Prior to his arrival to Boston John Clarkson was considered one of the best Pitchers in the National League.  With the Chicago White Stockings (which would later be named the Chicago Cubs), he had twice finished first in Wins (1885 & 1887) and was thought of as an elite Pitcher.  The Boston Beaneaters sure thought so and they purchased him from Chicago for $10,000, which was a fortune in 1888!  This proved to be a decent choice, and Clarkson had a good 1888 with a 33 Win season (2^nd overall) but exploded the following season with what has to be considered one of the greatest seasons in franchise history.