Dick Conway
Encyclopedia
Richard Butler Conway was a pitcher
/right fielder
who played from through in Major League Baseball
. Conway batted left-handed
and threw right-handed. He was born in Lowell, Massachusetts
.
As a teenager, Conway played for local Lowell teams. In 1884, he played outfield for the Salem team in the Massachusetts State Association, and pitched for the Lawrence team of the New England League
in 1885.
Conway was 21 years old when he entered the majors in 1886 with the Baltimore Orioles
, playing for them one year before joining the Boston Beaneaters
(1887-1888). While playing for Baltimore, Conway entered in the baseball record books when he made battery
with his older brother, Bill Conway, to form one of 16 pitcher/catcher combinations of brothers in major league history. His most productive season came in 1887, when he collected career-numbers in wins
(9), starts
(26), and innings pitched
(222 ⅓).
In a three-season career, Conway posted a 15-24 record with a 4.78 ERA
in 41 appearances, including 41 starts and 39 complete game
s, giving up 187 earned runs on 404 hits and 137 walks
while striking out
121 in 352.0 innings of work. He also played 18 games as an outfielder, compiling a career .230 batting average
(47-for-204) with 27 runs
and 14 RBI
.
Following his majors career, Conway returned to the New England League and later pitched in the International League
. He died in his homeland of Lowell at the age of 61.
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
/right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
who played from through in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. Conway batted left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
and threw right-handed. He was born in Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
.
As a teenager, Conway played for local Lowell teams. In 1884, he played outfield for the Salem team in the Massachusetts State Association, and pitched for the Lawrence team of the New England League
New England League
The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played sporadically in five of the six New England states between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League Baseball clubs in Boston and alongside stronger, higher-classification...
in 1885.
Conway was 21 years old when he entered the majors in 1886 with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles (19th century)
The Baltimore Orioles were a 19th-century American Association and National League team from 1882 to 1899. The club, which featured numerous future Hall of Famers, finished in first place three consecutive years and won the Temple Cup championship in 1896 and 1897...
, playing for them one year before joining the Boston Beaneaters
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(1887-1888). While playing for Baltimore, Conway entered in the baseball record books when he made battery
Battery (baseball)
In baseball, the term battery refers collectively to the pitcher and the catcher, who may also be called batterymen or batterymates of one another.- History :...
with his older brother, Bill Conway, to form one of 16 pitcher/catcher combinations of brothers in major league history. His most productive season came in 1887, when he collected career-numbers in wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
(9), starts
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
(26), and innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
(222 ⅓).
In a three-season career, Conway posted a 15-24 record with a 4.78 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 41 appearances, including 41 starts and 39 complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s, giving up 187 earned runs on 404 hits and 137 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
while striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
121 in 352.0 innings of work. He also played 18 games as an outfielder, compiling a career .230 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
(47-for-204) with 27 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
and 14 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
.
Following his majors career, Conway returned to the New England League and later pitched in the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
. He died in his homeland of Lowell at the age of 61.
Fact
- Conway was one of the first hurlers who could deliver an overhand pitch from a pitcher's box whose front line was just 50 feet from home plate, much closer than the modern standard of 60 feet, six inches. In 1885, while playing in the New England League, he was the Lawrence's primary pitcher and his brother Bill the regular catcher, as the siblings helped their team to win the league championship. Unfortunately, on July 23 of that season, one of Conway's pitches fractured the skull of Bill McGunnigleBill McGunnigleWilliam Henry McGunnigle was an American baseball manager for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, Pittsburgh Pirates and Louisville Colonels...
, by then the Brockton player-manager, effectively ending McGunnigle's playing career.
See also
- 1886 Baltimore Orioles season1886 Baltimore Orioles season- Notable transactions :* April, 1886: Milt Scott was assigned to the Orioles by the Pittsburg Alleghenys.- Roster :- Starters by position :Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in- Other batters :Note: G = Games...
- 1887 Boston Beaneaters season1887 Boston Beaneaters season- Notable transactions :* April, 1887: Tom Gunning was purchased from the Beaneaters by the Philadelphia Quakers.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
- 1888 Boston Beaneaters season1888 Boston Beaneaters season- Roster :- Starters by position :Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in- Other batters :Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg...