American Baseball legend and three-time World Series champion dies aged 78

Baseball icon and three-time World Series winner Ken Holtzman has died at the age of 78 in St. Louis, Missouri on Sunday after a long battle with heart disease. Prior to this, he had spent three weeks in hospital, according to a report from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Known as one of the greatest pitchers of all time, Holtzman threw two no-hitters over the course of his career. This means that he pitched so perfectly that the opposing team were unable to hit the ball on a single occasions during an entire innings - only six players have pitched more no-hitters than this. Additionally, he also won three World Series Championships during his time with Oakland Athletics.

While he is perhaps best known for his time at the A’s, he also played for the likes of the Chicago Cubs, the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees. He both began and ended his professional career at the Cubs - he initially joined them in 1965 and left in 1971 for the A’s, before returning to them for the final year of his career in 1978.

A statement from the Chicago Cubs on Holtzman’s passing reads: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of former Cubs pitcher Ken Holtzman. Ken was a Cub from 1965-1971 and 1978-1979. He posted a 3.76 ERA in 237 games with the club, including two no-hitters, cementing himself as one of the best left-handed pitchers in Cubs history.”

Meanwhile, a statement from Major League Baseball reads: “Ken Holtzman, a former pitcher who threw two no-hitters with the Cubs and won three straight World Series championships with the Athletics from 1972-74, died Sunday at the age of 78. Holtzman was battling heart issues and was hospitalized for three weeks before his death, his brother, Bob, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.”