Don Cardwell

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) - Don Cardwell, who pitched a no-hitter and helped the New York Mets win the 1969 World Series, has died. He was 72.

Cardwell died Monday morning, said Richard Puryear, a spokesman for Salem Funerals & Cremations. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Cardwell pitched for five major league teams from 1957 to 1970. He finished 102-138 with a 3.92 ERA and 1,211 strikeouts. He threw 17 shutouts, earned seven saves - and hit 15 home runs.

The right-hander was 8-10 with a 3.01 ERA for the Miracle Mets in '69. He pitched in 30 games, making 21 starts.

After beginning his career with the Philadelphia Phillies, Cardwell was traded to the Chicago Cubs in May 1960. Two days after the deal, he tossed a no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cardwell's best season with the Cubs was 1961, when he went 15-14 with a 3.82 ERA and a career-high 156 strikeouts. He was traded to the Cardinals the following year but was dealt to Pittsburgh a month later without ever pitching for St. Louis.

He spent 1963 to 1966 with the Pirates, going 13-10 with a 3.18 ERA in 1965, before he was traded to the Mets in December 1966. In 1969, he was part of a New York rotation that included Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Gary Gentry. Cardwell pitched one inning in the '69 World Series as the Mets upset the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles.
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