Billy Rohr
From SoSH
| Born: | July 1, 1945 |
| Birthplace: | San Diego California |
| Hometown: | |
| Height: | 6' 3" |
| Weight: | 170 lbs |
| Bats: | Left |
| Throws: | Left |
| Drafted: | 1963: Amateur Free Agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates |
| College: | None |
| High School: | Bellflower High School (CA) |
| Other Teams: | Cleveland Indians 1968 |
| Years with Boston: | 1967 |
Contents |
Overall Career
William Joseph "Billy" Rohr (born July 1, 1945 in San Diego, CA), was a pitcher with a 2 year career from 1967 to 1968. He pitched for the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians of the American League. On one fateful day in early April of 1967, a 21 year-old Rohr almost became a Red Sox immortal in his first career start.
Rohr's Moments in the Sun
- Boston Red Sox pitcher Billy Rohr came within one out of immortality on his first day in the Major Leagues. On April 14, 1967, the day of his major league debut, he was pitching a no-hitter against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. With two out in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Sox leading, and the Yanks hitless, New York catcher Elston Howard lobbed a base hit to right field, spoiling the dream. Rohr had to settle for a one-hit shutout.
Trivia
- Whitey Ford was the opposing pitcher during Rohr's 1-hitter.
- After coming within 1 batter of a no-hitter the start before, Rohr beat the Yankees again in his next start, 6-1.
- Rohr has been a longtime California attorney.
Quotes
- “Billy Rohr was 1967,” Peter Gammons once wrote, “even if he only won two games and was out of town by June. To casual baseball fans who witnessed the year of 1967, Billy Rohr was a one-hit wonder—in the very sense of the term—but to more philosophical baseball fans, Billy Rohr’s moment of magnificence symbolizes so much more than a moment in the sun, or a very near miss. To a Red Sox fan who suffered through years of near misses, Billy Rohr’s one-hitter typified the experience of supporting the Red Sox: standing on the brink of perfection, but somehow falling just short.
Transactions
- Before 1963 Season: Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent.
- December 2, 1963: Drafted by the Boston Red Sox from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1963 first-year draft.
- April 26, 1968: Purchased by the Cleveland Indians from the Boston Red Sox.
- May 22, 1970: Traded by the Cleveland Indians with Russ Nagelson to the Detroit Tigers for Fred Lasher.
External Links
- Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
