Charlie Sweeney
| Charlie Sweeney | |||
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| Pitcher/Outfielder | |||
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Born: April 13, 1863 San Francisco, California |
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Died: April 4, 1902 (aged 38) San Francisco, California |
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| MLB debut | |||
| May 11, 1882, for the Providence Grays | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| July 9, 1887, for the Cleveland Blues (AA) | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 64-52 | ||
| Strikeouts | 505 | ||
| Earned run average | 2.87 | ||
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Charles J. Sweeney (April 13, 1863 – April 4, 1902) 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 career with the Providence Grays of the National League in 1882. By the 1884 season, Sweeney and Radbourn were the Grays' two main pitchers. The 1884 season had 50 fewer scheduled games than today, and most teams got by with two-man starting rotations. Through much of April and May, Sweeney outshone the veteran and ace of the Grays, Radbourn. This, of course, created a lot of tension between the two as Sweeney was seemingly stealing the limelight from the hobbled but proud "Old Hoss." On June 7, 1884, these tensions reached a zenith, when Sweeney took the box and struck out 19 Boston batters to set a major league record that would be tied a few times but not broken for 102 years, until Roger Clemens struck out 20 in a game in 1986. Sweeney was feted upon his return to Providence for days following his accomplishment, much to the bitter jealousy of Radbourn.
Not long after his amazing accomplishment, he suffered arm problems, not uncommon in the day, which sidelined him. This meant Radbourn would suffer the workload of two men, further driving a wedge between the veteran and the upstart. After a meltdown by Radbourn, Sweeney was forced to return to his regular pitching duties, which he did effectively for a time. (The arm trouble may have been a result of his reliance on the "fadeaway", or screwball, which involves turning the wrist outward as the pitch is delivered.)
Following an exhibition game on July 21 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, Sweeney, who had allegedly been drinking throughout the game, refused to return with the team to Providence, choosing to stay in Woonsocket with a lady he had escorted to the park that day. Waking the next morning, he realized he missed morning practice and raced to make it back to Providence for his start that afternoon. Though most players in the day were held to temperance clauses during the season, the Grays manager was left with little choice but to pitch his drunkard ace. After five effective innings, Grays manager Frank Bancroft signaled for the team captain Joe Start to make a pitching change. Sweeney refused to budge and continued to pitch for another two innings. Before the start of the eighth inning, Bancroft insisted that Sweeney vacate the pitcher's box and move to right field. Possibly still drunk, as well as the prevailing sentiment of 1880s baseball finishing a game a pitcher started was a question of manhood, Sweeney flatly refused. When Bancroft threatened the pitcher with a $50 fine, Sweeney told him to take his fine and the rest of his salary, promptly quitting. Sweeney spent the rest of the game watching from the field in street clothes and left with two women, presumably prostitutes. The Grays, frustrated by not only Sweeney, but Radbourn's insubordination, expelled Sweeney from the National League. Left with no other alternative, he signed with the St. Louis Maroons of the newly formed Union Association.
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