Ted Breitenstein

Pitcher

Born: June 1, 1869
St. Louis, Missouri

Died: May 3, 1935 (aged 65)
St. Louis, Missouri

Batted: Left

Threw: Left

MLB debut

April 28, 1891, for the St. Louis Browns

Last MLB appearance

May 9, 1901, for the St. Louis Cardinals

MLB statistics

Win–loss record

160–170

Earned run average

4.04

Strikeouts

889

Teams

Career highlights and awards

NL ERA leader (1893)
Pitched 2 no-hitters

Theodore P. "Ted" "Breit" Breitenstein (June 1, 1869 – May 3, 1935) was an American Major League Baseball player from St. Louis, Missouri who pitched from 1891 to 1901 for the St. Louis Browns/Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds. He is most known today for throwing a no-hitter in his first Major League start.

During his first season in the Majors, he was able to pitch occasionally in relief, but on the final day of the 1891 season, October 4, Breitenstein was allowed to start and he pitched a no-hitter against the Louisville Colonels, an 8–0 victory. He faced the minimum number of batters of 27, allowed just one base on balls, which was erased by a double play or by a pickoff play. It was also the last no-hitter thrown in the American Association, as the league folded following the season.

He became part of the pitching rotation in 1892, but had a lackluster season with a 9–19 win–loss record and a 4.69 earned run average. He turned his pitching around after that, and in 1893, Breitenstein's 3.18 ERA was tops in the National League. In 1894, he won 27 games while leading the league in games started, complete games and innings pitched, although he led the league in runs allowed, and had a 4.79 ERA. In the following season, his workload stayed the same, leading the league in games started and complete games once again, but his stats took a slide downward, leading the league in runs allowed, base on balls, and losses. His 30 losses in 1895 stand as the 3rd on the all-time list for losses in a season by a pitcher.

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Wikipedia