DETROIT -- Earl Wilson, who threw a no-hitter in 1962 and
was a starting pitcher on the Detroit Tigers' 1968 championship
team, died at 70. Wilson died of a heart attack Saturday in suburban Detroit, Jim
Martin, executive director of the Baseball Assistance Team charity,
said Monday. Wilson was a board member of the group since 1988 and
its president from 2000-04. A moment of silence was held in his memory before Monday's game
between the Tigers and Minnesota Twins. "Earl had a true affection for the game and a genuine fondness
for his fellow players, as evidenced by his dedication to the
Baseball Assistance Team," MLB commissioner Bud Selig said in a
statement Tuesday. "During his tenure as BAT president, Earl was
integral in increasing contributions to the organization and
directed the donation of more than $4 million in grants to assist
members of the baseball family in need. I offer my heartfelt
condolences to his wife and family." Wilson pitched for three teams during an 11-year career. He was
Boston's second black player when he broke in with the Red Sox in
1959, joining the team a few weeks after infielder Pumpsie Green.
He endured racist epithets from fans in Boston, the last of the
original 16 major league teams to have a black player. The right-hander saw limited action in his first two seasons. He
reached the majors for good in 1962 and won at least 10 games in
each of the next eight seasons. On June 26, 1962, Wilson became the first black pitcher to throw
a no-hitter in the majors. He also hit a home run in that game, a
2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. He was traded to the Tigers in 1966 and went 22-11 the following
year, when Detroit finished second to Boston. In 1968, he was the
third starter on Detroit's championship team, going 13-12 and 0-1
in the seven-game World Series victory over St. Louis. Wilson, who finished his career with San Diego in 1970, had a
career record of 121-109 in 338 games. He was also one of the best
power-hitting pitchers, finishing with 35 homers, two short of Wes
Ferrell's major league record. "If you want someone with a heart of gold, that's the person,"
Martin said. Wilson is survived by his wife, Roslin, and son Greg as well as
his wife's other two sons.
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