Today,
in what will probably be the last entry in this long-running thread, I
offer up a “1876 Founders” card as part of an imagined 1976 sub-set for
12-year professional Jack Manning, who started his career as a
19-year-old in 1873 in the National Association, straight through the
early years of the Majors:
Primarily a right fielder throughout his career, Manning was the third
player in Major League history to hit three home runs in a single game
when he accomplished the feat on October 9th, 1884 when his Philadelphia
club played the Chicago White Stockings at Lakeshore Park, a
hitter-friendly ballpark that also had the previous two players (Cap
Anson and Ned Williamson) also hit their three homers there as well.
Over his 12 professional seasons, Manning hit .263 with 922 hits over
3505 at-bats in 833 games, playing for eight teams in three leagues
between 1873 and 1886.
I
can’t believe it’s already been two years since I last added to my 1976
sub-set “Founders of the Game”, so today I’ll add former player,
baseball organizer and sports writer Tim Murnane to the set:
Murnane truly was a baseball pioneer, beginning as a player during the
pre-professional days in the Northeast, then on to the National
Association years between 1871-1875, then on to the the first few
seasons of Major League ball beginning in 1876.
Though never a full-time player, Murnane was a man of many interests in
the game besides actually playing, evidenced by his eventual position as
President of the New England League and Eastern League Minor League
systems before moving on to a more well-known career of 30 years as a
sportswriter and baseball editor at the Boston Globe.
Truly a man of many talents, he’s one of the early figures of the game
that need to be read up on for what they helped create, a sport that
still thrives 150+ years later. Just astounding and I’m sure he’d be
thrilled, maybe even a bit surprised as to what the game looks like
today.
The
next card in the “Founders” series is an interesting figure in early
Major League history, “slugger” Charley Jones, once the all-time home
run king after the first nine years of big league play:
Jones was the first player in Major League history to club two homers in
the same inning, doing so on June 10, 1880 when his Boston Red
Stockings club pummeled the Buffalo Bison 19-3, with both homers coming
off of aptly named Tom Poorman.
A popular player in his time, he led the National League in home runs
and RBI’s in 1879 with 9 and 62 respectively, and would lead the
Cincinnati Red Stockings of the American Association with 80 ribbies three years later after missing the 1881 & 1882 seasons when he was black-listed for playing with independent teams.
Between his 1st season as a pro player in 1875 and his final season in
1888, he finished with 56 homers and a very respectable .298 batting
average in just under 900 games, collecting 1114 hits in 3738 at-bats.
An interesting aside in Jones’ story was the fact that his death was a
mystery for just over 100 years until SABR members in 2012, finally
found out that he died in New York City’s Bellevue Hospital on June 6th,
1911 after some illness.
The
next “founding” player of professional baseball is Charlie Gould, the
only Cincinnati-born player who was on the famed 1869 Red Stockings team
who went undefeated over 84 games and was credited as being the first
fully professional team put together:
Gould actually began his baseball career in 1863 with a local club, the
“Buckeyes”, for whom he’d play through the 1867 before “jumping” to the
Red Stocking to assume their first base position the following year.
He’d be a Red Stocking for three seasons, spanning their winning
campaigns against all comers, before moving on to the Boston Red
Stockings with his Cincinnati teammates in the newly formed National
Association.
By then he was considered one of the better defensive players in the
game, a game that was still a bare-handed sport, a reputation that
stayed with him through his playing days well in the Major Leagues when
formed in 1876.
He’d end up playing the first two seasons of the new professional
league, finishing up his playing career in 1877 after only 24 games
played for the Reds, by then a second-division team far from their glory
days.
All in all, he finished a six-year pro career, and a 15-year organized
career well-regarded and part of some big-time history for the
burgeoning sport before becoming a police officer in Cincinnati, passing
away at the age of 69 in 1917.
Here’s the next “Founders” card in the long-running series of mine, this one of former Boston Red Stocking John Morrill:
A man who every position during the course of his 15-year career, he was
predominantly a first baseman, playing all but one season for Boston,
including his final season in the Players League in 1890 playing for the
Boston Reds.
Playing his 1st pro season in 1876, the inaugural National League season
that gave birth to the current Major Leagues, Morrill, batted .263
while mainly handling second base and catcher.
He would finish his career with a .260 batting average, while collecting 1275 hits over 4912 at-bats in 1265 games.
He would also manage the Red Stockings between 1882 and 1888 (now the
Beaneaters), while also managing the Washington Nationals in 1889,
finishing his managerial career with a 335 and 296 record, winning the
Pennant in 1883.
The
next player featured in my “founders of the Major Leagues” is a guy who
really starred in the old National Association, as well as
pre-professional ball, pitcher Dick McBride:
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.
The
next pioneering Major League ballplayer in the spotlight in my
long-running “founders” thread is former infielder & manager Bob
“Death to Flying Things” Ferguson, whose career started before the
National Association formed in 1871 and ran through to 1884:
A defensive whiz in that era, his rather unique nickname was because any
ball hit in the air was caught by him, thus “Death to Flying Things”.
He started his career in the amateur days in his native Brooklyn, NY,
playing for powerhouse teams like the Brooklyn Atlantics and New York
Mutuals in the 1860’s before the first pro-league, the N.A. Mentioned
above was formed.
During the five year run of the league, Ferguson also acted as league
President between 1872-1875, as elected by the players themselves
because of his unquestioned honesty and integrity.
On the field, he was mainly a third baseman who was solid in the field, a
bit light at the plate as evidenced by his consistent batting averages
between .240 and .280.
When the new Major League started in 1876, Ferguson found himself as a
member of the Hartford Dark Blues, where he’d play for two seasons
before moving on to the Chicago White Stockings for a single season in
1878.
He’d have his finest year in ‘78, batting .351 while playing shortstop, a
new position for him after nine years as a professional.
He’d play another five seasons in the league, four for the Troy Trojans
before capping off his career in the American Association with the
Pittsburgh Alleghenys in 1884 at the age of 39.
Throughout it all he managed as well, acting as player-manager for every
team he played for during his career, before becoming a straight-up
manager for the New York Metropolitans in 1886 and 1887.
But his success as a manager wasn’t exactly exemplary, finishing his
career as a big league skipper with a 417 and 516 record, never
finishing higher than third, but generally near the bottom of the
league.
But he wasn’t done yet! Though he’d umpire occasionally throughout his
career when the position wasn’t exactly an “official” hired job, he
became a full-time ump after his managing career was over, and at one
point umpired more games than anyone in the early days of the league by
the time he retired in 1891 at 804 games.
Next
up in my “Major League Founders” thread is former infielder Joe Battin,
who played 10 scattered years as a professional player between 1871 and
1890:
Battin originally came up for a single game for the Cleveland club of
the National Association in 1871 at the age of 17, followed by a single
game two seasons later for the Philadelphia Athletics before finally
becoming a full-time player in 1874.
An early “good-field/no-hit” player, he played in the Major Leagues’
first two seasons in 1876 & 1877, putting in his best season at the
plate during the inaugural 1876 campaign when he batted .300.
Considering his next highest batting average as a pro would be the .250
he hit the year before, that .300 average was indeed an aberration.
He would be out of pro-ball until 1882 when he played for the Pittsburgh
club of the American Association, for whom he’d play the next season as
well.
In 1884 he’d play for no less than three clubs, in both the AA and Union
Association, batting a cumulative .164 average while playing shortstop.
Again, he’d miss a few seasons before coming back to pro-ball in 1890,
his last action as a Major League player, when he’s suit up for Syracuse
of the AA at the age of 36, batting .210.
The
next “founders” of the Major Leagues is Doug Allison, former catcher
who’s career spanned the pre-N.A. Days through to the inaugural decade
of the Major Leagues:
Allison began his career with the Geary of Philadelphia squad in 1868
before becoming one of the legendary members of the Cincinnati Red
Stockings in 1869, who went undefeated and put baseball on the map as
the burgeoning sport of America.
An innovator of the sport, he is the first known player to use a glove,
in his case buckskin mittens in 1870, and is credited as being the first
catcher to stand right behind the batter to help prevent base runners
from stealing a base.
He played all five of the National Association seasons, with no less
than SIX organizations, before ending up with the Hartford team in 1875,
a team he’d play for the next three seasons, the latter two being the
first two years of the newly formed Major League.
His professional career would span 1869 through 1883 (not playing
1880-1882), and would retire with a .271 lifetime average over 318
games.
Today’s
“Founders” player is Joe Start one of the top first basemen in the
early days of organized ball, dating to BEFORE the Civil War:
By the time the Major League was formed in 1876, Start was already known
as “Old Reliable” for his play at first base at the age of 33.
A player for organized ball in the Brooklyn, NY area in the early
1860’s, Start was part of some of the top teams of the pre-National
Association era, including the formidable Brooklyn Atlantics, who had
undefeated seasons in both 1864 and 1865.
During all five seasons of the N.A., Start played for the New York
Mutuals, anchoring the infield with innovative play such as playing off
the bag.
Once the Majors got going, Start wasn’t slowing down, as he proceeded to
play another 11-years, mainly for the Providence Grays after a year
both at Hartford and Chicago.
His play never diminished as he played well into his 40’s, retiring after the 1886 season at the age of 43.
All together, NOT counting his 10 or so years in pre-pro baseball, Start
would finish with a .299 batting average with 1417 hits over 1070
games, with 852 runs scored.
Considering he averaged about 70-75 games a season over his career,
those are some pretty good hit totals that could easily had him finish
close 3000 had he the chance.
I
don’t know how I overlooked Harry Wright until now for the “Founders”
sub-set that celebrates the 100th season of Major League ball in 1976,
but better late than never:
Wright of course is known for his baseball legacy way before the
National League was formed, playing even before the National
Association’s formation in 1871 as part of the legendary 1869 Cincinnati
Red Stockings, and even before that as an amateur baseball AND cricket
player.
By the time the National League was formed he was manager more than
player for the Boston club, with brother George as a star along with
another brother, Sam seeing time on the squad as well to a lesser
degree.
He was responsible for developing ideas such as player-shifting on the
field and backing up fielders on throws, cementing his place in the very
early-days of the games formation with techniques that are used to this
very day.
Harry Wright was unique in that he was a respected leader of the new
game from it’s pre-professional days through the National Association
years into the Major League’s formation.
Truly a builder of the sport that would become “America’s Game”.
Here’s
a card for a sad figure in early baseball history, pitching (and
hitting) star Jim Devlin, who was banned for life along with early
slugger George Hall for throwing games:
Devlin was originally a first basemen during his playing days in the
National Association before becoming a pitcher playing for the
Louisville club of the newly formed National League in 1876.
An iron horse of a pitcher, he would go on to pitch virtually every
inning of the teams games in both 1876 and 1877 while collecting 30 and
35 wins respectively.
Oddly, he also led the league in losses both years with 35 and 25, yet
his 1876 season was indicative of those early years of pro ball, as he
would post a 30-35 record with a tiny 1.56 earned run average over
68 starts and 622 innings of work!
Sadly for him, after going 35-25 for Louisville in 1877, with a 2.25 ERA
in 61 starts (all completed of course), there was growing suspicion
that he and some teammates were throwing games.
After some investigation these truths came out and Devlin confessed
begging for forgiveness to no avail, as league president William Hulbert
banned all players involved for life.
Devlin’s career was over by the age of 28, and he asked for a pardon
every year until his death in 1883 after serving as a police officer in
Philadelphia at the young age of 34.
Revisiting
the thread of important early baseball figures, we come to Andy
Leonard, a member of the fabled Cincinnati Red Stocking team as well as
the early dynastic Boston Red Stockings, both led by Hall of Famer Harry
Wright:
Leonard actually started his baseball career in the early days BEFORE
professional ball, playing around the New York/New Jersey area for
various teams beginning in 1864, leading up to his signing with the
Cincinnati club in 1869.
He barnstormed with the club as they beat all opponents, building the game’s popularity as their winning streak stayed intact.
After finally losing, and people finding other distractions, Cincinnati
dropped the organization and Wright headed east to Boston where he
founded the Red Stockings, bringing along a few of his teammates.
They were immediately a powerhouse in the National Association, as well
as the first few years of the Major Leagues, winning six pennants in seven years, with Leonard playing left field.
After a few more seasons with Boston Leonard would play with other teams
until failing eye-sight forced him to give up the game in 1880 while
back with Cincinnati at the age of 34, closing out a 16-year career that
saw him span the amateur days of the Civil War era, the first
“Professional” days of the late-1860’s, and the formation of both the
N.A. and then the very Major League that we enjoy today. Amazing.
Definitely one of the forgotten players who get lost among the Spaldings, Wrights and Ansons of the baseball world.
Today’s
post regarding founding stars of the National league and it’s 100th
celebration in 1976 takes us to a guy that arguably belongs in the Hall
of Fame, Lip Pike, the first “slugger” in Major League history:
A fellow-native of Brooklyn, Pike played all five years of the National
Association’s existence, and led the league in home runs the first
three.
As a matter of fact, Pike won four home run titles in his 10 years of
pro ball between 1871 and 1887, while also taking home an RBI and
doubles crown.
Some consider him one of the very first, if not THE first professional
player since he was uncovered to have been paid $20 a week to play for
the Philadelphia team in the mid-1860’s, leading the way for the first
fully pro team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings just a few years later.
It’s reported that during the pre-N.A. Days, while he played for the Athletics, he even hit six home runs in a single game!
In 1870, he was the second baseman for the Brooklyn Atlantics when they
stopped the famous Red Stockings 93-game winning streak still remembered
today.
But beyond all the historical value Pike had on his resume, he was also
just a plain GREAT player, considered not only one of the strongest but
also one of the fastest.
By the time he retired after the 1887 season after a one-game comeback
with the New York Metropolitans of the American Association, he’d finish
with a .322 career average with 21 home runs, 434 runs scored and 332
runs batted in over 425 games.
He hit the most home runs and had the most extra base hits in the
National Associations five year run between 1871-1875, with 15 and 135
respectively.
Here’s
a “Founders” card celebrating baseball’s 100th anniversary in 1976 for a
player who is credited by such baseball resources as
“Baseball-Reference” as the very FIRST player in terms of official
appearance in professional play, Ezra Sutton, who was the first batter
in the National Association when playing for the Cleveland team back in
1871.
When the National League began play in 1876, Sutton was a seasoned veteran and was now a member of the Philadelphia Athletics:
Mainly a third baseman, Sutton played in 18 seasons between the NA and
NL between 1871 and 1888, and collected 1574 hits over 5360 at-bats,
good for a .294 batting average in 1263 games.
In that inaugural 1876 season, he batted .297 for the Athletics,
collecting 70 hits in 236 at-bats with 12 doubles, seven triples and a
single homer, with 45 runs scored and 31 runs batted in over 54 games.
Wonder if he ever thought he’d be remembered like this some 140 years later!?!?
Up
next on my thread celebrating the Major League’s 100th birthday in 1976
is the first player to win the batting Triple Crown, Paul Hines:
Hines put together an arguably Hall of Fame career between 1872 and 1891
playing in the National Association, National League and American
Association.
Over the course of those 20 seasons he collected 2133 hits and batted .302, with 1217 runs scored and over 550 extra base hits.
In 1878 he also became the first player to lead the league in all three
“big” categories, when he batted .358, “slammed” four home runs and
drove in 50.
He would also go on to lead the league in batting the following year
when he hit .357, while also leading the league in hits and total bases.
When you consider that he collected those 2133 hits in “only” 1658 games
spread out over 20 years, you can easily see how this guy could hit!
He averaged only 80 games a year for his career and still reached over
2000 hits, no imagine if he could have even averaged 120 games a year.
The
next player featured in my ongoing 100th anniversary of Major League
baseball is Levi Meyerle, who suited up for the Philadelphia club in the
new league’s inaugural season:
Meyerle was already a veteran of the National Association, playing all five seasons of the leagues existence.
In the first year of the league, Meyerle hit an incredible .492 to lead
the league in that department along with home runs with four.
Granted, he attained that lofty batting average in only 26 games of
play, but it was still a torrid 64 hits over 130 at-bats for the third
baseman.
In the National League’s inaugural season, Meyerle was still a hot
hitter as he finished with a .340 average with 87 hits over 256 at-bats
in 55 games, and it was a common thread for the player through his
8-year career.
After a few games with the Philadelphia club of the Union Association,
Meyerle’s playing days were over and he finished with an eye-popping
.356 career average over 307 games with 513 hits over 1443 at-bats.
He would win two batting titles (1871 and 1874 where he hit .394 for the
Chicago club), and score almost a run a game for his career, with 306
in those 307 games.
Up
next in my on-going celebration of baseball’s 100th anniversary in 1976
is Hall of Fame player “Orator” Jim O’Rourke, who put together a
23-year career, spanning over 30 years:
Elected into the Hall of Fame in 1945, O’Rourke was an important figure
in early baseball, playing in the National Association from 1972 to
1875 before playing for the Boston club in the inaugural Major League
season in 1876.
He would go on to play straight through the 1893 season, then ten years later when he was a coach for the New York Giants he would catch a game and go 1-for-4 at the age of 53!
All told O’Rourke collected 2639 career hits, batting .310 with a
batting title in 1884 when he hit .347, while scoring 1729 runs while
driving in 1208 over 1999 games and 8503 at-bats.
Quick: before Roger Clemens came along who had the most professional wins as a pitcher and NOT be in the Hall of Fame?
The answer would be this guy right here, 19th century pitcher Bobby Mathews:
Mathews finished a nice 15-year career spanning 1871 and 1887 with a 297
and 248 record, along with a 2.86 earned run average over 578
appearances and 4956 innings of work.
An oddity of his career is that of his 297 wins, he only collected 20 of
them between the ages of 25 and 29, with two missed years in between as
well.
So that means the guy collected 277 wins in only 11 seasons, his first of which was partial. Not bad!
I don’t know why he never got into the Hall since, based on his career,
he must have been the all-time wins leader at some point before Cy Young
came and blew everyone out of the water.
Guys like Keefe, Nichols and Galvin came after Mathews.
Go figure...
Next up in my 1976 century celebration of the Major Leagues is former shortstop Davy Force:
Force first played in the National Association all four seasons between
1871-1875 before moving on to the newly formed Majors in 1876 with the
Philadelphia Athletics and New York Mutuals.
He’d end up playing through the 1886 season, putting together a nice
15-year career, though he only played in 1029 games over that time.
Nevertheless he’d bat .249 with 1059 hits in 4250 official at-bats, the
bulk of his Major League tenure playing for the Buffalo team between
1879 and 1885.
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