1971 "BASEBALL'S GREATEST MOMENTS": DON WILSON

Today on the blog, we celebrate former Houston Astros hurler Don Wilson and his 1967 no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves with this "missing" 1971 "Baseball's Greatest Moments" card:

On June 18th of the 1967 season, the 22-year-old dominated the Braves, on his way to what would be the first of two career no-no's with a 15 strikeout performance, even striking out Hank Aaron for the final out of his gem at the Astrodome.

It turned out to be the first no-hitter tossed under a roof, as well as the first on artificial turf, unique in quite a few ways!

Two years later he'd repeat the feat, this time against the Cincinnati Reds, striking out 13 on his way to history yet again.

Wilson would go on to have arguably his best season in the Big Leagues in 1969, finishing up with a record of 16-12 with an ERA at 4.00 with 235 strikeouts over 34 starts.
He’d match those 16 wins a couple of years later, his high-water mark for a season, with another 15 wins the following year, with ERA’s under 3.00 each time.
A bright star on the Houston Astros team, tragically, on January 5th of 1975 he passed away under mysterious circumstances in his home of carbon monoxide poisoning in his car, which also took the life of his 5-year-old son who was sleeping upstairs above the garage. Wilson was only 29-years-old.

 

NO-HITTERS SPECIAL SUB-SET: DON WILSON MAY 1ST, 1969

Next up in the “No-Hitter” thread I just started a couple weeks back is a no-hitter thrown the day AFTER this pitchers team was no-hit by my last entry Jim Maloney of the Cincinnati Reds, and that would be Don Wilson of the Houston Astros:

Incredibly, just the day after Maloney’s 13-K no-hit gem, Wilson matched him with 13 K’s of his own on his way to a no-hitter against a Reds team that had Pete Rose, Johnny Bench and Tony Perez in the line-up.
Wilson did walk six batters, but he easily overpowered the Reds’ line-up that day, improving his record to 2-3 and lowering his ERA to 3.46 on the young season.
For Wilson it was his second career no-hitter, with the first coming in 1967 against the Atlanta Braves, with Hank Aaron being the final out.
Wilson would go on to have arguably his best season in the Big Leagues in 1969, finishing up with a record of 16-12 with an ERA at 4.00 with 235 strikeouts over 34 starts.
He’d match those 16 wins a couple of years later, his high-water mark for a season, with another 15 wins the following year, with ERA’s under 3.00 each time.
A bright star on the Houston Astros team, tragically, on January 5th of 1975 he passed away under mysterious circumstances in his home of carbon monoxide poisoning in his car, which also took the life of his 5-year-old son who was sleeping upstairs above the garage. Wilson was only 29-years-old.

TURN BACK THE CLOCK-1969: BACK TO BACK NO-HITTERS BY JIM MALONEY & DON WILSON

Just one season after the Major Leagues saw opponents no-hit each other when Gaylord Perry and Ray Washburn pulled off the trick during the “year of the pitcher”, the improbable happened when two pitchers managed to do the very same in 1969, Jim Maloney of the Cincinnati Reds and Don Wilson of the Houston Astros.
Here’s a 1979 “Turn Back the Clock” celebrating that feat:

On April 30th, Reds fireballer Jim Maloney pitched what was considered then his third career no-hitter, beating the Astros 10-0 after striking out Doug Radar for the last out & his 13th strikeout of the day.
This was an Astros team that had Joe Morgan and Jimmy Wynn in the line-up, so it wasn’t exactly a piece of cake, though Maloney was credited with facing only 26 official batters after the Reds pulled off a double-play to erase of of five walks the hurler issued that game.
Now, years later in 1991 when baseball changed the rules, Maloney had one of his no-hitter taken away when it was now not considered a no-no if you eventually gave up a hit in extra-innings, which is exactly what Maloney did against the Mets in June of 1965 when Johnny Lewis tagged Maloney for a homer in the 11th inning of what was, up to that point, a no-hitter.
Nevertheless, Maloney went down in history as a two-time no-hit pitcher, three if you want to count that Mets game, and wouldn’t you know it, the very next day the Astros would send to the mound a guy who would also end up with multiple no-hitters during his strong, though tragic career, Don Wilson.
Facing a strong Reds line-up that included Johnny Bench, Tony Perez and the eventual N.L. batting champ that season, Pete Rose, Wilson would fan 13 and walk six, but keep Cincinnati hitless for the no-hitter, and baseball history in the Astros 4-0 win.
Wilson would also finish his career with two no-hitters, famously losing a possible third when his manager, Preston Gomez, took him out for a pinch-hitter on September 4th 1974 with the team trailing 2-1 to the very same Reds, eventually losing the no-hitter and the game.
Sadly, however, just a few months later on January 5th 1975, Wilson was found dead behind the wheel of his car in his garage, overcome by exhaust fumes, which also tragically killed his five-year-old son who was sleeping in a bedroom above the garage.

IN MEMORIAM- PART III: DON WILSON

For those not familiar with this thread, my "In Memoriam" series are card profiles of players who died while still active in the Major Leagues during the decade of the '70's. Some of these men actually had cards issued of them after their death, while for others who did not, I designed a memorial card using the following season's design as a tribute "capper" if you will.

Today's memorial is about Don Wilson, former Astros fireballing pitcher.

In a short nine year career for the Houston Astros (with one "year" encompassing one appearance in his debut), Wilson made a name for himself as a power pitcher who put up some solid numbers before tragedy struck before the 1975 season.

Making his Major League debut at the end of the 1966 season, Wilson went on to post a very nice career 3.15 E.R.A. while winning 104 games against 92 losses. 1971 was perhaps his most successful season, being named to the N.L. All-star team for the only time in his career with a 16-10 record, 2.45 E.R.A. and 180 strikeouts in a career-high 268 innings.

Of course, Wilson's lasting mark on the game were his two no-hitters, both against good teams.

On June 18th, 1967 he threw a 2-0 gem against the Atlanta Braves at the Astrodome, where he struck out 15 batters. As a matter of fact he struck out Hank Aaron for the final out. Then on May 1st of 1969 (just a week before I entered the world I might add), he no-hit the Cincinnati Reds 4-0 a day after Jim Maloney of the Reds no-hit the Astros! Only the second time that ever happened where there were back to back no-hitters by opposing teams against each other. Sandwiched in between these two no-no's was Wilson's team record 18-strikeout performance against the Reds on July 14th, 1968 where he won, 6-1. That is still the Astros team record for K's in a game, even with guys like J.R. Richard, Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott and Roger Clemens taking the mound as members of the Houston organization since.

Incredibly enough, Wilson almost had a THIRD no-hitter, when he was no-hitting the Reds (again) after eight innings on September 4th of 1974 before he was PULLED FOR A PINCH-HITTER in the ninth inning, since his team was down 2-1!

Can you even imagine that today? Sadly, that was to be one of his last Major League games.

Tragically, on January 5th of 1975 Wilson accidentally died at his Houston home along with his son, an accident that also caused his wife and daughter to be hospitalized.

The Astros retired his number "40" in April of that year, while also honoring him on the "Wall of Honor" at Minute Maid Park when it opened years later.

Topps had already understandably produced their cards for the upcoming 1975 season when the Wilson accident occurred, so he was included in the set (#455) after he passed away.

I have taken his existing card and added a "Memoriam" strip in remembrance of the Astro fireballer.

February 12, 1945- January 5th, 1975.