# Don Nottebart
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{{Short description|American baseball player (1936–2007)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Don Nottebart
|position=[Pitcher](/source/Pitcher)
|image=Don Nottebart 1963.jpg
|caption=Nottebart in 1963
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date|1936|1|23|mf=y}}
|birth_place=[West Newton, Massachusetts](/source/West_Newton%2C_Massachusetts), U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2007|10|4|1936|1|23}}
|death_place=[Cypress, Texas](/source/Cypress%2C_Texas), U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=July 1
|debutyear=1960
|debutteam=Milwaukee Braves
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 6
|finalyear=1969
|finalteam=Chicago Cubs
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[Win–loss record](/source/Win%E2%80%93loss_record_(pitching))
|stat1value=36–51
|stat2label=[Earned run average](/source/Earned_run_average)
|stat2value=3.65
|stat3label=[Strikeout](/source/Strikeout)s
|stat3value=525
|teams=
*[Milwaukee Braves](/source/Milwaukee_Braves_(1953%E2%80%9365)) ({{baseball year|1960}}–{{baseball year|1962}})
*[Houston Colt .45s / Astros](/source/Houston_Astros) ({{baseball year|1963}}–{{baseball year|1965}})
*[Cincinnati Reds](/source/Cincinnati_Reds) ({{baseball year|1966}}–{{baseball year|1967}})
*[New York Yankees](/source/New_York_Yankees) ({{baseball year|1969}})
*[Chicago Cubs](/source/Chicago_Cubs) ({{baseball year|1969}})
|highlights=
* Pitched a [no-hitter](/source/no-hitter) on May 17, 1963
}}
'''Donald Edward Nottebart''' (January 23, 1936 – October 4, 2007) was an American professional [baseball](/source/baseball) player. The [right-handed](/source/right-handed) [pitcher](/source/pitcher) appeared in 296 [games](/source/games_pitched) in [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) for five teams over nine seasons (1960–1967; 1969). Nottebart pitched the first [no-hitter](/source/no-hitter) in [Houston Colt .45s/Astros](/source/Houston_Astros) history in 1963.[{{cite web|title=Final Out of No-Hitter|url=http://www.astrosdaily.com/audio/63nottyno.mp3|website=astrosdaily.com|accessdate=November 27, 2015|format=mp3 file|date=May 17, 1963}}] He was listed as {{convert|6|ft|1|in}} tall and {{convert|190|lb}}.
==Early life==
Nottebart was born in [West Newton, Massachusetts](/source/West_Newton%2C_Massachusetts), the second child of Fred and Otta Alice Nottebart. He was a three-sport star at [Lexington High School](/source/Lexington_High_School_(Massachusetts)), graduating in 1954.[{{sabrbio|96251b9d|David E. Skelton|November 12, 2013}}] In 1955 he married high school sweetheart Joanne Wilson—they would eventually have four children. He was signed as an amateur [free agent](/source/free_agent) by the [Milwaukee Braves](/source/Milwaukee_Braves_(1953%E2%80%9365)) in 1954.[{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nottedo01.shtml|title=Don Nottebart Statistics and History|website=baseball-reference.com|publisher=sports-reference.com|access-date=November 27, 2015}}]
==Career==
He made his major league debut at age 24 on July 1, 1960, in an 8-7 Braves road loss to the [St. Louis Cardinals](/source/St._Louis_Cardinals). Nottebart started but had a rough debut, walking the first hitter he faced, [Julián Javier](/source/Juli%C3%A1n_Javier), pitching six innings and allowing six earned runs, nine hits and eight walks; however, he was not charged with the loss.[{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196007011.shtml|title=Jul 1, 1960, Braves at Cardinals Box Score and Play by Play|website=baseball-reference.com|publisher=sports-reference.com|date=July 1, 1960|access-date=November 27, 2015}}]
After three years with the Braves, Nottebart was traded to Houston on November 30, 1962, along with two other players for veteran [first baseman](/source/first_baseman) [Norm Larker](/source/Norm_Larker). He threw a 4–1 no-hitter for the Colt .45s against the [Philadelphia Phillies](/source/Philadelphia_Phillies) on May 17, 1963, despite giving up an [unearned run](/source/earned_run). [Don Demeter](/source/Don_Demeter) reached base on an [error](/source/error_(baseball)) by [shortstop](/source/shortstop) [J. C. Hartman](/source/J._C._Hartman) and later scored on a [sacrifice fly](/source/sacrifice_fly) by Phillies [third baseman](/source/third_baseman) [Don Hoak](/source/Don_Hoak). His catcher was [John Bateman](/source/John_Bateman_(baseball)).
That year was the best of his career to date, as he posted a record of 11–8 with a 3.17 earned run average in 31 games (of which he started 27, completing nine).[[http://www.quotefully.com/movie/Peanuts/28/ Peanuts] quotefully.com {{dead link|date=May 2023}}]
On September 13, 1965, he gave up the [500th home run](/source/500_home_run_club) of [Willie Mays](/source/Willie_Mays).
After three years with Houston, he was acquired by the [Cincinnati Reds](/source/Cincinnati_Reds) in the 1965 [Rule 5 draft](/source/Rule_5_draft). In 1966 for the Reds, he went 5–4 with a 3.07 ERA in a career-high 59 games (all but one as a reliever), ending in the [National League](/source/National_League_(baseball)) top 10 in both saves and games pitched. The following year he was 0–3 but with a sterling 1.93 ERA in 47 games, all as a reliever.
In 1969 as part of a 30-day conditional purchase, he was acquired from the Reds by the [New York Yankees](/source/New_York_Yankees), for whom he pitched four games before being returned to the Reds.[{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN196909060.shtml|title=Sep 6, 1969, Pirates at Cubs Play by Play and Box Score|website=baseball-reference.com|publisher=sports-reference.com|date=September 6, 1969|access-date=November 27, 2015}}]
Overall, Nottebart posted a 36–51 [record](/source/win%E2%80%93loss_record_(pitching)) and a 3.65 earned run average. In 296 games, 89 as a [starting pitcher](/source/starting_pitcher), he had 16 [complete game](/source/complete_game)s and two [shutouts](/source/shutout_(baseball)), with 21 [saves](/source/save_(baseball)). He allowed 902 [hits](/source/hit_(baseball)) and 283 [bases on balls](/source/bases_on_balls), with 525 [strikeout](/source/strikeout)s, in 928{{fraction|1|3}} [innings pitched](/source/innings_pitched).
==Later life==
After his retirement as a player, Nottebart and his wife Joanne lived in southwest Houston for about 25 years, where he had owned a carpet and flooring business and ran a service station.[{{cite web|url=http://archive.boston.com/sports/baseball/articles/2007/10/29/don_nottebart_had_1st_no_hitter_in_astrodome/|title=Don Nottebart; had 1st no-hitter in Astrodome|website=boston.com|publisher=The Boston Globe|date=October 29, 2007|access-date=November 27, 2015|first1=Bryan|last1=Marquard}}] In 1996 he was a member of the inaugural class of the Lexington High School Athletic Hall of Fame.[ {{cite web|url=https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/Nottebart-Houston-franchise-s-first-no-hit-1810196.php|title=Nottebart, Houston franchise's first no-hit pitcher, dies: Area resident, who made history in '63 as a Colt .45, succumbs at 71|website=chron.com|publisher=Houston Chronicle|access-date=November 27, 2015|first1=Neil|last1=Hohlfeld|date=October 6, 2007}}] He was survived by his wife of nearly 52 years, Joanne; their three sons Ron, Bob and Dan and daughter Donna; 11 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and sister Elaine and brother Reigh.