The baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 2 at Bristol Motor Speedway will be known simply as the Speedway Classic.

It could also be called the Hardrock Cup.

That’s not a reference to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Bristol either.

Clyde “Hardrock” Shoun of Mountain City, Tennessee, pitched five seasons for the Cincinnati Reds and three seasons with the Boston Braves in the 1940s in providing a local link to both National League clubs.

The most memorable moment of his MLB career that spanned from 1935-1949 occurred on May 15, 1944, when he threw a no-hitter for the Reds in a 1-0 victory over an opponent that happened to be the Braves.

If there was going to be a pitcher throw a no-hitter that day most would’ve bet on Jim Tobin of the Braves achieving the feat.

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Tobin had thrown a no-no on April 27 against the Brooklyn Dodgers and entered the day with a 2.44 ERA.

His adversary on the other hand, Shoun, was making his first start of the season after four appearances out of the bullpen. His ERA at the time: 6.23.

Of his 454 appearances in the big leagues, only 85 of them were starts for Shoun.

He was a relief specialist before relief specialists were cool, a durable and tough left-hander who was good for one inning or nine.

“I never take a rubdown,” Shoun told the St. Louis Star and Times in 1940. “Don’t need ‘em. Oils, ointments, liniments and massages are all right for some pitchers, but I never use ‘em. Once or twice last summer I put a little alcohol on my arm to cool it off after pitching a few innings, but generally speaking, I have a rubber arm that doesn’t need all the care and attention that some pitchers require for their costly wings.

“In fact, I really don’t have to warm up to pitch. I can go right out and throw a fastball now without taking any practice throws. Ordinarily, three or four pitches are enough to get me ready to face the batters.”

Bucky Walters had thrown a one-hitter for the Reds on May 14, 1944 in a win over Boston, but he would be outdone by his less heralded teammate 24 hours later.

Hardrock and his rubber arm must’ve been feeling good that fateful day at Crosley Field as umpire Beans Reardon gave the command to play ball and Shoun unleashed his first pitch to Cincinnati catcher Ray Mueller.

The 32-year-old retired Tommy Holmes, Max Macon and Chet Ross in order in the top of the first inning on two flyballs and a groundout.

Shoun had everything working that day against the Braves.

Boston got its only baserunner on in the bottom of the third when Tobin drew a two-out walk. Shoun wasn’t flustered and got Holmes to fly out to left field to end the inning.

The only run of the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning when George Aleno homered on a two-out offering from Tobin. It was the only home run Aleno hit in ‘44 and one of just two the third baseman hit over the course of his four-year MLB career.

Right fielder Gee Walker and shortstop Eddie Miller both made key plays to keep the no-hitter intact according to newspaper accounts.

Shoun’s only strikeout came in the second inning when he fanned Chuck Workman.

Shoun singled in the third inning and doubled in the eighth, but wound up being stranded on the bases both times. Not bad for a guy who finished with a career batting average of .202.

There probably wasn’t much of a buzz in the ballpark that day as Shoun kept putting up zeroes since only 1,014 folks attended the contest.

Pinch-hitter Stew Hofferth grounded out to start the nerve-racking ninth, while Tobin followed by popping out to Mueller in foul territory.

On the final pitch of the game, Shoun got Holmes to hit a weak grounder back to him. He handled the chance calmly and tossed the ball over to first baseman Frank McCormick for the final out.

“I threw my hard fast one to Tommy Holmes,” Shoun explained to the Associated Press afterwards. “Putting everything I had on it.”

Final Score: Cincinnati 1, Boston 0.

Time of Game: 1-hour, 19-minutes.

Shoun’s no-hitter was big deal in Cincinnati.

It was the first no-no by a Reds hurler since Johnny Vander Meer threw back-to-back no-hitters in 1938.

“If Clyde Shoun, the tall hillbilly with the long pantaloons, had a claim to fame before, it was not particularly because of his mastery of the art of pitching, for he has never been much more than a fair journeyman hurler, with rather unusual control and a talent for stepping into tough relief spots and getting out with a minimum of damage,” Si Burick wrote the next day in the Dayton Daily News.

It was an even bigger deal back in his hometown.

“I do remember that the older people told me later, that people were glued to their radios,” Johnson County, Tennessee, resident Jack Swift told the Bristol Herald Courier in 2008. “They wanted to listen to the local boy’s exploits in the big leagues.”

Eight months after that game, Shoun was inducted into the United States Navy in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, and spent 1945 suiting up for Uncle Sam in a non-combat role due to his age.

Shoun also played for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox in the majors.

On June 7, 1947, the Reds sold his contract to the Braves for a little less than $10,000.

“In speaking to Shoun over the phone,” Jack Barry wrote in the Boston Globe. “Manager [Billy] Southworth asked, ‘How would you like to join our ballclub?’ To which the lanky side-winder answered, ‘Nothing would please me more.’ ”

The southpaw’s final stats in the majors: 73-59, 31 saves, 3.90 ERA, five teams, one no-hitter, one cool nickname.

“Back when I was a freshman in high school, a bunch of us were divided up playing a game, some from Doe Valley and the others from town,” Shoun told Jimmy Smyth of the Johnson City Press-Chronicle in 1949. “That day I struck out 16 or 17 batters and the opposing players were quite a bit peeved because they couldn’t get to first base. After the game, Tom Walsh, who is still in business here in Mountain City, explained it all by saying ‘Shoun is just an old hard rock.’ ”

Shoun later became an alderman and vice-mayor in his hometown and was an avid outdoorsman.

He died on March 20, 1968, at the Mountain Home Veterans Hospital in Tennessee. Sadly, he passed away on his 56th birthday.

It’s certain Shoun would have enjoyed seeing two of his old teams playing not far from his hometown of Mountain City.

Maybe one of the team’s unheralded pitchers will throw a no-hitter to mark the occasion.

HARDROCK’S HIGHLIGHT

Cincinnati Reds 1, Boston Braves 0

Boston 000 000 000 —0 0 2

Cincinnati 000 010 00x —1 5 0

Tobin and Masi. Shoun and Mueller. W – Shoun (2-1). L – Tobin (3-3). HR – Aleno (C), 5th, none on.

Team Tomahawk

A look at some locals in the pros who have played in a regular-season game for the Braves – whether it be when the team was located in Boston, Milwaukee or Atlanta – as of July 20, 2025:

Pitcher Clyde Shoun, Mountain City, Tenn.: Boston Braves, 1947-49

The left-hander was 10-4 with five saves and a 4.18 ERA in 63 games for the Braves over three seasons with the team.

Pitcher Jim Constable, Jonesborough, Tenn.: Milwaukee Braves, 1962

He had three memorable outings for the Braves, going 1-1 with one save and a 2.00 ERA. His win was a five-hit shutout against Pittsburgh.

Infielder Ed Goodson, Fries High School/East Tennessee State University: Atlanta Braves, 1975

The San Francisco Giants traded Goodson to Atlanta in exchange for Craig Robinson on June 11, 1975. He hit .211 in 47 games with the Braves and was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers (along with Dusty Baker) following the season.

Pitcher Dave Campbell, East Tennessee State University: Atlanta Braves, 1977-78

He was 4-10 with 14 saves and a 3.82 ERA in 118 games over two seasons with Atlanta.

Pitcher Billy Wagner, Tazewell High School: Atlanta Braves, 2010

The Class of 2025 Hall of Famer spent the last season of his 16-year MLB career with the Braves and was lights out: 7-2, 37 saves, 1.43 ERA.

Pitcher Jerry Blevins, Johnson City, Tenn.: Atlanta Braves, 2019

Blevins was born in Northeast Tennessee but grew up in Ohio. He appeared in 45 games in a relief role for Atlanta in 2019.

Cinci Cadre

A look at some locals in the pros who have played suited up for the Cincinnati Reds in a regular-season game as of July 20, 2025:

Pitcher Frank “Limb” McKenry, Piney Flats, Tenn.: 1915-16

A 6-6 record and 3.10 ERA in 27 games appeared on his stat line with Cincinnati.

Pitcher Clyde “Hardrock” Shoun, Mountain City, Tenn.: 1942-44; 1946-47

A no-hitter in 1944 against the Braves headlined his 154-game tenure with the Reds.

Pitcher Harry Perkowski, Dante, Va.: 1947-1954

He appeared in 159 games for the Reds and was 30-36 with three saves and a 4.31 ERA.

Pitcher Walker Cress, Ben Hur, Va.: 1948-49

A multi-sport athlete at Louisiana State University before entering pro baseball, Cress was 0-1 with a 4.35 ERA in 33 games for Cincinnati.

Pitcher Dave Hillman, Dungannon, Va.: 1962

He had a 9.82 ERA in two relief outings during his brief stint with the Reds.

First baseman Kevin Barker, Virginia High: 2009

The final 29 games of his MLB career were spent in Cincinnati as he hit .281 with three RBIs.

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