Domingo German will get put in the history books, but Kyle Higashioka joins Yankees lore.
Pitchers get all the credit, but catchers deserve some love, too. That is especially true for the most historic thing a battery can pull off: A no-hitter.
Domingo German did that and then some on Wednesday night by tossing a perfect game, the third in New York Yankees history and the 24th of all-time in MLB history. A perfect game had not been thrown since Felix Hernandez in 2012 before Wednesday night.
German needed it, having produced horrendous outings in recent starts, with 21 hits and 16 earned runs surrendered in his last three starts.
While German's performance will be remembered forever, another face deserves credit and joined the history books in the process of Wednesday's game: Kyle Higashioka. He can now claim the title of having been the one calling the pitches for two Yankee no-hitters in three years.
Kyle Higashioka catches his second no-hitter for Yankees
In 2021, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, Kyle Higashioka caught Corey Kluber's no-hitter for the Yankees. On Wednesday night, he caught Domingo German's perfect game. Two no-hitters in three years? Not common at all for a catcher.
Few catchers have caught multiple no-hitters, and Higashioka now joins that list of unsung heroes. The requirements for a no-hitter are intense. A pitcher has to execute nearly flawlessly, but the catcher also needs to be in perfect synchronization with the man on the mound to set up the right pitches.
There are nine men on the field, but no two matter more to achieve a no-hitter than the battery. Yet, look at any listing of a no-hitter or perfect game history, and you'll notice catchers are infrequently mentioned.
Higashioka has now joined Yankees lore as the only player other than Yogi Berra to catch multiple no-hitters. Berra caught three, two from Allie Reynolds and one from Don Larsen.
