Old Hoss Radbourn
⭐ Hall of Fame 1939
Born: 12/11/1854 in Rochester, NY, USA
Died: 2/5/1897 in Bloomington, IL, USA
MLB Debut: 1880-05-05 | Final Game: 1891-08-11
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 168 lbs
Full name: Charles Gardner Radbourn
Biography
Old Hoss Radbourn, born in 1854, was a formidable pitcher whose career spanned from 1880 to 1891, marking him as one of the standout players of the late 19th century. Known for his robust pitching style and durability, Radbourn amassed a remarkable record of 310 wins against 194 losses, demonstrating his dominance on the mound during an era that was characterized by its transition from the deadball era to the more offensive-minded game that would follow. His impressive earned run average of 2.68 and a total of 1,830 strikeouts underscored his effectiveness as a pitcher, while his two saves reflected his ability to close out games when necessary.
Radbourn's contributions to the game earned him a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame, where he was inducted in 1939, solidifying his legacy in baseball history. His career not only showcased his individual talents but also highlighted the evolution of pitching strategies during a time when the sport was rapidly changing. Old Hoss Radbourn remains a celebrated figure in baseball lore, remembered for his skill, tenacity, and the significant role he played in shaping the game during its formative years.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 310 | 194 | 527 | 502 | 488 | 35 | 2 | 4527.3 | 4328 | 1347 | 118 | 875 | 1830 | 2.68 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 | PRO | NL | 25 | 11 | 41 | 36 | 34 | 3 | 0 | 325.3 | 309 | 88 | 64 | 117 | 2.43 | 1553.8 |
| 1882 | PRO | NL | 33 | 19 | 54 | 51 | 50 | 6 | 0 | 466.0 | 422 | 109 | 51 | 201 | 2.11 | 5258.1 |
| 1883 | PRO | NL | 48 | 25 | 76 | 68 | 66 | 4 | 1 | 632.3 | 563 | 144 | 56 | 315 | 2.05 | 10006.8 |
| 1884 | PRO | NL | 60 | 12 | 75 | 73 | 73 | 11 | 1 | 678.7 | 528 | 104 | 98 | 441 | 1.38 | 7017.9 |
| 1885 | PRO | NL | 28 | 21 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 2 | 0 | 445.7 | 423 | 109 | 83 | 154 | 2.20 | 2057.0 |
| 1886 | BSN | NL | 27 | 31 | 58 | 58 | 57 | 3 | 0 | 509.3 | 521 | 170 | 111 | 218 | 3.00 | 167.0 |
| 1887 | BSN | NL | 24 | 23 | 50 | 50 | 48 | 1 | 0 | 425.0 | 505 | 215 | 133 | 87 | 4.55 | -4386.2 |
| 1888 | BSN | NL | 7 | 16 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 207.0 | 187 | 66 | 45 | 64 | 2.87 | -1575.6 |
| 1889 | BSN | NL | 20 | 11 | 33 | 31 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 277.0 | 282 | 113 | 72 | 99 | 3.67 | 873.2 |
| 1890 | BSP | PL | 27 | 12 | 41 | 38 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 343.0 | 352 | 126 | 100 | 80 | 3.31 | 1481.5 |
| 1891 | CIN | NL | 11 | 13 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 218.0 | 236 | 103 | 62 | 54 | 4.25 | -1817.9 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 653 | 2487 | 308 | 585 | 64 | 11 | 9 | 259 | 26 | 158 | 244 | 0.235 | 0.283 | 0.281 | 0.564 | -3682.3 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | BFN | NL | 6 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.143 | 0.0 |
| 1881 | PRO | NL | 72 | 270 | 27 | 59 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 10 | 15 | 0.219 | -853.2 |
| 1882 | PRO | NL | 83 | 326 | 30 | 78 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 0 | 12 | 22 | 0.239 | -422.1 |
| 1883 | PRO | NL | 89 | 381 | 59 | 108 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 48 | 0 | 14 | 16 | 0.283 | 346.1 |
| 1884 | PRO | NL | 87 | 361 | 48 | 83 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 0 | 26 | 42 | 0.230 | -439.4 |
| 1885 | PRO | NL | 66 | 249 | 34 | 58 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 36 | 27 | 0.233 | 201.9 |
| 1886 | BSN | NL | 66 | 253 | 30 | 60 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 5 | 17 | 36 | 0.237 | -364.2 |
| 1887 | BSN | NL | 51 | 175 | 25 | 40 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 6 | 18 | 21 | 0.229 | -454.3 |
| 1888 | BSN | NL | 24 | 79 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 0.215 | -205.2 |
| 1889 | BSN | NL | 35 | 122 | 17 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 9 | 19 | 0.189 | -612.5 |
| 1890 | BSP | PL | 45 | 154 | 20 | 39 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 0.253 | -375.8 |
| 1891 | CIN | NL | 29 | 96 | 11 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 0.177 | -503.7 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0.100 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | WS | PRO | 3 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0.100 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 22.0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0.00 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | WS | PRO | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 22.0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0.00 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 8 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 2B | 6 | 0 | 13 | 22 | 7 | 3 |
| 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| OF | 119 | 0 | 130 | 24 | 37 | 5 |
| P | 527 | 0 | 230 | 942 | 111 | 39 |
| SS | 16 | 0 | 15 | 55 | 12 | 9 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | BFN | 2B | 3 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 2 |
| 1880 | BFN | OF | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1881 | PRO | P | 41 | 0 | 25 | 71 | 10 | 2 |
| 1881 | PRO | SS | 13 | 0 | 14 | 43 | 9 | 6 |
| 1881 | PRO | OF | 25 | 0 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 |
| 1882 | PRO | P | 54 | 0 | 22 | 92 | 11 | 3 |
| 1882 | PRO | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 1882 | PRO | OF | 32 | 0 | 49 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| 1883 | PRO | P | 76 | 0 | 33 | 139 | 15 | 3 |
| 1883 | PRO | 1B | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1883 | PRO | OF | 20 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
| 1884 | PRO | P | 75 | 0 | 21 | 119 | 17 | 1 |
| 1884 | PRO | 1B | 5 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1884 | PRO | 2B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 1884 | PRO | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 1884 | PRO | OF | 7 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1885 | PRO | P | 49 | 0 | 18 | 115 | 9 | 7 |
| 1885 | PRO | 2B | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 1885 | PRO | OF | 16 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 11 | 1 |
| 1886 | BSN | P | 58 | 0 | 39 | 107 | 12 | 8 |
| 1886 | BSN | OF | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1887 | BSN | P | 50 | 0 | 15 | 69 | 15 | 3 |
| 1887 | BSN | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1888 | BSN | P | 24 | 0 | 14 | 37 | 6 | 1 |
| 1889 | BSN | P | 33 | 0 | 19 | 58 | 2 | 6 |
| 1889 | BSN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1889 | BSN | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1890 | BSP | P | 41 | 0 | 16 | 99 | 8 | 4 |
| 1890 | BSP | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1890 | BSP | OF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1891 | CIN | P | 26 | 0 | 8 | 36 | 6 | 1 |
| 1891 | CIN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1891 | CIN | OF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 527 |
| First Base | 8 |
| Second Base | 6 |
| Third Base | 2 |
| Shortstop | 16 |
| Left Field | 15 |
| Center Field | 12 |
| Right Field | 93 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1884 | Pitching Triple Crown |