Old Hoss Radbourn Stats & Facts
Old Hoss Radbourn Essentials
Positions: Pitcher and Rightfielder
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
5-9, 168lb (175cm, 76kg)
Born: December 11, 1854 in Rochester, NY
Died: February 5, 1897 in Bloomington, IL
Buried: Evergreen Memorial Cemetery, Bloomington, IL
Debut: May 5, 1880 ( 463rd in MLB history)
Last Game: August 11, 1891
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1939. (Voted by Old Timers Committee)
View Old Hoss Radbourn’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Full Name: Charles Gardner Radbourn
Nicknames: Old Hoss
Old Hoss Radbourn Baseball Reference Page
Twitter: @OldHossRadbourn
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Nine Players Who Debuted in 1880
Tim Keefe
Roger Connor
Mickey Welch
Old Hoss Radbourn
Buck Ewing
Harry Stovey
Fred Dunlap
Arlie Latham
Larry Corcoran
The Charley Radbourn Teammate Team
C: King Kelly
1B: Joe Start
2B: Bid McPhee
3B: Jerry Denny
SS: Arthur Irwin
LF: Hardy Richardson
CF: Paul Hines
RF: Tom Brown
SP: John Ward
SP: Bobby Mathews
SP: Tony Mullane
M: Harry Wright
Notable Events and Chronology for Old Hoss Radbourn Career
“Radbourn became so good with constant practice that he could throw the ball through a good-sized knothole in the fence.” – Frank Bancroft, former Providence manager
If there is one record that will most certainly never be broken it is Charley “Old Hoss” Radbourn’s 60 wins in 1884. This number is in dispute; it wavers, according to your source, from 59 to 61. But what is not under dispute is the fact that Radbourn had one of the most remarkable and gutsy seasons in baseball history.
Biography
Born in Rochester, NY, in 1854, Radbourn began his career with the Providence Grays in 1881, winning 25. He continued his winning ways, posting tallies of 33 and 48 wins in 1882 and 1883, posting the NL’s second best ERA in both seasons. Hoss threw underhand and had a great curve ball and “in-shoot” or screwball which he used to great effect, as evidenced by his high strikeout totals. He no hit the Cleveland Blues on July 25, 1883, beating Hugh “One Arm” Daily, 8-0.
The 1884 Grays employed two primary starters at the beginning of the season, Radbourn, and young Charlie Sweeney. Radbourn, despite being 24-8 at the time, was suspended for “loafing” and “insubordination” on July 16, leaving Sweeney as the team’s ace. Less than a week later, Sweeney (17-8) was cut for missing practice and refusing to leave the mound during a game. Radbourn was reinstated, with the condition that he be released from Providence after the season and he be allowed to pitch in every remaining game. The “Ol’ Hoss” just about managed to do this.
On July 23, the Hoss took the reins of the Grays pitching duties and pitched in nine straight ball games, going 7-1 with one tie. After playing one game in right field, he pitched in six consecutive contests. He returned to the field, experimenting at shortstop for one game, then hurled in an incredible 20 games in a row. During this period, Radbourn had an amazing 20-game winning streak. Radbourn finally decided to take a rest on September 5, with his Grays in the middle of a long winning streak.
In 1884, Charley “Old Hoss” Radbourn won an all-time record 59 games and then won all 3 World Series games for the Providence Grays. After the season he was probably tired, his total innings pitched including the Series was a record 700.7. It was an expansion year, which may explain some of it, but the previous year he had also won 48. This total of 48 wins in 1883 is tied for fifth all-time. As a result of those two brilliant back-to-back seasons, he won 300 games in just 11 seasons. He ended with 309 career wins.
He won his first 20 decisions against Philadelphia: no other pitcher has ever done this, against any team. Four pitchers have started 19-1 against a team: Nig Cuppy against St Louis, Larry Jackson and Juan Marichal both against the Mets, and Roy Oswalt against the Reds.
After his playing career ended, Radbourn lost an eye in a gun accident. He later died of complications from syphilis at age 42.
Old Hoss Radbourn (back row, far left) flipping the bird in an 1886 Boston Beaneaters’ team photo. Supposedly, this is the earliest known photo of someone flipping the bird.
Factoids, Quotes, Milestones and Odd Facts
Played For
Buffalo Bisons (1880)
Providence Grays (1881-1885)
Boston Braves (1886-1889)
Cincinnati Reds (1891)
Similar: Mickey Welch, John Clarkson
Linked: Charlie Sweeney and Radbourn were the only two pitchers on Providence’s roster in 1884, but they were not friends. Sweeney was a hard drinker with a temper, and despite being eight years Radbourn’s junior, Sweeney openly disrespected and belittled Radbourn. Radbourn was known to empty a bottle from time to time as well, and soon the two were in a feud that split the team into “Pro-Sweeney” and “Pro-Radbourn” factions. While on the mound on July 16, Radbourn finally snapped. With Sweeney taunting him from his own dugout, and suspecting that some of his teammates were purposely playing poorly behind him, Radbourn lobbed pitches to the opponent and lost the game. Manager Frank Bancroft suspended Radbourn, but found himself in need of his banished pitcher a week later when Sweeney reported to an exhibition game drunk and beligerant. Bancroft suspended Sweeney (who quickly signed with the rival Union Association), and with his players urging him on, re-instated Radbourn. “Old Hoss” agreed to return under a few conditions: he be allowed to pitch every day the rest of the year and that he be paid the balance of Sweeney’s contract in addition to his own. With little options, Bancroft relented, and Radbourn returned to pitch the rest of the way, winning 60 games. While Radbourn went on to a Hall of Fame career, Sweeney’s ill-temper led him to a much different fate. In 1894, after being out of baseball for seven years, 31-year old Sweeney got into an argument in a bar in San Francisco and shot and killed a man. After his conviction, Sweeney spent the rest of his life in San Quentin Prison, where he died in 1902.
Best Season, 1884
After briefly being suspended in mid-season, Radbourn returned, started every game the rest of the year, and won an astounding 60 games. He completed every one of his 73 starts, pitching 678+ innings, and fanning 441. He finished with a 1.38 ERA, 11 shutouts, and allowed just 98 walks in all those innings.
Awards and Honors
1884 NL Triple Crown
Post-Season Appearances
1884 World Series
His Arsenal: The Pitches He Threw
According to Tim Murran, who played semi-professional baseball against many of the top players in the country in the 1970s, Radbourne used a “raise curve.” The pitch seemed to be a high, looping curve, since Murran described it as a pitch that never came in below the belt.
Best Strength as a Player
Durability. After his 73 complete games in the regular season in 1884, Radbourn reportedly couldn’t lift his arm over his head. Regardless, he pitched and won two games in the championship series.
Largest Weakness as a Player
None
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