Edward Augustine Walsh (May 14, 1881 - May 26, 1959) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. His career ERA of 1.82, while unofficial due to statistical regulations of the time, is the lowest ever recorded.
Born in Plains, Pennsylvania , Walsh had a brief but remarkable major league career. He made his major league debut in 1904 with the Chicago White Sox and pitched his first full season in 1906, going 17-13 with a 1.88 ERA and 171 strikeouts. From this season through 1912, Walsh averaged 24 victories, 220 strikeouts and posted an ERA below 2.00 five times. He also led the league in saves five times in this span. His finest individual season came in 1908 when he went 40-15 with 269 strikeouts, 6 saves and a 1.42 ERA.
Walsh's playing time began dwindling in 1913 and he eventually bowed out of baseball in 1917. He retired with 195 wins, 126 losses and 1736 strikeouts. His career 1.82 is the lowest major league ERA ever posted, but is unofficial since ERA was not an official statistic in the American League prior to 1913.
Walsh was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.
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