- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Chicago
- Team: White Stockings
- League: National League
George Edward Martin Van Haltren (1866-1945). Primarily an outfielder who also pitched in 93 games, Van Haltren is oftentimes mentioned as a player who may deserve better HOF consideration. George played for 5 teams over 17 seasons, compiling some impressive numbers. George still holds the NL record for reaching base in 60 consecutive games.
- 2,532 hits; .316 BA; .386 OBP
- Batted .300+ in 12 seasons
- Ranks 20th all-time in SBs: 583
- Scored 100+ Runs in 11 seasons
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Chicago
- Team: White Stockings
- League: National League
John K. Tener (1863-1946). Born in Ireland, Tener won 25 games for 3 teams over 4 seasons. In 1888, on Spalding’s world baseball tour, John was chosen to explain baseball to the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. At home, Tener was elected Secretary of John Ward’s pioneering player’s union, the Brotherhood of Professional Players. John became the 25th Governor of Pennsylvania, serving from 1911-15 & also served as NL president from 1913-18.
- Organized 1st Congressional Baseball Game, now an annual tradition
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Chicago
- Team: White Stockings
- League: National League
Oliver Wendell Tebeau (1864-1918) played first and third-base for five ML teams from 1887-1900. He was player-manager for three of those clubs 11 of his 13 seasons, squaring off with his arch-rival John McGraw and his Orioles. Tebeau led Cleveland during the rough-and-tumble era closing the 19th century. His obituary said he belonged to “the blood and iron brigade of baseball.” It was said that when the Spiders and Orioles met, “wild war raged up and down the field.” The august founding father of the game, Henry Chadwick, wrote in 1896 that Tebeau “degraded the game more than any player of the previous quarter century.” But the Cleveland fans loved Patsy and the League’s attempts to silence him soon faded.
- After retiring from the diamond, Tebeau ran a successful saloon in St. Louis
- Patsy couldn’t endure his wife’s decision to leave him and take the kids back to Cleveland. After his death at his own hand the local paper headlined: “Patsy Tebeau Acts as His Own Umpire”
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Chicago
- Team: White Stockings
- League: National League
William Ashley Sunday (1862-1935) was born into extreme poverty and rose to become a beloved pro player making a handsome salary. In 1891 he gave that all up to pursue Christian ministry, cutting his income by two-thirds. Al Spalding had signed Sunday to his Chicago White Stockings on the recommendation of Cap Anson in 1883. His speed was his greatest asset.
- In ’85 Chicago held an exhibition with Sunday racing the speediest AA player. Billy won easily.
- His integrity and popularity led Anson to name Sunday the team’s business manager
- Sunday was recruited for the Players’ League in 1890, but remained loyal to his employer
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Chicago
- Team: White Stockings
- League: National League
Martin C. Sullivan (1862-1894) played outfield for four teams over five years from 1887-91. His first two seasons were with the Chicago White Stockings where he got into 190 games and even pitched in relief in one. He moved on to the Indianapolis Hoosiers in 1889, spent part of the next two seasons with the Beaneaters before ending his ML tenure with one game for the Cleveland Spiders.
- His lifetime BA is variously reported as .256, .273 and .288 showing the variance in data in that era
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