Hugh Daily
Encyclopedia
Hugh Ignatius Daily, born Harry Criss (July 17, 1847 - after 1923), nicknamed "One Arm" Daily, was an Irish American
professional right-handed pitcher
who played six seasons, for seven different teams; the Buffalo Bisons, the Cleveland Blues
, and the St. Louis Maroons
of the National League
, Chicago Browns
and Washington Nationals
of the Union Association
, and the Cleveland Blues
of the American Association
. He was known for having a surly disposition and was not well liked by baseball executives, which occasioned his frequent change of teams. However, he was a favorite of fans wherever he played.
Daily was successful as a starting pitcher
early in his major league career. In and , he won
20 or more games each season, while finishing in the top ten among league leaders in major pitching categories such as earned run average
(as calculated retroactively, since E.R.A. was not an official statistic at the time), innings pitched
, complete game
s, and strikeout
s. Daily established the pitching record for strikeouts in a season (later surpassed), tied a record by tossing two consecutive one-hitters, broke the record for one-hitters in a season, and threw a no-hitter
. After his initial three years of success, the final three years of his career were marked by quick decline in his seasonal numbers, and he was gone from organized baseball shortly thereafter. Today he remains a mysterious figure, as there is little record of his activities after his career. It is unclear where he lived and where he died.
for not heeding his warning to throw the balls back to him softer.
Daily was well-known for having a bad disposition, he has been described as surly, and having a volatile temper. Other sources add to that: mean, contempt
uous, and uncommunicative. While this behavior was not well liked by the baseball establishment, he was popular with the home crowds because of his verbal tirades against umpires
and opposing players alike.
Some theories attempt to explain Daily's tempestuous behavior, one of which was put forth by Frank Vaccaro in his 1999 edition of The National Pastime. His theory explains that, in Daily's day, except in cases of injury, for a pitcher to be relieved from his position, another player already in the game would have to relieve him, and the pitcher would have to take a position in the field. His physical condition did not allow him many opportunities to play any other positions, so this compelled his managers
to leave him in the game longer, even when his performance was declining. He was allowed to play in the field on several occasions, when the situation warranted it, as he is credited as playing three games
in the outfield
, two at second base
, and one at shortstop
.
, Daily first began playing baseball professionally around the Baltimore area, often receiving more lucrative offers to play in more prominent leagues, all of which he declined, preferring to stay in the local area. His reputation, along with actions such as verbally assaulting umpires and fans, forced him to move on to other teams, which landed him in New York City
playing for the Metropolitans
, which was an all-professional club but had yet to join a major league; they later joined the National League
in . He became the team's ace pitcher, winning 38 games
, including notable victories against Cap Anson
's Chicago White Stockings
, and most of the other top professional teams in the country at the time.
, he was able to pitch in 29 games, winning 15 of them.
He was playing for the Cleveland Blues
of the National League when he pitched a no-hitter on September 13, against the Philadelphia Quakers
, a 1–0 victory. He finished the season with a 23–19 win–loss record, and finished in the top ten in several pitching categories. He finished second in the league with two shutout
s, fifth place with a 2.42 earned run average, seventh in strikeouts with 171, and ninth in the league in wins, games pitched, and games started. However, he did lead the league with 99 walks
– a remarkable total, given that in 1882 and 1883 walks were issued after seven balls
rather than four.
For the season, he feasted on the upstart Union Association's lack of talent, pitching for the Chicago Browns
(which became the Pittsburgh Stogies), and for the Washington Nationals
later in the season. He finished with a 28–28 win–loss record, but did have a low 2.43 ERA, and set a few records in that lone season for the Association. Daily struck out a total of 483 batters that season, a record that was surpassed only in by both Matt Kilroy
(513), and Toad Ramsey
(499). Among the season totals, he struck out 19 batters in a game, on July 7, tying Charlie Sweeney
. Unofficially, his reported 19 strikeout game was upgraded to 20 when it was discovered that one batter had struck out but reached first base when the pitch got away from the catcher
. This meant that Daily did not just tie the record, but broke it instead (Roger Clemens
then unofficially tied the mark in ). Daily added one more record that season; he set the record for most one-hitter
s in one season, with four, two of them back to back, which was also itself a record at the time. The record was later matched by Grover Cleveland Alexander
in .
When the Union Association dissolved, Daily had to pay a $500 fine to regain his major league eligibility for the season, as did all the players who jumped to this new league and were subsequently blacklisted. He joined the St. Louis Maroons
of the National League, where he only pitched in 11 games, and had a record of 3 wins and 8 losses. The rest of his career included short stints with the Washington Nationals
, and the Cleveland Blues
of the American Association. He played his final major league game on August 21, .
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
professional right-handed pitcher
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...
who played six seasons, for seven different teams; the Buffalo Bisons, the Cleveland Blues
Cleveland Blues (NL)
The Cleveland Blues were a Major League Baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio that operated in the National League from 1879 to 1884. In six seasons their best finish was third place in 1880. Hugh Daily threw a no-hitter for the Blues on Sept. 13, 1883. Besides Daily, notable Blues players...
, and the St. Louis Maroons
St. Louis Maroons/Indianapolis Hoosiers
300px|thumb|right|1888 Indianapolis HoosiersThe St. Louis Maroons were a professional baseball club based in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1884-1886. The club, established by Henry Lucas, were the one near-major league quality entry in the Union Association, a league that lasted only one season, due...
of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
, Chicago Browns
Chicago Browns/Pittsburgh Stogies
The Chicago Browns/Pittsburgh Stogies were a short-lived professional baseball team in the Union Association of 1884. They were to battle the Chicago White Stockings, of the National League, for the Chicago baseball market, however the Browns lost that battle to the White Stockings...
and Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals (UA)
The 1884 Washington Nationals were a member of the Union Association. They were managed by Mike Scanlon and finished in seventh place with a record of 47-65. Their home games were played at Capitol Grounds...
of the Union Association
Union 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...
, and the Cleveland Blues
Cleveland Spiders
The Cleveland Spiders were a Major League Baseball team which played between 1887 and 1899 in Cleveland, Ohio. The team played at National League Park from 1889 to 1890 and at League Park from 1891 to 1899.- 1887-1891 :...
of the American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
. He was known for having a surly disposition and was not well liked by baseball executives, which occasioned his frequent change of teams. However, he was a favorite of fans wherever he played.
Daily was successful as a starting pitcher
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....
early in his major league career. In and , he won
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...
20 or more games each season, while finishing in the top ten among league leaders in major pitching categories such as earned run average
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...
(as calculated retroactively, since E.R.A. was not an official statistic at the time), 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...
, 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, and strikeout
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....
s. Daily established the pitching record for strikeouts in a season (later surpassed), tied a record by tossing two consecutive one-hitters, broke the record for one-hitters in a season, and threw 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"...
. After his initial three years of success, the final three years of his career were marked by quick decline in his seasonal numbers, and he was gone from organized baseball shortly thereafter. Today he remains a mysterious figure, as there is little record of his activities after his career. It is unclear where he lived and where he died.
Nickname and disposition
His nickname, "One Arm" Daily, is a reference to his left arm; he had lost his left hand to a gun accident earlier in his life. To compensate for this injury, he fixed a special pad over the affected area and caught the baseball by trapping it between the pad and his right hand. Sometimes, after long games of having to catch baseballs this way, his stump would become sensitive – so sensitive in fact, that he once punched his catcherCatcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
for not heeding his warning to throw the balls back to him softer.
Daily was well-known for having a bad disposition, he has been described as surly, and having a volatile temper. Other sources add to that: mean, contempt
Contempt
Contempt is an intensely negative emotion regarding a person or group of people as inferior, base, or worthless—it is similar to scorn. It is also used when people are being sarcastic. Contempt is also defined as the state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace, and an open disrespect or willful...
uous, and uncommunicative. While this behavior was not well liked by the baseball establishment, he was popular with the home crowds because of his verbal tirades against umpires
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
and opposing players alike.
Some theories attempt to explain Daily's tempestuous behavior, one of which was put forth by Frank Vaccaro in his 1999 edition of The National Pastime. His theory explains that, in Daily's day, except in cases of injury, for a pitcher to be relieved from his position, another player already in the game would have to relieve him, and the pitcher would have to take a position in the field. His physical condition did not allow him many opportunities to play any other positions, so this compelled his managers
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
to leave him in the game longer, even when his performance was declining. He was allowed to play in the field on several occasions, when the situation warranted it, as he is credited as playing three games
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
in the outfield
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
, two at second base
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
, and one at shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
.
Early career
Born in IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Daily first began playing baseball professionally around the Baltimore area, often receiving more lucrative offers to play in more prominent leagues, all of which he declined, preferring to stay in the local area. His reputation, along with actions such as verbally assaulting umpires and fans, forced him to move on to other teams, which landed him in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
playing for the Metropolitans
New York Metropolitans
The Metropolitan Club was a 19th-century professional baseball team that played in New York City from 1880 to 1887...
, which was an all-professional club but had yet to join a major league; they later joined the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in . He became the team's ace pitcher, winning 38 games
Games pitched
In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while...
, including notable victories against Cap Anson
Cap Anson
Adrian Constantine Anson , nicknamed "Cap" and "Pop", was a National Association and Major League Baseball first baseman...
's Chicago White Stockings
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, and most of the other top professional teams in the country at the time.
Major league career
Daily's performance that season caught the eye of Major League teams, and he signed with the Buffalo Bisons for the season. Although he shared starts with future Hall of Famer Pud GalvinPud Galvin
James Francis Galvin , nicknamed "Pud", "Gentle Jeems", and "The Little Steam Engine", was an American National Association and Major League Baseball pitcher. He was Major League Baseball's first 300-game winner...
, he was able to pitch in 29 games, winning 15 of them.
He was playing for the Cleveland Blues
Cleveland Blues (NL)
The Cleveland Blues were a Major League Baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio that operated in the National League from 1879 to 1884. In six seasons their best finish was third place in 1880. Hugh Daily threw a no-hitter for the Blues on Sept. 13, 1883. Besides Daily, notable Blues players...
of the National League when he pitched a no-hitter on September 13, against the Philadelphia Quakers
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, a 1–0 victory. He finished the season with a 23–19 win–loss record, and finished in the top ten in several pitching categories. He finished second in the league with two shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s, fifth place with a 2.42 earned run average, seventh in strikeouts with 171, and ninth in the league in wins, games pitched, and games started. However, he did lead the league with 99 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...
– a remarkable total, given that in 1882 and 1883 walks were issued after seven balls
Strike zone
In baseball, the strike zone is a conceptual right pentagonal prism over home plate which defines the boundaries through which a pitch must pass in order to count as a strike when the batter does not swing.-Definition:...
rather than four.
For the season, he feasted on the upstart Union Association's lack of talent, pitching for the Chicago Browns
Chicago Browns/Pittsburgh Stogies
The Chicago Browns/Pittsburgh Stogies were a short-lived professional baseball team in the Union Association of 1884. They were to battle the Chicago White Stockings, of the National League, for the Chicago baseball market, however the Browns lost that battle to the White Stockings...
(which became the Pittsburgh Stogies), and for the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals (UA)
The 1884 Washington Nationals were a member of the Union Association. They were managed by Mike Scanlon and finished in seventh place with a record of 47-65. Their home games were played at Capitol Grounds...
later in the season. He finished with a 28–28 win–loss record, but did have a low 2.43 ERA, and set a few records in that lone season for the Association. Daily struck out a total of 483 batters that season, a record that was surpassed only in by both Matt Kilroy
Matt Kilroy
Matthew Aloysius Kilroy was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Rookie season:...
(513), and Toad Ramsey
Toad Ramsey
Thomas H. "Toad" Ramsey was an American Major League Baseball player who pitched in the Majors from to . Ramsey spent his entire career in the American Association, split between two different teams. He played for the Louisville Colonels, and later, the St. Louis Browns...
(499). Among the season totals, he struck out 19 batters in a game, on July 7, tying Charlie Sweeney
Charlie Sweeney
Charles J. Sweeney was an American Major League Baseball pitcher from 1882 through 1887. He played with moderate success for several teams, but he is best known to historians for the inadvertent career boost that he gave to future Hall of Famer Old Hoss Radbourn.Sweeney began his major league...
. Unofficially, his reported 19 strikeout game was upgraded to 20 when it was discovered that one batter had struck out but reached first base when the pitch got away from the catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
. This meant that Daily did not just tie the record, but broke it instead (Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
then unofficially tied the mark in ). Daily added one more record that season; he set the record for most one-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"...
s in one season, with four, two of them back to back, which was also itself a record at the time. The record was later matched by Grover Cleveland Alexander
Grover Cleveland Alexander
Grover Cleveland Alexander , nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938.-Career:Alexander was born in Elba, Nebraska, one of thirteen...
in .
When the Union Association dissolved, Daily had to pay a $500 fine to regain his major league eligibility for the season, as did all the players who jumped to this new league and were subsequently blacklisted. He joined the St. Louis Maroons
St. Louis Maroons/Indianapolis Hoosiers
300px|thumb|right|1888 Indianapolis HoosiersThe St. Louis Maroons were a professional baseball club based in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1884-1886. The club, established by Henry Lucas, were the one near-major league quality entry in the Union Association, a league that lasted only one season, due...
of the National League, where he only pitched in 11 games, and had a record of 3 wins and 8 losses. The rest of his career included short stints with the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals (1886-89)
The Washington Nationals, sometimes referred to as the Washington Statesmen, was a professional baseball team in the mid to late 1880s. They existed for a period of four years as a member of the National League from to . During their four-year tenure they had six different managers and compiled a...
, and the Cleveland Blues
Cleveland Spiders
The Cleveland Spiders were a Major League Baseball team which played between 1887 and 1899 in Cleveland, Ohio. The team played at National League Park from 1889 to 1890 and at League Park from 1891 to 1899.- 1887-1891 :...
of the American Association. He played his final major league game on August 21, .
Later life
To this date, his exact date and place of death remain unknown. Very few facts are known about his personal life; his last known location was in 1923 in Baltimore.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