MLB Forgotten Greats: Remembering Charlie Buffinton
One of the greatest pitchers of the 1880s, Charlie Buffinton is one of the best 19th century pitchers that is not in the MLB Hall of Fame. On the 156th anniversary of his birth, let’s take a look back at his career.
To be called the Christy Mathewson of any era is high praise indeed. Mathewson, according to the metrics devised by Bill James, is considered to be the greatest pitcher in MLB history, ranking first on the Hall of Fame standards test for pitching. That praise was bestowed by The Sporting News in honor of Charlie Buffinton, who was one of the top pitchers of the 1880s.
One of the top players from the time when Fall River, Massachusetts was the hotbed of baseball in the nation, Buffinton was a star with the early incarnations of the Philadelphia Phillies (Quakers) and the Boston Braves (Beaneaters). In his eleven year career, he won 20 or more games seven times, including his 48 victories in 1884. Yet, he never led the league in victories at any point in his career, finishing second twice.
Buffinton was also a strikeout artist during a time when contact hitting was the norm. Utilizing a devastating sinker, Buffinton averaged 0.51 strikeouts per inning, trailing only noted fireballer Amos Rusie during the 1800s. Overall, he posted a 233-152 record, with a 2.96 ERA and a 1.234 WHiP. In his 3404 innings, Buffinton struck out exactly 1700 batters against 856 walks.
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As solid as those numbers were, they could have been even better. Buffinton retired from the game midway through the 1892 season despite being just 31 years old, when the owner of the Baltimore Orioles asked him to take a pay cut. He was in the midst of the worst season of his career, but it was certainly possible that he would have had a few more solid seasons left in his right arm.
Despite those strong numbers, Buffinton has had absolutely no support for the Hall of Fame. His name did not even appear on an early ballot, which is surprising given his stature in the early days of the game. Buffinton’s name is one of the 200 players nominated by the Historical Overview Committee of the Hall of Fame as being worthy of consideration, but he has yet to be included in the votes.
Going back over the most similar players to Buffinton in MLB history, it is a surprise that he has not generated more support. Each of the six most similar players, as determined by Baseball Reference’s similarity scores, have been enshrined. That list includes names such as Carl Hubbell and Joe McGinnity, two pitchers who were absolutely dominant in their times. Two other pitchers on Buffinton’s top ten, Silver King and Kevin Brown, have strong cases of their own.
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One of the top pitchers of the 1800s, Charlie Buffinton’s career deserves more attention than it has received. Perhaps some day, he will get his due, and be induced in the MLB Hall of Fame.