Books and articles about Bill Monboquette

The ace of weak Red Sox teams in the early 1960s, Monboquette won at least 14 games four straight years, peaking in 1963 with a 20-10 mark. A four-time All-Star, in 1960 he started the year's first All-Star Game for the AL, but allowed three home runs in two innings to take the loss. Monboquette relied on changing speeds with good control, but on May 12, 1961, he fanned 17 Senators in a nine-inning game (at the time the second-best effort in AL history). He no-hit the White Sox on August 1, 1962, defeating Early Wynn 1-0, and had a second no-hit bid foiled by a Zoilo Versalles home run in September 1964. (FK)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » August 26, 1959: It's "Al Smith Day" at Comiskey, with every fan named Smith, Schmidt, Smythe or Smithe admitted free and given a button stating "I'm a Smith and I'm for Al." Smith himself doesn't help, going hitless as the White Sox lose to Boston, 7–6. Bill Monboquette is the winner. » May 7, 1960: Red Sox pitcher Bill Monbouquette allows just one hit in beating the visiting Tigers, 5–0. Neil Chrisley's double is the only safety. » April 11, 1961: At Fenway, Kansas City's Ray Herbert surrenders Carl Yastrzemski's first ML hit, but beats Bill Monbouquette, 5–2. » May 12, 1961: Bill Monbouquette's 17 strikeouts for the Red Sox are a club record and the most yet by an American League pitcher in a night game. He beats Washington 2–1. » August 18, 1961: Ron Kline, purchased from the Angels on August 10, blanks the Red Sox on four hits to give the Tigers a 5–0 win. Bill Monbouquette fails for the 9th time to win his 9th, lasting just four innings and gives up homers to Billy Bruton and Rocky Colavito. » September 29, 1961: Johnny Blanchard singles and homers to drive in both runs in the Yanks, 2–1 win over the Red Sox. The Bomber handyman hits his 21st homer and singles in Roger Maris in the 9th to pin the loss on Bill Monbouquette. Whitey Ford pitches four scoreless innings for New York, and finishes the year having no stolen bases off him in 243 innings, a record. » August 1, 1962: Nothing less than Bill Monbouquette's no-hitter is necessary to defeat Early Wynn and the White Sox 1–0. The Red Sox pitcher improves his record to 9-10. » August 11, 1962: At Fenway, the Red Sox sweep a day-night pair from Baltimore, winning 3–0 and 7–3. Ike Delock shuts out the Orioles, giving the Red Sox their 3rd shutout in a row. Gene Conley and Bill Monbouquette had previously whitewashed the Indians. Whitey Herzog's home run in the 6th of game two ends the Sox sting of 32 2/3 scoreless innings. » September 30, 1962: In the 2nd of two, Red Sox 1B Don Gile, hitting 1-for-40 on the year (his one hit came in game 1) breaks a 1–1 tie with a two run homer in the bottom of the 9th off Washington's Jack Jenkins. The homer comes in his last ML at bat and gives Bill Monbouquette the win, 3–1. The Yawkeymen lose the opener by the same score as Cheney fans 12. Don Lock drives in all three runs. Runnels sits out the games and ends the season with the American League batting crown at .326. » August 25, 1963: Cleveland batters suffer an American League-record 27 strikeouts in a doubleheader (24 innings) split against the Red Sox. The 44 strikeouts for both teams are also an AL record, with Dick Stuart chipping in with 6. Stuart now has 123 for the season, surpassing Jimmie Foxx's Sox record of 119. Bill Monbouquette fans 11 Indians in the opener and Bob Heffner 12 more in the nitecap, but the Tribe still manages a split, winning 2–1 after an 8–3 loss. » June 11, 1964: After a 2-week absence, Mickey Mantle is back in the lineup and clouts two home runs at Fenway off Bill Monbouquette. The Yankees win easily 8–4. » September 2, 1964: Boston's Bill Monbouquette pitches a one-hitter, but loses 2–1 to Minnesota. Versalles spoils a no-hitter for the 2nd time in one week with a 6th-inning home run. » September 6, 1964: For the second time in four days and the 3rd time in his career, Zoilo Versalles has the only hit for the Twins. His 2-run homer in the 6th is the lone hit off Boston's Bill Monbouquette but it is good enough for a Twins win, 2–1. » July 20, 1965: Mel Stottlemyre of the Yankees becomes the first pitcher to hit an inside-the-park grand slam since Deacon Phillippe did it for the Pirates in 1910. Stottlemyre's bases-loaded drive in the 5th off Bill Monbouquette assures him a 6–3 victory over the Red Sox. » October 4, 1965: Boston trades P Bill Monbouquette to Detroit for OF George Thomas and IF George Smith. » July 12, 1968: The Giants trade P Lindy McDaniel to the Yankees for P Bill Monbouquette.