List of nineteenth-century Major League Baseball players with unidentified given names

Thirty-four individuals who played professional baseball at the major league level before 1900 lack identified given names (there are hundreds of other players of which this is true from the twentieth-century Negro leagues). All 34 played between 1872 and 1892; 17 played in the National Association, which folded in 1875. Identification of players remains difficult due to a lack of biographical information. A Brooklyn, New York, directory, for instance, lists more than 30 men who could be the professional player "Stoddard".[1] Philadelphia Athletics manager Bill Sharsig signed four of the 34, "local players" McBride, Stafford, Sterling, and Sweigert, for Philadelphia's last game of the season against the Syracuse Stars on October 12, 1890. Sterling pitched five innings for the Athletics and conceded 12 runs. McBride, Philadelphia's center fielder, and Stafford, the team's right fielder, both failed to reach base, but left fielder Sweigert reached base on a walk and stole a base. Society for American Baseball Research writer Bill Carle "doubt[s] we will ever be able to identify them".[2] David Nemec has commented on this phenomenon with both major league and minor league players, noting, for example, that a McGuire (not on this list because he was a minor league player) is probably the player with an unknown first name whose appearances came closest to the twentieth century.[3]

Despite their relative anonymity, several of these players received media coverage describing their games. Sporting Life noted that "the visitors took kindly to the curves of Sterling", as "the Athletics were easily beaten by the Stars" in Philadelphia's contest against Syracuse.[4] In 1872, The New York Times described O'Rourke as a new player on Eckford of Brooklyn who "appear[ed] to be an improvement over the recent incumbents": in his only game, the pitcher allowed 15 runs to score in a complete game against the Troy Trojans.[1] Lewis received a mention in Sporting Life (pictured) that recapped his performance, and another in the Pittsburgh Press, with a synopsis that summarized the game as "one of the greatest slugging matches ever seen since curve pitching came into vogue".[5][6]

Of the 34 athletes with an unidentified given name, Baltimore Monumentals right fielder Scott played in the most games at the major league level, with 13, followed by Wills with 9. Scott also has the most hits among players without an identified given name, with 12, followed by both Wills and Jones with 5 each. Among pitchers, Lewis has the highest earned run average, 60.00,[7] whereas McDoolan has the lowest, 3.00.

Players without identified given names

A faded clipping from Sporting Life, dated July 19, 1890.
A Sporting Life clip that describes Lewis as a "much disgusted ball tosser", taken from an article dated July 19, 1890.[5]

1872–1874

Name Position Team League Year Ref
HigbyRight fielderBrooklyn AtlanticsNational Association1872[8]
Summary:
O'RourkePitcherEckford of BrooklynNational Association1872[9]
Summary:
SpencerShortstopWashington NationalsNational Association1872[10]
Summary:
McDoolanPitcherBaltimore MarylandsNational Association1873[11]
Summary:
McGovern (Gavern)Second basemanBrooklyn AtlanticsNational Association1874[12]
Summary:
QuinlanShortstopPhiladelphia White StockingsNational Association1874[13]
Summary:
WoodSecond basemanBaltimore CanariesNational Association1874[14]
Summary:

1875

Name Position Team League Year Ref
BolandThird basemanBrooklyn AtlanticsNational Association1875[15]
Summary:
BoothShortstopNew Haven Elm CitysNational Association1875[16]
Summary:
EdwardsCenter fielder / PitcherBrooklyn AtlanticsNational Association1875[17]
Summary:
EvansLeft fielderNew Haven Elm CitysNational Association1875[18]
Summary:
HellingsSecond basemanBrooklyn AtlanticsNational Association1875[19]
Summary:
QuinnOutfielder / ShortstopBrooklyn AtlanticsNational Association1875[20]
Summary:
ShafferRight fielderBrooklyn AtlanticsNational Association1875[21]
Summary:
SheridanLeft fielderBrooklyn AtlanticsNational Association1875[22]
Summary:
StoddardOutfielderBrooklyn AtlanticsNational Association1875[23]
Summary:
SullivanRight fielderNew Haven Elm CitysNational Association1875[24]
Summary:

1884–1885

Name Position Team League Year Ref
CarrollLeft fielderWashington NationalsUnion Association1884[25]
Summary:
FranklinCenter fielderWashington NationalsUnion Association1884[26]
Summary:
JonesLeft fielderWashington NationalsAmerican Association1884[27]
Summary:
McRemerRight fielderWashington NationalsUnion Association1884[28]
Summary:
MurphyCatcher / Left fielderBoston RedsUnion Association1884[29]
Summary:
PierceThird basemanWashington NationalsUnion Association1884[30]
Summary:
ScottRight fielder / Third basemanBaltimore MonumentalsUnion Association1884[31]
Summary:
SmithPitcher / Right fielderBaltimore MonumentalsUnion Association1884[32]
Summary:
WillsCenter fielderWashington NationalsAmerican Association
Kansas City Cowboys (UA)
1884[33]
Summary:
JonesThird basemanNew York MetropolitansAmerican Association1885[34]
Summary:

1890–1892

Name Position Team League Year Ref
LewisLeft fielder / PitcherBuffalo BisonsPlayers' League1890[35]
Summary:
MaceyCatcherPhiladelphia AthleticsAmerican Association1890[36]
Summary:
McBrideCenter fielderPhiladelphia AthleticsAmerican Association1890[37]
Summary:
StaffordRight fielderPhiladelphia AthleticsAmerican Association1890[38]
Summary:
SterlingPitcherPhiladelphia AthleticsAmerican Association1890[39]
Summary:
SweigertLeft fielderPhiladelphia AthleticsAmerican Association1890[40]
Summary:
LeonardRight fielderSt. Louis BrownsAmerican Association1892[41]
Summary:

References

  1. Batesel, Paul (2012). Players and Teams of the National Association, 1871–1875. McFarland. pp. 101, 123. ISBN 978-0-7864-7012-9.
  2. Bill Carle (2007). "SABR Biographical Research Committee September/October 2007 Report". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  3. Nemec, David (2012). The rank and file of 19th century major league baseball : biographies of 1,084 players, owners, managers and umpires. Jefferson: McFarland & Co., Publishers. p. 60. ISBN 9780786490448.
  4. "Base Ball: The Association" (PDF). Sporting Life. Vol. 16, no. 3. October 18, 1890. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 12, 2014 via LA84 Foundation.
  5. "Base Ball: Players' League" (PDF). Sporting Life. Vol. 15, no. 16. July 19, 1890. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 12, 2014 via LA84 Foundation.
  6. "A Disastrous Experiment". The Pittsburgh Press. July 13, 1890.
  7. There is a problem with this number, however. The game's box score (q.v.) reveals that at least six (and possibly as many as fourteen) of the 20 runs Lewis allowed in his single stint on the mound must have been unearned, giving Lewis an actual ERA somewhere between 18.00 and 42.00, not 60.00.
  8. "Higby". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  9. "O'Rourke". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  10. "Spencer". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  11. "McDoolan". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  12. "Gavern". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  13. "Quinlan". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  14. "Wood". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  15. "Boland". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  16. "Booth". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  17. "Edwards". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  18. "Evans". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  19. "Hellings". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  20. "Quinn". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  21. "Shaffer". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  22. "Sheridan". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  23. "Stoddard". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  24. "Sullivan". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  25. "Carroll". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  26. "Franklin". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  27. "Jones". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  28. "McRemer". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  29. "Murphy". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  30. "Pierce". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  31. "Scott". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  32. "Smith". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  33. "Wills". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  34. "Jones". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  35. "Lewis". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  36. "Macey". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  37. "McBride". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  38. "Stafford". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  39. "Sterling". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  40. "Sweigert". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  41. "Leonard". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
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