Thursday, September 27, 2012

The Top Twenty Games In 19th Century St. Louis Baseball History: # 14

14. August 17, 1876: St. Louis Reds vs. Cass Base Ball Club of Detroit

Pud Galvin
The game of the tournament began promptly at 3 o'clock, in the presence of 3,000 spectators, the contestants being the St. Louis Reds and Cass club, of Detroit. Not a member of the Michigan organization reached first base, and the Reds played without a single error. The Cass boys wanted to get one base hit to get even with the Mutuals in the morning, but failed. One base hit in two games was all that the Michiganders could get out of [Galvin.] The Reds secured thirteen safe hits, demoralizing their opponents and winning the game (by a score of 11-0)...
-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 18, 1876


George Washington Bradley threw the first no-hitter in National League and St. Louis history but James Francis Galvin threw the first perfect game recorded at any level.

Pud Galvin, probably after taking the elixir of Brown-Sequard, had one of the greatest pitching days in the history of baseball.  The Reds were playing in a tournament in Michigan in 1876 and had a doubleheader on August 17th.  Galvin pitched both games and, according to A Game of Inches, threw a no-hitter in the first game and then bested that in the second (after, no doubt, drinking more of his magic elixir) by throwing the first perfect game in baseball history.

The Globe reported that the first game was actually a one-hitter and that Pidge Morgan pitched both games but later corrected themselves, giving Pud his proper due.  They did not, however, mention his magic elixir.

And if you don't know what I'm talking about when I refer to Pud Galvin's magic elixir, try googling "Pud Galvin steroids."      

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