1961 Topps #29, Don Nottebart
 

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Don Nottebart's 1961 #29 baseball card is shown here,
both front and back

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images...ottebart-a.jpg

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images...ottebart-b.jpg

The Braves brought Don up in July of 1960, but he only
pitched in 5 games that year.

In 1961, the year of this card, Don was in 38 games, mostly
in a relief role, although he did start 11 games. In this, his
first full season, he had a 4.06 ERA. He also had the
dubious distinction, on August 9th of this year, of serving
up a grand slam ball to fellow pitcher, Don Drysdale.

Strictly a relief man in 1962, Don improved his ERA to
a very nice 3.23, but was traded to the Houston Colt .45s
in the off season.

Houston put Don in the starting rotation in 1963, and on
May 17th of that year, Don pitched his first complete game
in two seasons, a no-hitter against Philadelphia. It was the
first no-hitter for the franchise, and owner Bob Smith gave
Don a $1000.00 bonus for the feat.

Teammate, and fellow reliever, Don McMahon, who had
witnessed seven no-hitters up to that time, said it was the
"easiest" one he had ever seen.

Don finished out the year of 1963 with an 11-8 record,
a very nice 3.17 ERA, and led the league in fewest
walks per 9 innings pitched. All this for the 9th place
Colt .45s.

Don pitched two more seasons with Houston with ERAs
of 3.90 and 4.67, and in 1965, his last season with the
now renamed Astros, Don served up home run #500
to the great Willie Mays.

In the off season, he was picked up by the Reds who
returned Don to reliever status, and as a reliever, he
had a respectable 3.07 ERA in 1966. He also led the
league in appearances, and saves this year.

Don returned in 1967 to notch a really good 1.93 ERA.

I'm not sure why, but Don didn't pitch at all in 1968,
possibly due to an injury, and was sold to the Yankees
during the off season. Don only pitched 6 innings for
the Yanks in 1969 before being traded to the Cubs,
where he only pitched 18 innings in his last year in the
majors.

Don had a lifetime ERA of 3.65.
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John Wade

On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 01:32:57 GMT, John Wade wrote:

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Don Nottebart's 1961 #29 baseball card is shown here,
both front and back

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images...ottebart-a.jpg

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images...ottebart-b.jpg

The Braves brought Don up in July of 1960, but he only
pitched in 5 games that year.

In 1961, the year of this card, Don was in 38 games, mostly
in a relief role, although he did start 11 games. In this, his
first full season, he had a 4.06 ERA. He also had the
dubious distinction, on August 9th of this year, of serving
up a grand slam ball to fellow pitcher, Don Drysdale.

Strictly a relief man in 1962, Don improved his ERA to
a very nice 3.23, but was traded to the Houston Colt .45s
in the off season.

Houston put Don in the starting rotation in 1963, and on
May 17th of that year, Don pitched his first complete game
in two seasons, a no-hitter against Philadelphia. It was the
first no-hitter for the franchise, and owner Bob Smith gave
Don a $1000.00 bonus for the feat.

Teammate, and fellow reliever, Don McMahon, who had
witnessed seven no-hitters up to that time, said it was the
"easiest" one he had ever seen.

Don finished out the year of 1963 with an 11-8 record,
a very nice 3.17 ERA, and led the league in fewest
walks per 9 innings pitched. All this for the 9th place
Colt .45s.

Don pitched two more seasons with Houston with ERAs
of 3.90 and 4.67, and in 1965, his last season with the
now renamed Astros, Don served up home run #500
to the great Willie Mays.


This was fun to read. Here's a pitcher I can't recall ever hearing
about before, and whose cards I can't recall ever seeing. Yet he
pitched a no-hitter in 1963, had a 1.93 ERA in 1967, tossed up Don
Drysdale's grand slam, and was on the mound when Willie Mays hit his
500th homer. This guy had some stories tell after he went back to
selling shoes!

Ron