Timothy John Keefe (January 1, 1857 - April 23, 1933) was a 19th century Major League Baseball pitcher noted for his longevity and record-setting strikeout totals.
Keefe entered the major leagues in 1880 with the Troy Trojans and rose to stardom in 1883 with the New York Metropolitans when he had one of the most dominating seasons in baseball's early history. He went 41-27 over 619 innings pitched with a 2.41 ERA and 361 strikeouts. In 1885 Keefe moved to the New York Giants, with whom he had arguably his greatest season in 1888, when he led the league with a 35-12 record, 1.74 ERA and 335 strikeouts (see triple crown).
Keefe moved to the Philadelphia Phillies mid-season 1891 and retired after the 1893 season. He retired with 342 wins (8th overall), a 2.62 ERA, and 2562 strikeouts. His 2562 strikeouts were a major league record at the time of his retirement. He was also the first pitcher to achieve three 300-plus strikeout seasons.
Keefe was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.
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Last updated: 10-24-2005 07:51:10
