Dan Minnehan

First Base
  • Card series: Beginnings: 1880's
  • City: Minneapolis
  • Team: Millers
  • League: Western Association

Daniel Joseph Minnehan (1865-1929) played a lot of pro ball in the 1880s and 1890s but only got into seven of the last eight games of the Louisville Colonels’ 1895 season for his only stint in the major leagues. Dan did make the most of his brief tenure, however, as he hit .382 giving him an enviable “career” average. His six runs scored and six RBI also gave him a production record that would get the attention of any scout. Sadly, it was back to the Syracuse Stars the following year followed by a dwindling number of plate appearances for several Pennsylvania and northeastern clubs until Minnehan finished his time in professional ball with the Schenectady Electricians in 1899.

  • Minnehan was born in Troy NY months after the Civil War ended and died there months before the onset of the Great Depression–a life bookended by the darkest days of the nation and blessed to play ball in some of the Republic’s most golden era
  • Perhaps Dan’s claim to fame is that he was hired by Louisville to replace Jimmy Collins who was moving on to a Hall of Fame career with the Boston Beaneaters

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