Jim Devlin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other persons named Jim Devlin, see Jim Devlin (disambiguation).

James Alexander Devlin (June 6, 1849 - October 10, 1883) was a baseball pitcher in the early National League of the United States. However, after admitting to throwing games and costing the Louisville Grays the pennant in 1877, he and three of his teammates were banished permanently from major league baseball.

Jim Devlin began his career in the first major league, the National Association of Professional Baseball Players, as an infielder for his hometown Philadelphia team in 1873. In 1876, the National Association folded and was replaced by the National League that lives on to this day. In this year, Devlin began pitching for the Louisville Grays, starting 68 games with an impeccable 1.56 ERA and leading the Grays in batting at .315. His best pitch was a "drop pitch," now known as a sinker, which Devlin may have been the first to throw. In 1877, Devlin pitched every inning of his team's games, the only pitcher ever to do so. Led by Devlin and slugger George Hall, the Grays had a comfortable lead in the NL's pennant race. However, the Grays suffered a horrendous road trip and endured a seven game losing streak. The losing streak was characterized by uncharacteristic "bonehead" plays and poor pitching. The Grays relinquished their lead and eventually finished second, trailing Boston by three games. Meanwhile, certain Grays were seen around town donning fancy new jewelry and ostentatiously dining at exclusively top restaurants.

At the end of the season, suspicion arose that players were being paid to intentionally lose games. This suspicion increased as the players performed very well in post-season exhibition matches and as the Louisville Courier-Journal discovered that utility infielder Al Nichols had received an abnormally high number of telegrams. Courier-Journall writer John Haldeman, who was the son of the team president and sometimes played second base in the team's exhibition games, was the first to publicly accuse the Grays of throwing games. Team vice president Charles Chase, who had earlier received but disregarded telegrams informing him that gamblers were betting against the Grays in certain games, began an investigation. Devlin and Hall confessed, and Chase demanded that his players allow him to inspect their players. Bill Craver, the team's shortstop, was the only player to deny the request, citing lack of pay. The telegrams confirmed that Nichols was coordinating the games with New York gamblers. Craver, who carried a bad reputation from his days in the National Association, was presumed guilty by association.

William Hulbert, the president of the National League, decided to make a stand against gambling. He immediately banned Devlin, Hall, Nichols, and Craver for life. Craver, against whom no evidence of gambling has ever been found, was outraged and appealed the suspension. Devlin also appealed to the League for reinstatement every year for the rest of his life. However, Hulbert remained resolute and none of the Louisville Four ever played major league baseball again. Devlin, who found work in Philadelphia as a police officer, died poor and young of tuberculosis in 1883.

He was survived by a wife and son.