Happy Birthday, Bo Belinsky, the LA Angels first original star

On May 5th, 1962, LA Angels pitcher Bo Belinsky woke up at the crack of noon.

He headed to Dodger Stadium, the home of the LA Angels then, and threw a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles. 

The left-handed pitcher hurled a nine strikeout, four walk outing at Chavez Ravine (that’s what the LA Angels called it), and improved his record to 4-0. Born on today's date, December 7th, it's worth remembering what he showed us in that moment.

Bo Belinsky became an instant celebrity for the LA Angels. 

Bo Belinsky was quite the character with the Angels. He was tailor made for the Los Angeles media market. Belinsky was what sportswriters called a good interview.

Belinsky could joke around with the best of them. He was a rouge, but a charming rogue. He was entertaining in the capital of entertainment. 

Belinsky was a man of his time, and he had a good time. He was born December 7th, 1936 in Manhattan, New York. His father moved the family to Trenton, New Jersey to open a television repair shop. It was there Belinsky learned to play pool so well that he could make a pretty good living. 

That’s where he developed his interesting personality. He wore expensive suits, gold jewelry, gold sunglasses and sharp shoes. Every garment he owned had his initials embroidered on them. 

And he could pitch, for a while. On the night of his no-hitter no one could get solid contact. He had a nasty slider and was able to mix speeds to keep the Baltimore hitters off-balance. It was the first no-hitter thrown at Dodger Stadium. 

After the game made the newspaper headlines in Los Angeles, Belinsky was much in demand. He was famous! He made the rounds of the nightclubs and was seen in the company of Hollywood celebrities. 

But it didn’t last long. Bo Belinsky had talent, but was lacking in dedication. He pitched seven more seasons, but only won 18 games. 

But, for a brief shining moment, Belinsky was the brightest star in the LA Angels galaxy.