"The old geezer" <JYOB.DeleteThis@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1184017778.948212.67760@d55g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> On Jul 9, 4:17?pm, Al Bundy <abu....DeleteThis@later.com> wrote:
> > Because during a game the pitcher throws the ball many more times than
> > anyone else and the catcher catches the ball many more times than
> > anyone else. So to give them errors would not be fair...they created
> > the passed ball and wild pitch catagories.
> >
>
> Should I believe this?????
I looked around twice now, and even though I didn't find a definitive
answer, I believe that Bundy is correct.
Fielding percentage was the historical way of judging a player's defence,
and including passed balls and wild pitches would obscure the other throwing
and fielding errors.
The all-time record for wild pitches belongs to Tony Mullane, who threw
343 in the early years of the game from 1881 to 1894. Bill Stemmyer still
holds the single-season record, throwing 63 wild pitches in 1886.
Tony Mullane
http://www.thebaseballpage.com/players/mullato01.php
"Tony Mullane was a gentleman playing the rough game of base ball in the
19th century. His regal manner and meticulously waxed handlebar mustache
earned him the nickname "The Count." Popular with female fans, Mullane was a
showman, often switching his delivery from his right-hand to his left-hand.
Working in two-man rotations in the 1880s, the Irish right-hander won 30
games in five consecutive seasons.
"Mullane was a multi-talented marvel, baseball's first ambidextrous
pitcher. He played without a glove, facing the batter with both hands on the
ball before throwing it with either one. Handsome and muscular, with a
reputation as a dandy, Mullane was also a skilled boxer, skater, and
musician."
Notes
After his playing career, Mullane was a detective in the Chicago Police
Department for several years.
Bill Stemmeyer
http://www.baseballhistorian.com/players.cfm?lookie_player=stemmbi01 >> Stay informed about: Passed Balls & Wild Pitches.... 
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