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{{Short description|American baseball player and manager (1881–1959)}}
{{Other people|Ed Walsh}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Ed Walsh
|image=Ed Walsh portrait 1911.jpg
|image_size=275px
|caption=Walsh with the Chicago White Sox in 1911
|position=[[Pitcher]] / [[Manager (baseball)|Manager]]
|birth_date={{birth date|1881|5|14}}
|birth_place=[[Plains Township, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1959|5|26|1881|5|14}}
|death_place=[[Pompano Beach, Florida]], U.S.
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=May 7
|debutyear=1904
|debutteam=Chicago White Sox
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 11
|finalyear=1917
|finalteam=Boston Braves
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=195–126
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=1.82
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=1,736
|teams=
'''As player'''
* [[Chicago White Sox]] ({{mlby|1904}}–{{mlby|1916}})
* [[History of the Boston Braves|Boston Braves]] ({{mlby|1917}})
'''As manager'''
* [[Chicago White Sox]] ({{mlby|1924}})
|highlights=
* [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1906}})
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders|AL wins leader]] (1908)
* 2× [[List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders|AL ERA leader]] (1907, 1910)
* 2× [[List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders|AL strikeout leader]] (1908, 1911)
* [[List of Major League Baseball career records#Pitching records (1876–present)|MLB record]] 1.82 career ERA
* Pitched a [[no-hitter]] on August 27, 1911
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate = [[1946 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1946]]
|hofmethod = Old-Timers Committee
}}
'''Edward Augustine Walsh''' (May 14, 1881 – May 26, 1959) was an American [[pitcher]] and [[manager (baseball)|manager]] in [[Major League Baseball]], nicknamed "'''Big Ed'''". From 1906 to 1912 he was one of the best pitchers in baseball. Walsh holds the record for lowest career [[earned run average]], 1.82.<ref name="coffey26-33">Coffey (2004), pp. 26–33.</ref> He is one of two modern (post-1901) pitchers to win 40 or more games in a single season, and the last pitcher to do so. He is the last pitcher from any team to throw more than 400 innings in a single season, a feat he accomplished in 1907 and 1908. Though injuries shortened his career, he was inducted into the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] in [[1946 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1946]].

==Early life==
Walsh was born in [[Plains Township, Pennsylvania]], to Michael and Jane Walsh. He worked in the Luzerne County coal mines when he was young. Walsh started his professional baseball career with the 1902 [[Meriden Silverites]] of the [[Connecticut State League]].<ref name=NEPA>{{cite web|title=NEPA players in Major League Baseball history|date=October 27, 2009 |url=http://thetimes-tribune.com/sports/nepa-players-in-major-league-baseball-history-1.371011|publisher=[[The Times-Tribune (Scranton)|The Times-Tribune]]|access-date=November 21, 2014}}</ref> After playing the 1903 season with the Meriden Silverites and [[Newark Sailors]] of the Eastern League, the [[Chicago White Sox]] purchased Walsh's contract for $750 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|750|1903}}}} in today's dollars).<ref>Schimler, Stuart. [https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/3a0e7935 "Big Ed Walsh"]. sabr.org. Retrieved August 4, 2017.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/big-ed-walsh/|title=Big Ed Walsh – Society for American Baseball Research}}</ref>

==MLB career==

===Peak years===
Walsh made his major league debut in 1904 with the Chicago White Sox and pitched his first full season in 1906, going 17–13 with a 1.88 ERA and 171&nbsp;[[strikeout]]s.<ref name="kashatus84">Kashatus (2002), p. 84.</ref> In Game Three of [[1906 World Series|that year's World Series]], which the White Sox won over the [[Chicago Cubs]] in six games, Walsh struck out a then-World Series record 12 batters. He also struck out at least one batter each inning of that game; this feat has since been duplicated twice, once by [[Bob Gibson]] in the [[1968 World Series]] opener and the other time by [[Trey Yesavage]] in Game 5 of the [[2025 World Series]]. From this season through 1912, Walsh averaged 24 [[Win–loss record (pitching)|victories]] and 220 strikeouts and posted an ERA below 2.00 five times. He also led the league in [[Save (baseball)|saves]] five times in this span. His finest individual season came in 1908 when he went 40–15 with 269 strikeouts, 6 saves and a 1.42 ERA,<ref name="kashatus84-85">Kashatus (2002), pp. 84–85.</ref> leading the [[American League]] in wins and strikeouts.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/walshed01.shtml "Ed Walsh Stats"]. baseball-reference.com. Retrieved August 4, 2017.</ref> In 1910, he posted the lowest ERA (1.27) for a pitcher with at least 20 starts and a losing record. Walsh also set an American League record by pitching 464 innings in a season. On August 27, 1911, Walsh [[no-hitter|no-hit]] the [[Boston Red Sox]] 5–0.
[[File:Ed Walsh portrait.png|thumb|Ed Walsh portrait]]

Interviewed for the 1966 book ''[[The Glory of Their Times]]'', Hall of Famer [[Sam Crawford]] referred to Walsh's use of a pitch that was later outlawed: "Big Ed Walsh. Great big, strong, good-looking fellow. He threw a [[spitball]]. I think that ball disintegrated on the way to the plate, and the catcher put it back together again. I swear, when it went past the plate, it was just the spit went by".<ref name="kashatus83-84">Kashatus (2002), pp. 83–84.</ref>

In 1910, the White Sox opened White Sox Park, which was soon nicknamed [[Comiskey Park]] by the press in honor of team owner [[Charles Comiskey]]. The name was officially changed to Comiskey Park in 1913. An apocryphal story goes that architect [[Zachary Taylor Davis]] consulted Walsh in setting the park's field dimensions. Choosing a design that favored himself and other White Sox pitchers, rather than hitters, Walsh made Comiskey Park a "pitcher's park" for its entire 80-year history.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.whatifsports.com/mlb-l/ballparks.asp?lid=1|title=SimLeague Baseball Ballpark Effects|website=www.whatifsports.com}}</ref>

===Later career===
[[File:Ed Walsh pitching.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Walsh pitching for the White Sox c. 1911]]
Walsh was a workhorse who pitched an average of 375 innings annually during the six seasons of 1907 through 1912. After the 1912 season, Walsh reportedly requested a full year off to rest his arm.<ref name="kashatus85">Kashatus (2002), p. 85.</ref> Nevertheless, he showed up for spring training the following season, contending, "The White Sox needed me—implored me to return—so I did".<ref name="kashatus85"/> Walsh [[inherited runners|inherited]] 24 runners in 1912 and allowed none of them to score, setting a Major League record that stands {{as of|2023}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Player Pitching Season & Career Stats Finder - Baseball |url=https://stathead.com/tiny/ZVBoh |website=Stathead.com |publisher=[[Sports Reference]] |access-date=26 April 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

Walsh's playing time began dwindling in 1913.<ref name="kashatus85"/> It has been claimed that he came into spring training in poorer physical shape than other members of the White Sox pitching staff, and his pride led him to try to keep up with the other pitchers in terms of pitch speed before getting into adequate shape, thereby causing damage to his pitching arm. "I could feel the muscles grind and wrench during the game, and it seemed to me my arm would leap out of my socket when I shot the ball across the plate", Walsh later recalled. "My arm would keep me awake till morning with a pain I had never known before".<ref name="kashatus85"/> He pitched only 16 games during the 1913 season, and a meager 13 games over the next three years.<ref name="kashatus85"/>

By 1916, Walsh's arm was dead. He wanted a year off, but Charles Comiskey released him instead.<ref name="The Ballplayers"/> He attempted a comeback with the [[History of the Boston Braves|Boston Braves]] in 1917, but was let go, ending his major league career.<ref name="The Ballplayers">{{cite web|url=https://baseballbiography.com/ed-walsh-1881|title=The Ballplayers&nbsp;– Ed Walsh|work=baseballbiography.com|access-date=2009-06-04|df=mdy-all}}</ref> He later did some pitching in the [[Eastern League (1916)|Eastern League]], and gave umpiring a try (he umpired 87 American League games during the 1922 season), after which he was a coach for the White Sox for several seasons (1923–1924, 1928–1929).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/W/Pwalse101.htm |title=Ed Walsh |website=[[Retrosheet]] |access-date=August 26, 2017}}</ref>

Walsh retired with 195 wins, 126 losses,<ref name="kashatus85"/> and 1736 strikeouts. His career ERA of 1.82 is the lowest major league ERA ever posted.<ref name="kashatus85"/> He has the third-lowest career [[Walks plus hits per inning pitched|WHIP]] in MLB history (1.00) and the lowest ever for someone with 10 or more seasons pitched.

As a hitter, Walsh posted a .194 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] (210-for-1,085) with 92 [[run (baseball)|runs]], 3 [[home runs]], 68 [[Run batted in|RBI]], 14 [[stolen bases]] and 46 [[bases on balls]].

==Managerial record==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="5"|Regular season !! colspan="4"|Postseason
|-
!Games!!Won!!Lost!!Win %!!Finish!! Won !! Lost !! Win % !! Result
|-
|-
![[1924 Chicago White Sox season|CWS]]|| {{mlby|1924}}
||3||{{WinLossPct|1|2}}|| interim || – || – || – || –
|-
! colspan="2"|Total ||3||{{WinLossPct|1|2}}|| || {{WinLossPct|0|0}} || 
|}

==Later life and legacy==
Walsh was inducted into the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] in [[1946 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1946]].<ref name="The Ballplayers"/> He died on May 26, 1959, 12 days after his 78th birthday.

In 1999, Walsh was ranked number 82 on ''[[The Sporting News]]''' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/lisn100.shtml|title=100 Greatest Baseball Players by The Sporting News : A Legendary List by Baseball Almanac|website=www.baseball-almanac.com}}</ref> and was nominated as a finalist for the [[Major League Baseball All-Century Team]]. In 2011, he was inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame.<ref>[http://www.irishbaseballhall.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48:bios-of-the-inductees&catid=37:about-the-hall&Itemid=54 Bios Of The Inductees] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140504204904/http://www.irishbaseballhall.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48%3Abios-of-the-inductees&catid=37%3Aabout-the-hall&Itemid=54 |date=May 4, 2014 }}. Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame website. Retrieved 2014-02-23.</ref>

Walsh's son [[Ed Walsh Jr.]] played for the White Sox from 1928 to 1932.<ref name=retrowalsh>{{cite web|title=Ed Walsh|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/W/Pwalse101.htm|work=retrosheet.org|publisher=Retrosheet, Inc|access-date=August 12, 2013}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}
{{div col}}
* [[List of Major League Baseball no-hitters]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders]]
* [[Major League Baseball titles leaders]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Coffey, Michael (2004). ''27 Men Out: Baseball's Perfect Games''. New York: Atria Books. {{ISBN|0-7434-4606-2}}.
* Kashatus, William C. (2002). ''Diamonds in the Coalfields: 21 Remarkable Baseball Players, Managers, and Umpires from Northeast Pennsylvania''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-1176-4}}.
*Smiles, Jack. (2007) ''Big Ed Walsh: The Life of a Spitballing Hall of Famer'' Jefferson, NC: McFarland.

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{Baseball Hall of Fame profile|walsh-ed}}
*{{baseballstats|mlb=123878|espn=|br=w/walshed01|fangraphs=1013570|brm=walsh-002edw|retro=W/Pwalse101}}
*{{baseball-reference manager|walshed01}}
*{{SABR Baseball Biography Project|3a0e7935}}
*{{find a Grave}}
:

{{S-start|header={{S-ach}}}}
{{Succession box|title=[[List of Major League Baseball no-hitters|No-hitter pitcher]]|before=[[Smoky Joe Wood]]|years=August 27, 1911|after=[[George Mullin (baseball)|George Mullin]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Chicago White Sox managers}}
{{Chicago White Sox HOF}}
{{Chicago White Sox Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{1906 Chicago White Sox}}
{{AL wins champions}}
{{AL ERA champions}}
{{AL strikeout champions}}
{{1946 Baseball HOF}}
{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, Ed}}
[[Category:1881 births]]
[[Category:1959 deaths]]
[[Category:American League ERA champions]]
[[Category:American League strikeout champions]]
[[Category:American League wins champions]]
[[Category:American people of Welsh descent]]
[[Category:Bridgeport Americans players]]
[[Category:Chicago White Sox coaches]]
[[Category:Chicago White Sox managers]]
[[Category:Chicago White Sox players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Meriden Silverites players]]
[[Category:Milwaukee Brewers (minor league) players]]
[[Category:Minor league baseball managers]]
[[Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Newark Sailors players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Pompano Beach, Florida]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Broward County, Florida]]
[[Category:Wilkes-Barre/Mount Carmel players]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]