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Like many baseball players today, Tim Keefe played for many different baseball clubs in his 14 seasons as a pro. But unlike many players today, he put up numbers that are nearly untouchable.
Tim Keefe was born in Massachusetts in 1857 and played amateur ball for a few years before signing with Troy of the National League in 1880. Keefe teamed up with Mickey Welch, a well-known rookie pitcher, and Troy’s number one starter. However, Keefe’s strong work ethic and durability earned him the top slot on the Troy staff in 1881.
In 1883, when Troy moved to New York, Keefe moved over to the rival American Association to play for the New York Metropolitans. After winning the pennant in 1884, Keefe and some of his teammates were moved back to the National League New York team (the former Troy team now known as the Giants) in 1885 by their owner, who owned both New York franchises.
Together once again, Keefe and Welch led the Giants to pennants in 1888 and 1889. In 1890, however, a players revolt led many to jump to the New York franchise in the Players League, including Keefe. An arm injury, however, held Keefe to 17 wins in 1890, and three unproductive seasons after that. He retired in 1894 to become an umpire.
Tim Keefe finished his career with 4,103 innings pitched and 342 wins (eighth best in history). 285 of those wins came in his first nine seasons, an average of nearly 32 per season. Keefe was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.
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