Old Hoss Radbourn was notable for his incredible 1884 campaign, but he was a solid pitcher for a few years afterwards. On this day in 1891, he became the fifth pitcher in MLB history the 300 win club.
It took until Pud Galvin won his 300th game in 1888 for a player to reach that lofty milestone. Shortly thereafter, a flurry of pitchers also won their 300th game, as the two or three man rotations of the day led to those fortunate enough to remain healthy and durable throughout their careers had accumulated enough wins to join that club. Seven pitchers alone won their 300th MLB game in the 19th century, with Cy Young notching his 300th career win in 1901.
On this day in 1891, while pitching for the Cincinnati Reds, Old Hoss Radbourn became the fifth member of that illustrious club. In one of his typical complete games, Radbourn defeated the Boston Beaneaters 10-8. It took Radbourn only eleven years to reach that mark, the fastest of any pitcher in the 300 win club.
It is easy to see why Radbourn reached that milestone so quickly. Between 1883 and 1884, he won a combined 107 games, and had a 165-67 record in his first four seasons. That 1884 season was truly spectacular, as Radbourn won an astounding 59 games while pitching in 678.2 innings. He completed all 73 of his starts, while posting a 1.38 ERA and a 0.922 WHiP. Radbourn also struck out 441 batters while issuing just 98 walks, as his impressive control served him well over the campaign.
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However, all those innings would take a toll on Radbourn. He was still a workhorse, but was never the same dominant pitcher as he had been in those first four seasons. Instead, he was just above league average, with a 103 ERA+ in those final seven seasons.
That final season in Cincinnati was subpar by his standards. At 36 years old, and not even close to being the same pitcher he had been, Radbourn struggled mightily. He was 11-13 with a 4.25 ERA and a 1.367 WHiP before being released on August 23. His famous command had deserted him, as his 2.6 BB/9 rate was the second highest of his career.
Known as a tumultuous being during his playing days, getting away from the diamond did nothing to calm down Old Hoss. He opened a saloon, which made sense given his penchant for the bottle. Radbourn then lost an eye in a gun accident, and spent most of the rest of his life shut away in a back room of the tavern. A vain being, he did not want to be seen with his deformity. Radbourn then passed away in 1897 at age 42 due to complications from syphilis.
One of the more interesting players in MLB history, Old Hoss Radbourn was one of the top players in the early days of the game. On this day in 1891, he became the fifth member of the 300 win club.
