Jim Maloney

Lore & Background

Maloney was born and raised in Fresno, California. His father was a sandlot and semi-professional baseball player who later opened one of the largest used car dealerships in Fresno. After playing Little League and Babe Ruth baseball, Maloney starred at Fresno High School in basketball, football, and baseball. He was scouted by all 16 Major League teams as a shortstop. He attended UC Berkeley briefly, then Fresno City College, where he pitched at the urging of scout Bobby Mattick. He signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 1959 for a reported $100,000. At age 21 in 1961, he made one relief appearance in the World Series. In 1963 he was 23–7 with 265 strikeouts; in 1965, 20–9 with 244 strikeouts; in 1966, 16–8 with 216 strikeouts; in 1968, 16–10 with 181 strikeouts. Injuries shortened his career; he ruptured his Achilles tendon in the 1970 preseason and was ineffective. He was traded to the Angels on December 15, 1970, and retired after the 1971 season. He won 134 games, lost 84, with a 3.19 ERA. He was elected to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1973. As a hitter, he batted .201 with 7 home runs and 53 RBI. Defensively, he recorded a .957 fielding percentage.

In Their Own Story

The night air hung heavy over Crosley Field as Jim Maloney stepped onto the mound, the white dirt contrasting against his red cap. The crowd hushed, sensing the tension of a perfect game in progress. He gripped the ball, took a deep breath, and wound up with explosive force. The crack of the bat never came; instead, silence followed each pitch as hitters swung at air or struck out looking. In that moment, time seemed to stop, leaving only the pitcher and his command over the diamond.

Reader's Guide

Maloney pitched two no-hitters in 1965. The first was on June 14 against the New York Mets, a 10-inning game in which he struck out 18 and walked one, but lost 1–0 in the 11th. At the time it was recognized as a no-hitter, but rules later changed to omit no-hit games broken up in extra innings. His second no-hitter that year was on August 19, also requiring 10 innings, a 1–0 win over the Chicago Cubs. He gave up 10 walks and hit a batter, throwing 187 pitches with 12 strikeouts. His third no-hitter (and second official under current rules) was on April 30, 1969, a 10–0 win over the Houston Astros, caught by Johnny Bench, with 13 strikeouts and five walks. The next night Don Wilson of the Astros pitched a no-hitter, marking only the second time in MLB history that back-to-back no-hitters occurred.

Did You Know?

• Maloney struck out 12 batters in his August 19, 1965 no-hitter; his 18-strikeout, 1–0 loss occurred on June 14, 1965.
• His August 19, 1965 no-hitter allowed 10 walks and hit a batter, but A.J. Burnett's 2001 no-hitter had more baserunners (12).
• Maloney threw 187 pitches in his August 19, 1965 no-hitter.
• The night after Maloney's 1969 no-hitter, Don Wilson of the Astros threw a no-hitter, making back-to-back no-hitters the third time in MLB history (after 1917 and 1968).