A St. Louis native joined an elite group of Bay Area baseball legends this past week.
Ken Holtzman, a left-handed hurler who helped guide the Oakland Athletics to three straight World Series titles from 1972-1974, was named to the organization’s 50th Anniversary Team last Monday. The American League West franchise announced via Twitter the list of the 50 players who earned a rightful place in the annals of Oakland baseball lore. A’s fans were encouraged to vote online this past season for the players worthy enough to earn a spot on this celebrated roster of beloved ballplayers.
Holtzman, a University City High School alumnus, joins fellow “Swingin’ A’s” teammates Reggie Jackson, Joe Rudi, & Sal Bando as a collection of “Green & Gold” immortals chosen to represent the organization that has accumulated four Fall Classic banners since previously moving from Kansas City in 1968. Other notable names featured on this prestigious list include Mark McGwire, Mark Mulder, Dennis Eckersley, & Rickey Henderson.
https://twitter.com/Athletics/status/937844551946944512
Traded to Oakland in November 1971 from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for outfielder Rick Monday, Holtzman proved to be the vital arm in solidifying the A’s starting rotation as an intimidating force years to come. In a gallery of pitchers featuring established aces like Jim “Catfish” Hunter, Vida Blue, Johnny “Blue Moon” Odom, and reliever extraordinaire Rollie Fingers, Holtzman distinguished himself as a methodical and sharp curveball pitcher.
Throughout his brief yet consistent tenure in Oakland from 1972-1975, Holtzman won 77 games, sported a 2.92 ERA, and notched 530 strikeouts in four durable seasons. The two-time All-Star selection maintained a solid 115 ERA-plus mark and was among the top-five pitchers who surrendered the least amount of walks per nine innings from 1972-1974.
Holtzman’s best season by the East Bay, arguably, came during his 1973 campaign with the club. In 40 starts, Holtzman registered 21 wins, posted a 2.97 ERA, notched 157 strikeouts and tallied a 1.998 BB9 (Bases on Balls per 9 Innings) total, earning him a second All-Star nod as a representative from Oakland. He was honored by The Sporting News as the league’s Left-Handed Pitcher of the Year that season as well.
Perhaps the University of Illinois graduate’s overall World Series résumé garnered him the votes to merit a coveted spot on Oakland’s 50th Anniversary team?
Indeed.
Holtzman compiled a 4-1 record in eight World Series games, logging 35.1 innings pitched to go along with a firm 2.55 ERA tally. He managed to strike out 20 batters and only gave up one home run while staring down 151 batsmen during Oakland’s World Series dynasty in the 1970’s.
Now, let’s look at his performance swinging the bat, shall we?
Holtzman notched one run batted in, three doubles, and scored four times in 12 official World Series at-bats. His crowning achievement at the plate occurred in Game 4 of the 1974 World Series when he hit a solo home run off Los Angeles Dodgers’ righty Andy Messersmith in the bottom of the third. Holtzman remains the last American League hurler to hit a home run during World Series play.
JewishBaseballMuseum on Twitter
Here is Ken Holtzman’s homer in ’74 Series. He crushed it. Then again, no surprise. He hit .333 in 12 WS ABs. https://t.co/RnGbytqiQv
Holtzman later pitched for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and returned to the Cubs before he eventually retired in 1979. According to the Jewish Baseball Museum, with two outs and runners in scoring position, batters hit a minuscule .220 batting average when confronting Holtzman during his 15-year professional baseball career.
Clutch.
Before his exploits in Oakland, Holtzman racked up two no-hitters in Cubbie Blue (1968 & 1971, respectively), becoming the first North Side pitcher to toss two no-no’s in the live-ball era (1920-present). His first no-hitter saw him retire 27 Atlanta Braves without ever striking out a batter in the course of those 27 outs.
Holtzman later went on to volunteer at the St. Louis Jewish Community Center and coached several local baseball teams in the renowned Maccabi Games. An accomplished Jewish ballplayer, he holds the career record for the most wins by a Jewish starting pitcher with 174 wins (More than Sandy Koufax and Barney Peltry, a Farmington, MO native).
