• Card series: Pioneer Portraits I: 1850-1874
• City: Boston
• Team: Red Stockings (NAPBBP)
• League: National Association (NAPBBP)

John E. Manning (1853-1929) must have longed for his glory days on the mound in Boston while he played his last ML season in Baltimore in 1886. He achieved the dubious honor of being the best of the worst, leading or nearly leading the Orioles in most hitting categories during the most miserable offensive year of any team in baseball history. Manning had a fine career by that finale. He had helped the Red Caps to pennants in 1873, ’75 and ’78, hitting .266 in his rookie year and compiling a 35-7 record in the latter two championship years. Sadly, the versatile veteran went out on a sour note on the “Worst Hitting Team Ever.” The team’s BA was a lowly .204, plumbing depths of ineptitude that would never be exceeded by another franchise playing a full season.

• The modern MLB record for low BA was set by the Chicago White Stockings in 1910 (.210)
• On Oct 9, 1884 Manning became the 3rd player to hit 3 HRs in a game for the Quakers