John Hatfield (baseball)
Encyclopedia
John Van Buskirk Hatfield (July 20, 1847 – February 20, 1909) was an American
professional baseball
player in the 1860s and 1870s. He was a batting star and versatile fielder for the Mutual Base Ball Club (New York Mutuals
) both before and after spending the 1868 season as left fielder
for Harry Wright
's Cincinnati Red Stockings
. Left field was his primary position during four years as a regular player in the major leagues from 1871. For a few decades after leaving the game he was famous for his "world record" long-distance throw. During an 1868 exhibition at Cincinnati's Union Grounds
he threw the baseball 132 yards.. On October 15, 1872 Hatfield threw a baseball 400 feet.
for 1867 (Ryczek 1998, 141). That club was always one of the strongest and by Hatfield's time one of the leaders on the frontier of professionalism. Boss Tweed
was a member of the club and it was able to compensate some players with city jobs.
Late in 1868 Hatfield missed a match with Cincinnati's intercity rival, the Buckeyes, when a defeat would have required a third game to decide the local championship. After Cincinnati won without him, it came out that he had been benched by his club following a seamy incident the night before. Gamblers had "plied him with liquor, and offered him $200 plus a job in the assessor's office if he would desert the Red Stockings and immediately become captain of the Buckeyes." He had admitted the scheme, but plead intoxication and asked to continue playing with the Red Stockings. They returned him to good standing sometime after the big game.
At the same time, the Buckeyes had hired three outside players for the big game. Like the Red Stockings, they had improved their team before the season by importing some eastern stars. Apparently many player engagements were agreed by contracts of some kind, although little is known about the details. At its annual meeting that December, the National Association expressly permitted professional clubs and thus employment contracts for players.
For the first professional season John Hatfield signed a contract to play with Cincinnati again, but he later signed also with his prior club the Mutuals, and he returned to New York leaving debts in the Queen City.
John Hatfield died 1909 in Long Island City at age 61. He is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Maspeth. (Both Long Island City and Maspeth are now in the New York City borough of Queens
.)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional 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 in the 1860s and 1870s. He was a batting star and versatile fielder for the Mutual Base Ball Club (New York Mutuals
New York Mutuals
The Mutual Base Ball Club of New York was a leading American baseball club almost throughout its 20-year history. It was established during 1857, the year of the first baseball convention, just too late to be a founding member of the National Association of Base Ball Players. It was a charter...
) both before and after spending the 1868 season as left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
for Harry Wright
Harry Wright
William Henry "Harry" Wright was an English-born American professional baseball player, manager, and developer. He assembled, managed, and played center field for baseball's first fully professional team, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings...
's 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,...
. Left field was his primary position during four years as a regular player in the major leagues from 1871. For a few decades after leaving the game he was famous for his "world record" long-distance throw. During an 1868 exhibition at Cincinnati's Union Grounds
Union Grounds
Union Grounds was a baseball park located in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. The grounds opened in 1862 and was the first baseball park enclosed entirely by a fence, thereby allowing proprietor William Cammeyer or his tenant to charge admission, permitting only paying customers to...
he threw the baseball 132 yards.. On October 15, 1872 Hatfield threw a baseball 400 feet.
Revolver
John Hatfield's season in Cincinnati was the last of the amateur era. Like Fred Waterman, another import from New York, he must have been compensated by members of the Cincinnati club if not by the club itself. He was already famous for "revolving" or changing his membership from one club to another. After playing much of two seasons for the New York Gothams to the Actives in September 1865 and played for two other clubs before the end of that season, probably in November. He played mainly for the Actives in 1866 and joined the New York MutualsNew York Mutuals
The Mutual Base Ball Club of New York was a leading American baseball club almost throughout its 20-year history. It was established during 1857, the year of the first baseball convention, just too late to be a founding member of the National Association of Base Ball Players. It was a charter...
for 1867 (Ryczek 1998, 141). That club was always one of the strongest and by Hatfield's time one of the leaders on the frontier of professionalism. Boss Tweed
Boss Tweed
William Magear Tweed – often erroneously referred to as William Marcy Tweed , and widely known as "Boss" Tweed – was an American politician most notable for being the "boss" of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th century...
was a member of the club and it was able to compensate some players with city jobs.
Late in 1868 Hatfield missed a match with Cincinnati's intercity rival, the Buckeyes, when a defeat would have required a third game to decide the local championship. After Cincinnati won without him, it came out that he had been benched by his club following a seamy incident the night before. Gamblers had "plied him with liquor, and offered him $200 plus a job in the assessor's office if he would desert the Red Stockings and immediately become captain of the Buckeyes." He had admitted the scheme, but plead intoxication and asked to continue playing with the Red Stockings. They returned him to good standing sometime after the big game.
At the same time, the Buckeyes had hired three outside players for the big game. Like the Red Stockings, they had improved their team before the season by importing some eastern stars. Apparently many player engagements were agreed by contracts of some kind, although little is known about the details. At its annual meeting that December, the National Association expressly permitted professional clubs and thus employment contracts for players.
For the first professional season John Hatfield signed a contract to play with Cincinnati again, but he later signed also with his prior club the Mutuals, and he returned to New York leaving debts in the Queen City.
Professional
Hatfield remained with the Mutuals for his remaining six seasons as a regular player, 1869–1874 including 1870 as team captain. Only 26 years old in 1874, he was one of the league's weakest batters. Thereafter he played only two stray games at that level.John Hatfield died 1909 in Long Island City at age 61. He is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Maspeth. (Both Long Island City and Maspeth are now in the New York City borough of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
.)