[qwerty49]

Really good stuff, Mick.

I’m totally amazed they kept detailed stats (including wild pitches) back in 1881!  To put things in perspective, the gunfight at the OK Corral was in October 1881. Which presumably was after the season.

[quote author=wallendar link=topic=18886.msg226240#msg226240 date=1521437144]
No. 8 -  Nolan Ryan?

Really good guess.  Nolan Ryan is #2 on the list with 277 wild pitches in his career that spanned almost 6,000 innings pitched.  The winner is Tony Mullane, pitched from 1881-1894 with 343 wild pitches, and a career-high of 63 wild pitches in 1884.  Like Ryan, he walked A LOT of players.

Mullane was considered a good pitcher, though.  He finished with a career 284-220 record and a 3.05 ERA, having thrown 4,500 innings.  He won 30+ games five times in his career.  He also lost 22+ games five times.  He gave up 1,400 walks and struck out 1,800.

Here's the really funny thing.  For almost Mullane's entire career, the pitching distance was 50 feet.  It didn't become 60'6" until 1893 and Mullane's ERA ballooned from 2.59 to 4.44.  It didn't hurt Mullane's strikeouts much -- he only went from 109 to 90 -- but his walks increased from 127 to 189.  He was out of the game one year later.
[/quote]

[qwerty49]

Really good stuff, Mick.

I’m totally amazed they kept detailed stats (including wild pitches) back in 1881!  To put things in perspective, the gunfight at the OK Corral was in October 1881. Which presumably was after the season.

[quote author=wallendar link=topic=18886.msg226240#msg226240 date=1521437144]
No. 8 -  Nolan Ryan?

Really good guess.  Nolan Ryan is #2 on the list with 277 wild pitches in his career that spanned almost 6,000 innings pitched.  The winner is Tony Mullane, pitched from 1881-1894 with 343 wild pitches, and a career-high of 63 wild pitches in 1884.  Like Ryan, he walked A LOT of players.

Mullane was considered a good pitcher, though.  He finished with a career 284-220 record and a 3.05 ERA, having thrown 4,500 innings.  He won 30+ games five times in his career.  He also lost 22+ games five times.  He gave up 1,400 walks and struck out 1,800.

Here's the really funny thing.  For almost Mullane's entire career, the pitching distance was 50 feet.  It didn't become 60'6" until 1893 and Mullane's ERA ballooned from 2.59 to 4.44.  It didn't hurt Mullane's strikeouts much -- he only went from 109 to 90 -- but his walks increased from 127 to 189.  He was out of the game one year later.
[/quote]