Ken Holtzman’s first no-hitter

Yesterday, my mom gave me this program from Ken Holtzman’s 1969 no hitter. I was 11 and my dad and I sat in the upper deck behind home plate for what turned out to be one of the most unique games in Cubs’ history. The program is signed by Ken Holtzman, Ron Santo (who hit the game winning homer), Billy Williams (whose catch preserved the no hitter) and Fergie Jenkins. Ken Holtzman’s no-hitter on August 19, 1969, is one of the strangest and most memorable pitching performances in Chicago Cubs history—not because he overpowered hitters, but because he didn’t strike out a single batter.

The 23-year-old left-hander faced the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field and won 3–0, allowing no hits, three walks, and no runs. Every one of the Braves’ 27 outs came on a ball put into play—grounders, fly balls, or line drives. A no-hitter without a strikeout is extraordinarily rare, and Holtzman remains the most recent major-league pitcher to accomplish it. (SABR)

The Cubs gave him all the offense he needed in the first inning. After Don Kessinger and Glenn Beckert reached base, Ron Santo hit a three-run homer off Braves knuckleballer Phil Niekro. That was the entire scoring for the afternoon. (Bleed Cubbie Blue)

The defining moment came in the seventh inning, when the great Hank Aaron drove a pitch deep toward left field. Off the bat, it looked like a home run—possibly headed toward Waveland Avenue. But Wrigley Field’s wind was blowing strongly inward. The ball hung up, and Billy Williams caught it near the deep recessed area of the left-field wall. Without the wind, Holtzman’s no-hitter might well have disappeared. (Bleed Cubbie Blue)

There was another unusual complication: Cubs catcher Bill Heath injured his throwing hand when Gil Garrido fouled off a pitch. Reserve catcher Gene Oliver had to enter during the no-hit bid. Changing catchers in the middle of a no-hitter was—and remains—an exceptional occurrence. (project-318.com)

In the ninth inning, Holtzman retired the first two Braves and then faced Hank Aaron for the final out. Aaron grounded to second baseman Glenn Beckert, who threw to first, completing the no-hitter. (MLB.com)

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The game also came at a fascinating moment in Cubs history. The 1969 Cubs were in first place and appeared headed toward their first postseason appearance since 1945. Their lineup featured Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Glenn Beckert, and Don Kessinger, while the rotation included Holtzman and Ferguson Jenkins. The no-hitter felt like another sign that this might finally be the Cubs’ year. Instead, the team famously faded in September as the “Miracle Mets” surged past them. (Wikipedia)

Holtzman later threw a second no-hitter, defeating Cincinnati 1–0 on June 3, 1971. He went on to become a two-time All-Star and a major contributor to the Oakland Athletics teams that won three consecutive World Series from 1972 through 1974. (Reuters)

What makes the 1969 game so appealing is that it was almost the opposite of the modern dominant no-hitter. Holtzman didn’t overwhelm Atlanta with velocity or pile up strikeouts. He relied on control, movement, defense—and, on Hank Aaron’s towering drive, a very helpful Wrigley Field wind.