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Jim McCormick (pitcher)

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Jim McCormick
Pitcher
Born: (1856-11-03)3 November 1856
Glasgow, Scotland
Died: 10 March 1918(1918-03-10) (aged 61)
Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 20, 1878, for the Indianapolis Blues
Last MLB appearance
October 7, 1887, for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys
MLB statistics
Win–loss record265–214
Earned run average2.43
Strikeouts1,704
Teams
As Player:

As Manager:

Career highlights and awards

James McCormick (3 November 1856 – 10 March 1918) was a Scottish right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. A native of Glasgow (he was actually born outside the Glasgow boundary, in Thornliebank, Renfrewshire), he was the first ballplayer born in Scotland to appear in a major league game.

McCormick was great friends with Mike "King" Kelly and was also very well liked by Cap Anson, two of the great personalities of early baseball. Anson was McCormick's captain-manager in 1885 and 1886, when Chicago won its last 19th-century pennants.

Career

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McCormick's major league career began with the National League's Indianapolis Blues in 1878, where he sported a 1.69 earned run average in 14 games. The next year, he moved on to the NL's Cleveland Spiders, where he spent more than five seasons. He led the NL in losses with 40 in 1879, but led the league in wins with 45 the following year. He led the NL in wins again in 1882, with 36, and led the league in ERA in 1883, matching his 1.84 ERA with a 28-12 record.

In 1884, McCormick pitched 42 games for the Spiders, but then jumped mid-season to the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds of the Union Association. He received a $1,000 bonus for switching leagues mid-season, but the UA only lasted one year.

McCormick started the 1885 season back in the NL, this time with the Providence Grays, but he only pitched in four games before the Grays sold him to the Chicago White Stockings. Chicago won the NL pennant in both of McCormick's seasons with the team, in 1885 and 1886.

After the 1886 championship, club President Albert G. Spalding sold several of his best-known players, mainly for drinking during the season. After selling George Gore to New York and King Kelly to Boston, he sent McCormick to Pittsburgh just before the 1887 season. Before the sale, Spalding said "the only trouble between McCormick and the club has been a difference of opinion between him and me as to his habits. Anson is and always has been very partial to 'Mac,' and wants him this season." Ten days later in Louisville, Anson said, "I desire his services very much, however, for I think that, under the new [pitching] rules [allowing for unrestricted overhand throwing], he will be the best pitcher on the diamond. If he is released, it will only be for a good sum of money." About a week after that, Spalding sold McCormick.

McCormick went 13-23 with a 4.30 ERA in Pittsburgh in 1887. He also served as a player/manager for the Cleveland Blues in 1879-1880 and 1882 with a 74–96 record.

In Paterson, New Jersey, starting in 1885, McCormick co-owned a bar with a fellow former local player, Dave Treado. It had a ticker, to post results of games and races. Before the 1888 season and probably at other times, Kelly did some bartending for him. That August, when McCormick's wife Jennie died, Kelly wired a former mutual Chicago teammate, and "telegraphed Mr. Joseph Towell, the [Paterson] florist, to get up something handsome, and this consisted of `The Gates Ajar,' the sides of which were made from nephetos [presumably nepetas, aromatic herbs in the mint family] and white roses, the base of carnations, yellow roses and white lilies. The gates were made of ivy leaves, the whole being surmounted by a dove."

Back in 1885, after their Chicago team won the pennant, Kelly and McCormick returned by train to Paterson with teammate Tom Burns, who was heading to Connecticut. A local social club met the players and took them to McCormick's bar. There, a state senator handed a silver ball to McCormick, "who was loudly called upon and cheered. He said he was suffering from the effects of a severe cold and he would like to make a speech but even if he did he could not tell them how much he appreciated this token of friendship, more than anything he had ever yet received. Kelly was called on and was cheered; in fact, the crowd at this stage was prepared to cheer everybody. As he arose some one [sic] called: 'Make a dead hit this time, Mike!' He said on behalf of Mr. McCormick and himself he desired to thank the donors of the ball; they would never forget this occasion and would ever keep this gift and try to be in the best club [sic]; but we are getting pretty old now."

About Anson, McCormick reportedly said the following in 1887, soon after being sold by Chicago to Pittsburgh: "Before I played ball with Anson I used to think he was a big dub, but I thought him a pretty fair fellow afterward. He never said much to me. If any one wants to get Anson mad let him say he is in one of those trances [presumably, mellow moments during a game]. Kelly used to make him wild by shouting in from the outfield: 'Have you got them again?'"

At 16th all-time, McCormick has the 2nd highest Jaffe Wins Above Replacement Score (JAWS) of any eligible pitcher[1] of any player not in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Likewise, he has the highest Baseball-Reference WAR[2] of any eligible player not in the Hall of Fame who is not in either due to not being eligible yet or being held back by a scandal such as gambling or PED use.

Death

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He died in Paterson, New Jersey, at the age of 61, and is interred at Laurel Grove Memorial Park in Totowa, New Jersey.

Highlights

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  • He helped the White Stockings to win the 1885 and 1886 National League pennants.
  • Led the National League in walks allowed (74) and losses (40) in 1879.
  • Led the National League in wins (45), games pitched (74), innings pitched (6572⁄3), games started (74), complete games (72) and batters faced (2,669) in 1880.
  • Led the National League in hits allowed per 9 innings pitched (8.28) and complete games (57) in 1881.
  • Led the National League in wins (36), games (68), innings (5952⁄3), games started (67), complete games (65) and batters faced (2,412) in 1882.
  • Led the National League in earned run average (1.84) and winning percentage (.700) in 1883.
  • Led the Union Association in ERA (1.54), hits per 9 innings (6.47) and shutouts (7) in 1884.
  • Ranks 34th on the MLB all-time ERA list (2.43).
  • Ranks 39th on the MLB all-time wins list (265).
  • Ranks 29th on the MLB all-time walks per 9 innings list (1.58).
  • Ranks 34th on the MLB all-time innings list (4,2752⁄3).
  • Ranks 150th on the MLB all-time strikeouts list (1,704).
  • Ranks 58th on the MLB all-time games started list (485).
  • Ranks 11th on the MLB all-time complete games list (466).
  • Ranks 87th on the MLB all-time shutouts list (33).
  • Ranks 36th on the MLB all-time batters faced list (16,884).

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Starting Pitcher JAWS Leaders - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Wins Above Replacement". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
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