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Tom Nagle

Catcher
  • 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

Auction History

Tom Lovett

Pitcher
  • Series: Beginnings: 1880's
  • City: Omaha
  • Team: Omahogs
  • League: Western Association

Thomas Joseph Lovett (1863-1928) had a supernova-like splash of brilliance on the mound for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms before fading into obscurity. Lovett debuted in MLB for the Athletics in 1885, making only 16 appearances that summer. Signed by Brooklyn in its final year in the American Association, Lovett had his year-of-a-lifetime in 1890 with the newly minted NL Brooklyn franchise. He was 30-11 with a 2.78 ERA, pitched four complete games in the post-season, winning two in a series draw with Louisville. Lovett’s final brush with greatness occurred on June 22 the following year as he hurled a no-hitter against the Giants.

  • Lovett’s career record was 88-59 with a 3.94 ERA
  • He had one more strong year with Brooklyn in ’91 (23-19) before ending his tenure in Boston in ‘94

Auction History

John Leighton

Outfield
  • Series: Beginnings: 1880's
  • City: Omaha
  • Team: Omahogs
  • League: Western Association

John Atkinson Leighton (1861-1956) enjoyed a lengthy baseball career from 1887 through 1901, but his only major league stint was for the Syracuse Stars of the American Association in 1890. He played in seven games and batted .296 while playing the outfield. A long-lived Massachusetts native, Leighton was considered the oldest living player until his death, whereupon he was succeeded in that status by Dummy Hoy. Leighton was part of the Stars’ only ML season. He was a teammate of their top hitter, Cupid Childs and their ace Dan Casey on the mound.

  • Leighton appeared in the Old Judge series as a CF for the Omaha Omahogs, but there is no reference to him on the team’s roster
  • Leighton did play for Syracuse and Providence in the International League and Lewiston in the New England League

Auction History

Jocko Flynn

Pitcher
  • Series: Beginnings: 1880's
  • City: Omaha
  • Team: Omahogs
  • League: Western Association

John A. Flynn (1864-1907) played one major league season, in 1886 at the age of 22 for the Chicago White Stockings. He had a great year, with a 23-6 record and a 2.24 ERA. Flynn’s performance helped Chicago to its second straight NL pennant, but the team lost the series to the St Louis Browns with Flynn out of action with a sore arm and fondness for liquor.

  • Holds record for most wins by a pitcher who only played one season (23)
  • Al Spalding had tried to police his players’ “intemperate” habits all season and the NL even hired Pinkertons in every league city. Sadly, Flynn’s arm gave in as he gave way to alcoholism after one brilliant year.
  • An attempted comeback with Omaha ended quickly; he was out of the game by age 25
  • Flynn died at 42, eulogized by his hometown paper as “a wholesouled, generous fellow” with a “host of friends and admirers.”
  • Although the Old Judge series features two known poses of Jocko Flynn, 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 Flynn's other OJ images and may represent an as-of-yet undiscovered pose.

Auction History

John Doran

Third Base
  • Series: Beginnings: 1880's
  • City: Omaha
  • Team: Omahogs
  • League: Western Association

John S. Doran played for 6 minor league teams over 5 years. He was with the Quincy, IL, Quincies club of the Northwestern Association in 1883 and then shows up on the Eau Claire Lumbermen and Oshkosh teams in the same league in ’86 and ’87. At Oshkosh, Doran played for future Hall of Fame manager Frank Selee who went on to the majors in 1890. The following year Jack played for the Davenport Onion Weeders and the Omaha Omahogs of the Western Association. His final year was with Worcester of the Atlantic Association. Based on the limited documentation available, Doran’s finest year was with Selee’s squad where he hit .334 in 504 ABs and stole 18 bases.

  • Doran got into 25 games for the ’88 Omahogs
  • Based on the year he had in Oshkosh, it is curious that Selee didn’t take Jack to the Beaneaters
  • Although the Old Judge series features two known poses of John Doran, 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 Doran's other OJ images and may represent an as-of-yet undiscovered pose.

Auction History