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| Rohr |
It's
truly hard to believe, but
Billy Rohr turns 70 years old today. The lefty started only eight ballgames for the Boston Red Sox—but, one of them was
almost historic. A 21-year old Rohr hurled a
near no-hitter on April 14, 1967 at Yankee Stadium. And, all he had to do was get one more strike on soon-to-be
Carmine Hoser Elston Howard. Instead, Howard lofted a dying quail to right-center that landed for a single. Of course, he got the next guy, and the 3-0
one-hit shutout was his. Ah, what
could have been! The game was also memorable for the great catch by
Carl Yastrzemski that (at the time) preserved the no-hitter, and the fact that the kid had to face off against
Hall of Famer Whitey Ford. Rohr's three-year career, however, saw him post a 5.64 ERA and a 3-3 record. Still, he was an early inspiration in the
Impossible Dream year that gave the Red Sox their first pennant in 21 years. Happy birthday, Billy!
