Today I serve up a “missing” or “Career-Capping” 1971 Topps card for former no-hit pitcher Ray Washburn.
Take a look:
A “Bonus-Baby” when signed by the St. Louis Cardinals back in 1960, Washburn was closing out a 10 year career in 1970 with 35 appearances for the Cincinnati Reds, the only games he’d appear in outside the Cardinals as a Pro.
He posted a 4-4 record while sporting a rough 6.93 Earned Run Average, mainly as an arm out of the bullpen.
His best season was 1968, the “Year of the Pitcher”, when he went 14-8 with a sparkling 2.26 ERA and four shutouts, helping the Cardinals to the World Series, but unfortunately would lose, to the Detroit Tigers in seven games.
He’d also go and pitch a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants that season, on September 18th, which came a day after Gaylord Perry did the very same thing against the Cardinals! This was the first time in Major League history where there were no-hitters on consecutive days between two teams.
Easily the highlight of his career, Washburn would end up 72- 64, with a 3.53 ERA and 10 shutouts over 239 games, 166 of which were starts, and 1210 innings of Major League work.
