Bisbee daily review., 1909-07-20
IS ORIGINAL IRON
 MAN OF BASEBALL
RE5CURNE PITCHED TWENTY TWO SUCCESSIVE GAMES FOR
 PROVIDENCE oRAYs.
WON PENNAnT FOR HIS TEAM
ofieiated on the Slab In 72 Contests During Season of 1884 and Played in Other Positions Rest of the Time-Eleven of the Games Were Consecutive Victories.


 Remarkable in many respects was the baseball season of 1884. In that campaign the record for successive victories for a major league club was established by the Providence Grays. who put together 20 straight; Charley Sweeney famed IS men in nine-in- ming contest. which still remains big league record, and Charley Radbourne gained fame and renown by twirling % consecutive championship games. Early historians of baseball say that Rad. kingpin of pitchers in his time. worked fin 27 successive battle, but the files of baseball papers of that year show that 22 was the number. It is possible that the "Old Hoss" pitched 27 consecutive contests, but If he did so. five of these were exhibition af- fairs. of which there is not now any trace
 Radbourne not only pitched 22 games in a row for the Rhode Islands 25 years ago in order to win the pernant for the Providence team, which was managed by Frank Bancroft. now busi- ness representative of the Cincinnati club. but he officiated on the rubber that season in 12 contests. and when he wasn't pitching was playing either right field, shortstop or first base. Rad bourne seems to have been basebalrs original iron man. Certain is 1t that there is no finger nowadays capable of pitching 22 games in a row, or of accomplishing what Radbourne did in lss4-winning 5e contests.
 Providence's average that year was .750. the National league teams then playing 112 games. Of the s4 triumphs of the Grays. Radbourne was respon- sible for 59. Charley Sweeney bagging the lions share of the other wins. But Sweeney jumped the Rhode Island team in midsummer. leaving the Grays with Radbourne to depend on to win the pennant They had two other hurlers-Conly and Miller-but these men were inexperienced and Bancroft seldom used them.
 There are many tales of how Rad bourne started on his record breaking exploit of pitching 22 straight games. Some chroniclers say that Sweeney walked of the field and refused to pitch any more for Providence, leaving "Old Hoss" as the teams lone box man. If the Californian did this. the public prints of 1884 do not mention that fact. and the tale that the team had no other pitcher than Radbourne doesn't agree with the scores, which show that Miller and Conly were on the clubs pay roll and occasionally twirled for the Grays after Sweeney jumped to the St Louis Maroons of the short-lived Union association.
 Radbourne's remarkable record of 22 games in 8 row, of which 1S were victories. started on August 21, 1884, against the Chicago club, and ended on September 24, against the same team.
 Eleven of Radbourne's 22 games were consecutive victories, the break coming on September g, when the Buffalos, with Jimmy Calvin pitching. ? to 0. The Bisons on that date, more over, stopped Providence from re. cordiRg 21 triumphs in a row The temporary setback did not discourage Radbourne and his teammates, for they got busy again and won eight contests in a stretch. Their next de, feat was sustained at the hands of Detroit, which club had Charley Cat. zein on the rubber, and then won its only game of the season from the champions. the score being ' to l. On September 24 the Grays again were beaten. this time by Chicago. and on the next day RadbourDe took a well, earned rest, Conly doing the fiinging for the New Englanders.
 In the 22 games Radbourne's oppon, ents only thrice were able to make ten or more hits off him. On August 2s the Chicagos, who finished fourth fin that year, got II wallops of Provi dence's iron man, while on August 90 and September IS, the Detroits, who were tailenders, made ten safeties of him. the first of these games going II innings. Showing his great and sus tained effectiveness, Radbourne's ad versaries were able to bat only .211 | clip in these P games, and averaged less than three runs to the contest His record of 22 straight engagements |, follows: