Tim Keefe

<p> One of the greatest pitchers of the 19th century Tim Keefe (1857-1933) was an ardent believer in the artisan work ethic that was becoming outmoded in burgeoning industrial America. A master craftsman he compiled 342 career victories during his 14-season Major League career while adapting to numerous changes in pitching rules during the 1880s. Known as a strategic pitcher he outsmarted batters particularly with his change-of-pace pitch. He led the New York Giants to the National League pennant in 1888 and 1889 establishing a Major League record with 19 consecutive pitching victories in 1888.</p><p> He taught pitching as a college baseball coach wrote several articles about his craft and established a sporting goods firm where he manufactured a baseball of his own design. He was a proponent for players' rights as the secretary of the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players which formed the ill-fated Players' League in 1890. This first-ever biography of Keefe covers the career of the 1964 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee.</p>