George McQuillan

George Watt McQuillan

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11½", Weight 175 lb.
• High School Paterson High School
• Debut May 8, 1907
• Final Game September 1, 1918
• Born May 1, 1885 in Brooklyn, NY USA
• Died March 30, 1940 in Columbus, OH USA

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Biographical Information

George McQuillan began his career by pitching 25 scoreless innings with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1907. This was the Major League record until surpassed by Brad Ziegler 101 years later. The stretch included pitching three consecutive shutouts in September. He allowed just 3 runs in 42 innings that season, for an ERA of 0.66. In 1908, he was the Phillies' undisputed ace, going 23-17 with an ERA of 1.53 in 359 2/3 innings. All three figures (wins, ERA and innings) were career bests, as were his 114 strikeouts. In June of that year, he lost three consecutive starts by a 1-0 start, something no one else has ever done. This came as part of a stretch during which he allowed just 3 runs in 48 2/3 innings, but still went just 2-3 as a chronic lack of run support was a major issue. On July 4th, he was the losing pitcher in the 10-inning no-hitter pitched by Hooks Wiltse of the New York Giants.

After his early success, he was never quite as good, but still put up an ERA of 1.60 in 24 games in 1910. Alcoholism was a problem, as he missed a lot of time and moved around over the following seasons. He was back with the Phillies when they won a pennant in 1915, having pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates in the interim, but he did not appear in the 1915 World Series, which the Phillies lost in five games to the Boston Red Sox.

Overall, his ERA in 10 major league seasons accounting for over 1,500 innings is an excellent 2.38, but he had the misfortune of having his best seasons when he pitched for mediocre teams, including the 1908 and 1910 Phillies, and the 1914 Pittsburgh Pirates, for whom he was 13-17. The fact that he pitched during the heart of the Deadball Era makes some of his ERA's appear better than they were, but he still had an ERA+ of 113 for his career.

In the minor leagues, McQuillan pitched four no-hitters.

Notable Achievements

• 15 Wins Seasons: 1 (1908)
• 20 Wins Seasons: 1 (1908)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 4 (1908, 1909, 1914 & 1915)
• 300 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (1908)

Related Sites

• George McQuillan at the SABR Bio Project