Harry McCormick, a right-handed pitcher, is believed to be the first player from Syracuse to throw a curve ball in an organized baseball game. McCormick broke into the big leagues on May 1, 1879 with the Syracuse Stars and won his first game as a pitcher.

With the Stars, McCormick pitched 898 innings with 14 shutouts. He posted an ERA of 1.04. On July 26, 1879, McCormick became the first pitcher in the history of the three-year-old National League to win a 1-0 game.

For his career, McCormick finished with a 41-58 record, 157 strikeouts and a 2.66 ERA. He died at the age of 33 from cholera. After his death, McCormick was the first Syracuse athlete to have a street named after him, McCormick Avenue, in 1904.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1875: Plays with the Plaid Stockings of Geddes

1879: Pitches with the Syracuse Stars

1880-1984: Pitched for team in Albany, Worcester, Cincinnati, Minneapolis and Trenton. He is blacklisted from the Trenton team and repurchases his contract for $100

1885: After another brief stint with the Stars, he becomes a bridge tender on the Erie Canal

2003: Inducted into the Syracuse Baseball Wall of Fame