MLB Pre-History: Remembering Jim Creighton

Just because the MLB, in its earliest form, did not exist until 1870, that does not mean that professional baseball failed to exist until then. In fact, one of the brightest stars from those early days, Jim Creighton, was born on this day in 1840.

even before the formation of the MLB, in any of its incarnations, baseball was a popular sport. Town leagues were virtually everywhere, and bragging rights were on the line. Eventually, professional teams began to form, with the Cincinnati Reds becoming the first to exist.

As professional teams began to appear around the country, New York City became a hotbed for baseball. With the similarities between early baseball and cricket, the top cricket players were recruited to join these professional teams. One of those was a young pitcher named Jim Creighton, who, despite being a teenager, quickly became one of the top pitchers of his time.

Becoming a professional baseball player in 1859 at the age of 18, Creighton spent his entire career in Brooklyn. He originally played for the Niagaras, he moved on to the Stars before being recruited to join the Excelsiors. Creighton spent the rest of his career there, where he became known as one of the top pitchers of his time.

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Pitching in an era where batters could request a pitch in a specific location, Creighton was able to limit scoring unlike any other hurler. At a time when runs were frequently scored in bunches, he was able to hold opponents to under 7.2 runs per game, a record for that time.

Unfortunately, despite his young age, he was unable to become a part of the MLB. At age 21, and nine years before the National Association came into being, Creighton was struck down due to an injury he received on the diamond. While swinging the bat, he twisted his upper body with such violence that he suffered ruptured abdominal hernia while hitting a home run. After four days of severe bleeding and agony, Creighton died at his home.

It makes one wonder what would have been had Creighton survived. He would have just entered his 30s in the early days of the MLB, and could have had a few years of stardom. Instead, he will be remembered as one of the greats in the prehistoric era of the game, literally giving everything he had to the game.

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Jim Creighton was one of the early stars in very beginning of the game. Unfortunately, he never had a chance to show what he could have done in a Major League setting.