The Weight of No-Hitters and the Value of Near Misses
As of 2024, NPB has seen 97 no-hitters in its history. Perfect games are even rarer at just 16, making them among the highest honors for any pitcher. Yet it is in the moments of 'one out away' that baseball's dramatic essence is most concentrated. When a pitcher who has held opponents hitless through 8 and two-thirds innings allows a hit to the final batter, the stadium fills with a surreal mix of cheers and groans. Statistically, pitchers who carry a no-hitter through 8 innings complete the feat only about 30% of the time, with the remaining 70% losing it in the ninth or earlier. As these numbers show, near misses occur far more frequently than completed no-hitters, and each one contains its own compelling drama.
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Legendary Near Misses from Showa to Heisei
On May 18, 1994, Giants pitcher Hiromi Makihara carried a perfect game into the ninth inning with two outs against the Hiroshima Carp. Facing the 27th batter, Naonori Suzuki, Makihara threw his fifth pitch on a 2-2 count, only to see it become an infield single to shortstop, ending the perfect game bid. Makihara would later achieve a perfect game in September 1994, but the May near miss remains legendary. Chunichi's Masa Yamamoto held opponents hitless through 8 innings in September 2006 at age 41, only to surrender a double to the leadoff batter in the ninth. Despite winning 219 career games, Yamamoto never achieved a no-hitter. In another extraordinary case from 1973, Yutaka Enatsu of the Hanshin Tigers maintained a no-hitter through 11 extra innings but was removed from the game with the score still 0-0 due to lack of run support.
Modern Near Misses and Pitcher Psychology
Memorable near misses have continued in recent years. In April 2022, Lotte's Roki Sasaki carried a perfect game through 8 innings before manager Tadahito Iguchi pulled him from the game, ending the perfect game bid. However, Sasaki achieved a perfect game the following week, the first in 28 years, making this a rare case where the decision proved beneficial. From a psychological perspective, an unwritten rule exists in NPB where teammates stop talking to the pitcher around the seventh inning to avoid jinxing the no-hitter. Sports psychology research suggests that pitchers aware of their no-hit bid experience an average velocity decrease of 1 to 2 km/h from the eighth inning onward, indicating that mental pressure directly affects physical performance.
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The Significance of Unrecorded Drama
No-hitter near misses do not appear in official records, yet they are deeply etched in fans' memories. While NPB's official website lists completed no-hitters, near misses are not systematically documented. In recent years, the growth of data-driven baseball sites has made it possible to search for games where pitchers held opponents hitless into the eighth inning or later, leading to the rediscovery of forgotten dramatic moments. For fans who witnessed a near miss in person, the experience is often more unforgettable than a completed no-hitter. The expression on a pitcher's face after losing a perfect game, the interview where the batter who broke it up describes his mixed emotions, and the collective sigh from the stands all speak to the profound depth of baseball. It is this unrecorded history that represents one of professional baseball's greatest appeals.