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CREIGHTON MAKES IT TO 30 WINS FOR 1ST TIME
LEGENDARY PITCHER GOES 10 INNINGS TO BEAT AMERICAN AND REACH HISTORIC MILESTONE

BROOKLYN (Aug. 22, 1874) - During a legendary career that began in 1860, Jim Creighton has done just about everything. On Saturday he was able to cross off one of the few things he hasn’t done: earn 30 Wins in a single season.

It took ten innings of pitching, but eventually Creighton and his Excelsior teammates beat American 7-6 at their Home of Carroll Park on Saturday afternoon, with a Marcel Bresciani sacrifice sending in the run that made more history for the mighty pitcher at the end of the season's penultimate game.

Not that Creighton didn’t help himself during the contest. He was 3/4 with the bat, scoring twice and driving in two runs. The biggest hit of the day for Excelsior came from leadoff man Charles Hormel, who hit a two-run, inside-the-park Home Run in the bottom of the 4th that put the exclamation point on a four-run Excelsior rally.

After struggling as a 19-year-old greenhorn during his first season with Excelsior, starting almost immediately in year #2 Creighton became one of the sport’s premier talents, culminating in an 1868 season in which he led the New York League in Wins (29), Innings Pitched (362.2), Complete Games (35), Strikeouts (197; NBBO record), K/9 (4.9; NBBO record), K/BB Ratio (5.6), Pitching WAR (10.3; NBBO record), On-Base % (.463), OPS (.977), & Total WAR (13.6; NBBO record) while splitting time as a Pitching & First Baseman for Excelsior in the NBBO.

As far as this year goes, Creighton is almost certain to end the season as the APBL leader in Wins, Earned Run Average, and Strikeouts among all pitchers with more than 200 innings to their name. It would be the second time he’s performed such as feat, as in 1862 his 26 Wins, 2.29 ERA, & 69 Strikeouts led all NYL pitchers.

A simple look at Jim Creighton’s career pitching statistics could make a grown man weep:

In addition, Creighton has done the following as a batter:

• .340/.394/.451, .845 OPS (145 OPS+), 814 H, 152 2B, 52 3B, 3 HR, 392 RBI, 222 BB, 36 K, 22.8 WPA, 26.3 WAR

He has made thirteen All-Star Games between the NBBO & APBL, been named Most Valuable Player of his league five times, won Pitcher of the Year once (introduced in 1869), and he’s been in his league’s Team of the Year half a dozen times.

About the only thing left for Jim Creighton to accomplish is to win a championship. If he can manage that before his retirement sometime in the next 5-10 years, Creighton will leave a resumé that no pitching peer will ever be able to touch.