Ken Holtzman, a starting pitcher for the Cubs and Athletics, passed away on April 14, 2024 at age 78.
Holtzman made his major-league debut with the Cubs in September 1965. Although he started 33 games for the Cubs in 1966 (posting an 11-16 record), his rookie card did not appear until the 1967 set - a full card to himself.
In 1967 he was limited to 12 starts (with a 9-0 record!) because he was on National Guard duty for much of the summer, and only able to pitch on weekends.
Holtzman remained in the Cubs rotation through the 1971 season, then was traded to the Athletics for Rick Monday.
With the Athletics, Holtzman finally had a shot at post-season play. His record was 77-55 in his 4 seasons with Oakland, plus 6-4 in the post-season. The A's won the World Series in Holtzman's first 3 years, and he also made the All-Star team in '72 and '73.
After a half-season with the Orioles, Holtzman played for the Yankees from June 1976 to June 1978, before returning to the Cubs for the final 1 1/2 seasons of his career.
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