Alec Mills made history last September, throwing his first career no-hitter and the 16th in Cubs history. It's an incredible achievement that he will obviously remember forever.
That said, five months later, Mills still can't totally wrap his mind around what he accomplished on that Sunday in Milwaukee.
"It's still crazy," Mills said over Zoom on Thursday. "It was obviously a special day and something I'll never forget. I'm not sure if it's completely hit me yet."
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Mills' performance came out of nowhere. A 22nd-round draft pick, he started the 2020 season competing for a spot in the Cubs starting rotation last February before being thrust into the mix following José Quintana's thumb injury during baseball's COVID-19 shutdown.
On a staff that included guys like Yu Darvish, Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester, Mills, a control-command pitcher with a low-90s fastball, shut down the Brewers with just five strikeouts in a rather improbable performance.
Mills did a sit-down interview with a museum in his hometown this offseason discussing the game, but months later, he still isn't sure if it has totally hit him yet.
"I realize what I have done, but really the levity of the situation, it's crazy," he said.
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Did he at least rewatch the game this offseason?
"Maybe when I retire that may be something I do," he said.