Daily's nickname was an exaggeration of his physical handicap. Before the start of
his major league career, he lost his left hand in a gun accident. He compensated
by fashioning a pad covering his wrist; he would trap the ball between the pad and
his good hand. He was able to play three games in the outfield, two at second base,
and one at shortstop in his major league career, and he hit as high as .214 with
six doubles in 1884.
Daily pitched well at times, especially in the beginning of
his career. For the Cleveland Spiders (NL), the surly hurler threw a 1-0 no-hitter
against Philadelphia on September 13, 1883. He was the first pitcher in ML history
to toss consecutive one-hitters, striking out 19 in the first of the pair to tie
a ML record that stood for over a century. This came in the Union Association, in
that league's only year. At the end of the season, he had struck out 483, the second-best
season total ever, although pitching conditions were to change greatly, and permanently,
within a decade. His only winning seasons came in his first two years, as he went
15-14 and 23-19, fairly ordinary marks for the time. He went 28-30 for three UA teams
in 1884 and was never again a good pitcher. He vanished from the scene after his
last year in the majors.
(SFS)
Hugh Daily
