Don Wilson

Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
6-2, 195lb (188cm, 88kg)
Born: February 12, 1945 in Monroe, LA
Died: January 5, 1975 (Aged 29) in Houston, TX
Buried: Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Covina, CA
High School: Centennial HS (Compton, CA)
School: Compton Community College (Compton, CA)
Debut: September 29, 1966 (Age 21-229d, 10,157th in MLB history)
vs. CIN 6.0 IP, 5 H, 7 SO, 1 BB, 2 ER, W
Last Game: September 28, 1974 (Age 29-228d)
vs. ATL 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 SO, 3 BB, 0 ER, W
Full Name: Donald Edward Wilson

View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject

Notable Events and Chronology for Don Wilson Career

Sort bySearch Days, Events, Players Title (A - Z)Date (Newest)

February 12, 1945

Don Wilson is born in Monroe, LA.

June 18, 1967

Houston Astros right-hander Don Wilson pitches the first of his two career no-hitters

July 14, 1968

Don Wilson strikes out 18 Cincinnati Reds to tie record

May 1, 1969

Don Wilson of the Houston Astros pitches his second career no-hitter

July 11, 1969

Cincinnati manager Dave Bristol launches a tirade for the ages during a 13-2 massacre by Don Wilson and the Astros

September 11, 1969

Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Dodgers Radio Broadcast

August 30, 1970

1970 – Jim Wynn launches two homers off Nolan Ryan to pace a 9-5 thrashing of the Mets. Wynn totals four hits and drives in five. Denis Menke also goes deep twice. Don Wilson survives an early 3-0 deficit to gain the victory. Wynn tells the press that Ryan’s fastball is no match for his bat and backs it up. 

April 6, 1971

Claude Osteen wins his 7th straight vs Houston

May 7, 1971

1971 – Joe Morgan raps four hits, steals two bases, scores three times and drives in two to lead the Astros over the Phillies, 8-1, in their first game at Veterans Stadium. Don Wilson strikes the key blow off Jim Bunning, a bunt that found a hole in the artificial turf between third and the pitcher and rolled until two runs were in.

August 2, 1971

Don Wilson fires a two-hitter to outduel Ferguson Jenkins and Chicago, 2-1

September 7, 1972

1972 – Don Wilson ties a club record by tossing 13 innings in a complete-game 5-1 victory in San Francisco. Bob Watson and Roger Metzger end it with home runs in the decisive frame. Metzger finishes with four hits and four RBIs. Imagine how scribes would howl at Leo Durocher these days for keeping Wilson out there for 193 pitches. 

May 11, 1973

Manager Leo Durocher returns from a three-week hospital stay to watch Don Wilson toss a three-hitter over Cincinnati, 5-1

July 30, 1974

 1974 – Don Wilson collects his 100th victory as an Astro, toppling the Reds, 8-4 . The righthander fans nine in eight innings of work. Lee May drives in three while Cesar Cedeno and Cliff Johnson support with solo homers. 

September 4, 1974

Don Wilson is taken out after eight innings of no-hit ball

September 28, 1974

Don Wilson hurls a two-hit shutout against the Braves in what would become the final start of his career

January 5, 1975

Pitcher Don Wilson , at age 29, dies at home from carbon monoxide poisoning.

April 13, 1975

The Astros retire Don Wilson’s number 40

July 22, 2019

Crosley Field

Biography Don Wilson

Author of two no-hitters and an 18-strikeout game, Don Wilson had not reached his potential when he died, a suicide, of carbon monoxide poisoning in the garage of his home on January 5, 1975. Wilson was unfairly labeled a troublemaker after run-ins with Astro managers Harry Walker and Leo Durocher. As a rookie, the hard thrower pitched a no-hitter against the Braves on June 18, 1967. He pitched two masterpieces against the Reds: on July 14, 1968, he struck out 18 Cincinnati batters in nine innings, and he no-hit them on May 1, 1969. On September 4, 1974, he pitched eight no-hit innings against the Reds. With Houston trailing 2-1, manager Preston Gomez pulled Wilson for a pinch hitter in a controversial move that prevented a possible third no-hitter.

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