Ed Crane

Who was Ed Crane?

Edward Nicholas Crane, nicknamed Cannonball, was an American right-handed pitcher and outfielder in Major League Baseball for eight seasons. He played for the Boston Reds, Providence Grays, Buffalo Bisons, Washington Nationals, New York Giants, New York Giants, Cincinnati Kelly's Killers, Cincinnati Reds, and Brooklyn Grooms. Crane was the first pitcher in the history of major league baseball to record 4 strikeouts in a single inning, and is one of the few players to play in four major leagues: the Union Association, the National League, the Players League, and the American Association.

Born in Boston, Cannonball Crane was a man of uncommon strength. In his prime, he was described as “a giant in physical strength and proportions.” He reportedly could throw a baseball 135 yards, farther than anyone else who played the game in his era. After his playing career ended, he died from what was officially declared an accidental overdose but was reported by others to have been a suicide.