McBride’s playing resume extends to the Civil War, with amateur teams around the Philadelphia area, which was his hometown.
In 1871 he joined the Philadelphia Athletics and posted an 18-5 record with a league-leading .783 winning percentage in the league’s first year of play.
Over the course of the league’s existence, McBride would ace the staff and post a record of 149-74 with a nice 2.71 earned run average, all for the Athletics, for whom he also managed.
When the league folded and the National League was born, McBride signed with the Boston team, but would only see four games of action. Going 0-4 with a 2.73 E.R.A.
I don’t know why his career abruptly ended the way it did, but at the age of 29 his career came to an end, finishing with a 149-78 record, along with a 2.71 E.R.A. and 10 shutouts in 237 career starts, 227 of which he completed.