Holloman was the third pitcher in major league history, after Charlie Jones and Ted Breitenstein, to throw a no-hitter in his first start. After he had bounced around the Cubs’ farm system, Holloman’s contract was purchased by the lowly St. Louis Browns prior to the 1953 season. His early appearances with them, all in relief, yielded an ERA close to 9.00. Undaunted, the confident Holloman pestered manager Marty Marion to give him a chance as a starter. He took the mound in that capacity for the first time on the rainy night of May 6, 1953 before a hometown crowd of 2,473 and no-hit the Athletics 6-0. The 29-year-old rookie embellished his performance with three RBI and his only two hits in the majors. He never pitched another complete game in his major league career, which was over before the end of 1953.
Holloman was a colorful personality who stopped at the foul line each time he pitched to scratch the initials of his wife and son in the dirt. Brown’s owner Bill Veeck said of him, “He had charm and he had humor and he had unlimited confidence in himself.”
