Al Atkinson (baseball)

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=
bgcolor2=
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name=Al Atkinson


position=Pitcher
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=March 9 1861
city-state|Clinton|Illinois
deathdate=death date and age|1952|6|17|1861|3|9
city-state|McDonald County|Missouri
debutdate=May 1
debutyear=by|1884
debutteam=Philadelphia Athletics
finaldate=August 13
finalyear=by|1887
finalteam=Philadelphia Athletics
stat1label=Record
stat1value=51-51
stat2label=ERA
stat2value=3.96
stat3label=K
stat3value=435
teams=
*Philadelphia Athletics (by|1884), (by|1886-by|1887)
*Chicago Browns (by|1884)
*Baltimore Monumentals (by|1884)
highlights=
*May 24, 1884: Pitched no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Alleghenys
*May 1, 1886: Pitched no-hitter against the New York Metropolitans

Albert Wright Atkinson (March 9 1861 – June 17 1952) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played three seasons; one in the Union Association and parts of three seasons in the American Association. He became the first player to desert his existing contract to jump over to the Union Association. He is one of the few pitchers in Major League history to throw two no-hitters.

Career

Atkinson was born in Clinton, Illinoiscite web| title = Al Atkinson's Stats | work = retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/A/Patkia101.htm | accessdate = 2008-02-27 ] , and he began his Major League career with the Philadelphia Athletics in by|1884, pitching in 22 games, winning 11 and losing 11. Later in the season, Al jumped to the new Union Association, remaining there until season's end. With that move, Al became the first player to desert his existing contract and join the Union Association.cite web| title = 1884 Chronology | work = baseballlibrary.com | url=http://www.baseballlibrary.com/chronology/byyear.php?year=1884 | accessdate = 2008-02-27 ] He played for two teams during his time in the Union Association, a league that folded following the season. He began play with the Chicago Browns and later played for the Baltimore Monumentals and had a combined record of 20 wins and 26 losses during the 1884 season. On May 24, 1884, he pitched his first no-hitter. He tossed his gem against the Pittsburgh Alleghenys in a 10-1 victory. This no-hitter is also notable for the fact that Al allowed the first batter of the game on base with a hit by pitch and then retired the next 27 batters in a row.cite web| title = Beyond the Box Score: Almost Perfect | work = By Bill Arnold / Special to MLB.com | url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060713&content_id=1554921&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb | accessdate = 2008-02-27 ] The only run scored when Ed Swartwood, the player hit by the pitch, stole second base‚ took third base on a putout‚ and then scored on a passed ball.

He played for an independent minor league team, the Chicago Blues, during the by|1885 season,cite web| title = Ted Kennedy Biography Project Profile | work = sabr.org | url=http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=7432&bid=873 | accessdate = 2008-02-27 ] but returned the Athletics for the by|1886 season. He pitched his second no-hitter on May 1, 1886 against the New York Metropolitans in a 3-2 victory.cite web| title = List of No-hitter and Perfect Games | work = retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/nohit_chrono.htm | accessdate = 2008-02-27 ]

Post-career

After his career, he became a farmer. Al died at the age of 91 in McDonald County, Missouri, and is interred at the Macedonia Cemetery in Stella, Missouri.cite web| title = Albert Atkinson's Find-A-Grave profile | work = findagrave.com | url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GScid=29941&GRid=24012694& | accessdate = 2008-02-27 ]

ee also

* List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

References

External links

*

Persondata
NAME = Atkinson, Al
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Atkinson, Albert; Atkinson, Albert Wright
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Major League Baseball player
DATE OF BIRTH = March 9, 1961
PLACE OF BIRTH = Clinton, Illinois
DATE OF DEATH = June 17, 1952
PLACE OF DEATH = McDonald County, Missouri