Elixir of Brown-Sequard – Pud Galvin passes away 1902
Pittsburgh purchased Galvin from the Buffalo Bisons of the National League on July 13, 1885. He went just 3-7 that first year for the Alleghenys and the team went 13-26 from August 1st until the end of the season. The next year Galvin was back in form, winning 29 games and pitching 434 innings. He helped Pittsburgh to a 80-57 record, which in turn helped lead to their invitation to leave the American Association and join the National League the following season.
Galvin was Major League Baseball’s first 300-game winner. Playing in an era in which two-man pitching rotations were common, he amassed 6,003 innings pitched, and 646 complete games, both of which are second only to the career totals of Cy Young. Incredibly, he pitched over 70 complete games in both 1883 and 1884 and 65 in 1879, all with the Buffalo Bisons. Galvin is the only player in baseball history to win 20 or more games in 10 different years without winning a pennant, finishing his career with a total of 365 wins and 310 losses. The 365 ranks 5th all time,
2006 NPR article referred to Galvin as “the first baseball player to be widely known for using a performance-enhancing substance.” The Washington Post reported that Galvin used the Brown-Séquard elixir, which contained monkey testosterone, before a single game in 1889. However, no one seemed bothered by the use of the elixir, and the newspaper practically endorsed it after the game, saying that Galvin’s performance was “the best proof yet furnished of the value of the discovery.”
Linked: From 1890 to 1892, Galvin and Tim Keefe faced each other four times. This was the first time two 300-game winners had ever faced each other. Not until Phil Niekro and Don Sutton met in 1986, would it happen again.
Best Season, 1883
Galvin paced the National League in starts (75), games (76), complete games (72), innings pitched (650+), shutouts (5) and strikeouts (279). His record was 46-29.
Factoid
Pud Galvin threw no-hit games in 1880 and 1884, becoming the first major league pitcher to record more than one no-hitter.
Milestones
October 5, 1888: 300th Win!
Most Victories, 1880-1884
Larry Corcoran… 170
Pud Galvin… 168
Charles Radbourn… 165
Jim McCormick… 154
Mickey Welch… 133
Most Victories, 1880-1889
Mickey Welch… 285
Charles Radbourn… 271
Pud Galvin… 255
John Clarkson… 220
Jim McCormick… 219
Tim Keefe… 213
Tony Mullane… 212
The Pud Galvin
Teammate Team
C: Connie Mack
1B: Dan Brouthers
2B: Hardy Richardson
3B: Deacon White
SS: Davy Force
LF: Ned Hanlon
CF: Billy Sunday
RF: Pete Browning
SP: Ed Morris
SP: Kid Gleason
M: Jim O’Rourke
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