Dave Morehead

Dave Morehead
Pitcher
Born: September 5, 1942 (1942-09-05) (age 69) San Diego, California
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 13, 1963 for the Boston Red Sox
Last MLB appearance
September 29, 1970 for the Kansas City Royals
Career statistics
Win–loss record	40-64
Earned run average	4.15
Strikeouts	627
Teams
Boston Red Sox (1963-1968) Kansas City Royals (1969-1970)
Career highlights and awards
No-hitter on September 16, 1965 American League pennant winner: 1967

David Michael Morehead (born September 5, 1942 in San Diego, California) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. A right-hander, Morehead pitched for the Boston Red Sox (1963–68) and Kansas City Royals (1969–70).

As a rookie in 1963 Morehead broke into the Red Sox starting rotation and posted a 10-13 record with a 3.81 earned run average. He shut out the Washington Senators in his Major League debut on April 13. On May 12 of that same year, he pitched a one-hitter against the same Senators, the lone hit coming on a Chuck Hinton home run.

In 1964 Morehead went 8-15 and his ERA ballooned to 4.97. In 1965 he tied for the American League lead with 18 losses (against 10 victories) for a Red Sox team that finished next-to-last, with 100 losses. The season, however, was not a total loss: on September 16, the same day the Red Sox fired Pinky Higgins as general manager, Morehead no-hit the Cleveland Indians 2-0 before only 1,247 fans at Fenway Park, the lone baserunner coming on Rocky Colavito’s second-inning walk. Not until Hideo Nomo in 2001 would another Red Sox pitch a no-hitter, and the next no-hitter at Fenway Park wouldn’t come until 2002 (Derek Lowe). It was the fourth no-hitter by a Red Sox pitcher in a ten year period, with Mel Parnell pitching one in 1956 and Earl Wilson and Bill Monbouquette both pitching one in 1962. Parnell's and Wilson's no-hitters, like Morehead's, had also been pitched at Fenway Park—one of Major League Baseball's most notorious hitter-friendly stadiums. It would be another 37 years before a Red Sox pitcher threw a no-hitter at Fenway.

Over the next three years, Morehead would be beset by arm ailments that limited him to 33 games pitched—one fewer than in 1965. He was a member of the Carl Yastrzemski-led 1967 Red Sox team that won the American League pennant and pitched two games in relief in the World Series, which the Red Sox lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. Morehead was selected in the expansion draft by the Kansas City Royals and pitched in 21 games in 1969, 19 in relief. In 1970 he pitched in 28 games and posted a 3.62 ERA, the lowest of his career. In spring training of 1971, the Royals released him; he had pitched his final game at 28 years of age, the arm ailments having ended his career prematurely.

In his career, Morehead won 40 games against 64 losses with a 4.15 ERA and 627 strikeouts in 819.1 innings pitched. He also exhibited periods of wildness, walking 463 batters for just over 5 BB/9 innings. In each of his first three seasons, Morehead was second in the American League in walks with 99, 112 and 113 respectively.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
• Boxscore of Morehead's no hitter

Preceded by Sandy Koufax

No-hitter pitcher September 16, 1965

Succeeded by Sonny Siebert

Persondata
Name	Morehead, Dave
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 5, 1942
Place of birth	San Diego, California
Date of death
Place of death