We've cracked the Top 20 now in terms of the best moments of the decade. For this moment, I remember exactly where I was, what I did, and what song I played in between each inning. Hey, I'm superstitious, I didn't want to jinx him.
Moment #19: Kevin Millwood Throws A No Hitter-April 27, 2003
The Philadelphia Phillies hadn't exactly been at the top of the National League following their remarkable run in 1993. In the years between 1993 and 2003, the Phillies managed exactly one winning season, and that didn't come until 2001. In 2002, Larry Bowa led the Phils to a record of 80-81 and a third place finish. Not long after the end of the 2002 season, General Manager Ed Wade made a trade to give the Phillies another pitching arm. Catcher Johnny Estrada was traded to the Atlanta Braves for Kevin Millwood. Millwood was coming off of an 18-8 season in 2002, and quickly made himself comfortable with the Phillies, winning three of his first five starts. With a 3-1 record heading into his sixth start of the year against the San Francisco Giants, Millwood would soon make himself a part of Veterans Stadium lore, as he made history.
The game didn't start out the right way, as Millwood walked Ray Durham to start the game. After that, however, Millwood looked like the best pitcher in the National League, catching Durham stealing second and retiring Marquis Grissom and Rich Aurilia. He would continue to mow down the Giants, and the Phillies gave him a run for support in the first inning, as Ricky Ledee drilled a home run. After Ledee's home run, Millwood would take care of everything else, retiring the Giants for the rest of the game.
Facing a lineup that included Barry Bonds and was just six outs away from a World Series championship, Millwood dominated the Giants throughout the game. He only walked two other batters, Rich Aurilia in the fourth inning, and Ray Durham again with two outs in the top of the ninth inning. Of course, neither walk ended up being a problem. Marquis Grissom popped out to right field after Durham's second walk, and Kevin Millwood had the first no hitter at Veterans Stadium since Terry Mullholland no hit the Giants back in 1990.
On a personal note, I didn't watch this entire game. I had forgotten that the Phillies were playing at 1:00 that Sunday, and by the time I turned the game on, it was the sixth inning, I had just gotten a Gatorade out of my mini-fridge and was listen to "The Freshman" by The Verve Pipe. Once I realized what was going on, I didn't open the Gatorade, and kept playing "The Freshman" over and over again in between each half inning in an attempt not to jinx Millwood. Apparently, it worked. I'm not taking credit for the no hitter, but for a few hours, a freshman at Rider University felt like he had a hand in the last no hitter in Veterans Stadium history.
Honestly, I would love to rank this moment even higher, but it doesn't really deserve it. Millwood improved his record to 4-1 on the year, but would finish with a 14-12 mark in his first year with the Phillies. After a 9-6 record in 2004, he would leave the Phillies and sign with the Cleveland Indians and then the Texas Rangers, where he still is today. As for the Phillies? They would finish the year with an 86-76 record, which was just good enough for third in the National League East, behind the Atlanta Braves and eventual World Series champion Florida Marlins. They would finish above .500 for the rest of the decade, but that's another story for some time later down the road. Trust me, the Phillies will be on this list many more times.
Alas, I can't find any video of the no hitter online, but if anyone can, just let me know.
Moment #18 will be up tomorrow. It's one of the earliest moments on the list, and it set the stage for the entire decade for the Eagles. If you think about it, you'll know what it is.
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