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A former Marine drill instructor, Fischer established a ML record in 1962, pitching 84-1/3 consecutive innings for the A's without giving up a base on balls, surpassing Christy Mathewson's mark of 68. That season, Fischer walked only eight batters, covering 127-2/3 innings. He became a pitching coach for the Reds and Red Sox. (RM)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » July 18, 1913: At the Polo Grounds, the Cards win the opener of two, 4–3, with help from the error-prone Giants. In blanking the Cards 5–0, in the nitecap, Christy Mathewson finally yields a base on balls, ending a record string of 68 walkless innings pitched. Ed Konetchy draws the pass in the 8th. Matty's record won't be topped until Bill Fischer, in 1962. » June 15, 1958: On the last day of trading, the Yanks send 1954 Rookie of the Year P Bob Grim and OF/1B Harry "Suitcase" Simpson to the Athletics for P Virgil Trucks and RHP Duke Maas. The Tigers trade P Bob Shaw and 1B Ray Boone to the White Sox for OF Tito Francona and P Bill Fischer. » June 15, 1958: The White Sox send OF Tito Francona and P Bill Fischer to the Tigers for 3B Ray Boone and P Bob Shaw. Shaw will lead the American League in win percentage in 1959. » September 21, 1961: At New York, Roger Maris is held hitless in four at bats, as the Orioles win, 5–3, behind Bill Fischer's 3-hitter. All the runs off him are unearned. Maris is the only Yankee regular to play the entire game. » August 26, 1962: The Twins Jack Kralick no-hits the A's and wins, 1–0, on Lenny Green's sacrifice fly off Bill Fischer. A 3–2 walk to George Alusik with one out in the 9th spoils the bid for a perfect game. Alusik had beaten Kralick with a 2-run home run on August 8. » September 30, 1962: P Bill Fischer of the Athletics concludes a major-league record string of 841/3 consecutive innings without allowing a base on balls, a record that tops Christy Mathewson's mark. Fischer walks Bubba Morton on four straight pitches and loses a 6–1 decision to Detroit. » May 22, 1963: At Yankee Stadium, New York blows a 7–0 lead and allows Kansas City to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Mickey Mantle, leading off the 11th, is fooled by Bill Fischer on a slow curve, then cannons a 2–2 pitch that almost clears the RF roof. "The hardest ball I ever hit," Mantle later comments, a ball that, by some accounts, was still rising when it struck a foot below the top. It is conservatively estimated by Dr. James McDonald, a physicist who studies long-ball trajectories, that the ball would have traveled 620 feet if it had not struck the facade. "That was the only homer I ever hit that the bat actually bent in my hands," Mantle tells Dale Long, from whom he borrowed the bat. » May 22, 1964: Baltimore edges the Twins 6–5, scoring two runs in the 9th for the victory. Twins reliever Jerry Arrigo allows a 2-out home run to Sam Bowens, his 2nd home run of the game, then throws three balls to John Orsino before being lifted for Bill Fischer. Fischer throws a strike to Orsino who then hits his next pitch for the winning home run. It is Fischer's last ML throw: on the 24th he is placed on the voluntarily retired list. » August 7, 2001: The Braves defeat the Astros, 6–5, as Greg Maddux sets a NL record for consecutive innings without a walk. Maddux hurls six innings in the game to extend his streak to 70 1/3 frames without a free pass. The old mark of 68 innings was held by Christy Mathewson, in 1913, and Randy Jones, in 1976. Maddux left the game with the streak intact and is 14 IP away from the major league record, set by Bill Fischer in 1962.