- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: Cleveland
- Team: Spiders
- League: National League
“The Deerfoot of the Diamond” (1871-1913). A Maine native & son of a Penobscot chief, Sockalexis was one of the most gifted athletes ever to play the game. A pioneering Native American, Sockalexis endured intimidation and abuse throughout his all-too-brief career. He starred for the Fighting Irish before joining the Cleveland Spiders in 1897. His legacy lives today whenever the Cleveland Indians take the field—many believe that mascot to be a post-mortem tribute to this early star.
- Harvard professors measured his throw at 414′
- While at Notre Dame, he homered in the Polo Grounds off future Hall of Famer Amos Rusie
- John McGraw called him the “greatest natural talent” he had ever encountered in the game
- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: Pittsburgh
- Team: Pirates
- League: National League
Elmer Ellsworth "Mike" Smith (1868-1945) pitched well enough to lead the AA in ERA in 1887 for Cincinnati, but after 3 years on the mound his bat dictated a shift to the outfield. Traded to the Pirates in ’92, Smith was an impact player, hitting 136 triples and 37 HRs over his 14-year career. His three-baggers tied Babe Ruth’s lifetime total.
- His remarkable but brief pitching record included 122 CG in 136 starts with 9 shut-outs
- In his great ’87 season, Smith started 52 games, completed 49 and went 34-17
- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: Indianapolis
- Team: Hoosiers (NL)
- League: National League
John Emmett Seery (1861-1930) played the outfield for and with some of the game’s most colorful characters in the early era of baseball. He debuted with the Baltimore Monumentals in 1884. Seery led his Union League team in batting with a .311 BA. Played under John Montgomery Ward (Ward’s Wonders of Brooklyn) and Mike “King” Kelly (Kelly’s Killers of Cincinnati) during a tumultuous age as teams and leagues were starting and folding abruptly.
- In ’86 with the St Louis Maroons, led the league in games played with 126
- Followed the team’s owner, Henry Lucas, to Indianapolis with the Hoosiers for 3 years
- Demonstrating a good eye, consistently ranked in the top 10 in walks
- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Athletics (AA)
- League: American Association
Thomas Iverson Poorman (1857-1905) was a pitcher/outfielder for five major-league teams from 1880-1888 with stints in the minors mixed in. His start in the pros was with the NL’s Buffalo Bisons, going the same season to the Chicago White Stockings. He played for the two New York entries in the Eastern Championship League in ‘81, the NY Metropolitans and New York New Yorks. He didn’t play the next year and went to Toledo in ‘83. The Blue Stockings advanced from the Northwestern League to the American Association in ‘84 so Tom got back to the big leagues. Poorman had brief turns with NL and AA clubs, leaving the Athletics for Western Assoc teams 1889-91. The lure of the diamond must have been strong as he made one last try with his hometown Lockhaven, PA Maroons after a five year absence from professional baseball, in 1897. He pitched in three of his ML campaigns, going 3-9 and had a career batting average of .244 in the majors.
- During his short time with the New Yorks, Tom played with future Hall of Famer Dan Brouthers
- Poorman might best be remembered today as the butt of a practical joke pulled off by the Goodwin editors on one of his four documented Old Judge cards. For pose 371-2, the Goodwin jokers make light of Tom's surname by identifying him as a "Poor Man."
- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: New York
- Team: Giants
- League: National League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
James Henry O’Rourke (1850-1919) made the National League’s first base hit, and went on to a 21-year, Hall of Fame career. From 1876-92, only Cap Anson played in more games or got more hits. After leaving MLB for the minors, O’Rourke returned for his swan song with his pal John McGraw’s Giants, becoming the oldest player (at 54) to play in the NL and to get a hit.
- Played for 5 pennant winners and was NA HR champ in 1874-75
- One of only 29 to play in MLB in four decades
- Entered the HOF as one of the first 19th Century players to do so
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1945
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