- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: Richmond
- Team: Bluebirds
- League: Atlantic League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
John Dwight “Happy Jack” Chesbro (1874-1931) had the most formidable year as a pitcher in the modern era in 1904 with the New York Highlanders (Yankees.) Chesbro won 41 of 58 starts, completing 48—all unsurpassed since. The Veteran’s Committee elected him to Cooperstown in 1946 on the strength of that remarkable season.
- Pitched the NY Highlanders’ first game in 1903
- In his banner year, Chesbro began using the spitball, learned from inventor Elmer Stricklett
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1946
- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Henry Chadwick (1824-1908) is widely considered the “Father of Baseball” due to his profound influence on early public awareness of the game and upon its foundational rules. A journalist from Brooklyn, Chadwick was present at the creation as he saw the new game developing in the 1860s and began what would become sports reporting today.
- Literally wrote the book on baseball: Beadle’s Dime Base Ball Player in 1860
- Edited Spalding’s Official Base Ball Guide for decades
- Saw to it we don’t have tie games or one-bounce outfield put-outs today
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1938
- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Quakers
- League: National League
Daniel Maurice Casey (1862-1943) was dubbed by Time “the Mudville Man” and helped inaugurate the Hall of Fame in 1939 with a stirring re-enactment of Casey at the Bat. Whether he was Ernest Thayer’s model or not, Casey was a fine pitcher for the Philadelphia Quakers, leading the NL in ERA in 1887. He pitched 7 years for 4 teams, won 96 games with two 20+ seasons.
- Became a candidate for THAT Casey by striking out, breaking Quakers fans’ hearts 8/21/87
- The week prior, Casey had won the game with his only career HR, inspiring the fans’ hopes
- In ’87 he won 28 of the 45 games he started, with a 2.86 ERA in 390 innings
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Phillies
- League: National League
Clifford Carlton Cravath (1881-1963) was the “home-run king of baseball” before being deposed by the Babe. His nickname derived from the seagull (gaviota in Spanish) he supposedly killed in flight during a PCL game for the Angels. Cravath labored in the obscurity of West Coast ball for 5 years before getting the call to Boston in 1908. His lack of speed offset his batting strength and he was sold to the White Sox that season and bounced back into the minors until he caught on at age 31 with the Phillies becoming the leading power hitter of the Deadball Era. Led the Phils to their first pennant in 1915 and led the NL in HRs six times.
- Ruth broke Cravath’s career HR record in 1921
- In the ’15 Series, his manager inexplicably gave him the bunt sign with the bases loaded and no outs, leading to a double-play grounder to the pitcher
- Said to have caused a rule change by intercepting the ball in a rundown, hurling it into the stands, and scoring. Baseball decided to stop allowing that
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- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Lancaster
- Team: Red Roses
- League: Tri-State League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Stanley Anthony Coveleski (1889-1984) was one of 17 pitchers grandfathered into the spitball fraternity when the pitch was otherwise outlawed in 1920. His skill with the loaded ball, making it dance “like a butterfly” enabled this veteran to win 20+ games five times and earn a berth in Cooperstown. Signed by Connie Mack at the end of the 1912 season, Coveleski threw a shutout in his first ML appearance. Still, Mack thought he needed development and sent him back to the minors. Came into his own with Cleveland from 1916-24, winning 3 complete games in the 1920 Series.
- Once pitched 7 innings without throwing a ball. Had 224 complete games.
- On May 24, 1918 hurled a 19-inning complete game victory over the Yankees
- Feigned the spitter on every pitch but claimed he used it only every two or three innings
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1969
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