Dick Bosman

Dick Bosman
Pitcher
Born: February 17, 1944 Kenosha, Wisconsin
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 1, 1966, for the Washington Senators
Last MLB appearance
September 19, 1976, for the Oakland Athletics
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	82–85
Earned run average	3.67
Strikeouts	757
Teams
Washington Senators / Texas Rangers (1966–1973) Cleveland Indians (1973–1975) Oakland Athletics (1975–1976)
Career highlights and awards
AL ERA leader (1969) Pitched a no-hitter on July 19, 1974

Richard Allen Bosman (born February 17, 1944) is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched for the Washington Senators (1966–71), Texas Rangers (1972–73), Cleveland Indians (1973–75) and Oakland Athletics (1975–76).^[1] Bosman started the final game for the expansion Senators and the first game for the Texas Rangers. He is the only pitcher in Major League history to miss a perfect game due to his own fielding error.^[2]

Baseball career

Bosman was originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1963. Following that season, he was drafted from the Pirates by the San Francisco Giants, and then a year later was drafted again by the Senators.^[3] After another season in the minors, he made his major league debut on June 1, 1966.

Bosman pitched for the Senators, and later the Rangers, for eight seasons. In 1969 he compiled a 14-5 mark and led the league in earned run average (2.19). He reached a career-high 16 victories in 1970, one of which was a one-hit, 1-0 shutout against Minnesota on August 14. César Tovar gave him the Twins only hit, a single.^[4]

Early in the 1973 season, Bosman was traded by the Rangers, along with outfielder Ted Ford, to the Indians for pitcher Steve Dunning. On July 19, 1974, Bosman no-hit the defending World Series Champion Oakland Athletics, a team that would go on to win the 1974 World Series to three-peat after winning the World Series in 1972 and 1973. He missed a rare perfect game due only to his own throwing error in the fourth inning, which gave the A's their lone baserunner in a 4-0 Indians victory.^[5]

The following season, Bosman would be traded to the very team he no-hit, as he was traded by the Indians along with Jim Perry to the A's in exchange for Blue Moon Odom. During the 1975 season, Bosman won 11 games to help Oakland to a division title. He remained with Oakland in 1976, but was released by the A's in spring training of 1977, bringing his baseball career to an end.

Bosman compiled 82 wins, 757 strikeouts, and a 3.67 earned run average.^[1][6] After retiring, he has served as a pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox (1986–87), Rochester Red Wings (1988–91), Baltimore Orioles (1992–94), Texas Rangers (1995–2000), and he has been a coach in the Tampa Bay Rays' system since 2002.

His sister, Virginia, is married to a cousin of former MLB player Duane Kuiper.

References

1. Dick Bosman at Baseball Reference
2. Schneider (2005), p. 142; Robbins (2004), p. 240; Boxscore—Game Played on Friday, July 19, 1974 (N) at Cleveland Stadium. Retrosheet. Retrieved on May 30, 2010.
3. 1963 Major League Baseball Transactions at Baseball Reference
4. August 13, 1970 Twins-Senators box score at Baseball Reference
5. July 19, 1974 Athletics-Indians box score at Baseball Reference
6. Dick Bosman at Baseball Almanac

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Sources

• Robbins, Mike (2004). Ninety Feet from Fame: Close Calls with Baseball Immortality (New York: Carroll & Graf). ISBN 0-7867-1335-6
• Schneider, Russell (2005). The Cleveland Indians Encyclopedia, 3d ed. (Champaign, Ill.: Sports Publishing LLC). ISBN 1-58261-840-2