MLB Forgotten Stars: Pud Galvin – Baseball’s First PED User
By David Hill
PEDs in baseball may seem like a relatively recent occurrence, but players have sought an edge since the game began. On this day in 1856, Pud Galvin, the first 300 game winner in MLB history, and the first PED user, was born.
Pud Galvin burst on to the scene as an 18 year old in the National Association. Pitching in the final season of the league’s history, he posted a league leading 1.16 ERA, showing that he was more than capable of shutting down the opposition. However, after the NA folded, it took four years for Galvin to return to the Majors.
He immediately cemented himself as one of the best pitchers in the MLB. He was 37-27 for the Buffalo Bisons, finishing fourth in the National League. His 593 innings were second, trailing only Will White. That performance would become a precursor for the type of pitcher Galvin would become, a steady pitcher who would throw an incredible amount of innings per year.
Galvin quickly carved a place into MLB history during his career. He became the first pitcher to throw a no hitter on the road, doing so against the Worcester Ruby Legs on August 20, 1880. His second no hitter, thrown on August 4, 1884, was notable as having the largest margin of victory in a no hitter, as he defeated the Detroit Wolverines 18-0.
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Despite not winning a pennant, Galvin did his part for Buffalo. He was 20 or more games in ten different seasons, including back to back years with 46 career victories. Galvin became the first player in MLB history to win 300 games, doing so with the Pittsburgh Alleghenys in 1888. He was also a part of the first ever contest between two 300 game winners when he faced off against Tim Keefe in 1892.
During his career, Galvin posted a 365-310 record, pitching an astonishing 6003.1 innings, the second highest total in baseball history. Known for his impeccable control, Galvin’s 1.115 walks per nine innings is the 15th best mark in baseball. He also ranks second in complete games (646), 11th in shutouts (57), and fifth in wins.
For all his career accomplishments, Galvin may best be remembered for being the first PED user in MLB history. Galvin had been suffering from a sore arm in 1889, and was not nearly the same pitcher he had been in his past, finishing the year with a 4.17 ERA and a 1.378 WHiP. Looking for a way to turn back the clock, Galvin consumed something called the Brown-Sequard elixir, a medicine made of monkey testosterone that was supposed to restore youthfulness. Galvin won the game, and the newspapers hailed the elixir as a marvel of modern medicine.
Galvin passed away in poverty in 1902, his exploits on the mound forgotten in time. He was not even considered for the Hall of Fame during the initial years, despite virtually anyone who had an impact upon the game being nominated. Finally, in 1965, 73 years after he threw his final pitch, he was inducted into the Hall.
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The first 300 game winner, Pud Galvin also proved that PEDs have been a part of baseball for far longer than anyone would have expected. Everyone was looking for an edge, and that included a sore armed pitcher in 1889.