LAS VEGAS (NOV 24) - Bo Belinsky,
the former major-league pitcher known as much for his colorful
personality as his baseball career, died of an apparent heart
attack at his home. Bo was 64 years old.
Bo was a left-hander who pitched a nine-strikeout, four-walk
no-hitter as a rookie for the Los Angeles Angels against the
Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium in 1962, the first
major-league no-hitter on the West Coast.
Bo was not only long-time and
good friends with IBA's president Dean Chance, but Bo and Dean
were on the same baseball team in the 1960's.
Bo had gain much
notoriety for dating movie stars such as Mamie Van Doren,
Ann Margaret, Tina Louise, Juliet Prowse and Connie
Stevens. He was at one time engaged to VanDoren.
AP of Belinsky and
Mamie
Van
Doren told the Associated Press on Saturday, "We've had a
love affair that's continued a long time. "I lost someone
that was a very special part of my life."
Van Doren went on to say,
"This is very sad for me. Our life was a circus. We were
engaged on April Fools Day and broke the engagement on
Halloween. It just broke my heart, and his, too. It was a wild
ride, but a lot of fun."
On May 5, 1962, the 25-year-old
Belinsky had a live, riding fastball, a hard curve and
baffling screwball, according to Bob (Buck) Rodgers, who
caught the no-hitter.
AP photo of Belinsky
Rodgers, who
later managed the Milwaukee Brewers, Montreal Expos and
the Angels, said Belinsky had overpowering stuff on the
night of the no-hitter.
"He could challenge
anybody with that fastball," said Rodgers. "He got
the screwball over early, but the fastball set up everything.
"Even on the last out, it
was a 3-1 fastball to Dave Nicholson and Bo threw him a
fastball right down Broadway. He fouled out to third. When Bo
was on, he had that electric kind of stuff." (source
tsn.ca)
Bo had finished 10-11 his
rookie season, his finest in the majors. Bo was
28-51 with 476 strikeouts and an ERA of 4.10 in an eight-year
career that included stints with the Angels, Philadelphia
Phillies, Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati
Reds.
Bo told the Las Vegas Review
Journal last summer, "You know, I've probably gotten more
mileage winning 28 games in the majors than most guys who've
won 200."
