Henry Porter (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Walter Henry Porter was an American
Major League Baseball
player born in Vergennes, Vermont
who pitched
for three different teams during his six year career.
for the replacement team Milwaukee Brewers
. It was for this team that he struck out 18 batters in one game on October 3, . The 18 strikeouts in one game by a losing pitcher stood as the record until Steve Carlton
surpassed it when he struck out 19 in one game in . When the Association folded following the season, he was picked up by the Brooklyn Grays
, with whom he was their star pitcher. In , he had a record of 33 wins and 21 losses, followed up the next year with 27 wins and 19 losses.
After having a 15–24 record in , Porter was purchased by the Kansas City Cowboys
for . He had a record of 18–37, leading the league in hits
allowed, runs
allowed, home run
s allowed, and losses, but on June 6, he pitched a no-hitter
against the Baltimore Orioles
.
at the age of 48, and is interred at Calvary Cemetery, also in Brockton.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
player born in Vergennes, Vermont
Vergennes, Vermont
Vergennes is a city located in the northwest quadrant of Addison County, Vermont, in the United States. Bordered by the towns of Ferrisburgh, Panton and Waltham, as of the 2000 census the city population was 2,741. It is the smallest of Vermont's nine cities in terms of population...
who pitched
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...
for three different teams during his six year career.
Career
Porter began his career in the short-lived Union AssociationUnion Association
The Union Association was a league in Major League Baseball which lasted for only one season in 1884. St. Louis won the pennant and joined the National League the following season...
for the replacement team Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers (UA)
The Milwaukee Brewers served as a replacement team late in the 1884 Union Association season. Called the Cream Citys by both local papers, they had a record of 8-4. The team came to the UA from the Northwestern League, as did the St. Paul Saints, and were managed by Tom Loftus...
. It was for this team that he struck out 18 batters in one game on October 3, . The 18 strikeouts in one game by a losing pitcher stood as the record until Steve Carlton
Steve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
surpassed it when he struck out 19 in one game in . When the Association folded following the season, he was picked up by the Brooklyn Grays
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, with whom he was their star pitcher. In , he had a record of 33 wins and 21 losses, followed up the next year with 27 wins and 19 losses.
After having a 15–24 record in , Porter was purchased by the Kansas City Cowboys
Kansas City Cowboys (American Association)
The Kansas City Cowboys were a professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri for two seasons from to in the American Association. They were the third, and last incarnation of this franchise name, following the Kansas City Cowboys of the Union Association in and the Kansas City...
for . He had a record of 18–37, leading the league in hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
allowed, 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...
allowed, home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s allowed, and losses, but on June 6, he pitched a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
against 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...
.
Post-career
Porter died in Brockton, MassachusettsBrockton, Massachusetts
Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 93,810 in the 2010 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County...
at the age of 48, and is interred at Calvary Cemetery, also in Brockton.
See also
- List of pitchers who have struck out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning MLB game
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters