As part of my exploring and photographing baseball graves, I ended up as the chair of the 19th Century Grave Marker Project, one of the many great committees and offshoots of SABR. Our group's mission is to preserve history by identifying 19th-Century ballplayers, pioneers and other noteworthy baseball figures who are in unmarked graves or … Continue reading Hick Carpenter’s grave is unmarked no longer
Here lies Bug Holliday, who had a short but impactful career as one of the hardest hitters of the late 19th Century. He was fondly remembered for his animated personality as much as his batting prowess. Holliday played for the Cincinnati Red Stockings of the American Association (1889) and the Cincinnati Reds of the National … Continue reading Grave Story: Bug Holliday (1867-1910)
When many 19th-Century ballplayers retired, they “took to the white apron” – in other words, they became bartenders. Others became police officers or fireman, but as far as I can tell, only one became an in-demand lithographer. That would be “Long” John Reilly, one of the premier sluggers of his era. Reilly played for the … Continue reading Grave Story: John Reilly (1858-1937)
Here lies Charlie Gould, the first baseman on the renowned 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings team and the first-ever manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Gould played for the Boston Red Stockings (1871-72), Baltimore Canaries (1874) and New Haven Elm Citys (1875), all of the National Association, and the Cincinnati Reds (1876-77). He also managed in New … Continue reading Grave Story: Charlie Gould (1847-1917)
Jim Keenan typifies the experience of the earliest professional baseball player. He played for five teams in three professional leagues for 11 seasons over a span of 17 years. Oh, and he played at seven different positions during that time, too. Major League Baseball is professional, regimented, orderly and specialized now, but that hides its … Continue reading Grave Story: Jim Keenan (1856-1926)
Here lies Alfred Goshorn, a renowned Cincinnati businessman who also organized the 1876 Centennial exposition in Philadelphia. His claim to fame as far as baseball goes is that he was the first president of the Cincinnati Red Stockings, helping to give rise to professional baseball. Alfred Traber Goshorn was born in Cincinnati on July 15, … Continue reading Grave Story: Alfred Goshorn (1833-1902)
Here lies Fred Waterman, the third baseman on the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, baseball’s first openly professional team. He also had a productive career in baseball before and after the Red Stockings. Sadly, he died in poverty and largely forgotten in the city where he helped make baseball history. Waterman played in the National Association … Continue reading Grave Story: Fred Waterman (1845-1899)
Here lies Ren Deagle, who was usually the second-best pitcher on his team during his short career. That wouldn’t have been so bad except he pitched in the 1880s, when the one-man pitching rotation was still in use. Deagle pitched in the old American Association for two years, playing for the Cincinnati Red Stockings (1883-84) … Continue reading Grave Story: Ren Deagle (1858-1936)
RIP Baseball 