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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. (ME)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » June 18, 1967: The blazing fastball of the Astros Don Wilson overpowers Atlanta with 15 strikeouts in a no-hit 2–0 victory. » August 25, 1967: Houston's Don Wilson strikes out 10 Reds, including Pete Rose four times, but loses to Cincy, 2–1. » July 14, 1968: Houston's Don Wilson fans 18 batters in a 6-1 win at Cincinnati, tying the major-league record set by Bob Feller. Wilson (6-11) fans Johnny Bench to end the game. He also ties the major-league record with eight strikeouts in a row, striking out the side in the first three innings. A one-out walk to Alex Johnson in the 1st is the only interruption. Wilson also fans the side in the 5th. The Astros win the opener, 5–4. » July 24, 1968: Don Drysdale walks two batters in the 5th, hits Brand with a pitch and then plunks opposing pitcher Don Wilson with an offspeed pitch to force in a run. Houston wins, 1–0. » September 10, 1968: Don Wilson, who struck out 18 Reds on July 14, fans 16 Reds today while pitching the Astros to a 3–2 win in game 1. The Reds win the nitecap, 4–3. » September 15, 1968: The Cardinals clinch the NL pennant with a 7–4 win at Houston. Roger Maris hits his 275th, and last, regular-season home run, off Don Wilson in the 3rd, and Curt Flood racks up five hits. » May 1, 1969: Houston, no-hit the day before by Cincinnati, answers back, as Don Wilson pitches a 4–0 no-hitter, with 13 strikeouts over the Reds. Houston ties an National League record with just one assist. In Wilson's previous start against Cincinnati, on April 22, he gave up six runs in five innings in a 14–0 loss. » June 28, 1970: For the third time in their careers, Pete Rose and Bobby Tolan combine to belt lead off homers for the Reds. This time Houston's Don Wilson is the victim. Tony Perez hits his 27th homer, off Wilson, in the top of the 9th for a 3–2 Reds win. » April 6, 1971: At Houston, Claude Osteen allows four hits and rookie Bill Buckner's homer accounts for all the scoring as the Dodgers beat the Astros, 2–0. Don Wilson takes the loss. Osteen was 6–0 last year against Houston. » May 8, 1971: At Philadelphia, Joe Morgan has four hits, steals two bases, and scores three runs to lead Houston to an 8–1 win over the Phils. Winning P Don Wilson knocks in two runs with a bunt double that rolls past SS Larry Bowa, who is breaking for 3B. » August 2, 1971: Houston's Don Wilson allows just two hits in beat the Cubs and Fergie Jenkins, 2–1. » August 20, 1972: Striking out 14, Don Wilson pitches the Astros to a 3–1 win over the Phils. Greg Luzinski accounts for the lone Quaker run with a homer. Still without a win this year, Ken Reynolds absorbs his 11th loss. » September 4, 1974: Don Wilson has a no-hitter through eight innings, but is lifted for a pinch-hitter by Houston manager Preston Gomez. Reliever Mike Cosgrove gives up a leadoff single to Tony Perez, and the Astros lose to the Reds 2–1. Jack Billingham, who has a sac bunt in the 2-run 5th, is the winner. Gomez made the same mistake in San Diego on July 21, 1970. The Reds score both runs in the 5th inning on two walks, a sac bunt and a 2-base throwing error by Roger Metzger. » September 28, 1974: Astro Don Wilson 2-hits the Braves. 5–0. It would be Wilson's last ML game, followed barely three months later by his suicide. » January 5, 1975: Astros P Don Wilson is found dead of monoxide poisoning in his garage in Houston, a suicide victim at age 29. The Astros will retire his #40.