- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Quakers
- League: National League
Andrew J. “Tony” Cusick (1857-1929), was a journeyman catcher for the Philadelphia Quakers in the 1880s. His career batting average was less than stellar, falling below .200. Nevertheless, Cusick was popular with his teammates, particularly Jim Fogarty who gave him a hearty reference for the Milwaukee Brewers of the Western League after his final year in the majors.
- Went on to umpiring with similar results: His “incorrect calling of balls and strikes” was said by the Milwaukee Sentinel to have “brought down the anathemas of the vigorous-lunged ‘bleachers’ upon himself in consequence.”
- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Quakers
- League: National League
Daniel Maurice Casey (1862-1943) was dubbed by Time “the Mudville Man” and helped inaugurate the Hall of Fame in 1939 with a stirring re-enactment of Casey at the Bat. Whether he was Ernest Thayer’s model or not, Casey was a fine pitcher for the Philadelphia Quakers, leading the NL in ERA in 1887. He pitched 7 years for 4 teams, won 96 games with two 20+ seasons.
- Became a candidate for THAT Casey by striking out, breaking Quakers fans’ hearts 8/21/87
- The week prior, Casey had won the game with his only career HR, inspiring the fans’ hopes
- In ’87 he won 28 of the 45 games he started, with a 2.86 ERA in 390 innings
- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Athletics (AA)
- League: American Association
Louis W. Bierbauer (1865-1926) was the treasure, buried then in the snows of Lake Erie, who gave his beloved Pittsburgh team its new name. Ned Hanlon was the privateer who braved the icy waters of Presque Isle in winter to sign the second-baseman away from the Athletics. This “piratical” act became so celebrated it gave the Alleghenys their permanent identity. Louie had done very well by the Athletics’s for his first four years in MLB. His year in the Players’ League with Ward’s Wonders was equally effective, causing the canny Hanlon to seize on Philadelphia’s lapse (they had not “reserved” Bierbauer). Lou rewarded his new club with six fine years at second base. Over his 13-year career, Lou would hit .267 with a .656 OPS. His performance stumbled a bit after joining the Pirates, but Bierbauer remained a strong hitter and defender through the 1896 season.
- Per Sporting Life in ’89: “Bierbauer is undoubtedly the king-pin second-baseman of the [American] Association”
- Ended his major league tenure in 1898 but continued in the minors. Lou managed the Canadian League’s St. Thomas Saints in 1915, his final year in pro ball
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Phillies
- League: National League
Clifford Carlton Cravath (1881-1963) was the “home-run king of baseball” before being deposed by the Babe. His nickname derived from the seagull (gaviota in Spanish) he supposedly killed in flight during a PCL game for the Angels. Cravath labored in the obscurity of West Coast ball for 5 years before getting the call to Boston in 1908. His lack of speed offset his batting strength and he was sold to the White Sox that season and bounced back into the minors until he caught on at age 31 with the Phillies becoming the leading power hitter of the Deadball Era. Led the Phils to their first pennant in 1915 and led the NL in HRs six times.
- Ruth broke Cravath’s career HR record in 1921
- In the ’15 Series, his manager inexplicably gave him the bunt sign with the bases loaded and no outs, leading to a double-play grounder to the pitcher
- Said to have caused a rule change by intercepting the ball in a rundown, hurling it into the stands, and scoring. Baseball decided to stop allowing that
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- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Athletics (AL)
- League: American League
John Wesley Coombs (1882-1957) pitched for the Athletics, Robins and Tigers over 13 years, but it was his magical 1910 season that made a permanent mark on MLB. 31-9, 1.30 ERA, 353 innings, 35 CG, and the still standing record of 13 shutouts. A year for the ages!
- In one 16-day stretch in 1910 he pitched 10 complete games and relieved in 2 more
- Went on to a successful college coaching career till forced to retire from Duke at age 70
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