“Monte” Ward (1860-1925). An elite pitcher and an excellent batsman, Ward also earned a law degree, formed sports’ first labor union, and helped create the Player’s League to challenge the reserve clause – all before the age of 30.
William Henry Wright (1835-1895) established professional baseball on the American landscape with his 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, a team with which he show-cased the game that was to become the true national pastime. His influence on the sport is incalculable. For 25 years Wright led as player, manager, executive, and chief of umpires. Perhaps his greatest contribution was inspiring true team-spirit. He invented such staples as signals, platooning, hit-and-run, communication among players and a nascent farm system.
George “Dandy” Wood (1858-1924). Born on Prince Edward Island in Canada, Wood played 13 professional seasons for 7 different teams. Primarily a left fielder, he served as player/manager for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1891. “Dandy” compiled 1,467 Hits and had a .273 lifetime batting average.
Samuel Washington Wise (1857-1910) was a free-wheeling batter and infielder who played hero and goat for the Boston clubs of the 1880s. During his 12-yr career, Wise could play flawlessly afield for weeks at a stretch and then cost his team wins with errant play. Similarly, he could go 8 for 10 at bat and then fan 3 times on nine pitches. Spurning Cincinnati for Boston, Wise was the subject of the first court action in MLB history as the Red Stockings lost their bid to keep him out of Bean Town.
George Archer Wilson (1860-1914) was Brooklyn all the way; born, bred and buried in the beloved borough. So it was fitting that when young Tugembarked on his chosen profession in 1884, he began at the top, with the hometown Atlantics of the American Association. He got into 24 games as a catcher/outfielder and hit what was a very respectable .232 for a backstop in that era. Thereafter, Tug was a stalwart in the heartland of the sport – its minor leagues. He never again saw a big league diamond, but he did see the country. His career lasted through the 1896 season and took him from New Jersey to New England, from Oshkosh to Omaha, from the Northwestern League to the Southern Association. After being an Atlantic he was a Clamdigger, a Domestic, a Giant, a Lamb, a Mountaineer and a Nutmeg. He was a Bingo, a Star, a Bluebird, a Brown and a Cracker. What a collection of uniforms! Tug concluded his pro career in the Virginia League as a Portsmouth Brown. As he was in the twilight of his playing days, he teamed there with about a dozen youngsters who would go on to the majors. It is likely they all heard the stories of how it was back in the day, in Brooklyn.
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