Old Hoss Radbourn Marquee Hall of Fame 1939

The archive credits him with 60 wins in 1884; the figure is disputed, and some accounts give 59. He pitched 678 and two-thirds innings that season with a 1.38 earned run average, led the National League with 441 strikeouts, and accounted for 60 of Providence's 84 wins. The club took the pennant and the championship series.

Providence's other pitcher, Charlie Sweeney, left the team in midseason, and Radbourn agreed to start nearly everything that remained. Accounts from the time describe him warming up by throwing stones and needing help to comb his hair. He had started 68 games the year before, winning 48, and he led the league in wins both seasons.

He never carried a load like that again, but he pitched seven more seasons and finished with 310 wins, 488 complete games and a 2.68 earned run average. A hunting accident late in his life disfigured his face and left him living out of public view. He died in 1897 at forty-two; the Hall of Fame elected him in 1939.