Tim Keefe
Inducted:
1964
Player Details
5-10, 185lb (178cm, 83kg)
Born:
January 1, 1857
Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died:
April 23, 1933
Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Position:
Pitcher
College:
NA
Timothy John “Sir Timothy” Keefe was one of 19th-century baseball’s greatest pitchers. He dominated from 1880 to 1893, posting 342 career wins, a 2.62 ERA, and 2,564 strikeouts over 5,049 ⅔ innings pitched. In 1888 he won the pitching Triple Crown—leading the league in wins (35), strikeouts (335), and ERA (1.74)—while also recording a then‑record streak of 19 straight wins.
He threw at least 30 games in six consecutive seasons and twice won 41 games in a single year. Keefe threw from evolving distances during his career and pioneered overhand delivery. He retired among MLB’s all‑time leaders and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.
Keefe's Awards and Records
- Triple Crown (1888)
- 2× NL wins leader (1886, 1888)
- 3× NL ERA leader (1880, 1885, 1888)
- NL strikeout leader (1888)
- MLB record 0.86 ERA, single season
MLB Records
- 342 career wins – ranks among the top 10 all-time
- Pitching Triple Crown winner
- Set a record with 19 consecutive wins in a single season (1888)
- Six straight 30-win seasons
- Led the league in ERA twice
- Pitched over 5,000 career innings
MLB Teams:
Troy Trojans (1880–1882)
New York Metropolitans (1883–1884)
New York Giants (1885–1889)
New York Giants (PL) (1890)
New York Giants (1891)
Philadelphia Phillies (1891–1893)
MLB Stats
Seasons played:
14 (1880–1893)
Win–loss record:
342 – 225
Earned run average (ERA):
2.62
Innings pitched:
5,049 ⅔
Strikeouts:
2,564
Games pitched / Games started:
600 / 594
Complete games:
554
Shutouts:
39
WHIP:
1.12