1. Early years

2. Career

3. No-hitters

4. Personal

5. See also

6. References

7. External links

• Cincinnati Reds ({{mlby|1960}}–{{mlby|1970}})
• California Angels ({{mlby|1971}})

• All-Star (1965)
• Pitched two no-hitters
• Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame

James William Maloney (born June 2, 1940) is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Cincinnati Reds {{nowrap|(1960–70)}} and California Angels (1971). One of the hardest-throwing pitchers of the 1960s, Maloney boasted a fastball clocked at {{nowrap|{{convert|99|mph}},}} threw two {{nowrap|no-hitters,}} won ten or more games from 1963 to 1969, and recorded over two hundred strikeouts for four consecutive seasons {{nowrap|(1963–66).}}

Early years

Born and raised in Fresno, California, his parents were Earl and Marjorie (née Kickashear) Maloney, and he has a sister, Jeanne. His father Earl was a sandlot and semi-professional baseball player on the west coast in the 1930s, who later opened one of the largest used car dealerships in Fresno. After playing Little League and Babe Ruth baseball, Maloney built a reputation as one of the finest athletes in the history of Fresno High School.

Though he starred on the basketball and football teams, his passion was baseball. As a shortstop, he batted .310, .340, and .500 in his sophomore through senior seasons while leading the team to three consecutive undefeated seasons and Northern Yosemite League championships from 1956 to 1958. He was scouted by all 16 Major League teams as a shortstop. Maloney attended Fresno City College and the University of California at Berkeley; he was signed by scout Bobby Mattick to the Cincinnati Reds in 1959 for a reported $100,000.^[1]

Career

In 1963, Maloney was {{nowrap|23–7}} and struck out 265 batters; in 1965, he was {{nowrap|20–9}} and struck out 244; in 1966, he was {{nowrap|16–8}} and struck out 216; and in 1968, he was {{nowrap|16–10}} and struck out 181. At age 21 in 1961, Maloney had one appearance in relief in the World Series, hurling ⅔ of an inning early in the fifth and final game as the Reds fell to the {{nowrap|New York Yankees.^[2][3]}}

Injuries shortened his career, robbing him of the chance to pitch for the "Big Red Machine"—the fabled Cincinnati NL dynasty from 1970–79. Maloney was able to pitch in only seven games for the Reds in 1970, due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, and he was winless in just three starts.^[4] With the Angels in 1971, he was winless in four starts and made nine other appearances in relief.

Over his career, he won 134 games (all with the Reds) and lost 84, with an ERA of 3.19. In 1973, he was elected to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.^[5]

No-hitters

Maloney pitched two games in which he gave up no hits through nine innings in 1965, while going on to win 20 games that year. His first hitless nine-inning performance was on June 14 against the {{nowrap|New York Mets.}} This Monday night game lasted through ten scoreless innings, with Maloney striking out eighteen with just {{nowrap|one walk.^[6][7]}} But rookie right fielder Johnny Lewis led off with a home run to center in the top of the eleventh and Maloney lost the game {{nowrap|1–0.^[8][9]}} At the time, that game was officially recognized as a no-hitter, but the rules were later changed to omit no-hit games that were broken up in extra innings. Maloney had given up a second hit in the eleventh inning; at the time he had three one-hitters to {{nowrap|his credit.^[6]}}

His second no-hitter (and first official no-hitter under current rules), was two months later on August 19 and also required ten innings, but he won that one {{nowrap|1–0}} over the Chicago Cubs. {{nowrap|In the first game}} of a Thursday doubleheader, Maloney outdueled Larry Jackson, with the Reds winning on a Leo Cardenas home run on the first pitch in the bottom of the tenth, which struck the left field foul pole. This was the first no-hitter in modern major league history in which the pitcher who threw it went more than nine innings. Maloney struck out twelve, but had ten walks and hit a batter; he threw 187 pitches in the game.^[10][11] With the win, he got another raise of a thousand dollars.^[12]

His second official no-hitter was on April 30, 1969, in which he beat the Houston Astros {{nowrap|10–0}} at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, caught by twenty-year-old {{nowrap|Johnny Bench.^[13]}} Maloney's pitching line that Wednesday night included thirteen strikeouts and {{nowrap|five walks.^[14][15]}} Ironically, the next night Don Wilson of the Astros returned the favor to the Reds, pitching his second career no-hitter in a {{nowrap|4–0}} Astros {{nowrap|victory.^[16][17]}} The double no-hitters in consecutive games was the second such occurrence in major league history. Gaylord Perry and Ray Washburn had accomplished the same feat several months earlier in {{nowrap|September {{mlby|1968}}.^[18]}}

Personal

Maloney and his wife Lyn reside in Fresno, where he is a former director of the city's Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council. {{nowrap|He has}} three children with his {{nowrap|first wife, Carolyn.^[1]}}

See also

• List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

References

External links

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