The next no-hitter in my on-going sub-set celebrating the gems of the decade is a historic one, Steve Busby and his second no-hitter in only his second full Major League season, thrown on June 19th:
Busby became the first pitcher to ever toss no-no’s in his first two seasons, this one against the Milwaukee Brewers in which he faced only 28 batters, winning 3-0 in Milwaukee County Stadium.
Busby struck out four while walking six, while getting some offensive help from Amos Otis and Ed Kirkpatrick who both hit homers.
It would be the high point of his best season in the Big Leagues, as he would go on to post 22 wins with a 3.39 earned run average over 38 starts, 20 of which he completed.
He also tossed three shutouts while striking out a career-high 198 batters, throwing 292.1 innings and getting named to his first All-Star team.
Sadly, after another fine season in 1975 in which he posted 18 wins along with an ERA at 3.08 over 34 starts, getting named to his second straight All-Star team, Busby developed a torn rotator cuff and became the first player to undergo rotator cuff surgery, forcing him to miss most of 1976 and all of 1977.
He made it all the way back in 1978, though only four seven games, and was able to pitch in 22 games the following year. But after eleven appearances in 1980 to which he went 1-3 with an ERA at 6.17 his career was over.
A once promising career for the young right-hander ending prematurely at the age of 30.
