- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Cincinnati
- Team: Red Stockings (AA)
- League: American Association
Clarence G. Baldwin (1864-1897)
“Clarence Baldwin, known in the baseball world as ‘Kid’ Baldwin, once a famous catcher, has been taken to the Cincinnati Hospital as a charity patient, a hopeless wreck from dissipation. He cannot live long.” New York Times, June 3, 1897.
Baldwin died five weeks later, on July 10, 1897. It was a sad coda to the short, tumultuous life of an infamously strong-armed and strong-willed player.
- Kid's best offensive year was 1887, but stats never captured his prowess behind the plate
- Many in and out of the game tried to help Baldwin’s sobriety, but he evaded all aid
- Series: Diamond Heads '15
- City: St. Louis
- Team: Terriers
- League: Federal League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown (1876-1948) gained the Hall of Fame on the strength of a wicked curve, enhanced by childhood accidents that cost him parts of two fingers on his “twirling” hand. He won 20+ for the Cubs six times from 1904-12 with two world championships.
- Career record of 239-130 and the 3rd best ERA of all time: 2.06
- Had legendary duels with Giants’ Christy Mathewson, and went 13-11 against him
- His 2.06 ERA is best ever by a pitcher with more than 200 wins
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1949
- Series: Diamond Heads '15
- City: Chicago
- Team: Cubs
- League: National League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Roger Bresnahan (1879-1944) played every position but came into his own as a lead-off-hitting catcher and battery mate to Christy Mathewson for John McGraw’s Giants. Innovation took guts in a rowdy era and he had the fortitude to introduce shin guards, batting helmets and padded masks over the protests of other clubs and the pelting of irate fans (who didn’t have to catch Mathewson.)
- Batted .350 in 1903, trailing only Honus Wagner’s .355 and Fred Clarke’s .351
- Elected to Hall of Fame the year after his death: 1945
- Series: Diamond Heads '15
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Athletics (AL)
- League: American League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Charles Albert Bender (1884-1954) won 212 games en route to a Hall of Fame career. He began life amid the abject poverty of a Minnesota reservation, was mentored by Pop Warner at the Carlisle Indian School and hit the majors with a bang for the Athletics in 1903. “Albert” as Connie Mack called him, beat future Hall members Cy Young and Clark Griffith compiling 17 wins in his rookie season. He led the league 3x in win percentage but was at his best under pressure. In 5 World Series, Bender won 6 games with a 2.44 ERA and completed 9 of his 10 starts.
- Connie Mack said that of all his players he would most trust Bender to win in the clutch
- Admired for his brilliance, Ty Cobb dubbed him the most intelligent pitcher he ever faced
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1953
- Series: Diamond Heads '15
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Athletics (AL)
- League: American League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
John Franklin Baker (1886-1963) was released by his minor league mgr who declared he “could not hit.” Connie Mack needed a 3rd baseman and gave Baker a try at the end of the 1908 season. Baker played 13 years exclusively at 3rd. He wielded his 52-oz bat like no other in the dead ball era.
- Led the AL in HRs 4 straight years for the Athletics
- Helped Connie Mack’s team to 3 Series victories, closed his career with Babe Ruth’s Yankees
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1955
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