Shaw had an unusual windmill delivery and claimed to have been the first pitcher to use a wind-up before throwing the ball. Some attributed his success in striking out batters to his confusing delivery. He once struck out the great slugger, Orator Shafer, five times in a single game, and in 1884, he struck out 451 batters, a total that remains the fourth highest total in major league history. He also holds the major league record for the most strikeouts, 18, in a game as the losing pitcher. He also pitched a no-hitter on October 7, 1885, though the game has not qualified as an official no-hitter since 1991 because it lasted only five innings.\n', '

Shaw was born in 1859 in the Charlestown section of Boston. Before playing professional baseball, he played first base for an amateur baseball team in Charlestown. His teammates on the Charlestown team included Thomas Shea, who later became a famous ragtime composer, John Clarkson, who was later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and Mertie Hackett.\n', '

\n', 'Shaw claimed to have been "the first pitcher to wind up preparatory to delivering the ball." Alfred Henry Spink, founder of The Sporting News, described Shaw\'s wind-up as follows:"

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