Maloney surfaced in the Queen City at the dawn of the 1960s and rapidly established himself as a premier power pitcher in the National League. He arrived with a blistering fastball that appeared to rise as it reached the plate, a gift he used to overwhelm hitters during a period when the league was transitioning toward a new level of athleticism. Between 1963 and 1966, he authored a sustained stretch of excellence, capturing back-to-back 20-win seasons and cementing his status as the tactical leader of the Cincinnati staff.
The absolute height of his dominance was on full display in 1965, a season that saw him reach the peak of his craft. That year, Maloney was a master of the high-stakes moment, famously throwing two no-hitters—including a legendary ten-inning masterpiece that, while technically unofficial by modern scoring rules, remains one of the most gritty performances ever seen on a mound. He earned his first All-Star selection that summer, but his value was far deeper than a single mid-season nod; he finished his stay in Cincinnati with 134 wins and a staggering 1,592 strikeouts.
In 1973, he became the lone inductee into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame,
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