At the age of 78, Ken Holtzman, one of baseball’s defining figures and the most successful Jewish pitcher in Major League Baseball, died in St. Louis. Known for his left-handedness and his success with the Oakland A’s in the 1970s, Holtzman leaves behind an impressive sporting legacy. His death was confirmed by his brother Bob after a three-week hospital stay for cardiac and respiratory problems.
With 174 wins, Holtzman even surpassed baseball icon Sandy Koufax and secured the title as the winningest Jewish pitcher in the history of professional baseball. In addition to his impressive number of wins, the athletic 6-foot-1, 175-pound Holtzman also demonstrated his prowess during his 15 seasons with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.49 and nominations for the 1972 and 1973 All-Star teams.
A highlight of his extraordinary career was his first no-hitter game on August 19, 1969, when he scored a 3-0 win against the Atlanta Braves without a single strikeout – a rare occurrence that has not occurred in a No. 1 game since 1923 -hitter game had occurred. Holtzman himself commented on his performance at the time with modest self-criticism and attributed his success to the high number of fastballs thrown after he noticed that his curveball did not have the expected effect in the game.
The baseball world mourns the loss of a great player whose talent and competitive spirit on and off the mound will not be forgotten. (eulerpool AFX)
2024-04-17 00:34:31
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