- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Athletics (AA)
- League: American Association
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Uncle Robbie (1863-1934). A durable catcher for 17 seasons with 3 teams, Robinson is credited as the 1st to play directly behind the plate at all times. Uncle Robbie once caught 5 games in two days. He also had 7 hits & 11 RBI in a single game. After his playing days were over, Robinson went on to manage for 18 seasons.
- Won 3 NL pennants as player
- Won 2 NL pennants as manager
- Won 5 NL pennants as pitching coach
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1945
- Although the Old Judge series features five known poses of Wilbert Robinson, I could not find one of suitable quality for this project. This image is taken from the Kalamazoo Bats (N690-1) series from 1887.
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Omaha
- Team: Omahogs
- League: Western Association
Thomas Edward Nagle (1865-1946) was a catcher for the Chicago Colts of the NL over two seasons, 1890 and 1891. He had a promising debut in 1890, batting .271 with a .318 OBP, but slumped to .120 in only eight games in 1891. Nagle returned to the minors before leaving baseball in 1895.
- This Wisconsin native played in the Midwest throughout his time in baseball for Oshkosh, LaCrosse, and Omaha, ending his playing days with Dubuque in the Eastern Iowa League
- Despite his brief stint in Chicago, Nagle became part of one of our most enduring legacies: today’s Cubs enjoy the longest tenure in their original city in all of American professional sport
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Indianapolis
- Team: Hoosiers (NL)
- League: National League
George D. Myers (1860-1926) was typical of the catchers of his day, a hard-working journeyman behind the plate and a weak hitter at it. His average over six years was a slim .203, but he was a steady backstop, valued by Buffalo and the Maroons/Hoosiers franchises. After 2 seasons with the Bisons, Myers moved to St. Louis in 1886 to the team that had started and ended the Union Association in ’84. Owner Henry Lucas had so stocked his Maroons as to make a mockery of competition. The league folded after a year and by 1886 John Brush bought the team and moved it to his Indianapolis stadium. Myers moved with the team and continued as the lead catcher, sharing duties with two others. Following his time in Indiana, Myers pursued minor league success with the Minneapolis Millers, then returned to his upstate New York roots with the Syracuse Stars and the Rochester Flour Cities through 1892.
- As a rookie in Buffalo, Myers cut his teeth under as fine a mentor as anyone in early baseball could hope for: “Orator Jim” O’Rourke who was in his final year as manager
- Although the Old Judge series features three known poses of George Myers, I could not find one of suitable quality for this project. This image is taken from an Old Judge proof taken at the same time as Meyers' other OJ images and may represent an as-of-yet undiscovered pose.
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: New York
- Team: Giants
- League: National League
Patrick J. Murphy (1857-1927) was a right-handed catcher for the New York Giants from 1887-1990. This Massachusetts native had a career batting average of .220 and hit one home run in the “Dead Ball” era. He played in one “world series” in 1888, going one for 10 and scoring a run in three games against the St Louis Browns. The Giants prevailed six games to four. The contest was marked by the great future Hall of Famer Tim Keefe’s four victories over the Browns.
- Murphy was a grizzled 30 years of age when he broke in with the Giants
- Murphy’s sole hit in the ’88 series was good for an RBI
- In 1889 Murphy’s salary was $1800
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: St. Louis
- Team: Browns (AA)
- League: American Association
John Milligan (1861-1923) was a catcher for 5 major league teams from 1884 to 1893, including two stints with the Athletics. A lifelong Philadelphian, Jocko played for nearby teams: the Senators, Orioles and Giants with a two-year hitch in St. Louis being his only sojourn away from the East Coast. Orphaned at age 8, Milligan was raised at Girard College, an orphanage that prized athletics and gave young Jocko the gift of baseball. He became one of 13 graduates to play the game professionally. During his ten-year career, Jocko hit a very respectable .286 with 49 home runs. Although he was primarily a back-up catcher, Milligan compiled lifetime stats that put him among the best of his era. Bill James has placed him at 103rd best all-around receivers.
- On May 2, 1886 Jocko hit four doubles in one game
- This gentle giant (6’1” and 190 lbs) and blacksmith entertained orphans with 360′ wallops long after his retirement
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