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Lefty Marr

Third Base
  • Series: Beginnings: 1880's
  • City: Columbus
  • Team: Solons
  • League: American Association

Charles W. Marr (1862-1912) was a Cincinnati lad who started his pro ball career in Evansville, IN in 1884, moving to Nashville the following season and Syracuse, NY with the Stars in '86 before getting a call-up to his hometown at the end of that campaign with the Red Stockings of the American Association. Lefty played in only eight games for the Red Stockings, but hit .276. He then detoured back to the minors for the next two years with the Stars, now of the International Association. In 1889 Lefty got his chance to play regularly in the big leagues when he was signed by the AA's Columbus Solons. He played third and showed off a sparkling .306 average, second only to Dave Orr among the starters. He returned home to the National League's Reds in 1890 where he played primarily in the outfield and continued his fine hitting with a .298 average, helping the squad to a fourth place finish. Marr began the next year with the Reds but soon moved to the Players' League cross-town rivals - Kelly's Killers. That rather tumultuous season for baseball saw Marr end the campaign back with the NL club for a single game. In all, Lefty saw action in three leagues with four years of experience in the majors. His two years with the Solons and Reds bumped his lifetime batting average to .289. He had speed, evidenced by his league-leading 15 triples in '89 with Columbus which he followed with a dozen more for the Reds in '90.

  • Marr's ML statistics include a .289 average with 417 hits, 35 triples, 92 stolen bases and 186 RBI
  • Marr was far from through with baseball when he left Cincinnati. The next season saw him out west with Spokane and Butte. He traveled south to Macon for the '93 campaign and spent the next several years seeing the country: IA, TN, MN, VA, CT and PA
  • Lefty retired from the game after the 1898 season with the Norfolk Jewels of the Atlantic League

Auction History

Al Buckenberger

Manager
  • Series: Beginnings: 1880's
  • City: Columbus
  • Team: Solons
  • League: American Association

Albert C. Buckenberger (1861-1917) never made the big leagues as a player, but managed 4 franchises over 9 seasons from 1889-1904. He was the field general for the Columbus Solons of the AA for 2 years before moving to the NL, first with the Pirates for 3 seasons, the Browns for one and then with the Beaneaters for his final 3 campaigns. While with Pittsburgh, Al served a stint as club president as well. His career record on the bench was 488-539. By the time owner Chris von der Ahe brought him to St. Louis for the 1895 season, Buckenberger’s predilection for coaches’ hand signs was well known. He was the brunt of a mocking anecdote following the Browns’ 11th place finish. The Washington Post reported von der Ahe’s caustic assessment of the manager’s emphasis on teaching signals at the expense of physical conditioning: “I guess they have learned to make signs to the waiter in order to get more than their share to eat.” During the ’94 season, Buckenberger and others were expelled from the NL for “plotting” the resurrection of the American Association but was reinstated the next year.

  • Buckenberger enjoyed 2d-place finishes in 2 leagues: with the Solons (AA) in 1890 and the Pirates (NL) in ’93
  • Led the Beaneaters to a 3rd place finish in 1902

Auction History

John Richmond

Shortstop
  • Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
  • City: Columbus
  • Team: Buckeyes
  • League: American Association

John H. Richmond (1855-1898) played 8 seasons at SS and CF for 7 teams. He started with the Athletics in 1875 and closed his career with the Alleghenys in ’85. He played 4 years in the NL and 4 in the AA, compiling a modest .238 batting average.

  • His two most productive years were toward the end of his career with Columbus: ’83-84

Auction History