| Gary Nolan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1948-05-27)May 27, 1948 (age 77) Herlong, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 15, 1967, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 18, 1977, for the California Angels | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 110–70 |
| Earned run average | 3.08 |
| Strikeouts | 1,039 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Gary Lynn Nolan (born May 27, 1948) is an American former professionalbaseball player. He played inMajor League Baseball as a right-handedpitcher from1967 through1977, most notably as a member of theCincinnati Reds dynasty that won fourNational League pennants and twoWorld Series championships between 1970 and 1976. He played his final season with theCalifornia Angels. In 1983, Nolan was inducted into theCincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.[1]
Nolan was born inHerlong, California, and his family then moved toOroville, California, when he was young. In February 1965 at age 17 he married high school sweetheart Carole Widener. He graduated fromOroville High School in 1966. Nolan was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the first round (13th pick overall) of the1966 Major League Baseball Draft.[2]
Nolan's first Major League game was at the young age of 18. A hard thrower, Nolan had a promising debut on April 15, 1967, when he struck out the side in the first inning en route to a 7–3 victory over theHouston Astros. On June 7, he struck out futureBaseball Hall of FamerWillie Mays four times in one game.[3] He had fifteen strikeouts in the game but was pulled in the eighth after giving up a three-run home run that tied it toWillie McCovey; the Giants won 4-3.[4] "The kid was good," Mays said.[5] He finished with a 14–8 record in that rookie season, was fourth in theNational League inERA (2.58) and instrikeouts (206), and was third in theRookie of the Year voting behindTom Seaver of theMets, andDick Hughes of theCardinals.
In 1970 Nolan went 18–7 with 181 strikeouts and a 3.26 ERA, helping the Reds to win the NL pennant and establishing himself as one of the league's great young starting pitchers. Nolan pitched a remarkable nine innings of shutout ball to earn a victory in the 10-inning Game One of that year'sNational League Championship Series against Pittsburgh. But he took the loss in Game One of theWorld Series against the eventual championBaltimore Orioles.
After a disappointing 12–15 record in 1971, he posted 13 victories before the 1972All-Star Game. Selected for the NL team, Nolan was suffering from neck and shoulder pains, and he was forced to withdraw from the game. After rehabbing his injuries on the disabled list, he returned to the lineup and finished the season with a 15–5 record and 1.99 ERA, leading the league inwinning percentage (.750) and was second toSteve Carlton in ERA. In the World Series againstOakland that year, he lost Game One (six innings, three runs) and was pulled from the game early in Game Six (41⁄3 innings, one earned run).
Arm problems forced Nolan to miss most of 1973, and he missed the entire 1974 season. He returned in 1975 in good form, going 15–9 with a 3.16 ERA. In the World Series againstBoston, he pitched just six innings in two starts. In 1976, he duplicated his 15–9 record and finally got his first World Series victory against theYankees in the last game of a four-game sweep. New arm and shoulder problems bothered him in 1977, and he opted to retire.
In 1975, he earned theHutch Award, given annually to an active Major League player who "best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire ofFred Hutchinson by persevering through adversity." It is presented by theFred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
In his 10-season career, Nolan compiled a 110–70 record with 1,039 strikeouts, a 3.08 ERA, 45complete games, 14shutouts, and 1,674.2innings pitched in 250 games (247 starts). In eleven post season games he was 2–2 with a 3.34 ERA covering 59.1 innings.[6]
Nolan was an excellent fielding pitcher, committing only 3 errors in 287total chances for a .990fielding percentage, among the best in history for pitchers whose careers spanned 10 seasons (1,500 innings) or more.[7]
After retiring from baseball, he worked for 25 years inLas Vegas, first as a blackjack dealer at theGolden Nugget and then as an executive host for guests of hotels/casinos including theMirage Casino and theGold Country Casino. In 1999, a baseball park in Oroville was renamed the Gary Nolan Sports Complex. He was elected to theCincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1983.[3][8]
He moved back to Oroville in 2003, where he is involved with several charitable and civic organizations and works with high school pitchers. In 2011, he was inducted into the Oroville Union High School District Hall of Fame.[2]
· Baseball Almanac