[Scott Garner]

Here is a letter from George W. Bradley to Harry Wright dated 1877 requesting the opportunity to join the Philadelphia club.
George "Grin" Bradley pitched the very 1st no-hitter in NL history on 7/15/1876.
This is an extremely rare autograph, and to find a complete early letter written in his own hand is even more unlikely.
Bradley's signature is certainly the rarest in my collection of no-hit pitcher signatures.

I have never posted a picture of this letter before, but it is one of my favorite pieces of my advanced no-hitter collection.

Here is a brief bio on Grin Bradley's 1st NL no-hitter from SABRE:

"George Washington Bradley of the St. Louis Brown Stockings shut out (or, in the baseball parlance of the time, “Chicagoed”) the Hartford Dark Blues by a score of 2-0 on July 15, 1876. Aside from their being Chicagoed, the Blues also failed to get any hits in the process (although Bradley did walk two) establishing this game as the first no-hitter in the history of the recently formed National League. Bradley’s nickname, “Grin,” came from the constant smile he showed to batters as he pitched. It apparently made a striking impression. Years after he retired, an article in The Sporting News mentioned that “no one before ever had such a tantalizing smirk.”2

While being the architect of the National League’s inaugural no-hitter is Bradley’s most noted accomplishment, during that same 1876 season besides shutting out the Dark Blues, he did the same to 15 other teams – a total of 16 shutouts in the season: a record that was matched only by Grover Cleveland Alexander in 1916 (it must be those presidential names). Referring to Bradley as the “Chicago King,” baseball historian David Nemec suggested that the term may have arisen because Bradley’s first shutout victim that season was the Chicago White Stockings, who succumbed 1-0 on May 5.3 The unlikelihood that this record will ever be surpassed is underscored by the fact that since Juan Marichal threw 10 shutouts in 1965, only three pitchers have reached double figures: Bob Gibson with 13 in 1968, Jim Palmer with 10 in 1975, and John Tudor with 10 in 1985.

Bradley’s professional career extended over 15 years, including 11 seasons with nine different teams in four different major leagues – in many ways mirroring Organized Baseball’s state of flux at the time. Appearing in 347 games as a pitcher, Bradley compiled 171 victories. He played in 269 other games as a position player – mostly at third base, where his fielding skills were quite accomplished. In addition to his major-league travels, Bradley played for eight minor-league teams."


Happy Thanksgiving to everyone on net54!