Baseball is full of cool stories: otherwise, it wouldn’t be America’s pastime.
Last night, the Los Angeles Angels won 12-0 against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The victory came with a no-hitter by 22-year-old left-hander Reid Detmers.
Detmers, seen as one of the Angels’ best young prospects in the last few years, walked one and struck out two batters in his gem.
His battery mate, Chad Wallach, also made some history.
He was catching only his second career game with the Angels, after spending time with the Cincinnati Reds and the Miami Marlins (the team that drafted him).
“Chad Wallach — the Yorba Linda, Calif., native — catches a no-hitter in his second career game with the @Angels. Wallach, 30, played his college baseball for @FullertonBSB, about 6 miles from Angel Stadium,” MLB insider Jon Morosi tweeted.
Chad Wallach — the Yorba Linda, Calif., native — catches a no-hitter in his second career game with the @Angels.
Wallach, 30, played his college baseball for @FullertonBSB, about 6 miles from Angel Stadium. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) May 11, 2022
A California native catching who also happened to play his college baseball seasons near Angel Stadium has to make you feel romantic about baseball.
It Was Meant To Be
It’s almost like it was meant to be: he was in the right place at the right time.
Catching a no-hitter requires excellent communication skills, deep knowledge of the game, and a good rapport with the starting pitcher.
Wallach showed he has all of those traits.
During his MLB tenure, he hasn’t been known for his bat (he has a .582 career OPS), but reports from his defense have always been positive.
In MLB, teams often focus on defensive abilities and how catchers call games before prioritizing offense.
This is definitely the case with Wallach.
It was a magical night in Los Angeles, and Wallach was a big part of it.
He now has a cool story to tell everybody he knows and loves.
That’s the beauty of baseball.
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