Tony Mullane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tony Mullane |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: January 30, 1859 County Cork, Ireland |
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| Died: April 25, 1944 (aged 85) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 27, 1881, for the Detroit Wolverines | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 26, 1894, for the Cleveland Spiders | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 284–220 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.05 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,803 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Anthony John Mullane (born January 30, 1859 – died April 25, 1944) was an amazing Irish professional baseball player. People called him "Count" or "the Apollo of the Box." He was a pitcher for seven different major league teams from 1881 to 1894.
Tony Mullane was special because he was a switch pitcher. This means he could throw the baseball with either his right or his left hand! He also won a lot of games, making him one of the best pitchers not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
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Tony Mullane's Baseball Journey
Tony Mullane was born in County Cork, Ireland. He moved to the United States in 1864. His first major league game was on August 27, 1881, with the Detroit Wolverines. He won that game 9–1 against the Chicago White Stockings.
Amazing Pitching Skills
Tony Mullane once hurt his right arm. To keep playing, he taught himself to pitch with his left hand! When his right arm healed, he could throw with both hands. He even switched hands during the same game. This was easier for him because he didn't wear a glove. He would hold the ball with both hands and then choose which hand to throw with.
It took over 100 years for another pitcher, Greg A. Harris, to do this again. Harris used a special glove that let him switch hands. Mullane was truly unique for his time!
Early Career Success
In 1882, Mullane joined the Louisville Eclipse in the American Association. He started 55 of their 80 games. He had an impressive record of 30 wins and 24 losses. His earned run average (ERA) was very low at 1.88. This was the first of five years in a row where he won 30 or more games!
On September 11, 1882, he pitched a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Red Stockings. This means no one on the other team got a hit! In 1883, he won 35 games with the St. Louis Browns.
Challenges and New Teams
In 1884, Mullane wanted to join a new league, the Union Association. But his team, the Browns, still had rights to him. If he left, he could be banned from baseball. So, he stayed. The Browns then sold him to the Toledo Blue Stockings. With them, he won a career-high 36 games.
That season, Mullane played with Moses Fleetwood Walker. Walker was one of the first black players in Major League Baseball. Mullane had a lot of wild pitches that year, leading the league with 63.
After the 1884 season, Mullane signed with Cincinnati. Because of this, the American Association suspended him for the entire 1885 season. This suspension might have stopped him from reaching 300 career wins.
Years with Cincinnati
After his suspension, Mullane joined the Cincinnati Red Stockings for the 1886 season. He stayed with them for over seven years. During this time, he won 163 games.
He was also a good hitter. In 1889, he had his best hitting year. He hit for a .296 batting average and stole 24 bases.
Later Career and Records
In 1893, baseball rules changed. The pitcher's mound was moved five feet farther from home plate. Mullane started the season with a 6–6 record. He was then traded to the Baltimore Orioles on June 16.
He played for the Orioles in 1893 and 1894. On June 18, 1894, he had a tough game. He allowed 16 runs in the first inning against the Boston Beaneaters. A month later, he was traded again to the Cleveland Spiders. He only played four games for them.
Tony Mullane left major league baseball after the 1894 season. He finished his 13-year career with 284 wins and 220 losses. His ERA was 3.05. He still holds the record for the most wild pitches in major league history, with 343. His 284 wins tie him for 27th on the all-time list.
Life After Baseball
After his baseball career, Tony Mullane became a police officer in Chicago. He retired from the Chicago Police Department in 1924.
Mullane passed away in Chicago at age 85. He is buried in Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery in Worth, Illinois. In 2010, he was honored by being inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career wild pitches leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
