"Don Larsen just pitched a perfect game in the World Series!" he said.
"No big deal," the crusty veteran responded, barely looking up. "Let me know if he does it again."
Isn't that just the way? There have been 172 occasions when a pitcher has thrown a regular-season no-hitter since Johnny Vander Meer did it for the second straight time on June 15, 1938, against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field.
And each time, almost before the guy has finished accepting congratulations from his teammates, the speculation begins. Can he do it again?
Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer becomes the latest to take the Vander Meer Challenge when he starts against the Phillies on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.