| Tommy Bond | |
|---|---|
 Bondc. 1877–1881 | |
| Pitcher /Right fielder | |
| Born:(1856-04-02)April 2, 1856 Granard,Ireland | |
| Died: January 24, 1941(1941-01-24) (aged 84) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 5, 1874, for the Brooklyn Atlantics | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 11, 1884, for the Indianapolis Hoosiers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 234–163 |
| Earned run average | 2.14 |
| Strikeouts | 972 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
As player
As manager | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Thomas Henry Bond (April 2, 1856 – January 24, 1941) was an Irish-bornMajor League Baseball player who was apitcher and aright fielder for a total of ten seasons. A native ofGranard, Ireland, he isthe first man born in Ireland to play Major League Baseball. Bond was also the last survivor of theNational League's first season (1876).
Tommy Bond was born on April 2, 1856, in Granard, Ireland, to an English father and Irish mother.[1] The family migrated toBrooklyn, New York, in 1862, and Tommy played amateur and semiprofessional baseball there in the early 1870s.[1]
Bond played for six teams during his career: theBrooklyn Atlantics (1874),Hartford Dark Blues (1875–1876),Boston Red Caps (1877–1881),Worcester Ruby Legs (1882),Boston Reds (1884), andIndianapolis Hoosiers (1884). He alsomanaged the Worcester team for six games.[2]
On October 20 of his rookie year, he fell one out short of what would have been major league baseball's firstno-hitter. Two years later, he was the losing pitcher in the first successful no-hitter, hurled byGeorge Bradley on July 15, 1876.[1]
During his 10-season career, he was a three-time 40-game winner, played for two National Leaguepennant-winning clubs, and regularly finished in the top ten in many pitching categories. In 1877, he was the first winner of baseball's pitchingTriple Crown, leading the NL in wins (40),earned run average (2.11), andstrikeouts (170). His career statistics include a record of 234–163, 386 complete games in 408 starts, 42shutouts, and anERA of 2.31. Bond also played 92 games in theoutfield, a few more in theinfield, and batted .238 with 174RBI and 213runs scored. Bond currently holds the third-best strikeouts per walks rate in baseball history, at a 5.0363 ratio, for pitchers who threw a minimum 1,000 innings. Bond previously held the record for over 130 years, and as of 2018 still holds the record for retired pitchers.[3]
Bond threw afastball,curveball, and by the end of his career aspitball.[1]
Bond married his wife, Louise, in 1879, and they had three children.[1]
After retirement from pro baseball, Bond worked stints as an umpire in the National League, minor leagues, and college games.[1] He also worked in his wife's family leather business and then for the city of Boston for decades.[1]
Bond received a singleHall of Fame vote from the Veterans Committee's 1936 ballot.[3]
Bond died the age of 84 in 1941 inBoston,Massachusetts, and is interred atForest Hills Cemetery.[4]
At the time of his death he had been the last living player from the 1878 season.
In theIrish Baseball League, the annual award for the best pitcher is named "The 'Tommy Bond' Best Pitcher Award."
· Baseball Reference (Minors) · Retrosheet · Baseball Almanac| Preceded by First Triple Crown Winner | National LeaguePitching Triple Crown 1877 | Succeeded by |