Peter J. Conway (October 30, 1866 – January 13, 1903) was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for five seasons with the Buffalo Bisons (1885), Kansas City Cowboys (1886), Detroit Wolverines (1886–1888), and Pittsburgh Alleghenys (1889). He won two games for Detroit in the 1887 World Series and followed in 1888 with a season record of 30 wins and 14 losses. He was also the first coach of the Michigan Wolverines baseball team in 1891 and 1892.
In his five-year career, Conway had a record of 61–61 with 117 complete games and a 3.59 earned run average. He also played 44 games as an outfielder. His career batting average was .224 with nine home runs and 60 runs batted in.
Early years
Conway was born in either 1866 or 1867 in the Burmont section of Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, a southwest suburb of Philadelphia. He was the son of Irish immigrants, Francis and Grace Conway. His father was the superintendent of a guardroom. His mother came to the United States as a child in the 1850s. Conway had three brothers, Michael (born c. 1858), James (born 1859) and Frank (born c. 1864). His older brother James Conway played Major League Baseball as a pitcher for the Brooklyn Atlantics and Philadelphia Athletics in 1884 and 1885.
Baseball player
Buffalo Bisons
Conway began pitching in Major League Baseball with the Buffalo Bisons of the National League in 1885. He made his Major League debut on August 10, 1885. He pitched a six-hit complete game victory in his debut against his hometown team, the Philadelphia Phillies. The World of New York reported on Buffalo's rookie pitcher: "The Buffalo Club tried Conway, of the local Solar Tip Club, in the box today, and he proved quite a success. The six hits obtained by the Philadelphians were scattered, two being made in the first inning and one each in the second, third, fifth and sixth. In the fourth inning, Conway struck out the side, saving a man on third base."
One day after his Major League debut, Conway pitched his second complete game victory, this time against St. Louis. Conway allowed only four hits up to the eighth inning in the game. Two days later, The New York Times took note: "Conway, Buffalo's new pitcher, is handling the ball very cleverly." Later that week, The New York Times added: "Conway, Buffalo's new pitcher, is said to be a first-class man. He appears to be doing good work."
At the end of September 1885, Conway lost a game against the Brooklyn Giants at the Polo Grounds. Although Brooklyn won the game 11–2, The New York Times again praised the effort of the young Conway: "With the exception of the second inning Conway pitched a good game, and was very effective. The support given him, however, was of the worst possible character, and allowed the local men to tally unearned runs with apparent ease."
During the 1885 season, the 18-year-old rookie appeared in 27 games and pitched 26 complete games. As his debut came on August 11, his 26 complete games were thrown over a seven-week period in August and September – a remarkable average of almost four complete games per week. Conway compiled a record of 10 wins and 17 losses for a Buffalo team that finished in seventh place (next-to-last) with a 38–74 record.
Kansas City Cowboys
After the 1885 season, the Buffalo franchise folded, and Conway signed with the Kansas City Cowboys of the National League. Again, Conway played for a team that finished the year in seventh place, as the Cowboys compiled a 30–91 record. Conway appeared in 34 games for the Cowboys, 31 as a starter, and threw 30 complete games. He compiled a record of 5 wins and 15 losses.
Detroit Wolverines
Conway was traded late in the 1886 season to the Detroit Wolverines, where he pitched 11 complete games in 1886 with a record of 6–5. On September 2, 1886, Conway defeated the Brooklyn Giants 8–2 in a game played in Detroit. The New York Times wrote that the Giants were unable "to bat the curves of young Conway, Detroit's new pitcher", adding that Conway "handled the ball in rare style, and, with the exception of Connor, completely puzzled the batters from New York."
In his first full season in Detroit, Conway played on the 1887 Detroit Wolverines team that won the National League pennant. Conway pitched 16 complete games and led the team with a 2.90 ERA, though his record was 8–9. When he defeated his hometown Phillies at Philadelphia in late August 1887, The New York Times wrote: "Conway pitched a great game of ball for Detroit to-day, holding local players down to three actual hits and giving only three bases on balls. ... The Phillies ... were seemingly dazed by the effectiveness of Conway's pitching."