Skip to main content

Sunday School: History Lesson 43

By
Hugh Mulcahy was a pitcher with the Phillies from 1935-1940, then again from 1945-1946. Mulcahy was the first Major League regular to enter the military during World War II. Mulcahy was a converted infielder, whose arm strength earned him a trial on the pitchers mound.

Mulcahy was purchased by the Phillies from the Senators in July 1935 and made his Phillies debut that year in a single inning of relief work against the Pirates, the only other Major League team he would ever play for. In that appearance, he faced Lloyd Waner, Paul Waner and Arky Vaughn, three future Hall of Famers, and retired them all in order. Mulcahy then made 5 starts, but failed to win any of them and was sent back to the minors and was urged to abandon his side arm delivery, and raise it to a higher angle. Mulcahy went on to earn 25 wins with Hazleton to lead the Class A New York-Penn League. That would earn him a return trip to the big leagues.

Mulcahy's time with the Phillies earned him the unique nickname of "Losing Pitcher", as he led the National League in losses twice. He never had a full season in the Majors in which he won more games than he lost. Following an 18-loss 1937 season, in 1938 Mulcahy went 10-20, to lead the league in losses. The following season, when he posted a 9-16 record, the reporters began referring to Mulcahy as "Losing Pitcher Mulcahy".

In 1940, Mulcahy lead the NL in losses again, with a 13-22 record, but he pitched better than his record might indicate as he completed 21 games and finished the season with a 3.60 ERA. He defeated the defending champion Reds three times out of five starts. In July he reeled off 5 straight wins and in late September, in his final start before leaving for military service, he defeated 9-time all star and 2-time MVP Carl Hubbell and the Giants 6-0 at the Polo Grounds. He also made the all star team that season by posting 7 of his wins by the all star break.

Mulachy would miss the next 4 seasons serving his country. When he returned to the Phillies in August 1945, he had lost considerable weight from an illness and lost his fastball as well. Despite participating as an instructor at a 3 week camp, for players returning from military service prior to spring training 1946, Mulcahy was no longer the same pitcher that he was prior to the war. He would win only 3 more games for the Phils, upon his return. He saw action in 2 games for the Pirates in 1947, and he pitched in the minors after that, until 1950.

After retiring from playing, Mulcahy would work as an instructor in the Chicago White Sox system for several years and even serve as an assistant pitching coach for Chicago during the 1970 season.

-------------------------------

Follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE !

BallHype: hype it up!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

World Series Preview: Phillies vs. Astros

By
The Fall Classic is set to get underway on Friday with the Phillies opening on the road to take on the Astros in a best-of-seven series. This year marks 75 years since the first time a World Series was televised and this year each game will be broadcast on the FOX television network.  ESPN will have the radio broadcast and that feed can be streamed by using this link . Game 1 Friday, 8:03pm Eastern....in Houston.  RHP Aaron Nola (11-13, 3.25 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (18-4, 1.75 ERA).  In 16 road starts during the regular season this year, Nola notched a 5-9 record with a 3.00 ERA.  Nola has struck out 18 and walked three in 17 1/3 innings pitched this postseason.  Earlier this month, Nola tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings at Houston.  In 15 home starts during the regular season, Verlander sported a 10-1 record with a 1.64 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP.  Verlander has a 5.68 ERA and has not recorded a win in seven career World Series starts.  Verlander has...
Post a Comment
Read more

2019 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #7 LHP JoJo Romero

By
JoJo Romero, image- Jay Floyd With a growing crop of very talented pitching prospects in the Phillies organization, left-hander JoJo Romero is certainly among the standouts. The five-foot-11 200-pounder was the Phils’ 4th round draft selection in 2016. That year he helped Yavapai College, the same school that the Phillies drafted Kenny Giles from in 2011, clinch the JuCo World Series, leading the way with an 11-5 record, a 3.64 ERA and a 10.2 K/9 mark. He also tossed a complete game gem to earn the win in their title game. After signing with the Phillies, Romero made his professional debut as a member of the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters. There, he notched a 2-2 record with a 2.56 ERA while striking out 31 and walking 11 in 45 2/3 innings. In 2017, he got off to a terrific start with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. In 13 starts, Romero tallied a 5-1 record with a 2.11 ERA and a 9.3 K/9 mark and was honored as a South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star. R...
Post a Comment
Read more

PhoulBallz Interview: RHP Ben Brown talks TJ recovery, O'Hoppe, cancelled season

By
Image- MiLB.com Out of action since last May when it was determined he required Tommy John surgery, righty pitching prospect Ben Brown is using the downtime of the pandemic hiatus to continue his physical recovery.  A 33rd round draft selection of the Phillies back in 2017, Brown made his professional debut that same year, posting a 2.57 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 10 appearances in the rookie level Gulf Coast League.  The following season, Brown began to make a name for himself in the GCL, striking out 16 batters in one July appearance.  He would post a 3.12 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 10 games (eight starts) before earning a promotion and finishing the season with a pair of outings with Class A short-season Williamsport. Brown, a Long Island, NY native, opened last year with Class A Lakewood.  In four appearances with the BlueClaws, he struck out 20, walked four and allowed no runs in 13 2/3 innings and looked well on his way to making an impact on betting odds and avai...
Post a Comment
Read more