Phenomenal Smith was a pitcher for seven major league teams, 1884-1891. His record was 57-78, with an ERA of 3.87. Hardly phenomenal for the deadball era.
And, he wasn’t even a Smith. Phenomenal was born John Frances Gammon in Philadelphia on Dec. 12, 1864. He died April 3, 1952, in Manchester, N.H.
One unusual thing was the number of teams he played for in a given year:
1884: Athletics, Monumentals and Alleghenys.
1885: Trolley Dodgers and Athletics.
1888: Orioles and Athletics.
1890: Phillies and Alleghenys.
As a hitter, Gammon/Smith wasn’t too bad: .243 lifetime average, with 16 doubles, 10 triples and two home runs. He pitched in 140 games and played outfield in 11 games. Fielding, Gammon/Smith committed 44 errors, with five in the outfield. His overall fielding average was .830. He stole 17 bases.
“He reportedly received the nickname "Phenomenal" after pitching a no-hitter against Baltimore on October 3, 1885. Only two batters reached base, one on an error and one on a base on balls, and Smith picked off both runners at first base.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenal_Smith
Stats: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=smithph01
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