While I should talk about Vanden Hurk's gem, what I really want to focus on is a behind the scenes part of it. And it involves Matt Treanor.
"You get a good feel of what a guy has in the bullpen before the game," Treanor said. "His fastball was live, and he has a big curveball. He actually told me he liked his slider better than the curveball, but once we got out there, I was feeling like the opposite. But as soon as he got done with his bullpen, I was excited to see how well he was throwing."
Now, that's a catcher. People get on Treanor for his lack of hitting, though it's kinda hard to hit consistently when you don't play very often. But honestly, I couldn't care less about his plate appearances. To me, your opinion may differ, the best catchers are ones who are a part of the pitching staff. They aren't holding a bat in the dugout waiting for their turn at the plate, they are talking to the pitchers. They know what's working for the pitcher that day and are trying to help him have the best outing possible. And if the catcher hits, gravy. But the most important job they have is on defense and helping out the guy on the lump of dirt in the middle of diamond.
Oh, I did want to bring one other thing to your attention. You know how no one is suppose to talk to the pitcher when he is throwing a no hitter. It doesn't exactly work that way on our favorite team.
"I didn't move seats until he gave up that hit," Tankersley said. "You try to stay in the same spot when someone has a no-hitter -- but I'm proud of Vandy."
Nobody talked to Vanden Hurk between innings, except fellow starter Dontrelle Willis, who shuns superstition.
Ah, the D-Train, living life to the beat of a different drummer. It seems I remember when Anibal threw his no hitter last season everyone was staying away from him except for one, Dontrelle Willis. In the later innings of that game they would show the Marlins dugout and there was Dontrelle cracking jokes and talking Sanchez's ear off. So I guess the moral of the story is this: if you're going to throw a no hitter for the Marlins you will have to do it while laughing at Willis's jokes in between innings. This team does nothing normal.