• Card series: 1880s: Spotted Ties
• City: New York
• Team: Metropolitans
• League: American Association

Edgar Leander Cushman (1852-1915) was a left-handed pitcher with a less-than-stellar career record of 62-80 despite a sub-4.00 ERA. He was at times brilliant, as witnessed by his performance in his second year in the majors. Cushman had gotten into a handful of games for the Buffalo Bisons in 1883 and returned to the “big leagues” at the end of the ’84 season with the Union Association’s Milwaukee Brewers, themselves a late-season replacement in the by then moribund league. Ed was dazzling. In the team’s second UA game, he hurled the league’s second (and final) no-hitter on September 28 against the Washington Nationals. In his next start Cushman nearly duplicated his feat, only surrendering a sole hit in the ninth inning of another shut-out against the Boston Reds. He caught the attention of American Association owners and was signed by the Philadelphia Athletics for ’85. Ten starts later Cushman found himself moved north to the New York Metropolitans. Late in that campaign Ed struck out eight straight Alleghenys. The Mets named Cushman Pitcher of the Year for both the 1885 and ’86 seasons. After returning to the minors in 1888, Ed got one last shot in the majors when Charlie Morton gained entry into the AA for his Toledo Maumees for their only major league season, 1890. Ed had moved out to Morton’s Des Moines team in the Western Association and Morton kept him when he took over the Toledo franchise.

• Cushman’s strongest year was 1886 for New York. He hurled 325 innings, going 17-21 with a fine 3.12 ERA