Ken Holtzman, who along with Catfish Hunter and Vida Blue anchored the dominating rotation that helped lead the Oakland A’s to three straight World Series championships in the 1970s, has died. He was 78.
Holtzman’s death was confirmed by his brother, Bob, according to Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Holtzman’s hometown newspaper. His death was also reported by ESPN and MLB Network Radio’s Dani Wexelman. Holtzman had been hospitalized for the past three weeks due to heart issues, according to Hochman.
Holtzman often was overshadowed by Hunter, a Hall of Famer and Cy Young winner, and Blue, an MVP and Cy Young winner, but was every bit as valuable to the A’s teams that won championships in 1972, ’73 and ’74.
Holtzman never won fewer than 18 game in four seasons with the A’s — he won a career-high 21 in 1973, when he, Hunter and Blue all won 20 games — and had a 2.92 ERA with Oakland. He made two All-Star teams during that period, but never received a single Cy Young award vote.
Holtzman was known as being an avid bridge player when he was with the A’s and his pitching style very straight forward: he throw almost exclusively fastballs. But he had terrific control and was a fierce competitor. During the 1973 ALCS against the Baltimore Orioles, Holtzman pitched all 11 innings of a Game 3 win that gave the A’s a 2-1 lead in a series that went five games.
When Dick Williams approached Holtzman about coming out after the 10th inning (and the scored tied 1-1), Holtzman told reporters he told the then-manager that “If you pull me out, I’ll kill you. I don’t (care) if this games goes 40 innings, I’m not leaving.”
Holtzman set the Orioles down in order in the 11th, and then Campy Campaneris hit a walk-off homer to lead off the bottom half of the inning.
The St. Louis native was drafted by the Cubs and pitched two no-hitters by the time he was 25. But coming off a 9-15 season (with a then career-worst 4.48 ERA) in 1971 after back-to-back 17-win seasons, the A’s acquired the left-hander for Rick Monday. The A’s had won the A.L. West for the first time that season, but were swept by the Orioles in the ALCS. Holtzman’s arrival helped get the A’s over the top.
Oakland won the West in each of Holtzman’s four seasons with the team and won the three Series titles. Holtzman went 4-1 with a 2.55 ERA in eight World Series games and had a 2.06 ERA in five ALCS games with the A’s.
Holtzman was the A’s Game 1 starter in all three World Series appearances.
He won the first World Series game in Oakland franchise history against the heavily favored Reds in 1972, and again in Game 1 in 1973 against the Mets. He also started — and won — Game 7 against the Mets, holding New York to one run in 5 1/3 innings. Holtzman was at his most dominating in the 1974 Series against the Dodgers, allowing two earned runs and striking out 10 in 12 innings. He won Game 4 — and also socked a solo home run.
During spring training in 1976, Holtzman was included in the deal that sent Jackson to the Orioles as then-owner Charlie O. Finley started to dismantle the team as a cost-cutting move. Later that season, he was was traded to the Yankees, where he was reunited with Hunter. Holtzman — along with Hunter and Jackson — won his fourth World Series ring in 1977.
The Yankees traded Holtzman to the Cubs early in 1978, and he retired after going 6-9 with a 4.59 with the Cubs in 1979.
Holtzman finished his MLB career with a 174-150 record, 3.49 ERA. Holtzman is the winningest Jewish pitcher in MLB history — Sandy Koufax is second with 165 wins.
Hunter died in 1999 at the age of 53. Blue died last May at the age of 73.