by Marlin Bressi

Created on: February 01, 2009

When one thinks of legendary baseball records, many names come to mind. Hoss Radbourn is not one of them. However, in 1884, a young pitcher by the names of Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn set a record in baseball that will never be broken.

The story of Hoss Radbourn is just as spectacular as his pitching record. In 1884, in just his fourth season as a professional ballplayer, Radbourn tallied 59 wins as a pitcher. Some sources, such as MacMillan's Baseball Encyclopedia, credit Radbourn with 60 victories, although MLB scholars contend that Radbourn's 60th win was actually a save. Whether he chalked up 59 or 60 wins in 1884 is irrelevant; his record is almost certain to never fall, considering that most pitchers in the modern era of baseball don't even make that many pitching appearances in the course of a season.

Why the name Hoss Radbourn is all but forgotten today remains a mystery. As a pitcher, Radbourn chalked up a career win-loss record of 309-195. He threw 1,830 strikeouts in a career that spanned only eleven seasons, and had a career ERA of 2.67. While these numbers were impressive enough to earn Radbourn a spot in the Hall of Fame, they weren't able to make Hoss Radbourn a household name like Cy Young, Nolan Ryan, or Sandy Koufax.

In Radbourn's record-making 1884 season as a pitcher for the Providence Grays, he pitched his way to a 59-12 record. This record becomes even more extraordinary considering that each team only played 112 games in those days. Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn won the National League's Triple Crown that season; a season which included 441 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.38 in addition to his 59 wins. Without a doubt, this is the best single-season performance by any player who has ever taken the mound.

Sadly, even in death Radbourn never earned the respect he deserved. Charles Radbourn died in 1897 at the age of 42. He is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Bloomington, Illinois, where his final resting place is marked by a tombstone upon which his name is misspelled.

Perhaps Hoss Radbourn took comfort in the fact that even though he never became a household name, he did leave behind a colorful legacy. In his 1886 team photo with the Boston Beaneaters, Hoss Radbourn can be seen extending his middle finger; the earliest recorded photo of someone "giving the bird". Additionally, this pitching ace is the namesake of the term "charley horse", a type of leg cramp from which Charley "Hoss" Radbourn regularly suffered.

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