| Position | Pitcher |
|---|---|
| Birth date | August 10, 1859 |
| Birth place | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Death date | October 14, 1891 (aged 32) |
| Death place | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Bats | Switch |
| Throws | Right |
| Debutleague | MLB |
| Debutdate | May 1 |
| Debutyear | 1880 |
| Debutteam | Chicago White Stockings |
| Finalleague | MLB |
| Finaldate | May 20 |
| Finalyear | 1887 |
| Finalteam | Indianapolis Hoosiers |
| Statleague | MLB |
| Stat1label | Win–loss record |
| Stat1value | 177–89 |
| Stat2label | Earned run average |
| Stat2value | 2.36 |
| Stat3label | Strikeouts |
| Stat3value | 1,103 |
| Teams |
|
| Highlights |
|
Lawrence J. Corcoran (August 10, 1859 – October 14, 1891) was an American professional baseball player. He pitched for four different major-league teams from 1880 to 1887.
Biography
Corcoran was born in Brooklyn, New York.[1] He made his major-league debut in the 1880 season; he won 43 games and led the Chicago White Stockings (today's Chicago Cubs) to the National League championship. Cap Anson alternated him with pitcher Fred Goldsmith, giving Chicago the first true pitching rotation in professional baseball.
In 1882, Corcoran became the first pitcher to throw two no-hitters in a career.[2] Two seasons later, he became the first pitcher to throw three no-hitters, setting a record that stood until 1965, when Sandy Koufax threw his fourth no-hitter.[3]
Corcoran is credited with creating the first method of signaling pitches to his catcher, which consisted of moving a wad of chewing tobacco in his mouth to indicate what pitch would be thrown. White Stockings catcher Silver Flint, who caught bare-handed, credited Corcoran with being the toughest pitcher to catch and being responsible for several of his misshapen fingers.[4]
Naturally right-handed, Corcoran pitched four innings alternating throwing arms on June 16, 1884, due to the inflammation of his right index finger, making him a rare example of a switch pitcher.
Corcoran had a "dead arm" by 1885, and by 1887 he was out of the league.
Afflicted with Bright's disease, Corcoran died in Newark, New Jersey, at the age of 32.[1][5] He was interred in the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in East Orange.[1] His brother, Mike Corcoran, pitched in one major-league game, in 1884.[6]
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
References
- ^ "Larry Corcoran Stats". Baseball-Almanac.com. Retrieved 2006-11-15.
- ^ Cwik, Chris (2017-09-20). "The unbelievable story of Larry Corcoran, the first pitcher with three no-hitters". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
- ^ "August 19, 1880: Larry Corcoran throws first career no-hitter". Society for American Baseball Research. 2018-10-22. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
- ^ Morris, Peter (16 April 2009). Catcher: How the Man Behind the Plate Became an American Folk Hero. Government Institutes. p. 54. ISBN 978-1-61578-003-7. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
- ^ "A Famous Ball Pitcher Dead: Larry Corcoran, After a Prolonged Sickness, Succumbs to Bright's Disease". The Newark Eagle. October 15, 1891. Archived 2019-11-23 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Mike Corcoran". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2006-11-15.