WHAT'S UP WITH DON CARDWELL

AGE: 66.

HOME: Clemmons, N.C.

FAMILY: Wife Sylvia, children Sari, Gary and Brent, sevengrandchildren.

OCCUPATION: Fleet and commercial sales executive for Parkway Ford.

POSITION: Pitcher.

HOBBIES: Golf and flower gardening.

BASEBALL BACKGROUND: The only major-leaguer to throw a no-hitterin his first start for a new team, Cardwell beat the St. LouisCardinals 4-0 on May 15, 1960, at Wrigley Field to become the sixthof 10 Cubs to throw one in the modern era. I was swinging at sound,"said Cardinals star Stan Musial, who struck out as a pinch hitter.Cardwell, who joined the Cubs in a trade from the PhiladelphiaPhillies two days before the no-hitter, won 15 games for the Cubs in1961. He was 13-10 for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1965, with six ofthe losses coming by one run, and helped the New York Mets overcomethe Cubs with five consecutive victories in the pennant push in 1969.He was 102-138 in his career.

THE NO-HITTER: Cardwell walked one and struck out seven in a duelagainst Lindy McDaniel. He got ninth-inning help from right fielderGeorge Altman, who made a leaping catch at the wall on a drive byCarl Sawatski, and from left fielder Walt Moose" Moryn, who ended thegame with a shoestring catch on a line drive by Joe Cunningham. I wasthrowing about 94[mph] that day, and my side-arm curve was working toright-handed batters. I was nervous because I'd only been on my newteam two or three days. I kept getting more nervous as the batterskept passing by without a hit. Finally, our catcher, Del Rice, cameout and said, Are you sure you're OK?' When I said yes, he said,Well, just keep doing what you've been doing."'

THE PLAYS: I think I was happiest to get past Musial in theeighth. I have great respect for that man. The Sawatski ball scaredme the most, but Altman had long arms and was a 6-4 basketball playerwho could leap. Moose? He had his ball all the way."

THE AFTERMATH: The fans were so elated. The ushers tried to holdthem back, but it seemed everybody just jumped on top of me. VinceLloyd interviewed me, and I could hardly talk."

COLLEGE OF COACHES: Having the coaches take turns managing [in1962] made no sense, so I asked out. [General manager] John Hollandsaid it was [owner] Phil Wrigley's idea to do this, but he could tryto find me another home. John got me to Pittsburgh, where I hadsuccess."

THE AMAZIN' METS: I got off to a slow start, but I did well thelast couple of months when we finally caught the Cubs. They beat methree times, and Billy Hands beat me every time. The last 14 gamesthat year, I never gave up more than two or three runs. We won all 14of those games. There weren't any stars, just good, young players.Tom Seaver told me, We really looked up to you. You were the strongpoint of our young club.' They probably thought that if I could doit at my age [33], they could do it at theirs."

SINGIN' THE SEVENTH: I came up in May, the first time I'd been toWrigley Field in some time. People told me they were in the park forthe no-hitter. I wasn't nervous singing Take Me Out to the BallGame.' I can't sing, so why sweat it? [Special-events coordinator]Joe Rios came to get me in the sixth inning so I could practice mykey with the organist [Gary Pressy]. I said, What's a key?' My wifewrote down the words for me, but they said, No, no, no. The crowdwill see you.' I knew the words anyway. How can you forget words to agreat song like that?"

BEST MANAGERS: Danny Murtaugh and Gil Hodges. Danny was my managerin Pittsburgh. He was a practical joker. I made the mistake once oflaying my glove next to him on the bench. When I went out to pitch, Iknew what he'd done the second my hand went in. He'd stuffed a wad ofchewing tobacco in the thumb. When I came back in later, he said, Iseem to have lost something around here. Did you see it?'"

ABOUT RON SANTO: I'm glad to see him doing such a good jobbroadcasting. When Ronnie first came up [in 1960], he fielded agrounder in Pittsburgh and threw it 10 rows up in the grandstand. Ithought, This guy's a rookie. He must have a good arm to throw itthat far.'"

PHILOSOPHY: I never let a loss get me down. It was kind of likeplaying a bad round of golf. There's always another day."