In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here's a list of Major League Baseball's top 10 winningest McPitchers:
1. Jim McCormick - 265 wins
The chunky, mustachioed Glasgow-born McCormick was the first Scotsman in Major League history. He held the record of winningest non-American born pitcher until Fergie Jenkins (then Bert Blyleven). His 1880 season leaps off the page; 45 wins, 1.85 ERA in 657.2 innings...although all this was achieved with underhanded tactics, literally. The overhand pitch was not allowed until 1884.
2. Joe McGinnity - 246 wins
Nicknamed "Iron Man," because of his offseason work in an iron foundry, a quick scan of his inning totals justifies the nickname from his moundwork alone. With a bewildering array of overhand, sidearm, and underhanded deliveries (including his underhanded curve he called "Old Sal"), McGinnity's trademark feat of durability was his 434.0 innings in 1903, including a 6-0 record from pitching both games of three separate doubleheaders in August of that season.
3. Dave McNally - 184 wins
Well known for: being part of 4x20 win rotation on the 1971 Orioles, playing out option year of 1975 to challenge the reserve clause.
MLB
Not as well known for: being the all-time winningest Montana-born pitcher (143 wins more than the next highest total).
4. Sadie McMahon - 173 wins
The ace of the juggernaut Baltimore Orioles teams of the early 1890's, McMahon formed what was called "the Dumpling Battery" with catcher Wilbert Robinson due to their unathletic physiques. Another case of a brief, bright 19th century pitching career curtailed at an early age due to injury (in this case, shoulder).
5. Dick McBride - 149 wins
McBride's peak seems to have been before the creation of any organized professional leagues; he was given time off from Civil War duty to pitch an important game for a Philadelphia team. Only Albert Goodwill Spalding (204) had more wins in the brief history of the National Association; the predecessor of the National League. He had otherworldly mutton chops.
6. Lindy McDaniel - 141 wins
119 of those wins were as a reliever, and that is second only to Hoyt Wilhelm (124) in Major League annals.
6. Sam McDowell - 141 wins
The best fireballer in the American League prior to Nolan Ryan's arrival, "Sudden Sam" posted 1652 whiffs from 1965-70, topping Bob Gibson's next best ML total by 199 despite over 100 fewer innings. Unfortunately, poor conditioning led to his decline, and by the time he was dealt to the Giants for Gaylord Perry, McDowell was nearly done while Perry had 180 wins and two Cy Young Awards left in the tank.
8. Scott McGregor - 138 wins
Solid career, entirely with the Orioles. Career year of 20-8 came in 1980...when teammate Steve Stone topped him with a Cy Young season of 25-7, but McGregor recorded four shutouts to Stone's one and posted a better WHIP (1.238 to 1.297) with neck-and-neck ERA's (3.32 for McGregor; 3.23 for Stone)
9. Mike McCormick - 134 wins
McCormick won the NL Cy Young Award back when it was more appropriately called "The Pitcher With the Most Wins Award." In 1967, his award-winning season, McCormick's 118 ERA was tied for 13th. Phil Niekro had a league-leading 1.87 ERA (of course assisted by the knuckleball-induced unearned runs) with an 11-9 record, but that's another discussion for another day.
10. Danny MacFayden - 132 wins
The leader among MacPitchers (or else Denny McLain's 131 would be No. 10), the bespectacled "Deacon Danny" hung around the Majors for 17 seasons, finishing up at 27 games under .500 for his career. Amazingly, as bad as his 2.65 career strikeout rate was, Ted Lyons was able to etch a plaque in Cooperstown with a lower one (2.32).
Bonus postscript:
The all-time wins leader actually born in Ireland is Tony Mullane, who would top this list with 284 had his name begun with Mc. Mullane was nicknamed "the Apollo of the Box" due to his good looks, was an ambidextrous hurler long before Greg Harris (longer still before Pat Venditte), and due to bigotry refused to acknowledge Fleet Walker's (credited as baseball's true first African American player) signals when the two were batterymates with Toledo (which was a Major League town with the American Association) in 1884.
For those who were wondering...Jack McDowell is 12th with 127 wins.