Lorenzen's white Vans from no-hitter getting HOF treatment

August 10th, 2023

There is plenty of famous footwear among the artifacts in the Baseball Hall of Fame. But it is safe to say this is the first time a pair of Vans will grace those hallowed halls. And that’s pretty gnarly.

The white Vans that Michael Lorenzen wore while throwing a no-hitter in his home debut for the Phillies on Wednesday night are headed to Cooperstown. The only problem? Lorenzen is going to need another pair.

“I've got to get a new pair for sure,” he said after completing the 14th no-no in Phillies team history. “I mean, those are my only pair. We need to make another pair as soon as possible.”

Lorenzen’s been known as something of a sneakerhead and has shown off different styles of Vans on the mound before. He had a custom blue-and-orange tiger stripes pair when he was with Detroit and also broke out special ones for his first career All-Star appearance that matched the Seattle-inspired jersey colors.

During his days in Detroit, he said he cycled through one home and one away pair of Vans cleats, with another one he wore only for his bullpen sessions.

Lorenzen is an Anaheim native who attended Fullerton Union HS -- which, incredibly, has produced four Major League pitchers, all of whom have now thrown a no-hitter (HOFer Walter Johnson, Steve Busby and Mike Warren) -- and was drafted in the first round out of Cal State Fullerton in 2013. It’s therefore no surprise he rocks with a style of shoe that is ubiquitous in Southern California.

So skaters everywhere can pop an ollie in Lorenzen’s honor – there will be a pair of fresh white Vans in the Baseball Hall of Fame, all because a California kid made history with his no-hitter 2,800 miles across the country in Philadelphia.