RIP Ken Holtzman

Tossed two no-hitters for the Cubs but won three World Series rings with the A's.

On June 8, 1975, my good friend Alan Greenberg and I went to the Oakland Coliseum with 9,778 other attendees to see Holtzman pitch against a very bad Detroit Tigers offense. Claudell Washington crushed two homers off Joe Coleman -- who ALWAYS lost when we went to see the A's and Tigers play -- but that wasn't the real lowlight for Detroit.

Holtzman, on the other hand, spun 8 2/3 innings of no-hit ball, which ended when weak-hitting Tom Veryzer hit a double over the head of a surprised Billy North, playing shallow center field. He then closed out the shutout in a nifty 1:44.

I had to be the only one there cheering when the ball landed on the warning track.

Alan was beside himself at missing the chance to witness history and cursed me on the BART train all the way back to Walnut Creek. (He probably still hates me, come to think about it.)

The Tigers got worse, losing 19 consecutive games at one point to finish with 100-plus losses for only the second time in their history.

The 1975 team isn't even in the top five for worst seasons in Detroit history now.

RIP, Ken. Sorry I cheered your misfortune.

 

Good story, I got maybe six autographs growing up including Joe Coleman's. Same year Holtzman, though all but done, got a ring with the Yankees.

 

Watch this game from June 28, 1976 (broadcast two hours after I was born!)

Everyone knows this was the game that put Mark Fidrych on the national scene. Holtzman opposed him. Take note that this YouTube clip is a little over 2 hours in length. That's because the time of the game was 1 hour, 51 minutes!

I was amazed watching this how quickly Holtzman pitched. Get the ball back from Ellie Hendricks, slap it in his glove, go into the windup. Until the eighth inning, it was a 1-1 game.

Man, I love baseball from this decade.

 

Awesome memories, maumann. Thank you for sharing.

 

Another 70s Yankees pitcher gone. Had a nifty 2.55 WS ERA. RIP.

 

Shouldn't be forgotten that in the two World Series for the A's in '73 and '74, after the AL had introduced the DH but it wasn't used for the Series, Holtzman went four for seven with three doubles and a homer.

 

Holtzman, author of 2 no-hitters and a 4-time champ, dies at 78

Holtzman spent his first seven seasons with the Cubs and threw no-hitters in 1969 and 1971. His no-hitter against the Braves at Wrigley Field on Aug. 19, 1969, remains the last no-no to be thrown without a strikeout in the big leagues.

 

Probably the second best Jewish pitcher after Sandy Koufax. He has the most wins among Jews with 174 to Sandy's 165.

With him and Mike Epstein, us 1970's Jewish kids pulled for the A's.

 

Not only that, but a no-hitter in Wrigley Field in August. Not exactly a pitcher friendly park, especially in that hot and humid month.