Ken Holtzman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kenneth Dale Holtzman (born November 3, 1945, in St. Louis, Missouri) is a left-handed former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics.

He became the only pitcher since the 1880s to throw 2 no-hitters for the Cubs, and was also one of the principal pitchers on Oakland's championship teams from 1972 to 1975. His 174 career victories are the most in the major leagues by a Jewish pitcher, and he held the record for most pitching appearances by a Jewish pitcher until 1998.

In 2007 Holtzman managed the Petah Tikva Pioneers in the Israel Baseball League.

[edit] Early career

Holtzman played ball on the University City High School team, graduating in 1963. He then attended the University of Illinois, graduating with a B.A. in Business Administration, and was selected by the Cubs in the 1965 amateur draft. Holtzman pitched 12 games in the minor leagues in 1965, going 8-3 with a 1.99 earned run average.

[edit] Major league career

[edit] Chicago Cubs (1965-71)

He broke in with the Cubs with 3 relief appearances that year, and became a member of the starting rotation with an 11-16 rookie campaign for the last-place 1966 team. The team's fortunes turned around quickly, however, as they had winning years in every season from 1967 through 1971.

As a promising Jewish lefthander, he was heralded as a new Sandy Koufax, though it would have been nearly impossible to live up to such a standard. In fact, he and Koufax faced each other in a September 25 game in 1966, one day after Yom Kippur, with Holtzman winning 2-1 and taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning; Koufax made his last regular-season appearance a week later on October 2.

In 1967 Holtzman spent much of his time in the National Guard, pitching on the occasional weekend; he was a perfect 9-0 in the 12 games in which he appeared. Through 2006, only four pitchers in baseball history were undefeated with more decisions. With his military obligations behind him, he became a strong second starter behind Ferguson Jenkins, and the Cubs began making noise in the National League for the first time since World War II.

After going 11-14 in 1968, he posted consecutive 17-win seasons. In military service in 1969, he was able to return to the team and pitch in weekend games.

On August 19, 1969, he pitched his first no-hitter at Wrigley Field against the eventual Western Division champion Atlanta Braves, winning 3-0 on Ron Santo's 3-run home run and outdueling the Braves' Phil Niekro; Holtzman notably had no strikeouts in his gem, which was the first no-hitter ever thrown by a Cub lefthander at Wrigley Field. In the 7th inning, veteran slugger Hank Aaron hit a towering drive to left field, which would have landed on Waveland Avenue on many days; but with a strong north wind blowing in, it was a "pitcher's day" at Wrigley, and the ball was barely kept in the park. Billy Williams leaped up at the "well" of the left field bleachers and snared the ball against the vines. Today, a similar fly ball would probably land for a home run in the basket that was installed at the top of the wall in 1970 to prevent fan interference. Radiocaster Vince Lloyd covered the play this way, in an amusing transition from despair to delight:

(loud crack of the bat) Aaron swings, look out, that baby is hit... It is way back there... Billy Williams, back to the wall... back to the corner... HE GRABS IT!!!" (loud roar from the crowd)

Holtzman again faced Aaron in the 9th, and got him to ground out to complete the no-hitter. The Cubs went on to crushing disappointment that year, leading the Eastern Division for much of the season before faltering and finishing in 2nd place, 8 games behind the New York Mets.

In 1970 Holtzman had his best year with the Cubs, with a 17-11 record and a 3.38 ERA, and finished 3rd in the NL in starts (38), 5th in both strikeouts (202) and innings pitched (287-2/3), 6th in complete games (15), and 9th in wins.

On June 3, 1971, showing a knack for facing down powerful-hitting teams, Holtzman repeated his earlier feat with a no-hitter -- the first ever at Riverfront Stadium -- against the defending league champion Cincinnati Reds, blanking the "Big Red Machine" 1-0 during what would prove to be his final year with the Cubs. In doing so, he became the first Cubs pitcher since Larry Corcoran (who had 3 from 1880 to 1884) to have two no-hitters for the team.

[edit] Oakland Athletics (1972-75)

After ending the year at 9-15, in November 1971 Holtzman was traded (at his request) to the Athletics for outfielder Rick Monday just in time to enjoy their peak years, as they went on to win 3 consecutive World Series championships.

Joining a staff that featured Vida Blue and Catfish Hunter, he won 19 games in 1972 (7th in the AL) and was named to the All-Star team for the first time. He lost Game 1 of the 1972 American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers as opposing pitcher Joe Coleman set an ALCS record with 14 strikeouts; but after Oakland won the ALCS in five games, Holtzman won Game 1 of the World Series against the Reds. He started Game 4, but left in the eighth inning with a 1-0 lead and a runner on third base; the Reds scored twice to take the lead, but Oakland scored twice in the ninth inning to win 3-2. He relieved Hunter in the eighth inning of Game 7 with a 3-1 lead, but after surrendering a double to Joe Morgan he was replaced by Rollie Fingers. The A's hung on for a 3-2 win, taking their first Series title since 1930 when the team was located in Philadelphia.

In 1973 Holtzman led the A's with a 2.97 ERA (6th best in the league) as all three of their top starters won 20 games. He was again an All-Star, going 21-13 (his 21 wins 4th-best in the AL) with 157 strikeouts. His had 40 starts; over the next 33 years only two other lefthanders had that many starts in a season. He had a magnificent outing in the 1973 ALCS against the Baltimore Orioles, winning an 11-inning 2-1 duel against Mike Cuellar in Game 3 when Bert Campaneris homered to lead off the last inning. He started three times in the 1973 World Series against the Mets, winning Game 1 by a 2-1 score, but lasting only 1/3 of an inning in Game 4, departing after a 3-run homer by Rusty Staub was followed by two more baserunners. He recovered to win Game 7, leaving in the 6th inning with a 5-1 lead as the A's took the game 5-2 and their second straight title. In both his victories, he also scored the first run for the A's.

He again won 19 games in 1974, but this time also endured 17 losses despite an entirely respectable 3.07 ERA. Again facing the Orioles in the 1974 ALCS, he pitched a 5-0 shutout in Game 2, taking a one-hitter into the eighth inning and allowing only five singles. Against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, he started Game 1 but was pulled in the fifth inning with a 2-1 lead; the A's went on to win 3-2. He won Game 4 by a 5-2 score, even hitting a home run off Andy Messersmith (the designated hitter was not yet in use in World Series play) in the third inning for a 1-0 lead; during the nine years in which he batted regularly during the season, he had only 2 home runs. Oakland went on to win Game 5, becoming the first team since the 1949-53 Yankees to win three consecutive Series.

Holtzman had an 18-14 record for the 1975 A's as they again won the American League's Western Division. On June 8 of that year, against the Detroit Tigers, he had what would have been his third career no-hitter broken up with two out in the ninth by a Tom Veryzer double; he would have become the third pitcher (after Cy Young and Jim Bunning) to pitch no-hitters in both leagues. Holtzman lost Games 1 and 3 of the ALCS to the Boston Red Sox as the A's were swept. He was 4th in the AL in games started (38), 6th in hits allowed per 9 innings pitched (7.33), and 7th in wins.

[edit] Later career

In the late 1970s Holtzman bounced around the major leagues. He was traded to the Orioles along with Reggie Jackson and Bill Van Bommell in April 1976 for Don Baylor, Mike Torrez, and Paul Mitchell. In June 1976 he was traded by the Orioles with Doyle Alexander, Jimmy Freeman, Ellie Hendricks, and Grant Jackson to the New York Yankees for Rudy May, Tippy Martinez, Dave Pagan, Scott McGregor, and Rick Dempsey.

He posted a 12-10 record for the Yankees over 3 years, but saw his playing time increasingly limited, and did not appear in the 1976 or 1977 postseasons with New York due to owner George Steinbrenner being disappointed by his performance and refusal to meet his demands. Steinbrenner tried unsuccessfully to force Holtzman – the Yankees' union representative – to waive his no-trade clause, and used relegation to the bullpen as punishment for Holtzman's resistance.

He tied Koufax' record for the most wins by a Jewish pitcher in 1977, and passed him in 1978; in 1978 he also passed Larry Sherry's record for Jewish pitchers of 416 appearances.

In June 1978, after making only 5 appearances, he was traded by the Yankees to the Chicago Cubs for Ron Davis. He ended his career with Chicago in 1979, going 6-9 with a 4.59 ERA.

Over 15 years he had a record of 174-150 with a 3.49 ERA, 1,601 strikeouts, and 31 shutouts in 451 games and 2,867-1/3 innings. He held batters to a .220 batting average with 2 outs and runners in scoring position. His 80 victories with Chicago were the fourth most by a lefthander, behind Hippo Vaughn (151), Larry French (95), and Dick Ellsworth (84).

He received 4 votes in Baseball Hall of Fame voting in 1985, and 5 in 1986.

In 1998, Scott Radinsky passed him to become the major league leader in appearances among Jewish pitchers. Holtzman also ranks second among all Jewish pitchers in career strikeouts (behind Koufax), and 5th in ERA (behind Koufax, Radinsky, Barney Pelty, and Erskine Mayer) [1].

[edit] Later years

Holtzman went on to a successful career as a stock broker and in insurance.

Holtzman also worked for the St. Louis Jewish Community Center, running the gymnasium in the Marilyn Fox Building.

[edit] Managing career

Holtzman managed the Petach Tikva Pioneers in the 2007 inaugural season of the Israel Baseball League [2]. They finished the inaugrual 2007 regular season in last place (9-32; .220), and lost to the Modi'in Miracle in the quarterfinals of the 2007 championship.

[edit] Trivia

He gave up more hits to Joe Torre (33; for a .508 batting average) than any other hitter.

Holtzman's no-hitters were the last two of eight thrown by a Jewish pitcher in a decade spanning from 1962 through 1971. The others:

• Bo Belinsky - 1962
• Sandy Koufax - 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965
• Joe Horlen - 1967

Was played by Rob Lavin in "The Bronx is Burning".

Along with teammates Mike Epstein and Reggie Jackson, Holtzman wore a black armband during the 1972 playoffs in memory of the 11 Israeli athletes who were murdered by terrorists during the Munich Olympics.

[edit] See also

• List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
• SABR biography
• BaseballLibrary.com - bio and career highlights
• Jews in Sports bio
• International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
• Jewish Major Leaguers: Career leaders
• BR Bullpen profile
• The Baseball Page
• Baseball Cube stats
• Fangraphs stats