A look back at MLB's worst no-hitter

Most no-hitters tend to be dominant performances like Justin Verlander's was on Tuesday. Verlander struck out 12 and was still hitting triple digits on the speed gun late in the game.

But with more than 200 no-hitters in MLB's record book, there are bound to be a few dogs in there. After extensive research, we found the ugliest one in the books.

So here it is, the worst no-hitter in MLB history:

On September 7th, 1923, Red Sox pitcher Howard Ehmke (career record 166-166, 3.74 ERA) faced off against the Philadelphia Athletics at Shibe Park in Philly. Not exactly an offensive dynamo, the Athletics had scored fewer runs that season than the last-place Red Sox. Plus they'd already been no-hit three days before by the Yankees.

Ehmke needed help immediately as the leadoff hitter hit a screaming line drive on the first picth of the game. The ball miraculously tipped off Ehmke's glove to the shortstop who caught it on the fly. He got help again in the second inning when in an attempt to dive out of the way of a line drive, the ball wedged its way into his glove.

The Athletics kept pounding Ehmke, as he struck out only one player over the game, but nothing got through. Then finally in the seventh-inning, with the no-hitter still on the line, the Athletics pitcher came up. Boasting a .066 batting average, he roped a ball into the leftfield gap for an apparent double. But on appeal, it turned out he didn't touch first base and was called out. In the eighth inning, another Athletics player roped a ball into left field that the left fielder dropped at his knees on the run. It was first ruled a hit before the official scorer - remember, this game was in Philly - changed it to an error. Gotta love those sadomasochistic Philly fans.

Ehmke retired the side in the 9th and walked away with a 4-0 win and a no-hitter, despite the fact that he should have lost the no-hitter twice. And that's the worst no-hitter in MLB history.

[info for this post found on Baseball Library]

-WCK