Pete Conway
Encyclopedia
Peter J. Conway was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball
for five seasons with the Buffalo Bisons (1885), Kansas City Cowboys
(1886), Detroit Wolverines
(1886–1888), and Pittsburg Alleghenys
(1889). He won two games for Detroit in the 1887 World Series
and followed in 1888 with a season record of 30 wins and 14 losses. He was also the first coach of the Michigan Wolverines baseball
team in 1891 and 1892.
, a southwest suburb of Philadelphia. He was the son of Irish immigrants, Francis and Grace Conway. His father was the superintendent of a guardroom. His mother came to the United States as a child in the 1850s. Conway had three brothers, Michael (born c. 1858), James (born 1859) and Frank (born c. 1864). His older brother James Conway
played Major League Baseball
as a pitcher
for the Brooklyn Atlantics
and Philadelphia Athletics
in 1884 and 1885.
with the Buffalo Bisons
of the National League
in 1885. He made his Major League debut on August 10, 1885. He pitched a six-hit complete game victory in his debut against the his hometown team, the Philadelphia Phillies
. The World of New York reported on Buffalo's rookie pitcher: "The Buffalo Club tried Conway, of the local Solar Tip Club, in the box today, and he proved quite a success. The six hits obtained by the Philadelphians were scattered, two being made in the first inning and one each in the second, third, fifth and sixth. In the fourth inning, Conway struck out the side, saving a man on third base."
One day after his Major League debut, Conway pitched his second complete game victory, this time against St. Louis. Conway allowed only four hits up to the eighth inning in the game. Two days later, The New York Times
took note: "Conway, Buffalo's new pitcher, is handling the ball very cleverly." Later that week, The New York Times added: "Conway, Buffalo's new pitcher, is said to be a first-class man. He appears to be doing good work."
At the end of September 1885, Conway lost a game against the Brooklyn Giants at the Polo Grounds
. Although Brooklyn won the game 11–2, The New York Times again praised the effort of the young Conway: "With the exception of the second inning Conway pitched a good game, and was very effective. The support given him, however, was of the worst possible character, and allowed the local men to tally unearned runs with apparent ease."
During the 1885 season, the 18-year-old rookie appeared in 27 games and pitched 26 complete games. As his debut came on August 11, his 26 complete games were thrown over a seven-week period in August and September – a remarkable average of almost four complete games per week. Conway compiled a record of 10 wins and 17 losses for a Buffalo team that finished in seventh place (next-to-last) with a 38-74 record.
of the National League. Again, Conway played for a team that finished the year in seventh place, as the Cowboys compiled a 30–91 record. Conway appeared in 34 games for the Cowboys, 31 as a starter, and threw 30 complete games. He compiled a record of 5 wins and 15 losses.
Conway was traded late in the season to the Detroit Wolverines
, where he pitched 11 complete games in 1886 with a record of 6–5. On September 2, 1886, Conway defeated the Brooklyn Giants 8–2 in a game played in Detroit. The New York Times wrote that the Giants were unable "to bat the curves of young Conway, Detroit's new pitcher," adding that Conway "handled the ball in rare style, and, with the exception of Connor, completely puzzled the batters from New York."
In his first full season in Detroit, Conway played on the 1887 Detroit Wolverines
team that won the National League
pennant. Conway pitched 16 complete games and led the team with a 2.90 ERA, though his record was 8–9. When he defeated his hometown Phillies at Philadelphia in late August 1887, The New York Times wrote: "Conway pitched a great game of ball for Detroit to-day, holding local players down to three actual hits and giving only three bases on balls. ... The Phillies ... were seemingly dazed by the effectiveness of Conway's pitching."
Conway pitched four games in the 1887 World Series
against the American Association
St. Louis Browns
, winning two and losing two, as the Wolverines won the World Series 10 games to 5.
Conway had his best season in . He appeared in 45 games for Detroit and pitched 43 complete games and 391 innings. He finished the season with a record of 30 wins and 14 losses, and his winning percentage (.682) was the second highest in the National League
. It would be 80 years before another Detroit pitcher would win 30 games, when Denny McLain
did it for the Detroit Tigers
in .
, the president of the Pittsburg Alleghenys
, offered Conway a salary of $3,500 per year, but Conway refused to sign unless he was paid $4,000 per year. Conway indicated that he preferred to play for the Boston Beaneaters, where four of his Detroit teammates known as the "Big Four" (Dan Brouthers
, Hardy Richardson
, Jack Rowe
, and Deacon White
), had signed. However, Conway was told that, following the breakup of the Detroit franchise, he "had been allocated to Pittburg." After talking with Fred Dunlap
, a former teammate who had played for the Alleghenies in 1888, Conway ultimately agreed to sign a two-year contract for $3,500 per year.
During the 1889 season, Conway appeared in only three games for the Alleghenies. Though he won two of the three games, his earned run average soared to 4.91 – more than double his 1888 earned run average of 2.26. Conway appeared in his final Major League game on May 9, 1889. He was suspended without pay by the Alleghenies who claimed that he was not in condition to play. It was reported in the press that Conway had "snapped a cord in his arm," and that his "anterior detroid muscle was out of whack." The Alleghenies' suspension of Conway without pay following his injury sparked an early controversy over players' rights. In August 1889, newspaper accounts noted: "Pete Conway will be backed by the brotherhood in a suit against the Pittsburg club this fall. He was laid off without pay, but reports for duty, every day."
In September 1899, Conway was reported to be using electricity on his arm to offset the effect of the injury.
in the newly-formed Players' League. By late June, newspapers reported that he had been with the team for two months, but had not yet appeared in a game. A reporter quipped, "If he is drawing salary he is rather an expensive ornament." By the beginning of August 1890, it was reported that "Conway has not drawn a dollar from the Brooklyn club" and that he was "at his home in Philadelphia."
hired Conway as the first coach of the Michigan Wolverines baseball
team. Although Michigan had fielded a baseball team since the 1860s, the team had never engaged the services of a professional coach. H. T. Abbott, the student manager of the baseball team, attempted to hire Billy Sunday
and Charlie Bennett
, but both declined the offer. Conway accepted and became Michigan's "first official coach." Conway arrived in Ann Arbor at the beginning of April 1891 and remained through the end of May. The 1891 Wolverines finished with a 10–3 record, including victories over Harvard (4–3) and Cornell (8–6). Conway returned as Michigan's baseball coach in 1892. In two years as Michigan's baseball coach, Conway compiled a 22–9–1 record .
, a suburb of Philadelphia located approximately a mile from where he was born. His occupation was listed as mule skinner. Conway died in 1903 at age 36 in Clifton Heights.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
for five seasons with the Buffalo Bisons (1885), Kansas City Cowboys
Kansas City Cowboys (National League)
The Kansas City Cowboys were a National League that played one season, . They played at Association Park and finished with a 30-91 record. They finished in seventh place, ahead of another new team, the Washington Nationals. They were not connected to the Union Association Cowboys.The Cowboys were...
(1886), Detroit Wolverines
Detroit Wolverines
The Detroit Wolverines were a 19th century baseball team that played in the National League from 1881 to 1888 in the city of Detroit, Michigan. In total, they won 426 games and lost 437, taking their lone pennant in 1887. The team was disbanded following the 1888 season.-Franchise...
(1886–1888), and Pittsburg Alleghenys
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1889). He won two games for Detroit in the 1887 World Series
1887 World Series
The 1887 World Series was won by the Detroit Wolverines of the National League, over the St. Louis Browns of the American Association, 10 games to 5. It was played between October 10 and October 26, and played in numerous neutral cities, as well as in Detroit and St. Louis...
and followed in 1888 with a season record of 30 wins and 14 losses. He was also the first coach of the Michigan Wolverines baseball
Michigan Wolverines baseball
The Michigan Wolverines baseball team represents the University of Michigan in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Michigan athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Big Ten Conference...
team in 1891 and 1892.
Early years
Conway was born in either 1866 or 1867 in the Burmont section of Lansdowne, PennsylvaniaLansdowne, Pennsylvania
Lansdowne is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States located southwest of downtown Philadelphia. It was named for the Marquess of Lansdowne. The borough grew quickly in the early part of the twentieth century when a railroad stop was established near the intersection of...
, a southwest suburb of Philadelphia. He was the son of Irish immigrants, Francis and Grace Conway. His father was the superintendent of a guardroom. His mother came to the United States as a child in the 1850s. Conway had three brothers, Michael (born c. 1858), James (born 1859) and Frank (born c. 1864). His older brother James Conway
Jim Conway (baseball)
James P. "Jim" Conway was an American Major League Baseball player who pitched for the Brooklyn Atlantics, Philadelphia Athletics and Kansas City Cowboys, over the course of three seasons – and . His brother Pete Conway, was a major league pitcher as well, most notably for the Detroit...
played Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
as a pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Brooklyn Atlantics
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and Philadelphia Athletics
Philadelphia Athletics (American Association)
The Philadelphia Athletics were a professional baseball team, one of six charter members of the American Association, a 19th-century major league, which began play in 1882 as a rival to the National League. The other teams were the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Red Stockings, Eclipse of...
in 1884 and 1885.
Buffalo Bisons
Conway began pitching in Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
with the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in 1885. He made his Major League debut on August 10, 1885. He pitched a six-hit complete game victory in his debut against the his hometown team, the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. The World of New York reported on Buffalo's rookie pitcher: "The Buffalo Club tried Conway, of the local Solar Tip Club, in the box today, and he proved quite a success. The six hits obtained by the Philadelphians were scattered, two being made in the first inning and one each in the second, third, fifth and sixth. In the fourth inning, Conway struck out the side, saving a man on third base."
One day after his Major League debut, Conway pitched his second complete game victory, this time against St. Louis. Conway allowed only four hits up to the eighth inning in the game. Two days later, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
took note: "Conway, Buffalo's new pitcher, is handling the ball very cleverly." Later that week, The New York Times added: "Conway, Buffalo's new pitcher, is said to be a first-class man. He appears to be doing good work."
At the end of September 1885, Conway lost a game against the Brooklyn Giants at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
. Although Brooklyn won the game 11–2, The New York Times again praised the effort of the young Conway: "With the exception of the second inning Conway pitched a good game, and was very effective. The support given him, however, was of the worst possible character, and allowed the local men to tally unearned runs with apparent ease."
During the 1885 season, the 18-year-old rookie appeared in 27 games and pitched 26 complete games. As his debut came on August 11, his 26 complete games were thrown over a seven-week period in August and September – a remarkable average of almost four complete games per week. Conway compiled a record of 10 wins and 17 losses for a Buffalo team that finished in seventh place (next-to-last) with a 38-74 record.
Kansas City Cowboys
After the 1885 season, the Buffalo franchise folded, and Conway signed with the Kansas City CowboysKansas City Cowboys (National League)
The Kansas City Cowboys were a National League that played one season, . They played at Association Park and finished with a 30-91 record. They finished in seventh place, ahead of another new team, the Washington Nationals. They were not connected to the Union Association Cowboys.The Cowboys were...
of the National League. Again, Conway played for a team that finished the year in seventh place, as the Cowboys compiled a 30–91 record. Conway appeared in 34 games for the Cowboys, 31 as a starter, and threw 30 complete games. He compiled a record of 5 wins and 15 losses.
Detroit Wolverines
Detroit Wolverines
The Detroit Wolverines were a 19th century baseball team that played in the National League from 1881 to 1888 in the city of Detroit, Michigan. In total, they won 426 games and lost 437, taking their lone pennant in 1887. The team was disbanded following the 1888 season.-Franchise...
, where he pitched 11 complete games in 1886 with a record of 6–5. On September 2, 1886, Conway defeated the Brooklyn Giants 8–2 in a game played in Detroit. The New York Times wrote that the Giants were unable "to bat the curves of young Conway, Detroit's new pitcher," adding that Conway "handled the ball in rare style, and, with the exception of Connor, completely puzzled the batters from New York."
In his first full season in Detroit, Conway played on the 1887 Detroit Wolverines
1887 Detroit Wolverines season
The 1887 Detroit Wolverines season was a season in American baseball. The team won the 1887 National League pennant, then defeated the St. Louis Browns in the 1887 World Series. The season was the team's 7th since it entered the National League in 1881...
team that won the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
pennant. Conway pitched 16 complete games and led the team with a 2.90 ERA, though his record was 8–9. When he defeated his hometown Phillies at Philadelphia in late August 1887, The New York Times wrote: "Conway pitched a great game of ball for Detroit to-day, holding local players down to three actual hits and giving only three bases on balls. ... The Phillies ... were seemingly dazed by the effectiveness of Conway's pitching."
Conway pitched four games in the 1887 World Series
1887 World Series
The 1887 World Series was won by the Detroit Wolverines of the National League, over the St. Louis Browns of the American Association, 10 games to 5. It was played between October 10 and October 26, and played in numerous neutral cities, as well as in Detroit and St. Louis...
against the American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
St. Louis Browns
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, winning two and losing two, as the Wolverines won the World Series 10 games to 5.
Conway had his best season in . He appeared in 45 games for Detroit and pitched 43 complete games and 391 innings. He finished the season with a record of 30 wins and 14 losses, and his winning percentage (.682) was the second highest in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. It would be 80 years before another Detroit pitcher would win 30 games, when Denny McLain
Denny McLain
Dennis Dale "Denny" McLain is a former American professional baseball player, and the last major league pitcher to win 30 or more games during a season —a feat accomplished by only thirteen players in the 20th century....
did it for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in .
Pittsburg Alleghenies
At the end of the 1888 season, the Detroit franchise disbanded. Conway traveled to New York in November 1888 to offer his services to other clubs at a meeting of the National League. William A. NimickWilliam A. Nimick
William A. Nimick was the owner of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys/Pirates baseball team of the National League from through . In 1887, Nimick purchased the club from Denny McKnight. He sold the Pirates to William Kerr and Phil Auten in 1891.-References:*...
, the president of the Pittsburg Alleghenys
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, offered Conway a salary of $3,500 per year, but Conway refused to sign unless he was paid $4,000 per year. Conway indicated that he preferred to play for the Boston Beaneaters, where four of his Detroit teammates known as the "Big Four" (Dan Brouthers
Dan Brouthers
Dennis Joseph "Dan" Brouthers was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball whose career spanned the period from to , with a brief return in...
, Hardy Richardson
Hardy Richardson
Abram Harding "Hardy" Richardson was a second basemen and outfielder mostly, who played in the Major Leagues for a number of teams throughout the 19th century. Most of Richardson's career was with the Buffalo Bisons...
, Jack Rowe
Jack Rowe
John Charles "Jack" Rowe was an American baseball player.Rowe was born in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, in 1911. He first played baseball under Tom Loftus with the Peoria Reds in 1878. In 1879, Rowe and his brother, Dave Rowe, signed with the Rockford team in the newly formed Northwestern League...
, and Deacon White
Deacon White
James Laurie "Deacon" White was an American baseball player who was one of the principal stars during the first two decades of the sport's professional era...
), had signed. However, Conway was told that, following the breakup of the Detroit franchise, he "had been allocated to Pittburg." After talking with Fred Dunlap
Fred Dunlap
Frederick C. "Sure Shot" Dunlap was a second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball from 1880 to 1891. He was the highest paid player in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1889. He has also been rated by some contemporary and modern sources as the greatest overall second baseman of the...
, a former teammate who had played for the Alleghenies in 1888, Conway ultimately agreed to sign a two-year contract for $3,500 per year.
During the 1889 season, Conway appeared in only three games for the Alleghenies. Though he won two of the three games, his earned run average soared to 4.91 – more than double his 1888 earned run average of 2.26. Conway appeared in his final Major League game on May 9, 1889. He was suspended without pay by the Alleghenies who claimed that he was not in condition to play. It was reported in the press that Conway had "snapped a cord in his arm," and that his "anterior detroid muscle was out of whack." The Alleghenies' suspension of Conway without pay following his injury sparked an early controversy over players' rights. In August 1889, newspaper accounts noted: "Pete Conway will be backed by the brotherhood in a suit against the Pittsburg club this fall. He was laid off without pay, but reports for duty, every day."
In September 1899, Conway was reported to be using electricity on his arm to offset the effect of the injury.
Players League
In March 1890, Conway signed with the Brooklyn franchise1890 Brooklyn Ward's Wonders season
The Brooklyn Ward's Wonders baseball team was a member of the short lived Players' League. They compiled a 76-56 record, good for second place. The team was named by the press for their manager, John Montgomery Ward, who helped to organize the Players' League...
in the newly-formed Players' League. By late June, newspapers reported that he had been with the team for two months, but had not yet appeared in a game. A reporter quipped, "If he is drawing salary he is rather an expensive ornament." By the beginning of August 1890, it was reported that "Conway has not drawn a dollar from the Brooklyn club" and that he was "at his home in Philadelphia."
Career overview
In his five-year career, Conway had a record of 61–61 with 117 complete games and a 3.59 earned run average. Conway also played 44 games as an outfielder. His career batting average was .224 with nine home runs and 60 runs batted in.Baseball coach
In 1891, the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
hired Conway as the first coach of the Michigan Wolverines baseball
Michigan Wolverines baseball
The Michigan Wolverines baseball team represents the University of Michigan in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Michigan athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Big Ten Conference...
team. Although Michigan had fielded a baseball team since the 1860s, the team had never engaged the services of a professional coach. H. T. Abbott, the student manager of the baseball team, attempted to hire Billy Sunday
Billy Sunday
William Ashley "Billy" Sunday was an American athlete who, after being a popular outfielder in baseball's National League during the 1880s, became the most celebrated and influential American evangelist during the first two decades of the 20th century.Born into poverty in Iowa, Sunday spent some...
and Charlie Bennett
Charlie Bennett
Charles Wesley Bennett was a catcher in Major League Baseball.-Career overview:Born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Bennett played 15 seasons in the major leagues. He played in 1062 games, had a .340 on base percentage and collected 978 hits, 203 doubles, 67 triples, 55 home runs, and 533 RBIs...
, but both declined the offer. Conway accepted and became Michigan's "first official coach." Conway arrived in Ann Arbor at the beginning of April 1891 and remained through the end of May. The 1891 Wolverines finished with a 10–3 record, including victories over Harvard (4–3) and Cornell (8–6). Conway returned as Michigan's baseball coach in 1892. In two years as Michigan's baseball coach, Conway compiled a 22–9–1 record .
Later years and family
At the time of the 1900 U.S. Census, Conway was living with his mother (Grace, born 1840 in Ireland) and three brothers in Clifton Heights, PennsylvaniaClifton Heights, Pennsylvania
Clifton Heights is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, six miles west of downtown Philadelphia and on Darby Creek. The population was at 2,330 in 1900, and 3,155 in 1910...
, a suburb of Philadelphia located approximately a mile from where he was born. His occupation was listed as mule skinner. Conway died in 1903 at age 36 in Clifton Heights.