Eight Crazy Nights - Three

Happy third night of Hanukkah!  

A good number of Jewish ballplayers have spent time playing for the two Chicago teams.  Being a North Side kid growing up in the 1960's and 70's  number one on my list has to be Kenny Holtzman.  Rumor even has it that he got married at a synagogue in my neighborhood.  Ken has the most career wins of any Jewish pitcher and was part of the Swingin' A's 70's dynasty. 

I Did Not Know That -- Ken Holtzman

I know that Ken Holtzman played for the Cubs and was a big part of the beloved 1969 squad.  He threw his first of two career no-hitters on August 19,1969 against the Braves.  

I also know that after the 1971 season Kenny was dealt to Charlie O. Finley's Swingin'A's.  During the A's three Championship seasons he went 59-41 with a 2.85 ERA.  He also went 4-1 in the 3 World Series.

 

I know that Kenny played for the New York Yankees before coming back to finish his career where it began.

What I didn't know (and thanks for scrolling down this far) was that Holtzman once wore the cartoon bird.  In the Spring of 1976 he was a member of the Baltimore Orioles.  On April 2 he was acquired by the Orioles along with Reggie Jackson in the deal that sent Don Baylor and Mike Torrez to the A's. On June 15, after just 13 appearances and a 5-4 record Ken was traded again, this time to the New York Yankees in a ten player mega-deal.

As far as I know there are no baseball cards of Holtzman with the Orioles nor many photos.  Here are the ones I've found.

Well, this is a sort of card.  It was part of a large set available in perforated sheets at either Crown gas stations or at Memorial Stadium in 1991.

Autographed Cards A-Z

When I got back into collecting five or so years ago one of the things that excited me was the availability of autographed cards.  Perhaps I went a little overboard but I think I picked up some nice cards.  This will be an A-Z series of posts with varying numbers of cards.

This got left out of the last post (I've been straightening up a bit).  Some people probably think this card is hideous but I like it.  I want one of those caps.  Jeff never made it to the majors but his Dad did.  Dave Heaverlo was a relief pitcher for the Giants, A's and Mariners (1975-1981).

2000 Team Best

Jim was one of the original Mets but had his best years as a Cub.  This is one of his rare certified autos.

2004 UD Timeless Teams #54

Kenny was 17-13 for the 69 Cubs with six shutouts.  He's also the winningest Jewish pitcher of all-time, 174. 

 2004 UD Timeless Teams #55

Holtzman won 59 games for the Swingin' A's from 1972-74 and went 4-1 in their 3 WS Championships.  He hit a home run off Andy Messersmith in Game 4 of the 1974 series against the Dodgers. Dig the California tan!

2004 UD Timeless Teams #84

 2005 UD Past Time Pennants #HO Gold

 2005 UD Past Time Pennants #HO Bronze

 2005 UD Past Time Pennants #HO Bronze

The only thing wrong with these nickname greats cards are the stickers.  Here's a downer for Cubs fans -- consecutive cards of Cubs pitchers who appeared in three World Series after being traded to West Coast teams.

 2006 Fleer GOTG Nickname Greats #NG-BH

Willie hit 36 home runs for the Tigers in 1968 and batted .304 in their World Series win over the Cardinals.

 2005 UD Past Time Pennants #WH Gold

In 1968, the "Year of the Pitcher" the Capital Punisher led the majors with 44 home runs.  He went on to hit 48 in '69 and another 44 in 1970.

2006 UD Origins #FH1

The two big men of the Baltimore-DC area.

2005 UD Dual Signature Reflections #BPFH

Blow Out the Candles -- November 3

"Rapid Robert" Feller was born in Van Meter, Ohio on this date in 1918.

1953 Topps #54

Bob won 266 games despite serving four years in the Navy during WWII. I love this 1953 card, the only vintage Feller in my collection.

The greatest Jewish pitcher after Sandy Koufax, Kenny Holtzman turns 66 today.

1970 Topps #505

 Ken is remembered for his time with the beloved Cubs of the 60's and the A's dynasty of the early 70's.

Another Aussie tennis great is celebrating a birthday this week. Roy Emerson turns 75.

Roy won 12 singles and 16 men's doubles Grand Slam titles, including 6 Australian Open's in 7 years from 1961 to 1967.

Scottish singer/entertainer Lulu is celebrating her 63rd birthday today.

Lulu sang the theme song to the 1967 Sidney Poitier film, To Sir with Love.

Answers to Yesterday's Trivia Question

Yesterday's challenge was to name the Jewish pitchers (not named Sandy Koufax) who threw no-hitters in the 1960's.  Night Owl knew the best one, Ken Holtzman.

1989 Swell #129

On August 19, 1969 Kenny no-hit the Atlanta Braves 3-0 at Wrigley Field.  He pitched a second no hitter in 1971 against the Reds.

Joe (Joel) Horlen of the White Sox tossed a 6-0 no-hitter at Comisky Park on September 10, 1967 against the Detroit Tigers.

Some post ideas come from opening new cards, some from the day's events.   This one actually came from my picking an old book off a bookshelf in my living room.  It's a book I've had for over 30 years and I haven't read it since the 70's.

Notice anything familiar about it?  Check out the back cover.

Yes, you got it!  1972 Topps

I kid you not,  I picked this particular 1972 card because Nolan was an Angel.  It was only after I uploaded it here that I recalled his 7 no-hitters.  

Bo Belinsky threw a 2-0 ho-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles on May 5, 1962.  It was the first Angels no-hitter and the first at Dodger Stadium. It was only Bo's fourth major league start.

Belinsky started his career winning his first five games.  It was downhill from there.  He became more well known for his off the field activities than his pitching.  Below are a few shots  taken with a young Ann Margaret.  A-Rod's got nothing on Bo.  Bo knows chicks.