Ed Walsh | |||
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Walsh with the Chicago White Sox in 1911
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Pitcher / Manager | |||
Born: Plains Township, Pennsylvania |
May 14, 1881|||
Died: May 26, 1959 Pompano Beach, Florida |
(aged 78)|||
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MLB debut | |||
May 7, 1904, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
September 11, 1917, for the Boston Braves | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Win–loss record | 195–126 | ||
Earned run average | 1.82 | ||
Strikeouts | 1,736 | ||
Teams | |||
As player As manager |
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Career highlights and awards | |||
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Member of the National | |||
Baseball Hall of Fame | |||
Inducted | 1946 | ||
Election Method | Veteran's Committee |
As player
As manager
Edward Augustine Walsh (May 14, 1881 – May 26, 1959) was a pitcher and manager in Major League Baseball. From 1906 to 1912, he had several seasons where he was one of the best pitchers in baseball. Injuries shortened his career. Walsh holds the record for lowest career earned run average, 1.82. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.
Walsh was born in Plains Township, Pennsylvania, to Michael and Jane Walsh. He worked in the Luzerne County coal mines when he was young. Walsh started his professional baseball career with the 1902 Wilkes-Barre Barons.
Walsh made his major league debut in 1904 with the Chicago White Sox and pitched his first full season in 1906, going 17–13 with a 1.88 ERA and 171 strikeouts. In Game Three of that year's World Series, which the White Sox won over the Chicago Cubs in six games, Walsh struck out a then-World Series record 12 batters. He also struck out at least one batter each inning of that game; this feat has since been duplicated only once, by Bob Gibson in the 1968 World Series opener. From this season through 1912, Walsh averaged 24 victories, 220 strikeouts and posted an ERA below 2.00 five times. He also led the league in saves five times in this span. His finest individual season came in 1908 when he went 40–15 with 269 strikeouts, 6 saves and a 1.42 ERA. In 1910, he posted the lowest ERA (1.27) for a pitcher with at least 20 starts and a losing record. Walsh also set an American League record by pitching 464 innings in a season. On August 27, 1911, Walsh no-hit the Boston Red Sox 5-0.