List of Louisville Colonels Opening Day starting pitchers
Season Pitcher Decision Final Score Opponent Location ( Stadium )
1882 Tony Mullane ( L ) 7-9 St. Louis Browns Sportsman 's Park
1883 Guy Hecker ( W ) 6-5 Columbus Buckeyes Recreation Park
1884 Guy Hecker ( 2 ) ( W ) 5-1 Toledo Blue Stockings Eclipse Park
1885 Guy Hecker ( 3 ) ( L ) 1-4 Cincinnati Reds Eclipse Park
1886 Guy Hecker ( 4 ) ( W ) 5-1 Cincinnati Reds League Park
1887 Toad Ramsey ( W ) 8-3 St. Louis Browns Eclipse Park
1888 Toad Ramsey ( 2 ) ( L ) 0-8 St. Louis Browns Sportsman 's Park
1889 John Ewing ( L ) 4-7 Kansas City Cowboys Eclipse Park
1890 ** Scott Stratton ( L ) 8-11 St. Louis Browns Eclipse Park
1891 Ed Daily ( W ) 7-6 Columbus Solons Eclipse Park
1892 Jouett Meekin ( W ) 5-2 Cleveland Spiders Eclipse Park
1893 Scott Stratton ( 2 ) ( L ) 2-4 St. Louis Browns Robison Field
1894 Jock Menefee ( W ) 10-3 Cleveland Spiders Eclipse Park
1895 Bert Inks ( W ) 11-2 Pittsburgh Pirates Eclipse Park
1896 Chick Fraser ( L ) 2-4 Chicago Colts Eclipse Park
1897 Chick Fraser ( 2 ) ( W ) 3-1 Cleveland Spiders Eclipse Park
1898 Bert Cunningham ( W ) 10-3 Pittsburgh Pirates Eclipse Park
1899 Bert Cunningham ( 2 ) ( L ) 1-15 Chicago Orphans Eclipse Park
Pitchers
Scott Stratton was the Colonels Opening Day starting pitcher in 1890 , when the franchise won its only American Association title . Bert Cunningham was the Colonels ' last Opening Day starting pitcher .
The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played from 1882 to 1899 and were based in Louisville, Kentucky. The team played in the American Association from 1882 to 1891 and in the National League from 1892 to 1899. The team was known as the Louisville Eclipse from 1882 to 1884. The Colonels used 11 Opening Day starting pitchers in their 18 years as a Major League franchise. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starter is an honor, which is often given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season, though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day. The Colonels had a record of 10 wins and 8 losses in their Opening Day games. The first game in Colonels' history was played on May 2, 1882 against the St. Louis Browns, now known as the St. Louis Cardinals. Tony Mullane was the Opening Day starting pitcher for the Colonels in that game, which the Colonels lost by a score of 9-7. The Colonels' last Opening Day game was on April 14, 1899 against the Chicago Orphans, now known as the Chicago Cubs. Bert Cunningham was the Colonels' Opening Day starting pitcher for that game, which the Colonels lost by a score of 15-1. Five pitchers made multiple Opening Day starts for the Colonels. Guy Hecker had the most Opening Day starts for the Colonels, with four, starting in every Opening Day game from 1883 through 1886.