Philadelphia Keystones
Encyclopedia
The Philadelphia Keystones (aka Keystones of Philadelphia) was a professional baseball franchise. In 1884, they were a member of the short-lived Union Association
. The team was owned by former player Tom Pratt
.
The Keystones were managed by catcher
Fergy Malone
and finished eighth in the league with a 21-46 record. Their top-hitting regular was left fielder
/infielder
Buster Hoover
, who batted .364 with a slugging percentage of .495, and their best pitcher was Jersey Bakely
, who was 14-25 with an ERA
of 4.47. Their home games were played at Keystone Park
. Jack Clements
, who played for 17 seasons and was the last (and virtually the only) left-handed
catcher
in major-league history, made his big-league debut with the Keystones.
Like several other teams in the Union Association, the Keystones did not make it through the entire season, folding after the game of August 7. The entire league ceased operations after 1884, its first and only season.
Union Association
The Union Association was a league in Major League Baseball which lasted for only one season in 1884. St. Louis won the pennant and joined the National League the following season...
. The team was owned by former player Tom Pratt
Tom Pratt
Thomas Jefferson Pratt was a professional baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics. He played in one game for the Athletics on October 18, 1871, getting two hits in six at bats. Prior to his brief professional career, he played with the old Brooklyn Atlantics in the 1860s...
.
The Keystones were managed by 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...
Fergy Malone
Fergy Malone
Fergus G. Malone was a professional baseball player in the 1860s and 1870s. He was the catcher for Athletic of Philadelphia in 1871, champion of the first professional league season....
and finished eighth in the league with a 21-46 record. Their top-hitting regular was 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...
/infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
Buster Hoover
Buster Hoover
William James "Buster" Hoover was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Philadelphia Keystones, Philadelphia Quakers, Baltimore Orioles, and Cincinnati Reds between 1884 and 1892...
, who batted .364 with a slugging percentage of .495, and their best pitcher was 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...
, who was 14-25 with an ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 4.47. Their home games were played at Keystone Park
Keystone Park
Keystone Park is a former baseball ground located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The ground was home to the Philadelphia Keystones of the Union Association in 1884....
. Jack Clements
Jack Clements
John J. "Jack" Clements was a baseball player who played for 17 seasons in the Major Leagues. A catcher for nearly his entire career, despite being left-handed, Clements caught 1,073 games, almost four times as many as any other left-handed player in major league history and was the last...
, who played for 17 seasons and was the last (and virtually the only) left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
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...
in major-league history, made his big-league debut with the Keystones.
Like several other teams in the Union Association, the Keystones did not make it through the entire season, folding after the game of August 7. The entire league ceased operations after 1884, its first and only season.