- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: Boston
- Team: Beaneaters
- League: National League
Thomas Tarlton Brown (1860-1927) was a much-traveled outfielder who found his stride with the Beaneaters and Reds. With the latter, he starred for a rare team to win pennants back-to-back in two leagues, as the Reds captured the Players’ League title in ’90 and the American Association title in ’91.
- Selected for A.G. Spalding’s “World Tour” taking baseball global on an 1888 trip to Europe/Africa
- In ’91, led league in triples (21), stolen bases (106), hits (189) and runs (177)
- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: Detroit
- Team: Wolverines
- League: National League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Dennis Joseph Brouthers (1858-1932). One of the truly great hitters of the 19th century, Big Dan played for 10 different teams over 19 seasons. He lead the league in OBP 5x, SLG% 7x, Runs 2x, Hits 3x, Doubles 3x, HRs 2x, & RBI 2x. In an unfortunate incident, catcher Johnny Quigley died of injuries sustained from a home plate collision with Dan.
- One of 29 to play in 4 decades
- Career .342 BA is 9th all-time
- Career .423 OBP is 15th all-time
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1945
- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: Indianapolis
- Team: Hoosiers (NL)
- League: National League
Henry J. Boyle (1860-1932) was known to his adoring fans as “Handsome Henry” during his ML career with the St. Louis Maroons & Indianapolis Hoosiers from 1884-89. His managers may have focused more on his mediocre performance than his comely appearance. The sturdy right-hander compiled an 89-111 record on the mound over his six seasons with a respectable lifetime 3.06 ERA. In an 1886 New York World article titled “How Men Pitch Base-Ball” it was noted that Boyle “depends chiefly upon the effectiveness of the ‘up-in-shoot’ and the terrific speed with which he drives in the straight pitch.” In an 1884 contest with the Washington club, Boyle was the center of controversy as the game was forfeited to the Maroons after losing the argument that Boyle’s foul ball was now too lopsided to be used.
- Boyle’s last season in St. Louis was the team’s finale as well. He was the NL ERA champ that year for the hapless Maroons with a sterling 1.76 ERA and a dismal 9-15 record
- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: Boston
- Team: Red Stockings (NL)
- League: National League
Thomas Henry Bond (1856-1941) entered pro ball as the 1st Irishman to do so, and survived to become the last living member of the NL’s first season. In between, he was a force of nature on the mound, leading the NL in wins twice, winning 40+ from 1877-1879 for the Boston Red Caps.
- Hurled 386 complete games in 406 starts with 42 shutouts and ERA of 2.31
- In 1877 won the “triple crown” with 40 wins, 2.11 ERA and 280 SOs
- Compiled a career 234-169 record with a 2.14 ERA, 10th in MLB history
- Bond appeared only once on the Hall of Fame ballot, in 1936, and received only 1% of the votes by the Veteran’s Committee
- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: Boston
- Team: Beaneaters
- League: National League
Martin Bergen (1871-1900) was the Beaneaters’ catcher his entire, all-too-brief career (’96-99), leading them to two pennants and a 2nd place. Teammates knew him as an “artist” behind the plate and a terror in the clubhouse. Suffering from what would be posthumously diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenia, the tortured Bergen took his own and his family’s lives at 28.
- Hall of Famer Jesse Burkett extolled Bergen as the “best the world ever produced”
- Brother Bill was a MLB catcher also for Cincinnati and Brooklyn
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