Ed Crane | |
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![]() 1887 Old Judge baseball card of Crane | |
Pitcher / Outfielder | |
Born: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | May 27, 1862|
Died: September 20, 1896 Rochester, New York, U.S. | (aged 34)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 17, 1884, for the Boston Reds | |
Last MLB appearance | |
July 19, 1893, for the Brooklyn Grooms | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 72–96 |
Earned run average | 3.80 |
Strikeouts | 720 |
Stats at Baseball Reference | |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Edward Nicholas Crane (May 27, 1862 – September 20, 1896), nicknamed Cannonball, was an American right-handed pitcher and outfielder in Major League Baseball for eight seasons. He played for the Boston Reds (1884), Providence Grays (1885), Buffalo Bisons (1885), Washington Nationals (1886), New York Giants (NL) (1888–89, 1892–93), New York Giants (PL) (1890), Cincinnati Kelly's Killers (1891), Cincinnati Reds (1891), and Brooklyn Grooms (1893). Crane was the first pitcher in the history of major league baseball to record 4 strikeouts in a single inning (New York Giants, 1888), and is one of the few players to play in four major leagues: the Union Association, the National League, the Players' League, and the American Association.
Born in Boston, Cannonball Crane was a man of uncommon strength. In his prime, he was described as "a giant in physical strength and proportions."[1] He reportedly could throw a baseball 135 yards, farther than anyone else who played the game in his era.[1] After his playing career ended, he died from what was officially declared an accidental overdose but was reported by others to have been a suicide.