Henry Porter

Walter Henry Porter

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Weight 142 lb.

• Debut September 27, 1884
• Final Game May 23, 1889
• Born June, 1858 in Vergennes, VT USA
• Died December 30, 1906 in Brockton, MA USA

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Biographical Information

Henry Porter went 33-21 in 1885 on a Brooklyn Grays team that finished under .500. The other pitchers on the team were a combined 20-38.

After his major league days he played in the minors for St. Joseph and for London.

He was one of the earliest major leaguers born in Vermont, and the only one through 2008 born in Vergennes, VT, located in northwest Vermont not far from Burlington, VT. As of 1892 he was living in southern New Jersey.

His obituary in Sporting Life called him "a crack pitcher on the old Brooklyn team", saying he first became prominent in baseball in 1880, was later with Bay City, and also Milwaukee.

"The new rule permitting a new man to be put in at the end of any even inning is certain to add to the interest of the game. . . Time and again have I seen Henry Porter pitch an invincible game for six or seven innings and then be pounded out of the box. A dozen times last season Kansas City had games won up to the eighth inning with Henry twirling, when all of a sudden he would let down and be a perfect picnic for the opposing team." - from Sporting Life's Kansas City correspondent, December 5, 1888

Notable Achievements

• 20 Wins Seasons: 2 (1885 & 1886)
• 30 Wins Seasons: 1 (1885)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 4 (1885-1888)
• 300 Innings Pitched Seasons: 4 (1885-1888)
• 400 Innings Pitched Seasons: 3 (1885, 1886 & 1888)

Related Sites

• Henry Porter at the SABR Bio Project