Former MLB Pitcher Ken Holtzman Dies at 78; Won 4 World Series with Yankees, A’s
Former MLB pitcher Ken Holtzman died Sunday at the age of 78, per MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan. Holtzman was hospitalized with heart issues for three weeks before his death.
Holtzman had a 15-year MLB career, playing for four different teams. He was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the fourth round of the first-ever MLB draft in 1965 out of the University of Illinois.
Holtzman, who spent his first seven seasons with the Cubs, threw no-hitters in 1969 and 1971, recording the big league’s last no-hitter to be thrown without a strikeout. In 1967, Holtzman enlisted in the National Guard and only pitched on weekends, making 12 starts to go 9-0 with a 2.53 ERA.
When Holtzman was traded to the Oakland Athletics in 1971, his career took off. He was named an All-Star in the 1972 season, notching a 2.51 ERA while helping lead Oakland to a World Series. He was once again named an All-Star in 1973, when the A’s repeated as champions. Though he wasn’t an All-Star in 1974, he was a key member of Oakland’s rotation as it won a third straight World Series.
After four seasons in Oakland, Holtzman was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for part of the 1976 season before being dealt to the New York Yankees. As a member of the Yankees rotation, he helped New York win a World Series in 1977.
Holtzman was traded back to the Cubs in 1978, where he finished up his career in 1979 at the age of 33.
He finished his career with a 3.49 ERA, recording 1,601 strikeouts and notching 174 career wins.
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