Frank Killen stood at 6' 1" and was long and lean, which might not seem impressive with today's eyes, but for the 1890s, he looked like a supreme athlete.
Killen reached the highest level of Baseball in 1892 with the Washington Senators, but the highly emotional Pitcher proved hard to control, and the management of the Senators looked to deal him away, despite his high skill level. Washington traded Killen after one year to Pittsburgh, who were willing to take a chance on the temperamental southpaw.
Killen, who won 29 Games for the Senators in '92, led the National League with 36 in 1893. While Killen was still just as much of a headache as a Pirate, the Pittsburgh brass and fans were more tolerant after an injury-plagued 1894 and a horrific 1895, where he looked to be washed up.
He turned it around in 1896, healthy and just as cocky as ever. Killen led the NL in Wins (30), Complete Games (44), and Innings Pitched (432.1), and he won back the fans who had heckled him before. This was Killen's peak, as his effectiveness shrunk afterward, and he was no longer worth the hassle and was released in August of 1898.
With the Pirates, Killen had a record of 112-82.
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