Highlighted Year: Ned Garvin, 1900

Pitcher, Chicago Orphans

Age:  26

2^nd season with Orphans

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 160 

Prior to 1900:

A native of Navasota, Texas (hence his later nickname “The Navasota Tarantula”), Garvin began playing baseball professionally with Sherman of the Texas League in 1895. Moving on to New Haven and Newark in the Atlantic League in 1896, he posted a combined record of 14-17 with a 2.18 ERA and 119 strikeouts while compiling 239.2 innings pitched. Garvin also briefly saw action in the National League with the Philadelphia Phillies where he was unimpressive in two appearances. Returning to the Atlantic League in 1897, he went 5-10 with a 2.22 ERA for Reading. Lanky and with notably long fingers, Garvin developed an early version of a screwball (or fadeaway). After performing well at Reading, he joined Chicago in 1899 and produced a 9-13 tally with a 2.85 ERA for the eighth-place club. 

1900 Season Summary

Appeared in 30 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 30

Games Started – 28 [19]

Complete Games – 25 [15, tied with Sam Leever, Kid Nichols & Jack Taylor]

Wins – 10

Losses – 18 [5, tied with Cy Young & Pink Hawley]

PCT - .357

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 1

Innings Pitched – 246.1 [16]

Hits – 225

Runs – 126

Earned Runs – 66

Home Runs – 4

Bases on Balls – 63

Strikeouts – 107 [4, tied with Bill Dinneen]

ERA – 2.41 [2]

Hit Batters – 18 [7]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 6 [16, tied with Kid Nichols & Brickyard Kennedy]

Batting

PA – 95, AB – 91, R – 12, H – 14, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 4, BB – 3, SO – 16, SB – 0, CS – N/A, AVG - .154, GDP – N/A, HBP – 1, SH – 0, SF – N/A

Fielding

Chances – 89

Put Outs – 5

Assists – 78

Errors – 6

DP – 1

Pct. - .933

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The Orphans went 65-75 to finish tied for fifth with the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL, 46.5 games behind the pennant-winning Brooklyn Superbas. The pitching staff led the league in complete games (137) and placed second in ERA (3.23). The good pitching, most significantly by Garvin, was offset by weak hitting that kept the Orphans well out of contention. 

Aftermath of 1900:

Garvin jumped to the original Milwaukee Brewers of the new American League in 1901 and compiled an 8-20 record for the last-place club, with a 3.46 ERA and 122 strikeouts over 257.1 innings. Prone to heavy drinking and with a fierce temper, he became involved in several violent confrontations. While with the Chicago White Sox in 1902, he shot a bar owner and was released by owner Charles Comiskey for the protection of the other players on the team. His tally for the season was 10-10 with a 2.21 ERA. He returned to the NL with Brooklyn later in the ’02 season and went 1-1 in two appearances. Still with Brooklyn in 1903, Garvin went 15-18 with a 3.08 ERA, 30 complete games, and 154 strikeouts. In 1904, while compiling an excellent ERA of 1.72, his record was only 5-15, as his penchant for bad luck on the mound continued. His penchant for violent behavior continued as well, as he had a fight with the team’s traveling secretary as the club traveled by train to St. Louis. He wrapped up the season pitching in two games with the New York Highlanders (now Yankees). Garvin pitched in the Pacific Coast League in 1905 (Portland) and ‘06 (Seattle) where he performed well. In 1907 he finished his career with the Butte Miners of the Northwestern League where his record was 20-14. Shortly thereafter he contracted tuberculosis and died at age 34 in 1908. For his major league career, he posted a 58-97 record with a 2.72 ERA, 134 complete games, 13 shutouts, and 612 strikeouts in 1400.2 innings pitched. With the Orphans he was 19-31 with a 2.61 ERA, 47 complete games, 5 shutouts, and 176 strikeouts in 445.1 innings. A talented pitcher prone to experiencing bad luck (and playing for losing teams), Garvin was also a man with a violent temper that led to many unfortunate situations in his short life.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20), pitching wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10), or have been participants in the annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category will also include Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.