Mickey Welch
| Mickey Welch | |||
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| Pitcher | |||
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Born: July 4, 1859 Brooklyn, New York |
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Died: July 30, 1941 (aged 82) Concord, New Hampshire |
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| MLB debut | |||
| May 1, 1880, for the Troy Trojans | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| May 17, 1892, for the New York Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 307-210 | ||
| Earned run average | 2.71 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,850 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Member of the National | |||
 Baseball Hall of Fame
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| Inducted | 1973 | ||
| Vote | Veterans Committee | ||
Michael Francis Welch (July 4, 1859 – July 30, 1941), nicknamed "Smiling Mickey", was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the third pitcher to accumulate 300 career victories. Welch was born in Brooklyn, New York, and played 13 seasons in the major leagues, three with the Troy Trojans, and 10 with the New York Gothams/Giants. He was very successful with an effective curveball, a change of pace, and a version of the screwball. During his 13 major league seasons, he posted 20 or more wins nine times, seven in succession.
Welch was born Michael Francis Walsh in Brooklyn, New York, to Irish immigrant parents John and Mary Walsh. He later adopted the last name Welch. The name change may have been spurred by a sportswriter's mistaken recording of the name in a box score. The new last name may have distinguished him from the high number of men in Brooklyn at the time named Michael Walsh. Off the baseball field, Welch used his birth name throughout his life.
When he was growing up in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, baseball was the popular sport among Irish children. Welch recalled that he had to learn unique baseball skills because of his small size; he depended on strong control of his pitches, a good curveball and change-of-pace, and a studious approach to opposing batters.
Welch made his major league debut in 1880, winning 34 games for the Troy Trojans. On July 6, 1880, he pitched a one-hitter against the Cleveland Blues. Welch's totals dipped during the following two seasons, when he began to split starts with Tim Keefe, who also went on to win more than 300 games. The duo would only enjoy moderate success over the course of three seasons with the Trojans, a team that never finished higher than fourth in the National League during its four-season run.
After the Trojans disbanded after the 1882 season, the New York Gothams replaced them, taking many of the Troy players, including Welch. He resumed a heavy workload in 1883, throwing 426 innings in 54 games. This time he split pitching duties with John Montgomery Ward in what turned out to be Ward's final season as a regular pitcher. In 1884, he went 39-21 with 345 strikeouts and a 2.50 ERA.
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