Hugh Daily

His nickname, "One Arm" Daily, Sometimes, after long games of having to catch baseballs this way, his stump would become sensitive – so sensitive in fact, that he once punched his catcher for not heeding his warning to throw the balls back to him softer. Daily was well known for having a bad disposition, he has been described as surly, Other sources add to that: mean, contemptuous, and uncommunicative. While this behaviour was not well liked by the baseball establishment, he was popular with the home crowds because of his verbal tirades against umpires and opposing players alike. His physical condition did not allow him many opportunities to play any other positions, so this compelled his managers to leave him in the game longer, even when his performance was declining. ==Early career==

Born in Ireland, Daily first began playing baseball professionally around the Baltimore area, often receiving more lucrative offers to play in more prominent leagues, all of which he declined, preferring to stay in the local area. His reputation, along with actions such as verbally assaulting umpires and fans, forced him to move on to other teams, which landed him in New York City playing for the Metropolitans, which was an all-professional club but had yet to join a major league; they later joined the National League in 1883. He became the team's ace pitcher, winning 38 games, including notable victories against Cap Anson's Chicago White Stockings, and most of the other top professional teams in the country at the time. ==Major league career==

Daily's performance that season caught the eye of Major League teams, and he signed with the Buffalo Bisons for the 1882 season. Although he shared starts with future Hall of Famer Pud Galvin, he was able to pitch in 29 games, winning 15 of them. He finished the season with a 23–19 win–loss record, and finished in the top ten in several pitching categories. He finished second in the league with two shutouts, fifth place with a 2.42 earned run average, seventh in strikeouts with 171, and ninth in the league in wins, games pitched, and games started. – a remarkable total, given that in 1882 and 1883 walks were issued after seven balls rather than four. For the 1884 season, he feasted on the upstart Union Association's lack of talent, pitching for the Chicago Browns (which became the Pittsburgh Stogies), and for the Washington Nationals later in the season. He finished with a 28–28 win–loss record, but did have a low 2.43 ERA, Among the season totals, he struck out 19 batters in a game, on 7 July, tying Charlie Sweeney. Unofficially, his reported 19 strikeout game was upgraded to 20 when it was discovered that one batter had struck out but reached first base when the pitch got away from the catcher. This meant that Daily did not just tie the record, but broke it instead (Roger Clemens then unofficially tied the mark in 1986 two of them back to back, which was also itself a record at the time. The record was later matched by Grover Cleveland Alexander in 1915. He joined the St. Louis Maroons of the National League, where he only pitched in 11 games, and had a record of 3 wins and 8 losses. The rest of his career included short stints with the 1886 Washington Nationals, and the 1887 Cleveland Blues of the American Association. He played his final major league game on 21 August 1887. ==Later life==

Very few facts are known about his personal life or where and when he died. In the 1910 United States census, he was recorded as living in Baltimore with two sisters and working as a clerk for a customs house. According to the 1920 United States census, he was living with his sister, and was a clerk for a hotel. His last known location was 1923 in Baltimore, living in Washington. ==See also==