From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charles Gardner "Old Hoss" Radbourn (December
11, 1854 – February 5, 1897) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1880 to 1891. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
He was born in Rochester, New York.
Career
As a starting pitcher for the Providence Grays (1881-1885), Boston Beaneaters
(1886-1889), Boston Reds (1890) and Cincinnati Reds
(1891), Radbourn compiled a 309-195 career record. In 1884 he won the National
League's pitching Triple
Crown with a 1.38 ERA, 60 wins and 441 strikeouts. His 60 wins in
a season (or 59, according to some sources; see note) is a record
which is expected never to be broken. Also, his 678⅔ innings pitched
in 1884 stands at second all-time, behind only Will White (680), for a
single-season. It, too, is a record that will most likely never be
touched. It was made possible by the mid-season expulsion of the
Grays' other main pitcher, Charlie Sweeney.
Statistical notes on the
1884 season
There is a discrepancy in Radbourn's victory total in 1884. The
classic MacMillan Baseball Encyclopedia, as well as the
current Sporting News Baseball Record Book both credit
Radbourn with 60 wins (against 12 losses). Other sources, including
the baseball reference and baseball almanac links shown here, give
Radbourn 59 wins. Some older sources (such as his tombstone plaque)
counted as high as 62.
There is no dispute about the 678⅔ innings pitched, only over
the manner in which victories were assigned to pitchers. That can
be a contentious issue, as the rules in the early years allowed
more latitude to the official scorer than they do today.
Providence's won-lost record in 1884 was 84-28. The stats for
the Grays' pitchers:
- Charlie Radbourn 60-12 (MacMillan) or 59-12 (online)
- Charlie Sweeney 17-8
- Ed Conley 4-4
- Cyclone
Miller 2-2 (MacMillan) or 3-2 (online)
- Paul Radford 0-2
- Harry Arundel 1-0
- John Cattanach 0-0
- Paul Hines 0-0
- Arthur Irwin 0-0
According to at least two writeups [1],[2], in the game of
July 28 at Philadelphia, Miller pitched five innings and left
trailing 4-3. Providence then scored 4 in the top of the sixth.
Radbourn came in to relieve, and pitched shutout ball over the
final four innings, while the Grays went on to score 4 more and to
win the game 11-4. The official scorer decided that Radbourn had
pitched the most effectively, and awarded him the win. Under the
rules of the day, the scorekeeper's decision certainly made sense.
However, under modern scoring rules, Miller would get the win,
being the "pitcher of record" when he left the game, and Radbourn
would have been credited with a save, for (ironically enough)
closing the game and "pitching effectively for 3 or more innings."
Some modern statisticians have retroactively awarded the win to
Miller. This may be a disputable practice, but it provides the
explanation for the 59 vs. the 60 wins for Radbourn in 1884. On his
stat page on MLB.com Radbourn is credited with 59 wins and a save
instead of 60 wins.
Later
life
After retiring, Radbourn opened up a successful billiard parlor and saloon in
Bloomington, Illinois. Dating
back to his playing days, he had always had a reputation for being
a bit vain. He was took great pride in his attire and in his looks.
Tragically, Radbourn was seriously injured in a hunting accident
soon after retirement. He lost an eye in the accident and spent
most of the remaining years of his life shut in a backroom of the
saloon he owned, too ashamed to be seen after the injury.
Radbourn died in Bloomington in 1897 and is interred in Evergreen Cemetery. In 1941 a plaque was placed on the back of his
(misspelled) headstone, detailing his career. The grave is about
150-200 feet east-southeast of that of former Illinois Governor Adlai E. Stevenson II.
It is speculated that Radbourn is the namesake of the charley horse,
a painful leg cramp not unlike that from which he suffered.
Earliest Known Photo
of "The Finger"
In 1886 Charlie gave the finger in a team photo. [3]
Upcoming
Book
Fifty-nine in '84: Old Hoss Radbourn, Barehanded Baseball,
and the Greatest Season a Pitcher Ever Had, a book written by
longtime journalist Edward Achorn of The
Providence Journal, is scheduled to be published by
Smithsonian Books on March 16.
See also
External
links
The Radbourn headstone and plaque
| Persondata |
| NAME |
Radbourn, Charles |
| ALTERNATIVE
NAMES |
Radbourn, Charles Garner;Radbourn, Old Hoss |
| SHORT
DESCRIPTION |
Major League Baseball player |
| DATE OF BIRTH |
December 11, 1854 |
| PLACE OF
BIRTH |
Rochester, New York |
| DATE OF DEATH |
February 5, 1897 |
| PLACE OF
DEATH |
Bloomington, Illinois |
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