New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-23
,Only Three Games Behind the
Mark for Straight Victories
Set by Tim Keefe.
.PITcHERS WHO STAND OUT
Tom Lovett Won Twenty-tour
Games in Row, but Some
Were Before Opening
of League Season.

three OF equdlnng WHAT j. E'i'''a'E CIV
Cepted as the major league marx OF nlhe-
teen straight set 10y Tim keefe in lSNS'
Tom Lovett is credited with winning
itwenty-four games in row in 1884, bu'
the run began with a number OF exhibit
ton games before the then Eastern League
season opened.
Marduard has now won sixteen consecu-
tive victories this year. without single de-
feat. in fourteen Of which he went the run
distance. In one game at the Polo Grounds
against the Chicago cubs on June u ShateT
was sent in to bat for him in the eighth
inninC, when the score was against the
Giants but the game was Won before Gran
dali took his place In the box In the ninth,
and the official scorer gave Marquard
credit for the victory, which appeared to
the deserved. i'm another game at Boston
last week he went to the box in the eighth
Timing with the score a tie, and got credit
FOR the victory. as the custom is, when the
Giants won IN the tenth frame, although
he had pitched only two and one-third
innings
Marquard has been aided in his remark
able run by the hard hitting and all-around
GOOD work Of his team mates. but his own
effectiveness has been the real factor in his
success and he is being hailed. and with
reason, as one Of the greatest pitchers OF
all time.
Narquard was born at Cleveland in 1889.
and his first regular engagement was with
the Canton Club Of the Central League in
1907. the same club. by the way, where the
great and only Cy Young made his bow in
baseball some seventeen years before. From
Canton he Joined the Indianapolis Club Of
the American Association, where his pitch
ing was the sensation of the 1903 season.
So consistent was his work that John r.
Brush, owner Of the Giants, paid the Ind
Annapolis Club sll,OO0 for his release. which
at that time was the highest price ever
paid for a pitcher. Since then Marty
'O'Toole cost the Pittsburgh Pirates s22. 800.
Marquard was badly beaten in the first
game he pitched for the Giants and il cost
him his confidence, so that in 1909 and 1910
he was Of little or no service 10 his team
and was generally dubbed ting 81 900 lem
on John J. McGraw was patient, how
ever. and never lost confidence in the big
southpaw In the spring Of 1911 he was
carefully coached by Wilbert Robinson
and last season came into his own, so that
he led the National League pitchers. with
record OF twepty-fOur won and only
seven lost. His work in the worlds series
with the Philadelphia Athletics was bit
disappointing. not that he was hit freely
but because the hits were Of the healthy,
timely kind, which counted against the
Giants
This year he has been pitching in re-
markable form. showing wonderful control
and using his head to save his arm as
much as possible. In sixteen games he
has signed only thirty-one free passes TO
first base. while he is charged with only
one wild pitch and one hit batsman.
Baseball pitchers have earned fame on
the diamond in divers and sundry ways.
hut the ones as a rule who are most talked
about are those who have earned their
niche in the baseball hall Of fame by
run Of consecutive victories In view Of
the prominence of Marquard At this time
much interest has been expressed in what
other pitchers have done along the same
line and the following statistics have been
furnished by Mclean Kennedy, who has
delved deeply into baseball lore and is the
proud possessor Of every box score and
record in the major league for the last
twenty-eight years Only two other men
in the country are known 10 have cOlleC-
lions Of baseball data the equal OF his.
selves by a winning streak who didn't
amount to much before or after their run.
lFor instance, Jack Luby fell into win
'ner's groove and before he recovered some
seventeen games were won in succession.
Luby is credited by some historians with
getting away with twenty straight, but no
records can be found to substantate this,
"A careful analysis Of his work shows that
he wasn't entirely responsible for this won
uerfui record. The Chicago team was going
strongly at that time and Luby was the
one 10 be carried on to fame by being the
1selection for LoX duty on the teams lucky
and winning days. Bill Hutchinson, then
the most famous Of twirlers was the main
stay of AnsOns team at that time, but
dame Fortune passed him by for Luby
when IL came to consecutive victories.
The worlds record in any league belongs
70 Thomas Lovett really great pitcher.
lf3e made it during the season Of 1887.
il4ovett was then pitching for Bridgeport,
Fof the Eastern League. Starting on the
ispring training trip. he won twenty-four
Estraight games, every one nine innings or
over. The exhibition games were against
lwtronger teams than the clubs in the East
ern circuit.
Timothy J. Keefe holds the major league
worlds mark made right In the height Of
the season Of 1888. His remarkable run Of
nineteen consecutive victories came with
Just one flaw, and at that time it was crti-
cised by some writer's. lie was relieved by
a pitcher named George I'm the fifth inning
of q game won in order to save him for
the following day.
James Mccormack, the great hurler that
fiourlshed in the big league during the early
sos, is credited by some historians OF the
game with winning twenty-four straight.
but the records fail TO show It. His best
work was fifteen consecutive Victories made
with Cincinnati In 1881. During 1856 and
1887 Mccormack had winning streaks Of
twelve and fourteen games respectively.
Radbourne's great record Of eighteen
victories on eighteen successive days is
perhaps the greatest pitching Of all time,
I'd Cushman, q left-hander Of fame dur
ing the early days. came the nearest TO
winning every game he pitched in a season,
Just missing a complete run OF victories In
losing one game by score Of TO In
len innings Had ne landed that game
Cushman would have had a record never
edualled. lie started by winning thirteen
victories, then lost one and finished by
getting thirteen more. making twenty-siX
won and one lost, a percentage OF 1868,
the highest Of all time In organized base
ball. Cushman made the record while
pitching for Milwaukee, then in the North
west League, in 1884
"Micky" WEIGH. Of the New York Giants
IL, ,I,,t,t Ill.