Jim Maloney

James William Maloney, an American professional baseball pitcher, was born June 2, 1940, in Fresno, California. The son of Earl and Marjorie (née Kickashear) Maloney, he grew up alongside a sister, Jeanne; his father had played sandlot and semi-professional baseball on the west coast in the 1930s before opening one of the largest used car dealerships in Fresno. After Little League and Babe Ruth baseball, Maloney became one of the finest athletes in the history of Fresno High School. Though he starred in basketball and football, his passion was baseball. Playing shortstop, he batted .310, .340, and .500 across his sophomore through senior seasons while leading the team to three consecutive undefeated seasons and Northern Yosemite League championships from 1956 to 1958, drawing scouts from all sixteen Major League teams.

Maloney reached the majors with the Cincinnati Reds, for whom he pitched from 1960 to 1970, before closing his career with the California Angels in 1971. One of the hardest-throwing pitchers of the 1960s, he threw two no-hitters, won ten or more games every season from 1963 to 1969, and recorded over 200 strikeouts in four consecutive seasons.