Timothy Brosnan

Second Base
  • Card series: 1880s: Loving Paupers
  • City: Minneapolis
  • Team: Millers
  • League: Western Association

Timothy J. Brosnan spent his entire professional baseball career in the minors, primarily as a second baseman. His first recorded teams, in 1884, were Springfield of the Massachusetts State Association and Rockville of the Connecticut State League. He moved to Lawrence of the Eastern New England League in ’85 and also played for Brockton of the New England League. He was moving up in class at Lawrence where ten of his sixteen known teammates would see action in the majors. His stint at Brockton put Brosnan into even more elite company. Bill McGunnigle, who would go on to a managerial role in Brooklyn, was a pitcher/outfielder and Tommy Bond, then on the downside of a fine career in Boston, was a Brockton mainstay in the pitcher’s box. In all, nearly two dozen of the ’86 squad had been or would be big leaguers. 1886 was a significant dividing line in Tim’s pro tenure. He left New England for the Southern Association’s Charleston club. He played in the most games of any on the Seagulls despite a struggling .228 average. The following year saw Brosnan move to the midwest where he would conclude his professional endeavors. Tim joined the Des Moines Hawkeyes for the ’87 campaign and again proved his durability, leading the team with 123 games played and compiling a very fine .317 average. With the Minneapolis Millers in ’88 Brosnan’s average declined to .254 but he was a regular. Tim’s final move took him to Sioux City later that season and he would remain a Corn Husker for the final two years of his career.

  • Brosnan hit .275 in ’89, his last full year
  • Tim was captured by the Old Judge crew in 1888 in his Millers’ uniform — six poses depicting a right-hander at bat and afield

 

Auction History

Cardophilia

Old Judge Pose: 41-2