Deacon White
Encyclopedia
James Laurie "Deacon" White (December 7, 1847 – July 7, 1939) was an American
baseball
player who was one of the principal stars during the first two decades of the sport's professional
era. The outstanding catcher
of the 1870s during baseball's barehanded period, he caught more games than any other player during the decade, and was a major figure on five consecutive championship teams from 1873 to 1877 – three in the National Association (NA), in which he played throughout its five-year existence from 1871–1875, and two in the National League
(NL), which was formed as the first recognized major league
in , partially as a result of White and three other stars moving from the powerhouse Boston Red Stockings to the Chicago White Stockings
. Although he was already 28 when the NL was established, White played 15 seasons in the major leagues, completing a 23-year career at the top levels of the sport.
In 1871, White was the first batter to come to the plate in the National Association, the first professional baseball league. After compiling a .347 batting average
over five NA seasons, he led the NL in runs batted in
(RBI) in its first two seasons of play, and also led the league in batting (.387), slugging average, hits
, triples
and total bases
in a brief shift to first base
in 1877. In his mid-30s he became an effective third baseman
when the toil of catching had become too great, and was a major force on the championship Detroit Wolverines
team of , batting .303 at age 39. Over the 20-year period from 1871 to 1890, White batted .312 and had more RBI (977) than any player except Cap Anson
, and also ranked fourth in career games (1,560), at bat
s (6,624), hits (2,066) and total bases (2,595). He also ended his career ranking fourth in major league history in games (826) and total chances
(3,016) at third base, fifth in assists
(1,618), and sixth in putout
s (954) and double play
s (118). His brother Will
was a noted major league pitcher
, and his teammate from 1877 to 1880.
, Deacon White's pro career began in 1868
with the Cleveland Forest Citys
club, at a time when no team was entirely composed of professional players. He earned the first hit in baseball's first fully professional league – a double off of Bobby Mathews
of the Fort Wayne Kekiongas
in the first inning of the first game in National Association history on May 4, ; he also made the first catch. His long career allowed him to play with many of the legendary figures of 19th-century professional baseball. White played on the great National Association Boston Red Stockings teams of the early 1870s, and also played with Cap Anson
and Al Spalding in Chicago
, King Kelly
in Cincinnati
, Dan Brouthers
in Buffalo
, and Ned Hanlon and Sam Thompson
in Detroit
, as well as Jake Beckley
and Pud Galvin
in Pittsburgh.
White led his league in batting average twice (including the NA in ), and in RBI three times (including the NA in ); in 1953, Roy Campanella
became the first catcher since White in 1876 to lead his league in RBI. White started out early enough to have played against the undefeated Cincinnati Red Stockings
of , baseball's first all-professional team. He was considered the best barehanded catcher of his time, as well as one of the best third baseman during the second half of his career; his combined total of games caught in the NA and NL was eventually passed by Pop Snyder
in . On May 16, White recorded 11 assists at third base, which remains the major league record for a nine-inning game although eight other players have since tied the mark. To top it all off, in the rough-and-tumble 19th-century baseball era, White really was a nonsmoking, Bible
-toting, church-going deacon.
White's playing career ended after the 1890 season. He remained in baseball managing a number of minor league clubs including the Elmira Gladiators of the New York-Pennsylvania League (1891), the McAlister Minors of the Oklahoma-Arkansas-Kansas League
(1907), the Tulsa Oilers
of the Oklahoma-Kansas League
(1908), and the Buffalo Bisons
of the International League
(1912).
According to Lee Allen
in The National League Story (1961), White was one of the last people to believe that the earth is flat
. He tried and failed to convince his teammates that they were living on a flat plane and not a globe; they ridiculed him. Then one asked to be convinced, and the Deacon gave him an argument suited to the hypothesis that the earth is not really turning. He convinced the teammate but the argument would not prove that the earth is not a sphere.
White died in 1939 in Aurora, Illinois
at the age of 91 and is buried at Restland Cemetery in Mendota, Illinois
. He had been greatly disappointed over not having been invited to the opening ceremonies to the Baseball Hall of Fame that summer, having been completely overlooked in the voting for inductees.
In August 2008, he was named as one of ten former players who began their careers before 1943 to be considered by the Veterans Committee
for induction into the Hall of Fame in 2009
; although he fell short in final voting, he received the most votes of any player whose career ended before 1940. After further major changes to the Veterans Committee voting process announced in 2010, his next opportunity for election will come with the induction class of 2013, when he will potentially be considered alongside players and other figures from what the Hall calls the "Pre-Integration Era" (prior to 1947).
The Nineteenth Century Committee of the Society for American Baseball Research named White the Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend for 2010 - a 19th century player, manager, executive or other baseball personality not yet inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player who was one of the principal stars during the first two decades of the sport's professional
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
era. The outstanding catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
of the 1870s during baseball's barehanded period, he caught more games than any other player during the decade, and was a major figure on five consecutive championship teams from 1873 to 1877 – three in the National Association (NA), in which he played throughout its five-year existence from 1871–1875, and two in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
(NL), which was formed as the first recognized major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
in , partially as a result of White and three other stars moving from the powerhouse Boston Red Stockings to the Chicago White Stockings
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. Although he was already 28 when the NL was established, White played 15 seasons in the major leagues, completing a 23-year career at the top levels of the sport.
In 1871, White was the first batter to come to the plate in the National Association, the first professional baseball league. After compiling a .347 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
over five NA seasons, he led the NL in runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
(RBI) in its first two seasons of play, and also led the league in batting (.387), slugging average, hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
in a brief shift to first base
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
in 1877. In his mid-30s he became an effective third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
when the toil of catching had become too great, and was a major force on the championship Detroit Wolverines
Detroit Wolverines
The Detroit Wolverines were a 19th century baseball team that played in the National League from 1881 to 1888 in the city of Detroit, Michigan. In total, they won 426 games and lost 437, taking their lone pennant in 1887. The team was disbanded following the 1888 season.-Franchise...
team of , batting .303 at age 39. Over the 20-year period from 1871 to 1890, White batted .312 and had more RBI (977) than any player except Cap Anson
Cap Anson
Adrian Constantine Anson , nicknamed "Cap" and "Pop", was a National Association and Major League Baseball first baseman...
, and also ranked fourth in career games (1,560), at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s (6,624), hits (2,066) and total bases (2,595). He also ended his career ranking fourth in major league history in games (826) and total chances
Total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding...
(3,016) at third base, fifth in assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
(1,618), and sixth in putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
s (954) and double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
s (118). His brother Will
Will White
William Henry "Whoop-La" White was an American Major League Baseball pitcher.White made his debut on July 20, 1877 with the Boston Red Caps at the age of 23...
was a noted major league pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
, and his teammate from 1877 to 1880.
Career
Born in Caton, New YorkCaton, New York
Caton is a town in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 2,097 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Richard Caton.The Town of Caton is in the southeast part of the county, south of Corning, New York.- History :...
, Deacon White's pro career began in 1868
1845 to 1868 in baseball
The following are the baseball events of the years 1845 to 1868 throughout the world.-Events:*1845 September 10 — A baseball game is played that is described the following day in the New York Morning News....
with the Cleveland Forest Citys
Cleveland Forest Citys
The Forest Citys were a short lived professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio in the early 1870s. The actual name of the team, as shown in standings, was Forest City, not "Cleveland". The name "Forest Citys" was used in the same generic style of the day in which the team from Chicago,...
club, at a time when no team was entirely composed of professional players. He earned the first hit in baseball's first fully professional league – a double off of Bobby Mathews
Bobby Mathews
Robert T. Mathews was an American right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for twenty years beginning in the late 1860s. He is credited as being one of the inventors of the spitball pitch, which was rediscovered or reintroduced to the major leagues after he died. He is also credited with the...
of the Fort Wayne Kekiongas
Fort Wayne Kekiongas
The Fort Wayne Kekiongas were a professional baseball team, notable for winning the first professional league game on May 4, 1871. Kekionga - pronounced KEY-key-awn-guh - is the name of Chief Little Turtle's Miami Indian settlement where the St. Joseph River and the St. Mary's River join to form...
in the first inning of the first game in National Association history on May 4, ; he also made the first catch. His long career allowed him to play with many of the legendary figures of 19th-century professional baseball. White played on the great National Association Boston Red Stockings teams of the early 1870s, and also played with Cap Anson
Cap Anson
Adrian Constantine Anson , nicknamed "Cap" and "Pop", was a National Association and Major League Baseball first baseman...
and Al Spalding in Chicago
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, King Kelly
King Kelly
Michael Joseph "King" Kelly was an American right fielder, catcher, and manager in various professional American baseball leagues including the National League, International Association, Players' League, and the American Association. He spent the majority of his 16-season playing career with the...
in Cincinnati
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, Dan Brouthers
Dan Brouthers
Dennis Joseph "Dan" Brouthers was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball whose career spanned the period from to , with a brief return in...
in Buffalo
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
, and Ned Hanlon and Sam Thompson
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther Thompson was a 19th century Major League Baseball player. "Big Sam" was known for his offensive production and was second on the career home runs list at the time of his retirement...
in Detroit
Detroit Wolverines
The Detroit Wolverines were a 19th century baseball team that played in the National League from 1881 to 1888 in the city of Detroit, Michigan. In total, they won 426 games and lost 437, taking their lone pennant in 1887. The team was disbanded following the 1888 season.-Franchise...
, as well as Jake Beckley
Jake Beckley
Jacob Peter Beckley , nicknamed "Eagle Eye", was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century. He was born in Hannibal, Missouri.-Professional career:...
and Pud Galvin
Pud Galvin
James Francis Galvin , nicknamed "Pud", "Gentle Jeems", and "The Little Steam Engine", was an American National Association and Major League Baseball pitcher. He was Major League Baseball's first 300-game winner...
in Pittsburgh.
White led his league in batting average twice (including the NA in ), and in RBI three times (including the NA in ); in 1953, Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella , nicknamed "Campy", was an American baseball player, primarily at the position of catcher, in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball...
became the first catcher since White in 1876 to lead his league in RBI. White started out early enough to have played against the undefeated Cincinnati Red Stockings
Cincinnati Red Stockings
The Cincinnati Red Stockings of were baseball's first fully professional team, with ten salaried players. The Cincinnati Base Ball Club formed in 1866 and fielded competitive teams in the National Association of Base Ball Players 1867–1870, a time of a transition that ambitious Cincinnati,...
of , baseball's first all-professional team. He was considered the best barehanded catcher of his time, as well as one of the best third baseman during the second half of his career; his combined total of games caught in the NA and NL was eventually passed by Pop Snyder
Pop Snyder
Charles N. "Pop" Snyder was an American catcher, manager, and umpire in Major League Baseball. His 18 season playing career began in 1873 for the Washington Blue Legs of the National Association, and ended with the 1891 Washington Statesmen...
in . On May 16, White recorded 11 assists at third base, which remains the major league record for a nine-inning game although eight other players have since tied the mark. To top it all off, in the rough-and-tumble 19th-century baseball era, White really was a nonsmoking, Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
-toting, church-going deacon.
White's playing career ended after the 1890 season. He remained in baseball managing a number of minor league clubs including the Elmira Gladiators of the New York-Pennsylvania League (1891), the McAlister Minors of the Oklahoma-Arkansas-Kansas League
Oklahoma-Arkansas-Kansas League
The Oklahoma-Arkansas-Kansas League was an eight-team Class-D minor baseball league that existed in 1907. As its name indicates, it consisted of teams from Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas....
(1907), the Tulsa Oilers
Tulsa Oilers (baseball)
The Tulsa Oilers, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were a minor league baseball team that existed on-and-off in multiple leagues from 1905 to 1976. For most of their history, they played at Oiler Park, which opened on July 11, 1934, and was located on the Tulsa County Fairgrounds at 15th Street and...
of the Oklahoma-Kansas League
Oklahoma-Kansas League
The Oklahoma-Kansas League was a six-team minor baseball league that existed in 1908. As its name indicates, it consisted of teams from Oklahoma and Kansas....
(1908), and the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
(1912).
According to Lee Allen
Lee Allen (baseball)
Leland Gaither "Lee" Allen was an American sportswriter and historian on the subject of baseball. He was known for an accessible writing style that made history more interesting, typically focusing on the people in the stories as much as the events. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Allen was the son...
in The National League Story (1961), White was one of the last people to believe that the earth is flat
Flat Earth
The Flat Earth model is a belief that the Earth's shape is a plane or disk. Most ancient cultures have had conceptions of a flat Earth, including Greece until the classical period, the Bronze Age and Iron Age civilizations of the Near East until the Hellenistic period, India until the Gupta period ...
. He tried and failed to convince his teammates that they were living on a flat plane and not a globe; they ridiculed him. Then one asked to be convinced, and the Deacon gave him an argument suited to the hypothesis that the earth is not really turning. He convinced the teammate but the argument would not prove that the earth is not a sphere.
White died in 1939 in Aurora, Illinois
Aurora, Illinois
Aurora is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the 112th largest city in the United States. A suburb of Chicago, located west of the Loop, its population in 2010 was 197,899. Originally founded within Kane County, Aurora's city limits have expanded greatly over the past...
at the age of 91 and is buried at Restland Cemetery in Mendota, Illinois
Mendota, Illinois
Mendota is a city located in north-central Illinois in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The city has 7,272 residents, and is the fifth largest city in LaSalle County, though recent estimates have shown that the population has decreased to 6,995 residents. It is part of the...
. He had been greatly disappointed over not having been invited to the opening ceremonies to the Baseball Hall of Fame that summer, having been completely overlooked in the voting for inductees.
In August 2008, he was named as one of ten former players who began their careers before 1943 to be considered by the Veterans Committee
Veterans Committee
The Veterans Committee is the popular name of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee to Consider Managers, Umpires, Executives and Long-Retired Players, a committee of the U.S...
for induction into the Hall of Fame in 2009
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2009
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2009 proceeded according to revised rules enacted in 2001 and further revamped in 2007. The Baseball Writers Association of America held an election to select from among recent players...
; although he fell short in final voting, he received the most votes of any player whose career ended before 1940. After further major changes to the Veterans Committee voting process announced in 2010, his next opportunity for election will come with the induction class of 2013, when he will potentially be considered alongside players and other figures from what the Hall calls the "Pre-Integration Era" (prior to 1947).
The Nineteenth Century Committee of the Society for American Baseball Research named White the Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend for 2010 - a 19th century player, manager, executive or other baseball personality not yet inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players with 2000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball runs batted in champions
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
External links
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Versatile White Not Forgotten By History
- BaseballLibrary.com - biography, career highlights and SABR bibliography