Mickey Welch
| Birthdate | 7/4/1859 |
| Death Date | 7/30/1941 |
| Debut Year | 1880 |
| Year of Induction | 1973 |
| Teams | Giants, Trojans |
| Position | Pitcher |
Mickey Welch won his 300th game on July 28, 1890 and joined an exclusive club whose only members at the time were Pud Galvin and Tim Keefe.
Leave a commentIn the collection:
Mickey Welch’s MLB debut came in 1880 with Troy; here’s a letter from Trojans owner Gardner Earl to HoFer William Hulbert
Mickey Welch’s MLB debut came in 1880 with Troy; here’s a letter from Trojans owner Gardner Earl to HoFer William Hulbert
Mickey Welch set what is likely baseball’s longest-standing record. On August 28, 1884, Welch struck out the first 9 batters of a ball game. The record held by the 19th century hurler has stood the test of time, passing through the entire 20th century and on into the 21st. Welch is better known for being the third member of the 300-win club, getting there just one month after former Troy Trojans teammate Kim Keefe.
Keefe and Welch broke into the big leagues together in 1880 with Troy. The two future members of the Hall of Fame had three fellow Cooperstown men on the roster. Five-time batting champion Dan Brouthers, the greatest 19th-century catcher Buck Ewing, and the majors’ career home run leader from 1895-1921 Roger Connor.
In the collection is a letter dated October 12, 1880, the year of Welch’s debut. Penned by Troy Trojans owner Gardner Earl, the correspondence is to the second president of the National League, Hall of Famer William Hulbert.
Baseball letters from the 1800s are difficult to find. Correspondence from the era between an owner and a Hall of Famer are highly desired and rarely found.
Smiling Mickey Welch set a strikeout record in 1884 that still stands today
Smiling Mickey Welch set a strikeout record in 1884 that still stands today
When Mickey Welch struck out the first nine batters he faced in an August 28, 1884 contest, he set a record that still stands today.
A 300-game winner, Welch won as many as 44 games in a season and finished with a .541 winning percentage.
With a debut year of 1880, a death date of 7/30/41, he was inducted into the Hall in 1973.
