Brought up to the major leagues as a 19 year old in 1967 with the Cincinnati Reds, Gary Nolan went 14-8 with a 2.58 ERA and 206 strikeouts and finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting. With his 97 miles per/hr fastball he went 18-7 in 1970 and helped the Reds win the NL pennant and repeated his fine effort in 1972 with a 15-5 record, ERA 1.99 and was picked for the All-Star game. He missed most of the next two seasons with severe arm injuries but bounced back in 1975 with a 15-9, ERA of 3.16. In 1976, Gary Nolan led the Reds to their second straight World Title by again going 15-9 and for the second year led the NL in fewest walks issued per 9 innings - a mere 27 walks in 239 innings. He won the final game of the 1976 World Series by beating the Yankees 7-2. His career ended in 1977 due to severe arm problems. baseballhistorian.com |