Bobby Mathews
The first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in professional baseball, Mathews accomplished the feat twice in 1876 — a remarkable achievement considering he was also playing for three different teams that season while the National League was still finding its footing.
His 297 career wins tell only part of the story. Mathews threw over 4,900 innings during baseball's dead-ball era, when pitchers routinely completed what they started. His 2.86 ERA was perfectly league-average for his time, but his durability was extraordinary — he averaged nearly 30 innings per month across 17 professional seasons.
What made Mathews special wasn't overpowering stuff but adaptability. He pitched through the transition from the National Association to the National League, adjusting his game as rules evolved and competition improved. For a pitcher who started his career when baseball was barely organized sport, finishing with nearly 300 wins represents both longevity and the ability to evolve with the game itself.
Career · Hitting
15 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | FW1 | 19 | 89 | 0 | 10 | .270 | — | — |
| 1872 | BL1 | 50 | 222 | 0 | 22 | .225 | — | — |
| 1873 | NY2 | 52 | 223 | 0 | 14 | .193 | — | — |
| 1874 | NY2 | 65 | 298 | 0 | 30 | .242 | — | — |
| 1875 | NY2 | 70 | 264 | 0 | 15 | .182 | — | — |
| 1876 | NY3 | 56 | 218 | 0 | 9 | .183 | — | — |
| 1877 | CN1 | 15 | 59 | 0 | 0 | .169 | — | — |
| 1879 | PRO | 43 | 173 | 1 | 10 | .202 | — | — |
| 1881 | BSN | 35 | 128 | 0 | 8 | .180 | — | — |
| 1882 | BSN | 45 | 169 | 0 | 13 | .225 | — | — |
| 1883 | PH4 | 45 | 167 | 0 | 11 | .186 | — | — |
| 1884 | PH4 | 49 | 184 | 0 | 0 | .185 | — | — |
| 1885 | PH4 | 48 | 179 | 0 | 12 | .168 | — | — |
| 1886 | PH4 | 24 | 88 | 0 | 10 | .239 | — | — |
| 1887 | PH4 | 7 | 25 | 0 | 0 | .200 | — | — |
| Career | 623 | 2486 | 1 | 164 | .203 | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
15 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | FW1 | 19 | 169.0 | 6 | 11 | 5.17 | 82 | 17 | 1.669 |
| 1872 | BL1 | 49 | 406.0 | 25 | 18 | 3.19 | 114 | 57 | 1.310 |
| 1873 | NY2 | 52 | 443.0 | 29 | 23 | 2.58 | 132 | 79 | 1.244 |
| 1874 | NY2 | 65 | 578.0 | 42 | 22 | 1.90 | 115 | 101 | 1.199 |
| 1875 | NY2 | 70 | 625.7 | 29 | 38 | 2.49 | 90 | 75 | 1.168 |
| 1876 | NY3 | 56 | 516.0 | 21 | 34 | 2.86 | 81 | 37 | 1.390 |
| 1877 | CN1 | 15 | 129.3 | 3 | 12 | 4.04 | 70 | 9 | 1.740 |
| 1879 | PRO | 27 | 189.0 | 12 | 6 | 2.29 | 109 | 90 | 1.164 |
| 1881 | PRO | 19 | 125.3 | 5 | 8 | 3.02 | 92 | 33 | 1.396 |
| 1882 | BSN | 34 | 285.0 | 19 | 15 | 2.87 | 98 | 153 | 1.053 |
| 1883 | PH4 | 44 | 381.0 | 30 | 13 | 2.46 | 131 | 203 | 1.121 |
| 1884 | PH4 | 49 | 430.7 | 30 | 18 | 3.32 | 94 | 286 | 1.045 |
| 1885 | PH4 | 48 | 422.3 | 30 | 17 | 2.43 | 125 | 286 | 1.068 |
| 1886 | PH4 | 24 | 197.7 | 13 | 9 | 3.96 | 85 | 93 | 1.411 |
| 1887 | PH4 | 7 | 58.0 | 3 | 4 | 6.67 | 63 | 9 | 1.724 |
| Career | 578 | 4956.0 | 297 | 248 | — | — | 1528 | — | |
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