Harry Stovey
Encyclopedia
Harry Duffield Stovey, born Harry Duffield Stowe (December 20, 1856 - September 20, 1937) was a 19th century Major League Baseball
player and the first player in major league history to hit 100 home runs. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, Stovey played for 14 seasons in the majors and was appointed player-manager on two separate occasions during his career.
Known today as both a prolific home run
hitter and base-stealer
, he led the league in both categories multiple times in his career, including a season record of 14 home runs in and a league-leading 97 stolen bases in . Although by modern standards, Stovey never hit a large number of home runs (it took him 10 years to reach 100), he was one of the great home run hitters of his time. From 1880 to 1891 he appeared in the top 10 in home runs every year except 1887, and led the league five times. He was the first to wear sliding pads and among the first to slide feet first.
/first baseman
in for the Worcester Ruby Legs under the surname
of Stovey instead of his birth name of Stowe due to his desire to keep his family from discovering he was making his career at baseball, which was seen at the time as not a respectable profession. He made an immediate impact that first season, leading the league with 14 triples
and six home runs, while also finishing in the top ten in many other offensive categories. On July 17, he hit his first ML HR off Jim McCormick of the Cleveland Blues
.
For the season, his offensive numbers did not slow down, again finishing in the top ten in several offensive categories, though he did not lead the league in any this time around. On August 17, 1881, Worcester suspended Captain
Mike Dorgan
‚ and Harry took over the position for the remainder of the season. Lee Richmond‚ who had quit because of conflicts with Dorgan‚ rejoined the team after this switch.
In , his last season for the Ruby Legs, his batting average
saw an increase, up to .289 from the .270 the year before, but his numbers in relation to the rest of the league took a slight dip, appearing in the top ten in runs scored
with third place 90, and five home runs garnering a fourth place finish.
, and it was during the next seven years when he had his best years, and made his greatest impact on the game. His first season in Philadelphia saw him set the single season record for home runs with 14, breaking the old mark of nine set by Charley Jones
in . He kept this record for only one season, as Ned Williamson
set a new mark the very next season with 27. Not only did he set the home run record, he batted .306, and led the league in runs scored with 110, doubles
with 31, and games played
with 112, while also finishing in the top five in most offensive categories.
The offensive explosiveness continued throughout his stay in Philadelphia, leading the league in runs scored four times, doubles once, triples three times, and home runs three times. The accumulation of home runs led to him becoming the career home run leader, overtaking Charley Jones with his 51st career homer on September 28, . He held onto the career lead for a two season until he was passed for a short period of time by Dan Brouthers
for the and the seasons. Harry regained the lead, and held it until Roger Connor
passed him in .
and the American Association began, and it attracted many of the game's star players, including Stovey who "jumped" to the Boston Reds. He had a good season, batting .299, hit 11 triples, and 12 home runs. On September 3, 1890, Harry became the first player to hit 100 homers for a career, off of Jersey Bakely
in a game against Cleveland, a significant milestone in a day when home runs were relatively rare.
of the National League. He led the league that season with 16 home runs, and 20 triples, while also hitting .279 with 31 doubles as well. It proved to be last great season of his career.
. He finished the season with a .272 batting average with the Orioles and hit 11 triples, including three in one game on July 21 in a 10-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates
.
The season was Harry's last season in the majors. He was released by the Orioles on May 22 after only eight games, and was signed three days later on May 15 by the Brooklyn Grooms
. He finished the season with Grooms and retired after the season was over.
in New Bedford, Massachusetts
. Harry died at the age of 80 in New Bedford, and is interred at Oak Grove Cemetery.
The Nineteenth Century Committee of the Society for American Baseball Research named Stovey the Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend for 2011 - a 19th century player, manager, executive or other baseball personality not yet inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
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...
player and the first player in major league history to hit 100 home runs. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Stovey played for 14 seasons in the majors and was appointed player-manager on two separate occasions during his career.
Known today as both a prolific home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
hitter and base-stealer
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
, he led the league in both categories multiple times in his career, including a season record of 14 home runs in and a league-leading 97 stolen bases in . Although by modern standards, Stovey never hit a large number of home runs (it took him 10 years to reach 100), he was one of the great home run hitters of his time. From 1880 to 1891 he appeared in the top 10 in home runs every year except 1887, and led the league five times. He was the first to wear sliding pads and among the first to slide feet first.
Worcester
Harry began his career as an outfielderOutfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
/first baseman
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 for the Worcester Ruby Legs under the surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
of Stovey instead of his birth name of Stowe due to his desire to keep his family from discovering he was making his career at baseball, which was seen at the time as not a respectable profession. He made an immediate impact that first season, leading the league with 14 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 six home runs, while also finishing in the top ten in many other offensive categories. On July 17, he hit his first ML HR off Jim McCormick of the Cleveland Blues
Cleveland Blues (NL)
The Cleveland Blues were a Major League Baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio that operated in the National League from 1879 to 1884. In six seasons their best finish was third place in 1880. Hugh Daily threw a no-hitter for the Blues on Sept. 13, 1883. Besides Daily, notable Blues players...
.
For the season, his offensive numbers did not slow down, again finishing in the top ten in several offensive categories, though he did not lead the league in any this time around. On August 17, 1881, Worcester suspended Captain
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Mike Dorgan
Mike Dorgan
Michael Cornelius Dorgan was an American Major League Baseball player from Middletown, Connecticut, who played mainly in right field, but did play infield positions on occasion. His brother, Jerry Dorgan also played Major league Baseball...
‚ and Harry took over the position for the remainder of the season. Lee Richmond‚ who had quit because of conflicts with Dorgan‚ rejoined the team after this switch.
In , his last season for the Ruby Legs, his 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 :...
saw an increase, up to .289 from the .270 the year before, but his numbers in relation to the rest of the league took a slight dip, appearing in the top ten in runs scored
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
with third place 90, and five home runs garnering a fourth place finish.
Philadelphia
For the season, Harry moved on to play for the Philadelphia Athletics of the American AssociationAmerican Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
, and it was during the next seven years when he had his best years, and made his greatest impact on the game. His first season in Philadelphia saw him set the single season record for home runs with 14, breaking the old mark of nine set by Charley Jones
Charley Jones
Charles Wesley Jones was an American left fielder in the National Association and Major League Baseball who hit 56 home runs and batted .298 during his twelve-year career...
in . He kept this record for only one season, as Ned Williamson
Ned Williamson
Edward Nagle "Ned" or "Ed" Williamson was an American Major League Baseball player for 13 seasons from 1878 until 1890...
set a new mark the very next season with 27. Not only did he set the home run record, he batted .306, and led the league in runs scored with 110, doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
with 31, and games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
with 112, while also finishing in the top five in most offensive categories.
The offensive explosiveness continued throughout his stay in Philadelphia, leading the league in runs scored four times, doubles once, triples three times, and home runs three times. The accumulation of home runs led to him becoming the career home run leader, overtaking Charley Jones with his 51st career homer on September 28, . He held onto the career lead for a two season until he was passed for a short period of time by 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...
for the and the seasons. Harry regained the lead, and held it until Roger Connor
Roger Connor
Roger Connor was a 19th century Major League Baseball player, born in Waterbury, Connecticut. Known for being the player whom Babe Ruth succeeded as the all-time home run champion, Connor hit 138 home runs during his 18-year career, and his career home run record stood for 23 years after his...
passed him in .
Boston and the Players' League
In , a rival league to the National LeagueNational 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...
and the American Association began, and it attracted many of the game's star players, including Stovey who "jumped" to the Boston Reds. He had a good season, batting .299, hit 11 triples, and 12 home runs. On September 3, 1890, Harry became the first player to hit 100 homers for a career, off of Jersey Bakely
Jersey Bakely
Edward Enoch Bakely [″Jersey″] was a Major League Baseball pitcher in the late 19th century. He pitched for nine different teams in six years of play from 1883 to 1891. Sometimes he is credited as Jersey Bakeley or Jersey Bakley.Bakely made his major league debut at the age of 19 for the...
in a game against Cleveland, a significant milestone in a day when home runs were relatively rare.
Staying in Boston
After the 1890 season, the Players' League folded with many of the players returning to their former ballclubs. Stovey‚ who played with the A's in 1889, was not claimed by that club through a clerical error, so on February 5, 1891, he signed with the Boston BeaneatersAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
of the National League. He led the league that season with 16 home runs, and 20 triples, while also hitting .279 with 31 doubles as well. It proved to be last great season of his career.
Baltimore/Brooklyn
He played only 38 games for the Beaneaters in , before he was released on June 20, but he was quickly signed by the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles (19th century)
The Baltimore Orioles were a 19th-century American Association and National League team from 1882 to 1899. The club, which featured numerous future Hall of Famers, finished in first place three consecutive years and won the Temple Cup championship in 1896 and 1897...
. He finished the season with a .272 batting average with the Orioles and hit 11 triples, including three in one game on July 21 in a 10-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
.
The season was Harry's last season in the majors. He was released by the Orioles on May 22 after only eight games, and was signed three days later on May 15 by the Brooklyn Grooms
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. He finished the season with Grooms and retired after the season was over.
Post-career
After his career, Stovey became a police officerPolice officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
in New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
. Harry died at the age of 80 in New Bedford, and is interred at Oak Grove Cemetery.
The Nineteenth Century Committee of the Society for American Baseball Research named Stovey the Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend for 2011 - 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 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of Major League Baseball home run champions
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
- List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
- List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
- Hitting for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
External links
as player as manager| Achievements |
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