Michael Francis “Mickey” Welch (July 4, 1859 - July 30, 1941) was the first pinch hitter in the history of baseball and the third pitcher to accumulate 300 wins for a career after Pud Galvin and Tim Keefe. Welch pitched 13 seasons for the Troy Trojans (1880-1882) and the New York Gothams/Giants (1883-1892) after the Trojans dissolved. In 1884, Mickey struck out the first nine Cleveland batters he faced; a record that stands today. Compiling an extraordinary 309-212 record, Welch had a pair of career years in 1884 and 1885 posting records of 39-21 with 345 strikeouts and a 2.50 ERA and 44-11 with 258 strikeouts and a 1.66 ERA respectively. In 1885, Welch won 17-straight games and finished the year with a .800 winning percentage while starting 56 games and completing 55. Mickey Welch retired with a 309-212 record with 1,850 strikeouts in 4,801 innings pitched and posted a career 2,71 ERA. The Veterans Committee elected Michael Francis “Mickey” Welch to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.
