Jim Whitney
| Birthdate | 11/10/1857 |
| Death Date | 5/21/1891 |
| Debut Year | 1881 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Athletics (AA), Beaneaters, Indianapolis Hoosiers, KC Cowboys, Washington Nationals (1890s) |
| Position | Pitcher |
Jim Whitney won 30+ games twice, 20+ games five times, and 191 overall; he finished his career with a 2.97 ERA and a 56 lifetime WAR.
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Jim Whitney debuted in 1881 and still ranks high in on the Braves all-time pitching leaderboard
Jim Whitney debuted in 1881 and still ranks high in on the Braves all-time pitching leaderboard
Jim Whitney broke into the big leagues in 1881 with the Boston Beaneaters and made quite a statement. As a pitcher he led the National League in games (66), starts (63), wins (31), and complete games (57). He also played 15 games in right field and two at first base. Whitney’s batting average was .255.
His finest season with the Boston club came in 1883 when he won 37 games with a 2.24 ERA while setting an NL mark with 345 strikeouts. His WAR was an astounding 11.4 on the year.
Whitney’s final campaign with the Beaneaters came in 1885. That year he gave up the most hits and earned runs in the NL and also suffering the most losses.
Though he pitched just five years for the Boston team that later became the Atlanta Braves, Whitney’s name is peppered throughout the franchise record book. With a history that boasts the likes of Warren Spahn, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz, that’s no small feat.
Whitney ranks 1st in strikeout-to-walk ratio, 4th in ERA, 3rd in WHIP, 4th in complete games, 9th in innings, 9th in strikeouts.
After leaving Boston, Whitney played five more seasons. He suited up for the early NL Kansas City Cowboys, and Washington Nationals. His final season came in 1890 for the American Association’s Philadelphia Athletics.
Whitney left the game with 191 wins, a 2.97 ERA, and 1,571 strikeouts. In the field he played 31 games at first base and another 130 in the outfield, primarily in center. At the plate he hit .261 with a 112 OPS+ in 2,306 plate appearances.
Shown here is a scorecard filled out entirely in the hand of Hall of Famer Harry Wright. This contest took place July 29, 1881 with Whitney on the hill and batting cleanup.
As manager Wright guided his club to a 10-3 win over the Trojans with Hall of Fame pitcher Tim Keefe taking one of his 27 losses that season.
Wright’s team included leadoff man Ross Barnes, one of the game’s greatest – and most forgotten – hitters. From 1871-1876 Barnes hit .398, including lead-leading seasons with averages of .429, .430, and .431.
Though Hall of Famers abound in this game, it was Whitney who got the win.
When he left the game, Whitney's 191 wins ranked 14th on the all-time list
When he left the game, Whitney's 191 wins ranked 14th on the all-time list
Jim Whitney had quite a baseball career. A two-way player, Whitney pitched in 413 contests and played other defensive positions in 163 others.
As a position player, Whitney was primarily an outfielder though he also played first and third base. In his ten-year major league career, Whitney tallied 804 total bases in 2,144 at bats. His OPS+ puts him 12 points better than league average. On the hill Whitney won 20 or more five times, highlighted by a NL-best 31 victories in 1881.
By the time he retired 1890, Whitney’s 191 wins ranked 15th all time. Since then, more than a hundred pitchers have passed Leonard on the victory leaderboard, many of them Cooperstown men.
One Hall of Fame hurler who later surpassed Whitney’s 191 career wins is Juan Marichal. On May 10, 1970 the Dominican Dandy tossed a complete-game victory to beat Nolan Ryan. The victory was the 192nd of Marichal’s career.
Shown here is the ticket stub from that game. Marichal added his signature and wrote, “Win 192”.
