Wood vs. Wood #278

Last time it was a 10-0 drubbing by 1962. Will this be closer?

Ken Johnson is seen here in a KC A's uniform at Yankee Stadium. Johnson came up as a reliever with the A's in 1958, and was traded to the Reds in July of 1961. He was a surprise contributor to the Reds' pennant run, as Cincinnati moved him to the starting rotation where he went 6-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 11 starts. However, he only pitched 0.2 innings in the World Series and was left unprotected in the expansion draft, where he was chosen by Houston. He was a good pitcher for a bad expansion team, most notably in 1963 when he was just 11-17 despite a 2.65 ERA. In 1964 he became the only pitcher to lose a nine-inning no-hitter, making a ninth-inning error that led to the game's only run. In 1965 he was traded to the Braves. He had his best seasons with that club, going 45-34 with a 3.22 ERA over parts of five seasons. He ended his career with brief stints for the Cubs, Yankees and Expos. Overall in 334 games (231 starts) he went 91-106 with a 3.46 ERA. After his playing career he coached college baseball for 30 years and was a church deacon. He died in 2015.

Gary Pettis is all business as he poses at spring training. Pettis was one of the fastest men in baseball, stealing 354 bases over 11 seasons, and winning five gold gloves for his sensational play in the outfield. However, he was not much of a hitter and struggled to make contact, though he did take frequent walks. Overall in 1,183 games for the Angels, Tigers, Rangers and Padres, he hit .236 with 21 HR and 259 RBI. After his playing career he coached for several teams, most recently for the Astros for whom he won two World Series rings. However, he was let go after the 2024 season as the team wanted to improve their baserunning, which had been coached by Pettis.