Stephen Augustus Libby (1853-1935) played one game for the Buffalo Bisons of the National League on May 10, 1879. His first game was also his last. Libby went on to umpire one game that year and eight more in 1880 behind the plate.
John Perkins Luby (1869-1899) pitched for the Chicago Colts and Louisville Colonels from 1890-95, compiling a 40-41 record. In his rookie season for Cap Anson’s Colts, Luby won 18 straight lifting the club to a 2nd place finish. This flash of brilliance was followed by a steady decline due to alcohol abuse, and a very early death at 30.
Dennis Patrick Aloysius Lyons (1866-1929) was a strong hitting third-baseman over a thirteen year career in the major leagues from 1885 with Providence to 1897 with the Pirates. His lifetime batting average was .310. In 1890 he led the American Association in on-base percentage and slugging, and was second to Chicken Wolf in BA. He hit 62 home runs in the Deadball Era and was known as a formidable fielder in the no-glove era. Lyons’ era was also a time of rapid evolution in the game. In 1887, the year Denny “hit” safely in 52 straight, the pitcher’s box had been tightened and the pitcher’s delivery shortened to one step. Walks were also considered hits that year which has caused most modern students of the game to dismiss his “streak,” second only to Joltin’ Joe. But DiMaggio didn’t have to hit a fastball hurled from fifty feet. Only two of the 52 games was affected by walks but they were in the middle of the run. Despite such quibbles, Lyons was clearly a very accomplished player both offensively and afield.
Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr. (1862-1956). An average catcher with strong leadership skills for 11 professional seasons (1886-1896), Mack then owned (1901-1954) and managed (1901-1950) the Philadelphia Athletics for half a century, establishing many managerial records and a unique place in the pantheon of baseball icons in the 20th century.
Check out how the h is missing from Pittsburgh on Mack’s uniform. This photo was taken at a time when America was removing the h from “burgh”s across the country. Pittsburgh was officially spelled Pittsburg between 1891 and 1911. The most significant hobby-related incidence of this alternative spelling of Pittsburgh occurs on the T206 Wagner.
James H. Manning (1862-1929) became the first manager of the Washington Senators in their franchise-first season, 1901. Manning came out of retirement to take the helm of the fledgling D.C. enterprise after a twelve-year absence from the major leagues. As a player, Manning was an early utility man for the Boston Beaneaters, the Detroit Wolverines and the Kansas City Cowboys from 1885-1889. Manning compiled a career BA of .215 with his high year for Detroit in ’85 with .269.
James Robert McAleer (1864-1931) was the premier defensive OF of the ‘90s, but a weak hitter. McAleer’s true talent was executive leadership and he became one of the prominent founders of the AL, with a gift for recruiting some of the top players away from the NL.
William Henry McClellan (1856-1929) was a switch-hitting infielder for 5 teams over 8 seasons from 1878-88. McClellan played in 794 games compiling a career BA of .242 and a fielding % of .877. His best offensive year was for Brooklyn in ’86, hitting 9 HRs and driving in 68.
Patrick Henry McCormick (1855-1889) was a pitcher for the Syracuse Stars, Worcester Ruby Legs, and Cincinnati Red Stockings from 1879-83. His record of 41-58 belied his fine ERA of 2.66. On 7/26/79 Harry hit a 1st inning HR and then shut out Boston 1-0, a feat that will likely never be duplicated.
John Charles McGeachey (1864-1930) played for six teams in six years, 1886-91. He broke in with the Detroit Wolverines and closed his ML tenure with the Boston Reds. In between, he played OF for the St Louis Maroons/Indianapolis Hoosiers, Brooklyn Ward’s Wonders and the Philadelphia Athletics. McGeachey’s time with the Reds was memorable as he helped the club to become only the second franchise in ML history to win back-to-back pennants in different leagues, matching Brooklyn’s accomplishment the year before.
John Joseph McGraw (1873-1934) was an innovative player (the hit-and-run, the “Baltimore chop”) but went on to true greatness as a manager for Baltimore and, most noteworthy, the NY Giants. Only Connie Mack’s teams won more games and no NL manager approached him. Not shabby as a hitter (ranks 3rd all time behind Ted Williams and Babe Ruth in OBP), has been called “the best player to become a great manager.”
Michael “Nuf Ced” McGreevy (1865-1943) was the leader of the Royal Rooters, Boston’s premier baseball and drinking club, based at McGreevy’s Third Base Saloon “1200 steps from Fenway Park.” When arguments of Braves vs. Red Sox (Americans) broke out, he ended the fight by shouting “Nuf Ced!” An ardent crank of the Boston Beaneaters for nearly two decades, McGreevy appears to have pledged his allegiance to the Red Sox for two primary reasons: Jimmy Collins, his favorite Beaneater, jumped to the Boston Americans in 1901, the inaugural season of the American League; and Ban Johnson's new league offered cheaper tickets, enabling McGreevy and his patrons to attend more games. This switch had an enormous impact on the fortunes of professional baseball in Boston, perhaps positing McGreevy as the true Father of Red Sox Nation and foreshadowing the (Beaneaters) Braves' move to Milwaukee 53 years later.
James Thomas McGuire (1863-1936). A catcher, manager & coach, McGuire’s 26 major league seasons was a record until Nolan Ryan broke it in 1993. Deacon also played for 11 different teams; another record until broken by Matt Stairs in 2010. He is one of 29 players to play in 4 different decades.
Harmar Denny McKnight (1848-1900) was an owner/mgr in the early tumultuous days as the AA sparred with the NL. McKnight founded the Pittsburgh Alleghenys in the AA in 1881. The club was crippled in 1890 by the Player’s League recruiting most of the team. Undaunted, McKnight took over that short-lived franchise and established the Pirates in the NL.
John A. McPhee (1859-1943). McPhee played 18 seasons – all for the Cincinnati Red Stockings/Reds – & was the last 2nd baseman to play without a glove, playing bare-handed for the 1st 14 years of his career. Known for his defense, McPhee matured in the box & compiled some good numbers: 2,258 Hs, 1,684 Rs, at least 568 SBs & a .355 OBP.
Calvin Alexander McVey (1849-1926) was a key player in the earliest days of pro ball, first with Harry Wright’s seminal Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1869, then moving with Wright to Boston as one of Harry’s select threesome. The young McVey joined the fledgling pro team for a stagecoach trip to Omaha and then became the 1st ball club to use the new transcontinental railroad to SF as part of the Red Stocking’s national tour.
Abraham G. Mills (1844-1929), a former NL president, chaired the commission that anointed Abner Doubleday the inventor of the game in Cooperstown. Riding a patriotic fervor in that era, Mills sought to refute Henry Chadwick’s thesis that baseball grew from English “rounders.” Historians may quibble, but the Hall is in Cooperstown.
John Francis Morrill (1855-1932) was a successful player/manager, primarily for the Beaneaters, in a career spanning 1876-90. His team’s third pennant came in ’83, the year after he took over as manager at Boston. “Honest John” hit .319, played six positions, and piloted the club to victory, winning 33 of its final 44 games.
Anthony John Mullane (1859-1944) won 284 games over a 13 year career with 7 teams, primarily in the AA. In 2010 he was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds’ Hall of Fame. When the NL added 10.5 feet from mound to plate, Mullane was never the same pitcher. The next year (’94) he surrendered 16 first inning runs to the Beaneaters.
William Henry Murphy (1869-1906) got his nickname attending Old Eli and was a coach in some of America’s finest universities following his brief tour of duty in MLB. Murphy was an infielder and OF playing sporadically over 3 years for the NY Giants. The diminutive Murphy (5’3” and 125 lbs) was one of the two shortest players in the game’s history.
William Mitchell Nash (1865-1929) played for 15 years as a third baseman, primarily in Boston. He managed the Phillies in ’96. He achieved a lifetime BA of .275 with a high of .295 for the ’87 Beaneaters. As manager, Nash scouted and recruited Nap Lajoie to Philadelphia.
Charles Augustus Nichols (1869-1953). A right-handed, switch-hitting pitcher, Nichols played 15 major league seasons for 3 different clubs. Nichols had 11 seasons with 20 Wins or more, 10 consecutively, 7 of which exceeded 30. He quit MLB for 2 years to own & pitch for a minor league team, with whom he won another 48 games.
Henry Francis O’Day (1859-1935). O’Day was a pitcher & occasional position player over 7 ML seasons for 5 teams. Hank then umpired for 30 years, interrupting his tenure twice: to manage the Cincinnati Reds in 1912 and the Chicago Cubs in 1914.
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.
George Burton Pinkney (1859-1926) was one of the American Association’s top hitters and baseball’s early Iron Men. Pinkney held the MLB record for consecutive innings played until overtaken by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1987. Pinkney’s color palette as a player ran to dark: Blue(s) (Cleveland), Gray(s) (Brooklyn), and Brown(s) St. Louis from 1884-93.
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.
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