John A. "Jocko" Flynn (June 30, 1864 – December 31, 1907) was an American

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player for the Chicago White Stockings who played

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

only in the 1886 season, during which the team again won the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...

championship. Flynn's 23 victories were the most ever logged by a pitcher who only pitched a single season in the major leagues.

Career

During this rookie year, Flynn developed arm problems which prevented him from appearing in the

1886 World Series The 1886 World Series was won by the St. Louis Browns (later the Cardinals) of the American Association over the Chicago White Stockings (later the Cubs) of the National League, four games to two. The series was played on six consecutive days ru ...

, a best of seven contest that was ultimately won by the

St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...

of the

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

, four games to two. Flynn's loss was painfully felt by the club, which also saw pitcher Jim McCormick go down after the second game of the series with a chronic foot ailment."Home Again: The Browns Arrive from the City by the Lake This Morning,"
''St. Louis Post-Dispatch,'' Oct. 21, 1886, pg. 8. Teams of the era typically only carried three pitchers and the loss of both Flynn and McCormick left the Chicagos with only their ace, future

Hall of Famer A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

John Clarkson John Gibson Clarkson (July 1, 1861 – February 4, 1909) was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played from 1882 to 1894. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Clarkson played for the Worcester Ruby Legs (1882), Chicago White Stocking ...

, who was forced to start four of the six contests, going the distance in three."1886 World Series,"
Baseball-Reference.com, www.baseball-reference.com/ Flynn was very small of stature, so much so that he was mistaken for the Chicago team mascot, Willie Hahn, and taunted by St. Louis fans after game 4 of the World Series."A Big Stake: What the Chicago and St. Louis Clubs Are Playing For,"
''St. Louis Post-Dispatch,'' Oct. 23, 1886, pg. 8. Flynn's arm ailment kept him from pitching again. His 23 wins is the most ever by a pitcher who pitched in only one season in the major leagues.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flynn, Jocko 1864 births 1907 deaths 19th-century baseball players Major League Baseball pitchers Chicago White Stockings players Lawrence (minor league baseball) players Meriden Maroons players Omaha Omahogs players Omaha Lambs players Oakland Greenhood & Morans players Stockton (minor league baseball) players Baseball players from Massachusetts Sportspeople from Lawrence, Massachusetts