The Only Nolan
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1878-1885)
The Only Nolan was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1878 to 1885 for 5 teams, including the Indianapolis Blues, a span of 8 seasons. Across 79 career appearances, he went 23-52 with a 2.98 ERA and 274 strikeouts. He also batted .240 with 0 home runs. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 17.6.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 171 lb
- Died
- 5/18/1913 in Paterson, NJ, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1878-05-01
- Last Game
- 1885-10-09
Full name: Edward Sylvester Nolan
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1878 | IN1 | NL | 13 | 22 | 38 | 38 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 347.0 | 357 | 99 | 56 | 125 | 2.57 | 2.30 (-11%) | -287.2 |
| 1881 | CL2 | NL | 8 | 14 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 180.0 | 183 | 61 | 38 | 54 | 3.05 | 2.77 (-10%) | -728.2 |
| 1883 | PT1 | AA | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 55.0 | 81 | 26 | 10 | 23 | 4.25 | 3.22 (-32%) | 354.3 |
| 1884 | WIL | UA | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 40.0 | 44 | 13 | 7 | 52 | 2.92 | 3.11 (+6%) | 1599.6 |
| 1885 | PHI | NL | 1 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 54.0 | 55 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 4.17 | 3.03 (-37%) | -920.9 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 23 | 52 | 79 | 78 | 74 | 1 | 0 | 676.0 | 720 | 224 | 135 | 274 | 2.98 | — | 18 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 102 | 405 | 33 | 97 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 12 | 31 | .240 | .261 | .291 | .553 | -463 |
Career AVG .240 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .261 vs. league average .284 across their career seasons — 7.8% below league average.
Career SLG .291 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 12.0% below league average.
Career OPS .553 vs. league average .615 across their career seasons — 10.1% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1878 | IN1 | NL | 38 | 152 | 11 | 37 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 10 | .243 | .259 (-6%) | .278 (-9%) | .319 (-7%) | .597 (-8%) | -168.7 |
| 1881 | CL2 | NL | 41 | 168 | 12 | 41 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 13 | .244 | .260 (-6%) | .290 (-10%) | .338 (-16%) | .628 (-13%) | -294.2 |
| 1883 | PT1 | AA | 7 | 26 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .308 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1884 | WIL | UA | 9 | 33 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .273 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1885 | PHI | NL | 7 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | .077 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 102 | 405 | 33 | 97 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 12 | 31 | .240 | — | — | — | — | -463 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3B | 6 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| OF | 21 | 0 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| P | 79 | 0 | 31 | 140 | 21 | 5 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1878 | IN1 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1878 | IN1 | P | 38 | 0 | 19 | 80 | 11 | 5 |
| 1881 | CL2 | 3B | 6 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 1881 | CL2 | OF | 14 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 1881 | CL2 | P | 22 | 0 | 9 | 28 | 4 | 0 |
| 1883 | PT1 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1883 | PT1 | P | 7 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 1884 | WIL | OF | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1884 | WIL | P | 5 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 1885 | PHI | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1885 | PHI | P | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 79 |
| Third Base | 6 |
| Left Field | 7 |
| Center Field | 12 |
| Right Field | 3 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
The Only Nolan (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
The Only Nolan: the record in brief
The Only Nolan's major league career runs from a debut on May 1, 1878 to a final game on October 9, 1885. Nolan played for the Indianapolis Blues (1878), the Cleveland Blues (1881), the Pittsburg Alleghenys (1883), the Wilmington Quicksteps (1884), and the Philadelphia Quakers (1885). At 171 pounds on a 5-foot-8 frame, Nolan is listed as a pitcher. Nolan hit left-handed while throwing right-handed, per the bio block. Nolan was born on November 7, 1855, in Trenton, ON, CAN. Nolan died on May 18, 1913, in Paterson, NJ, USA. The given name on file is Edward Sylvester Nolan.
Nolan's career pitching line is 23 wins, 52 losses and a 2.98 ERA over 79 appearances. Also on Nolan's record: 274 strikeouts and 74 complete games. Nolan's 2.98 ERA was close to the 3.04 league figure for those seasons. 1878 brought Nolan a season-high 13 wins. 1878 was Nolan's sharpest full season, a 2.57 ERA against the league's 2.30.
Frequently Asked Questions about The Only Nolan
- What years did The Only Nolan play?
- The Only Nolan played in Major League Baseball from 1878 to 1885.
- Was The Only Nolan a pitcher?
- Yes. The Only Nolan pitched in the major leagues, recording 23 wins and 274 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did The Only Nolan hit?
- The Only Nolan hit 0 career home runs with 97 hits.
- What teams did The Only Nolan play for?
- The Only Nolan played for 5 teams: the Indianapolis Blues (1878), the Cleveland Blues (1881), the Pittsburg Alleghenys (1883), the Wilmington Quicksteps (1884), and the Philadelphia Quakers (1885).
- What were The Only Nolan's career stats?
- In 79 games, The Only Nolan went 23-52 with a 2.98 ERA, 274 strikeouts, and 676.0 innings pitched. At the plate he had 97 hits and 0 home runs.
- What position did The Only Nolan play?
- The Only Nolan played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was The Only Nolan and how much did he weigh?
- The Only Nolan was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 171 pounds.
- What was The Only Nolan's career ERA?
- The Only Nolan finished with a 2.98 career ERA, going 23-52 with 274 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did The Only Nolan have?
- The Only Nolan recorded 274 career strikeouts.
- Is The Only Nolan in the Hall of Fame?
- No. The Only Nolan has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.