Charlie Buffinton began his career with the Boston Red Stockings in 1882, and in the following year, when the team renamed themselves the Beanaters, Buffinton became a star Pitcher, where he would win 20 Games each year from 1883 to 1885.  The sinkerball specialist had an incredible 1884 campaign, going 48-16 with a 2.15 ERA and finishing third overall in bWAR among pitchers.  It should also be noted that Buffinton was a good hitter, batting .255 for Boston over his career.  Boston thought Buffinton was done after a bad 1886 season, and they sold him to the Philadelphia Quakers, where he rebounded and went on to win 233 Games.

Specifically, as a Beaneater, Buffinton went 104-70 with 911 Strikeouts.

As much as we keep studying Baseball, we can’t help but be amazed by the staggering amount of innings pitched by the pre-1900 hurlers. Would they look at us with a puzzled look if we went back in time and suggested a “pitch count”?

One of those Pitchers we speak of is Charlie Buffinton, who first became a workhorse for the Boston Beaneaters. Throughout his career, Buffinton relied on a particularly effective sinkerball, fanning 1,700 batters and winning 233 games. He also finished with a career WAR of 56.1, which is another impressive career tally. Buffinton retired mid-season in 1892 at the age of 31, when he was asked to take a pay cut. Although he was having the worst season of his career (and the following season would have the mound pushed back ten feet), it is conceivable that Buffinton would have continued to add to his statistics, making him a Hall of Famer. As it stands now, he is one of many enjoying a renewed look at his career, and way back in the long line for a Veterans Committee to consider.