Pud Galvin

Despite his outstanding pitching record, James Francis “Pud” Galvin (1856–1902) was largely forgotten after his premature death. During his 18-year career with Pittsburgh, Buffalo and St. Louis, he was one of the best-paid players in the game—but died penniless. The diminutive hurler was the first to reach 300 wins (and only four pitchers have amassed more). A determined researcher documented Galvin’s record decades after his death and he was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1965 with 365 wins. This book is the first comprehensive biography of Galvin and his use of a testosterone-based concoction—with eye-popping results—which earned him newfound attention as a pioneer of performance-enhancing drugs.

Award-winning journalist Brian Martin lives in London, Ontario. He is a member of the selection committee of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and the Society for American Baseball Research.

Brian Martin

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 256
Bibliographic Info: 29 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2016
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9977-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2551-5
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix
Preface 1
Introduction 3
1. Of Cheats and Juicers 7
2. The Kid from the Kerry Patch 18
3. Making His Mark in a Changing World 30
4. Introduction to the Big Time 42
5. Playing Through Adversity 53
6. Joining the Show in Buffalo 66
7. A Star Emerges 82
8. 1881–1882: Prelude to Perfection 94
9. Glory Days 107
10. The Little Steam Engine Changes Gears 121
11. Back in the Smoky City 134
12. Making History Amid the Gloom 146
13. Turning Back the Clock 160
14. “The action … was piratical.” 179
15. Final Innings 192
Epilogue 209
Appendix One. The Wins of Pud Galvin 217
Appendix Two. The 300 Wins Club 218
Appendix Three. Pud Galvin’s Changing Working Conditions During His Career, 1875–1892 219
Chapter Notes 221
Bibliography 234
Index 239