Jim McCormick (pitcher)
A hard-throwing Glaswegian who crossed the Atlantic to become the first Scot to pitch in the major leagues during baseball's rough-and-tumble early days.
1856–1918 (age 62)·Scottish baseball player·Birthday: November 3
Biography
Jim McCormick won 265 major league games between 1878 and 1887, pitching over 400 innings in a season five times. Born in the shipbuilding heart of Glasgow, he immigrated to the United States as a boy and found his calling on the baseball diamond. His powerful arm propelled him to the professional ranks, where he became a workhorse for the Cleveland Blues and later the Pittsburgh Alleghenys. In an era of minimal arm protection, his durability and competitive fire made him a star. McCormick's career spanned the formative years of the National League, and he remains the winningest Scottish-born pitcher in major league history. His journey from Glasgow to the mound helped open the door for European immigrants in America's pastime.
#1 When Jim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1856
Jim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1856Born
1861Started school
President: Abraham Lincoln
1869Became a teenager
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1872Could drive
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1874Could vote
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1877Turned 21
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1886Turned 30
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
1896Turned 40
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1906Turned 50
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1916Turned 60
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Died at 62
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
Key Achievements
- Became the first player born in Scotland to appear in a Major League Baseball game.
- Pitched over 400 innings in a season five times, demonstrating exceptional durability.
- Led the National League in wins in 1880 with 45 victories for the Cleveland Blues.
- Accumulated 265 career wins, a total that places him among the winningest pitchers of the 19th century.
Did You Know?
He was also a skilled hitter, posting a .299 batting average in the 1883 season.
He once pitched a complete game victory while giving up 20 hits.
After his playing career, he worked as a police officer in Chicago.
His 45 wins in 1880 is a total that has not been matched in the modern era.
“A pitcher's arm is his fortune, and I worked mine like a blacksmith.”
