A Man, A Plan, A Canal — 2nd Round

On August 9, 2010, Brandon Morrow of the Toronto Blue Jays settled in for an afternoon game start against the Tampa Bay Rays. Morrow pitched a hell of a game, striking out 17 Tampa Bay batters in a complete game shutout. That was not the focus after the game, however. The focus was on the fact that through the first 9 and 2/3 innings of play, Morrow did not yield a hit. Sadly, with one out to go, Morrow's no-hit bid was broken up by Evan Longoria. He responded by striking out the next batter to end the game.

Speaking as a Jays fan, following that game to the end was an exercise in nerve-wracking intrigue. With every out, the tension mounted, and my productivity at work dropped. Anyway, you're probably wondering why I'm bringing this up. Well, it's because starting on about Wednesday, we looked at the scoreboard and thought, "hmmm, ol' Teddy's looking at a no-no." As the days and hours passed, the chances of the no-hitter increased, as did the tension. And when the final whistle sounded at 9 a.m. this morning?

Roosevelt vs. Harris

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt	19   (100%)
Baxter Harris	0    (0%)

Yes, Teddy Roosevelt has unlocked the "No-Hitter" Achievement in Hail to the Chief... to the Death! Which means it's time for a celebration!

Atta boy.

Roosevelt's easy victory was foreseen by first-time commenter Jacqui:

Is sucking up to an author a good way to win COTW? Let's just say it's not horrible.

Roosevelt may be given a bigger challenge Nov. 28 when he makes his 2nd Round appearance.
Next week, we'll watch James Madison match up with Mays Gilliam from Head of State.