BY MARK A. LARSON
Editor & Publisher
Anyone who has ever witnessed a Major League No-Hitter in person no doubt considers it a great baseball memory.
Southpaw Ken Holtzman threw two No-No’s and came oh-so-close to a third.
In Over 15 seasons, Holtzman posted a 174-159 lifetime record. He threw 31 shutouts and had a career ERA of 3.49. Ken won 17+ games in six seasons and was a two-time All-Star.
Holtzman began his big league career with the Cubs in 1965 after pitching only 12 games in the minors. He was traded to Oakland after the 1971 season and had his best seasons there.
He was an integral part of the early 1970s A’s dynasty. In fact, in the four seasons from 1972-75 (three World Championships and a Division Title), Holtzman averaged 19 wins per year, with a 2.92 ERA.
In eight Fall Classic games, Ken had a record of 4-1, with a nifty 2.55 ERA.
While pitching for the Cubbies earlier his career, Holtzman tossed two no-hitters – in 1968 and 1971. Four years later, in 1975, he came within one out of throwing his third.
I was there.
Living in the Bay Area during the ’70s, I occasionally attended A’s games when they were playing the Twins. On June 8, 1975, some friends and I attended an A’s-Tigers game in Oakland, as one of my buddies (originally from Michigan) was a huge Detroit fan.
It was the ninth inning and Holtzman was just one out away from his third No-No. Then up to the plate stepped light-hitting Tigers shortstop Tom Veryzer (lifetime .241 average, with just 14 homers in 996 games). Veryzer hit the ball toward the gap in right-center field.
A’s centerfielder Bill North misjudged the ball and got a late jump on it and it fell in for a double.
What a disappointment.
It was the only hit Holtzman gave up as he struck out the next batter and the A’s won 4-0.
However, this was not my last brush with seeing a Major League no-hitter in 1975. Just two months later on August 24, my Dad took our family to Candlestick Park in San Francisco to watch the Giants battle the Mets. It was a doubleheader and the Mets bested the Giants 9-5 in the first game.
For whatever reason, we did not stay for the second game. San Francisco won 6-0. …
The Giants’ Ed Halicki threw a no-hitter.
I never told my friends.
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