Jim McCormick
Born in Scotland, Jim McCormick traveled to America with his family and became a boyhood friend of Mike "King" Kelly. Unlike his pal Kelly, McCormick did not possess natural athleticism, but he did have a strong throwing arm. He and Kelly were both discovered off the sandlots of Paterson, New Jersey, but their professional careers separated them in the early going. McCormick, a stocky right-hander, settled in with the Cleveland Blues in 1879, and was their man pitcher for nearly six seasons, winning as many as 45 games. In 1885, he and Kelly were reunited on Cap Anson's Chicago White Stockings. With Kelly behind the plate and "Jimsey" on the mound, Chicago won two pennants. Illness forced McCormick to retire at the age of 30, but not before more than 260 victories had been marked next to his name.
Played For
Indianapolis Blues (1878)
Cleveland Blues (1879-1884)
Providence Grays (1885)
Chicago Cubs (1885-1886)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1887)
Managed
Cleveland Blues (1879-1882)
Best Season: 1886
McCormick won 16 straight games before he was defeated for the first time, by Mickey Welch of the Giants. He finished at 31-11 and pitched Chicago to the NL pennant.
Factoids
Prior to the 1886 season, Jim McCormick and his Chicago White Stockings teammates went to Hot Springs, Arkansas, to take part in the first official spring training in baseball history.
In 1886, when President grover Cleveland attended a White Stockings ballgame in Chicago, he greeted a few of the players. According to Mike "King" Kelly, when Cleveland shook pitcher Jim McCormick's hand, the grip was so tight, that the President joked: "It would be easier for me to shake hands with 2,000 guest at the White House than with one Jim McCormick!"
Born
James McCormick was born on November 3, 1856, in Glasgow
Died
March 10, 1918, Paterson, NJ
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: P
Primary Team: CL2
Major League Debut
May 20, 1878
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1878
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Nicknames
Jimsey
Post-Season Appearances
1885 World Series
1886 World Series
Milestones
- July 3, 1885: 200th Win...
Pitching Feats
Notes
After he retired as a player, McCormick opened a saloon in Paterson, New Jersey, which came to be known as the "Wine Room." Paterson historian Alfred C. Cappio notes that "crowds of baseball fans visited the 'Wine Room' regularly to meet and talk to the baseball hero, and with them also came the men who attended the horse races conducted regularly at Clifton."
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
Battling with rheumatism, McCormick retired prior to the 1888 season rather than report to Kansas City, to whom he had been traded.
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