Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-21
Rec
ord Stands Alone.

= y comparison with the performances
mnrkahle record of Charley Rad
bourne, of the Providence club in 1884.
u stands uneQualed in the history of
baseball. He pitched in y successive
games winning %. thereby giving the
championship penant to the Providence
team.
The club in 1SS; had Radbournc and
die of the season Sweeney deserted the
team. and it looked as il all hopes for
| the pennant were gore.
Radbourne started unaided to cinch the
| championship. and did so before he stop
| ped pitching. Old HOss'" work in the
| box established 4 record for the Provi-
| dence club of 20 straight victories. tina
| ne"rrst approach ever made to that mark
being the performance of the Chicago
Americans in 1866. when they won 10
gaines in succession, only to be stopped
by the Washington tearl when II looks
as II the Providence achievement would
at least be duplicated, if not surpassed.
In the string of IS straight victories
Radbourne made his marvellous record.
He pitched in Is OF the twenty victories,
the other two games having Conley in
the box. During the remainder of his run
Radbourne went in day after day, and
VAS always in"inciblc. In four success
credit against Boston. and in the four
games seventeen hits We're made Oft him,
but only one run was scored.
In tie entire run Radbourne scored five
ShutOutS. four one-run games, two two
run games, three tlrtc-run games, two
four-i1'n games, and on" flve-run game,
this being the highest number of runs
made in any game. In his Is .ic-
tories Radbourne had double figures in
base hits charged against him in only
two games. three hits in one game, four
hits III one game. five hits in three games
SIX hits In four gmcs. seven hits i'll two
gmeS. eight hits IT. two games, and
nine, ten. and eleven hits in one game
each
Radhom nc's first defeat after eighteen
straight Victories WaS by to u ut tho
hands of the BufTHin team. in which only
five hits We're made "lt the Providence
against the Buffalo pitcher. Then he
resumed his victorious career, pitching i'll
eight winning games right off the reel.
This made u total of y; victories in =
games.
Rv this time Providence had the pen
nant won. and aftervard Radbourne oftici-
atcd In the box In only eight mora games
five-hit shuton- against Philade phia-
After the championship of 1884 had
been concluded the Providence club fran
ch'sc was disposed Of to four of the
Radbournc. He remained with that club
until the outbreak of the brotherhood in
1880 when he cast his lot with the Play
ers League. With the settlement of
that trouble Padhourne went to Cincin-
natl. where he became ill and retired
from the game He died at his home in
bloomington, III. Feb. q, 1881. aged g.
years.
RaGhourne hailed. from Bloomington.
the birthplace of three great pitchers
Radhourne. Clark Griffith. manager of
tho Greater New York team of the
Amerit an League, ard Jack Powell OF
the st. Louis Americans. Radbournos
first appearance in ma ior league circles
was IN lSS with the Buffalo Club While
engaged i'll Il long dist2nce throwing con-
test Radhournc badly spraincd the mus
cles OF his arm. and after taking part
In only four games with Buffalo received
his release.
Re Joined the Providence club in 1881.
and the following year he alternated il;
the box with Johnny Ward, On August
l. of that wear Providence played against
Detroit and established q record for long
games. Providence winning on n HON"
run of Radbourne's after Is innings had
be.n PLAYED Radbourne played III right
feld. while Ward did the pitching.
Eadbournc was n greet general and
lad marvellous control of the bail. 1\row-
ins the weakness of hatsmen. he planned
ana carried out a system that brought
into pray the various GelderS of his team.
He would place his men so that. when the
hall hit, it would find somebody waiting
for it as it descended. or was thrown
straight into the hands Of some of the
men back of the pitcher.