Hugh Daily

Hugh Ignatius Daily (July 17, 1847 – after 1923), nicknamed "One Arm", was an American professional right-handed pitcher who played six seasons, for seven different teams; the Buffalo Bisons, the Cleveland Blues, and the St. Louis Maroons of the National League, Chicago Browns and Washington Nationals of the Union Association, and the Cleveland Blues of the American Association. He was known for having a surly disposition and was not well liked by baseball executives, which occasioned his frequent change of teams. However, he was a favorite of fans wherever he played.

Daily was successful as a starting pitcher early in his major league career. In 1883 and 1884, he won 20 or more games each season, while finishing in the top ten among league leaders in major pitching categories such as earned run average (as calculated retroactively, since ERA was not an official statistic at the time), innings pitched, complete games, and strikeouts. Daily established the pitching record for strikeouts in a season (later surpassed), tied a record by tossing two consecutive one-hitters, broke the record for one-hitters in a season, and threw a no-hitter. After his initial three years of success, the final three years of his career were marked by quick decline in his seasonal numbers, and he was gone from organized baseball shortly thereafter. Today he remains a mysterious figure, as there is little record of his activities after his career. It is unclear where he lived and where he died.

Nickname and disposition His nickname, "One Arm" Daily, Sometimes, after long games of having to catch baseballs this way, his stump would become sensitive – so sensitive in fact, that he once punched his catcher for not heeding his warning to throw the balls back to him softer.

Daily was well known for having a bad disposition, he has been described as surly, Other sources add to that: mean, contemptuous, and uncommunicative. While this behaviour was not well liked by the baseball establishment, he was popular with the home crowds because of his verbal tirades against umpires and opposing players alike. His physical condition did not allow him many opportunities to play any other positions, so this compelled his managers to leave him in the game longer, even when his performance was declining.

Early career Daily was born in Crosserlough, Ireland. He and his parents emigrated to America when Daily was young, settling in Baltimore. He first began playing baseball professionally around the Baltimore area, often receiving more lucrative offers to play in more prominent leagues, all of which he declined, preferring to stay in the local area. He finished the season with a 23–19 win–loss record, and finished in the top ten in several pitching categories. He finished second in the league with two shutouts, fifth place with a 2.42 earned run average, seventh in strikeouts with 171, and ninth in the league in wins, games pitched, and games started. – a remarkable total, given that in 1882 and 1883 walks were issued after seven balls rather than four.

For the 1884 season, he feasted on the upstart Union Association's lack of talent, pitching for the Chicago Browns (which became the Pittsburgh Stogies), and for the Washington Nationals later in the season. He finished with a 28–28 win–loss record, but did have a low 2.43 ERA, Among the season totals, he struck out 19 batters in a game, on 7 July, tying Charlie Sweeney. Unofficially, his reported 19 strikeout game was upgraded to 20 when it was discovered that one batter had struck out but reached first base when the pitch got away from the catcher. This meant that Daily did not just tie the record, but broke it instead (Roger Clemens then unofficially tied the mark in 1986 two of them back to back, which was also itself a record at the time. The record was later matched by Grover Cleveland Alexander in 1915. He joined the St. Louis Maroons of the National League, According to the 1920 United States census, he was living with his sister, and was a clerk for a hotel. His last known location was 1923 in Baltimore, living at 123 North Washington Street.