Legendary Jewish Pitcher Ken Holtzman Dies at 78: A Tribute to His Record-Breaking Career and Major League Baseball Achievements

Ken Holtzman, a legendary Jewish pitcher in Major League Baseball, has passed away at the age of 78. Holtzman, who holds the record for being the winningest Jewish pitcher in MLB history, made significant contributions to the Chicago Cubs and the Oakland Athletics in the 1970s. His death was announced by the Cubs on social media, with his brother confirming that he passed away on Sunday after battling heart issues for three weeks.

Holtzman, originally from St. Louis, was a standout player at the University of Illinois before embarking on his MLB career. As a two-time All-Star, he achieved a remarkable record of 174-150 with an ERA of 3.49 while playing for teams like the Athletics, Cubs, Yankees, and Orioles from 1965 to 1979. Notably, Holtzman outperformed Sandy Koufax by winning nine more games in his career.

During his time with the Cubs, Holtzman made history by pitching two no-hitters against the Atlanta Braves in 1969 and against the Cincinnati Reds in 1971. After achieving success with the Cubs, he was traded to Oakland Athletics where he played a critical role in their winning three consecutive World Series titles starting from 1972 to 1974. During this time, he made All-Star appearances in both years and reached a career high of 21 wins in 1973.

After moving to Baltimore Orioles in 1976 and later being traded to New York Yankees, Holtzman continued to make significant contributions to MLB baseball through his exceptional play and leadership skills which helped him earn another championship win with Yankees team in 1978 before retiring from baseball.

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