Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-05-02
IS ORIGINAL IRON
MAN OF BASEBALL
SABoURNE PITCHED TWENTY
TWO SUCCESSIVE GAMES FOR
PROVIDENCE GRAYs.
WON REMNANT FOR HIS TEAM

] OlFlfdAt1 VII JIG 0Na 49,
During Season Of 1884 and Played
in Other Positions Rest o. the
Time-Eleven Of the Games Were
Consecutive Victories.
Remarkable in many respects was
the baseball season Of 1884. In mar
campaign the record for successive
victories for a major league club was
established by the Providence Grays'
who put together 90 straight; Charley
Sweeney famed IS men in a nine-in-
ming contest. which still remains a big
league record and Charley R~adbourne
gained fame and by tW1rIlng
% consecutive championship games
Early historians OF baseball say mat
Rad. kingpin OF pitchers IN his time
worked in n successive battle. hui the
files OF baseball papers OF mat year
show thai % was the number II Is
possible that the "Otd Hoss pitched
n consecutive contests. but II he ala
20. FIVE OF these were exhibition az
fairs. OF which there Is not now any
trad.
Radbourne not only pitched p games
in a row for the Rhode Islands 20
years ago in order 70 win the pennaht
FOR the Providence team, which was
managed by Frank Bancroft, now busl'
ness representative OF the Ctnelnnall
club. but he oficiated on the rubber
that season in 70 contests, and when
he wasn't pitching was playing either
right field. shortstop or first base. Rsd-
bourne seems to have been baseball :
original iron man. Certain is It mat
there is no finger nowadays capable
OF pitching % games IN a row or OF
accomplishing what Radbonrne did In
SS4-winning ~ contests.
Providence's average that year was
$50. the National league teams then
playing f12 games OF HE 81 trinmphs
~ the Grays. Radbourne was respon-
sible for SO. Charley Sweeney hsgging
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 we're inexperienced and Bancroft
seldom used them.
There are many tales Of how Rad
bourne started on his ecord-breaking
exploit OF pitching " straight games.
Some chroniclers say that Sweeney
walked on the field and refused to
pitch ANY more for Providence. leaving
odd Hoss' as the teams lone box
man. II HE Californian ala this, the
public prints OF 1884 do not mention
that fact. aud the tale that the team
had no other pitcher than Radbourne
doesn't agree with the scores. which
show that Miller and Comfy We're on
the clubs paw roll and occasionally
twirled for the Grays after Sweeney
jumped to the st. Louis Maroons Of
the shortliyed Union association.
Radbourne's remarkable record Of
20 games in a row OF which ~ We're
victories started on August u. 1884,
against the Chicago cldh. and ended
on September q. against the same
team.
Eleven ~ R~sdbourne's p games
were consecutive victories. the break
coming on September 3 when the
Buffalos with Jimmy Calvin pitching
took the Grays into camp by a score Of
? 10 0. The Bisons on that date. more
over. stopped Providence from re
cording p 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 OF The rubber. and then won It's
only game of the season f-om he
champions. The score being Z TO /. On
September "a the Grays again were
beaten. this time by Chicago. aud on
the next day Radbourne TOOK q well
earned rest. Comfy doing the Ringing
for the New ~Euglanders
IN the 22 games R%adbourue's oppon
euts only thrice we're able 10 make
ten or more hits OF him. ON August
2S the Chicagos. who finished fourth
IN that wear got n wallops on Proyi
dences iron man. while on August 80
and September rs. the Detroiis. who
were tailenders made ten safeties on
him. the FIRST Of these games going II
innings Showing his great and sus
tanned effectiveness. Radbourne's ad
V~erSaries were able to bat only a .2il
clip in these p games and averaged
less than three runs to the contest
His record OF 22 straight engagements