Matt Kilroy - Rookie Season

Rookie Season

Kilroy starred as a rookie during the 1886 season for the last-place Baltimore Orioles. He started 68 games, completing 66 of them while throwing 583 innings. Although he had a disappointing record of 29 wins and 34 losses, he set a mark that was unequalled in major league pitching. Kilroy struck out 513 batters that season, the most ever in a single season and far ahead of second-place Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn's total of 441 in 1884. However, in that season there were many differences in game play from the modern rules, such as a base on balls being awarded after seven balls rather than the modern four, and the pitcher being located 50 feet from home plate rather than the modern 60 feet 6 inches; it was also the last season in which batters could request either a high pitch or a low pitch. Because of these numerous subsequent rule changes, pitching records from that era are not officially compared to those of the modern era, which is variously regarded as beginning in 1893 (when the modern pitching distance was established) or 1900.

On August 20, Kilroy and Cyclone Miller of the Philadelphia Quakers hurled opposing one-hitters, the first time this ever occurred, though it has since been duplicated four times. Baltimore won that game 1–0 on first-inning errors‚ but didn't get a hit until the ninth. During this remarkable rookie season, he hurled 5 shutouts, 3 one-hitters, and 4 two-hitters, but on October 6 he pitched the only 9-inning no-hitter of his career. He pitched his gem against the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, a 6–0 victory.