• Card series: Beginnings: 1880's
• City: Boston
• Team: Beaneaters
• League: National League

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.

• Despite his ML-high 88 errors, Wise came through in the clutch for Boston’s 1883 pennant win
• Career-best year was ’87 when the Boston press ranked him with Cap Anson and Dan Brouthers
• Played for Connie Mack at Buffalo in ’89 and Mack always remembered him fondly as a “great player”