The Montreal Royals' 24-year old right-handed starter Brent Gilliam yesterday threw the first no-hitter of the 1983 WPK season as well as the first in franchise history. Gilliam, the top pick in the 1980 draft out of the University of California San Diego, mostly pitched out of the bullpen for the Royals last season after a late-season call-up in 1981 during which he struggled to a 1-3 record with a 6.57 ERA. This year he has been a full-time member of the rotation, slotted in at the #2 spot, and is starting to fulfill his tremendous promise. Many around the WPK consider him a future perennial contender for the Harris/Lee award, with his impressive 6-pitch repertoire (his cutter/slider combination being his strongest pitches) and nasty stuff. He still needs some improvement in the area of pitch control and command, but with his strong work ethic and natural talent his dominant performance yesterday against Phoenix is likely merely a pre-cursor to many moments of glory to come.