*In honour of the San Diego Padres second no-hitter in franchise history -- Dylan Cease against the Washington Nationals on Thursday night — we look at a former Blue Jays draft ... Joe Musgrove, who threw the first.

Originally published April 16, 2021

By Bob Elliott

Canadians Baseball Network

Joe Musgrove can grip a fastball, slider and a change up.

The right-hander can also grip your heart.

Amateur scout Dan Cox was looking for something special evaluating southern California for the Toronto Blue Jays in the spring of 2010. As important to a scout, as velocity and movement, is the way a pitcher reacts to a booted room service double play ball which allows a run to score.

“We found a nugget in Joe, he grew up real quick, he had to,” said Cox into the phone from Temecula, Calif. “He had the makeup that puts a player over the top.”

Musgrove, a first-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2011, pitched the first no hitter in the history of the San Diego Padres’ 52 years of existence, a 3-0 win over the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Tex. on April 9. The game was the 8,206th regular-season game in Padres’ franchise history.

As a point of reference San Diego’s expansion cousin, the Montreal Expos, had Bill Stoneman throw a no hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium in the ninth game of the franchise’s existence. And 631 games later Stoneman pitched a second, this one against the New York Mets in 1972.

Getting back to Musgrove, of El Cajon in San Diego county ... what was the nugget that Cox discovered? Joe’s father, Mark Musgrove, served two decades with the San Diego Police Department before moving into private investigation. One Saturday morn in 2008, Mark awoke with tingling in his fingertips and the bottom of his feet. Tests at the hospital were normal.

Yet, the next day, Mark was diagnosed with the dreadful, unfair autoimmune deficiency called Guillain-Barre syndrome. By 4 o’clock that afternoon Mark was paralyzed from the shoulders down. “All kinds of specialists, looked at Mark,” said Cox, now an Atlanta Braves scouting supervisor.

Joe would often stay in the hospital overnight with his father. He’d roll his father on his side when needed, help on trips to the bathroom, massage his father’s back or scratch an itch on his father’s face. Joe took over duties as the man of his house as a teenager.

When Mark was released, he headed home although he was far from mobile. So, Joe would carry his father upstairs or downstairs. We can hear someone humming the tune to The Hollies’ or Neil Diamond’s “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Father ...” Mom Diane was busy running the family’s coffee shop, Caffé Adesso in Alpine, a 15-minute drive from El Cajon.

“Here was the father -- a big tough guy, a policeman for 20 years -- being looked after by his teenage son, doing all the things for him a care taker would do,” said Cox. “Joe was forced to grow up very quickly. It made him stronger.”

Cox was having diner Friday night when his phone exploded. Message after message from friends in the scouting fraternity said basically the same: “Your man has a no-no ... three outs to go.”

“I got in my car, turned on XM radio and was able to hear the last out,” Cox said, of the routine grounder to short. Cue the celebrations at Petco Park.

Did Cox cry? “I got teary eyed ... you can hear my voice cracking now. The first thing I thought THAT’S THE WAY ITS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! The local boy, from San Diego is supposed to pitch the Padres’ first-ever no hitter. It was meant to be.”

Reaching his hotel room Cox watched the Padres highlights and saw Musgrove interviewed on ESPN.

“(Broadcaster) Kenny Mayne asked Joe ‘So how many text messages have you received?” said Cox. “Most guys would say ‘Oh 1,000s ... or 100s.’ Joe looked down at his phone and answered 216. That’s the way he is. I sent him a text and all I wrote was ‘217.’

“It couldn’t have happened to a better person. Everything from him or about him is real. I never had a negative report on him from a high school teammate, coach or opposing player.”

Remembering Musgrove’s grade 11 spring Cox told of a showcase for the best high schoolers in the San Diego area.

“He was disappointing, he was country strong, the body he has now, is the opposite of what he had then,” Cox said. “He was 88 MPH with a stiff arm action.”

Musgrove spent the winter training with his uncle Dominic Johnson a San Diego pitching guru who works with area major leaguers. They adopted began Gus Hoefling’s conditioning program. With the Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Famer Steve Carlton and Cy Young award winner John Denny followed Hoefling’s regimen.

Next time Cox saw Musgrove: “he had completely changed, his body was flexible, he was 92 MPH in the spring and every week or go he went up a tick. Heading into the draft he touched 96.

“He had worked his butt off. He’s from East San Diego county. El Cajon is blue collar,” Cox said. “Musgrove’s stuff and command got better the deeper into the spring we went.”

The official signing ceremony of Musgrove’s pro contract with the Jays took place in the Grosmont High library. Cox remembered “his whole team showing.” Cox knew then he had picked the right guy, saying “there was zero jealousy whatsoever from his teammates.”

The Blue Jays and scouting director Andrew Tinnish chose Musgrove 46th overall, a supplemental pick (for the loss of free agent catcher John Buck). Cox credited the Jays scouting department from area supervisor Dan Chowlosky, to cross checkers Marc Tramuta, Russ Bove, Billy Gasparino, Tom Burns, assistant general manager Tony LaCava and GM Alex Anthopoulos for selecting the high schooler. Tinnish gave Musgrove a $500,000 US signing bonus.

Cox has 26 years in the game -- 21 in scouting (including 2009-2013 with the Jays) plus five years working in baseball operations with the Angels -- and he remembers his early days when he was breaking into scouting.

“Once I asked some older scouts for tips and a guy said ‘Don’t drive with your wallet in your back pocket.’ But then there were veteran scouts like John Cole who always said ‘If you are going to miss, miss big.’”

Cole is known to Blue Jays fans for signing all-star outfielder Shawn Green, of Tustin, Calif. Musgrove never grew into Green-like status with the Jays. In July of 2012 Toronto added lefty starter JA Happ, plus relievers Brandon Lyon and David Carpenter in a nine-player deal with the Astros. Besides prospects Asher Wojciechowski and Musgrove, big leaguers Francisco Cordero, Ben Francisco, along with minor leaguers Carlos Perez, David Rollins and Kevin Comer were in the deal.

In 2016, Musgrove was selected to pitch in the Futures Game at Petco Park in San Diego. He asked Cox to stop by his hotel room. Musgrove excitedly told his scout that “there wasn’t a Padres farmhand on Team USA ...” And Joe might get the start since he was from San Diego. Cox asked him to text later with the news. Musgrove got the start and his scout was there to see him throw a 1-2-3 first inning.

As the son climbed the ladder to the majors, the father recovered to the point where he could use a wheel chair.

With the 2017 Astros, Musgrove pitched a scoreless 10th against the Los Angeles Dodgers and when Alex Bregman hit the walk-off single in Game 5 of the World Series, with Musgrove getting the victory. Three nights later he celebrated on the field at Dodger Stadium, with his father Mark. The two hugged and cried celebrating Houston’s World Series win.

When Musgrove made his first start for the Padres on April 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks (six scoreless in a 7-0 win), Cox was staying across the street from Petco Park at the Gaslamp San Diego Marriott. Cox had goose bumps when he heard the P.A. announcer say “pitching for the Padres ... Joe Musgrove,” and the fans cheer. COVID restrictions made it impossible for the scout to get tickets.

The Padres had been close to a no-hitter over the 52 years, holding opponents hitless into the eighth so many times (23) some believed that they were cursed. Steve Arlin pitched 8 2/3 hitless against the 1972 Phillies, while others who pitched at least eight hitless were Clay Kirby (1971), Andy Ashby (1997), Chris Young (2006), Aaron Harang, Josh Spence, Chad Qualls and Mike Adams (2011) combined to work 8 2/3 only to have Los Angeles Dodger Juan Uribe double against Luke Gregerson.

And you thought Dave Stieb was oh so close, oh so many times. Now, Stieb and Musgrove are the only two Blue Jays drafts to throw a no hitter in the majors

As Hall of Famer Vin Scully used to tell listeners when Sandy Koufax took a no-hit bid late into the game: “phone a friend, wake up your children, tell your neighbour ... something special is happening here tonight.” So it in San Diego, one of America’s most beautiful cities, a beautiful baseball story was unfolding.

Local boy Joe Musgrove, who grew a member of the Friar Faithful and wore No. 44 to honour former Padre starter Jake Peavy, had the city of San Diego gripped in the palm of his hand.

And after his 112th pitch, facing Isiah Kiner-Falefa a fourth time, he celebrated with his teammates, the Friar Faithful and fans from La Jolla, to Poway to Tijuana, Mex. and old Del Mar where the surf meets the turf.

Finally. A no hitter.

“This,” said Cox, “is why I scout.”