Expectations were high for twenty-four-year-old Steve Busby going into the 1974 season. After all, he’d gone 16-15 while striking out 174 batters as a rookie in 1973 and threw a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers. That production landed him third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting and made believers out of Kansas City baseball fans including me. I was a twelve-year-old pitcher in the summer of 1973 in my hometowns unfortunately named “Midget” baseball league and Busby quickly became my favorite player, even to the point where I copied his delivery. My catcher was my best friend Dennis Luck, who was chosen to catch because of his build, which in those days was called “husky”.
Steve Busby’s second no-hitter
