Justin Verlander Is No History Buff

I already mentioned the fact that Justin Verlander is going for his second straight no-hitter this afternoon in the On Deck, but that was before I came across this story. If he does somehow do it, he'll only be the second person in the history of the game to throw consecutive no-hitters.

Who was the first? It was Johnny Vander Meer who did it pitching for the Reds in 1938. If you didn't know, don't worry about it too much. Verlander had no idea either.

"Don't know anything about the guy," he said about Vander Meer. "Never heard of him."

So if Verlander throws another one today, and you hear him in the postgame talking about what an honor it is to follow up Vander Meer, don't buy it. He'll be full of crap.

It's hard to blame Verlander, or anyone, for being unaware of who Vander Meer was. If he hadn't thrown those consecutive no-hitters, I'm guessing none of us would know who he was. In his thirteen seasons, Vander Meer finished with a record of 119-121 with a 3.44 ERA, nothing spectacular.

There are some coincedences between Verlander and Vander Meer. First will start with their names, as they both feature the JV initials, and their last names end in -er. Whoa, eerie.

There's also the fact that both debuted in the Majors at the age of 22. Also, just like Vander Meer, Verlander's first no-hitter came in June of his second season. Finally, Verlander's wife's mom's friend's cousin has the last name Vander Meer, while Vander Meer's wife's mother's hairdresser's dog was named Verlander.

I don't know about you, but I'm kind of scared now.

Previously at The Fanhouse:
On Deck: Verlander!
Fan's Eye View of Justin Verlander's No-No
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