martinez T D6 E8 1 L 0-1 .................................................................................................... 4/23/1981, SBC81-KEN81, Astrodome 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E LOB DP 1981 Cubs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 1981 Eagles 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 9 0 11 0 Score O Rnr BS Event ----- - --- -- ----- ************** Top of the 1st inning, Cubs batting 0-0 0 --- 02 Trillo struck out (CSS) 0-0 1 --- 02 Summers struck out (CFS) 0-0 2 --- 11 Dawson flied out to right (BSX) ************** Bottom of the 1st inning, Eagles batting 0-0 0 --- 02 Griffey lined a single down the right field line (SCX) 0-0 0 1-- 00 Lemon lined a single to shallow left, Griffey to second (X) 0-0 0 12- 31 Castino walked, Griffey to third, Lemon to second (BCBBB) 0-0 0 123 10 Chambliss grounded into a double play, Denny to May M to Leach R, Lemon to third, Castino to second (BX) 0-0 2 -23 30 Sample grounded out to short (BBBX) ************** Top of the 2nd inning, Cubs batting 0-0 0 --- 01 Evans Darrell flied out to right (CX) 0-0 1 --- 31 Wallach flied out to center (BCBBX) 0-0 2 --- 00 May M flied out to right (X) ************** Bottom of the 2nd inning, Eagles batting 0-0 0 --- 32 Ott grounded out to second (BCBBSX) 0-0 1 --- 11 Garner grounded out to third (BFX) 0-0 2 --- 11 Foli grounded out to short (BCX) ************** Top of the 3rd inning, Cubs batting 0-0 0 --- 02 Veryzer struck out (FFS) 0-0 1 --- 31 Leach R walked (BBFBB) 0-0 1 1-- 11 Denny sacrifice bunted to the mound, Leach R to second (BbFbXb) 0-0 2 -2- 00 Trillo flied out to center (X) ************** Bottom of the 3rd inning, Eagles batting 0-0 0 --- 32 Spillner popped out to center (CSBBBFX) 0-0 1 --- 12 Griffey struck out (FBFS) 0-0 2 --- 10 Lemon grounded out to second (BX) ************** Top of the 4th inning, Cubs batting 0-0 0 --- 32 Summers walked (BBBFFB) 0-0 0 1-- 12 Dawson struck out (FBSC) 0-0 1 1-- 02 Evans Darrell flied out to center (>FCX) 0-0 2 1-- 01 Wallach flied out to right (1CX) ************** Bottom of the 4th inning, Eagles batting 0-0 0 --- 22 Castino struck out (SBSBS) 0-0 1 --- 31 Chambliss flied out to center (FBBBX) 0-0 2 --- 32 Sample lined a single to shallow center (CSBBBFX) 0-0 2 1-- 22 Ott grounded out to second (CBSBFX) ************** Top of the 5th inning, Cubs batting 0-0 0 --- 00 May M grounded out to second (X) 0-0 1 --- 11 Veryzer grounded out to third (CBX) 0-0 2 --- 11 Leach R flied out to center (CBX) ************** Bottom of the 5th inning, Eagles batting 0-0 0 --- 32 Garner flied out to left (BCBBFX) 0-0 1 --- 00 Foli grounded out to short (X) 0-0 2 --- 32 Spillner walked (CFBBBB) 0-0 2 1-- 12 Griffey grounded out to second (CBSX) ************** Top of the 6th inning, Cubs batting Edwards D now playing right field Simpson now playing center field 0-0 0 --- 10 Denny flied out to right (BX) 0-0 1 --- 22 Trillo struck out (BBCFFS) 0-0 2 --- 31 Summers flied out to center (BFBBX) ************** Bottom of the 6th inning, Eagles batting 0-0 0 --- 21 Simpson grounded out to first (BCBX) 0-0 1 --- 12 Castino struck out (CSBS) 0-0 2 --- 11 Chambliss lined a single down the right field line (BFX) 0-0 2 1-- 01 Sample singled to left center, Chambliss to third (1CX) 0-0 2 1-3 00 Ott grounded out to the mound (X) ************** Top of the 7th inning, Cubs batting 0-0 0 --- 20 Dawson grounded out to the mound (BBX) 0-0 1 --- 12 Evans Darrell flied out to center (BFCX) 0-0 2 --- 22 Wallach struck out (FSFBBS) ************** Bottom of the 7th inning, Eagles batting 0-0 0 --- 22 Garner struck out (BCBFC) 0-0 1 --- 01 Foli popped out to first (CX) 0-0 2 --- 11 Spillner to first on an error by the catcher May M (SBX) Howell R pinch hitting for Edwards D 0-0 2 1-- 01 Howell R grounded a single between first and second, Spillner to second (CX) 0-0 2 12- 11 Simpson flied out to right (BCX) ************** Top of the 8th inning, Cubs batting White J now playing right field 0-0 0 --- 12 May M grounded out to second (CBFX) Smalley pinch hitting for Veryzer 0-0 1 --- 00 Smalley flied out to center (X) 0-0 2 --- 22 Leach R struck out (BCFBS) ************** Bottom of the 8th inning, Eagles batting Smalley moved to shortstop 0-0 0 --- 01 Castino grounded out to second (CX) 0-0 1 --- 00 Chambliss grounded out to short (X) 0-0 2 --- 10 Sample flied out to center (BX) ************** Top of the 9th inning, Cubs batting Jackson Ron pinch hitting for Denny 0-0 0 --- 02 Jackson Ron struck out (CFS) 0-0 1 --- 32 Trillo grounded out to third (CCBBFFBX) 0-0 2 --- 12 Summers grounded out to third (FBFX) ************** Bottom of the 9th inning, Eagles batting Martinez T now pitching 0-0 0 --- 20 Ott flied out to center (BBX) 0-0 1 --- 20 Garner grounded out to first (BBX) 0-0 2 --- 22 Foli struck out (FBSBS) ************** Top of the 10th inning, Cubs batting 0-0 0 --- 32 Dawson struck out (CBBFFBS) 0-0 1 --- 30 Evans Darrell popped out to first (BBBX) 0-0 2 --- 32 Wallach struck out (CBBSFBS) ************** Bottom of the 10th inning, Eagles batting 0-0 0 --- 10 Spillner grounded out to short (BX) 0-0 1 --- 01 White J reached on an infield single to second (SX) 0-0 1 1-- 02 Simpson reached on an infield single to short, White J to second (111CCX) 0-0 1 12- 12 Castino struck out (CFBS) 0-0 2 12- 12 Chambliss struck out (FCBFFS) ************** Top of the 11th inning, Cubs batting 0-0 0 --- 21 May M flied out to left (BBCX) 0-0 1 --- 32 Smalley struck out (BBFCBC) 0-0 2 --- 10 Leach R flied out to center (BX) ************** Bottom of the 11th inning, Eagles batting 0-0 0 --- 32 Sample walked (BCCBFBB) 0-0 0 1-- 20 Ott sacrifice bunted to the catcher, Sample to second (Bb1Bb1Xb) 0-0 1 -2- 20 Garner grounded out to short, Sample to third (BBX) 0-0 2 --3 21 Foli lined a single to left center, Sample scored (CBBX)