Will Smalley
Encyclopedia
William Darwin Smalley (1871–1891) was a Major League Baseball
player for the Cleveland Spiders
of the National League
in and the Washington Statesmen of the American Association
in .
on June 27, 1871, Smalley was just 17 when he joined his hometown team, the California League
's Oakland Greenhood and Morans in 1888.http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=smalle001wil Smalley switched to the San Francisco Haverleys later that season and then to the Oakland Colonels in 1889 when a scout for the Cleveland Spiders spotted him, inviting Smalley and several of his teammates to make the trek east to Cleveland.
Still only eighteen when he made his big-league debut, Smalley proved to be a slick-fielding but weak-hitting third baseman, batting just .213 on the season. Still, Smalley played all 136 of the team's games, as did outfielder (and future Hall-of-Famer) George Davis
. Cleveland let Smalley go after the season.
In 1891, Smalley hooked on with Washington of the American Association. Playing nine games at third base and two at second, Smalley was still overmatched by big league pitching (6-for-38, .158) and was released in early May; he finished the season by playing eleven games for the minor-league Syracuse Stars
.
.http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Obits_S/Smalley.Will.Obit.html The young ballplayer declined rapidly and died on October 11, 1891, at the age of 20; his remains were buried in Oakland.
Before the passing of Jay Dahl
three-quarters of a century later, Smalley was the youngest at death of any player in Major League history.
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 for the Cleveland Spiders
Cleveland Spiders
The Cleveland Spiders were a Major League Baseball team which played between 1887 and 1899 in Cleveland, Ohio. The team played at National League Park from 1889 to 1890 and at League Park from 1891 to 1899.- 1887-1891 :...
of 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...
in and the Washington Statesmen of the American Association
American 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...
in .
Baseball career
Born in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
on June 27, 1871, Smalley was just 17 when he joined his hometown team, the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
's Oakland Greenhood and Morans in 1888.http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=smalle001wil Smalley switched to the San Francisco Haverleys later that season and then to the Oakland Colonels in 1889 when a scout for the Cleveland Spiders spotted him, inviting Smalley and several of his teammates to make the trek east to Cleveland.
Still only eighteen when he made his big-league debut, Smalley proved to be a slick-fielding but weak-hitting third baseman, batting just .213 on the season. Still, Smalley played all 136 of the team's games, as did outfielder (and future Hall-of-Famer) George Davis
George Davis
George Davis may refer to:*George Davis , Dutch-born American actor*George Davis , American environmental policy analyst*George Davis , British armed robber...
. Cleveland let Smalley go after the season.
In 1891, Smalley hooked on with Washington of the American Association. Playing nine games at third base and two at second, Smalley was still overmatched by big league pitching (6-for-38, .158) and was released in early May; he finished the season by playing eleven games for the minor-league Syracuse Stars
Syracuse Stars
The Syracuse Stars were a minor professional ice hockey team from Syracuse, New York, existing for 10 season from 1930 to 1940. The Stars name had previously been used by sports teams, including several Syracuse Stars baseball teams from the 19th century....
.
Death
Sadly, Will Smalley would never get another chance to prove himself on the ballfield. In late September, while living in Syracuse, Smalley took ill with stomach cancer; his uncle William brought Will to the older man's home in Bay City, MichiganBay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
.http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Obits_S/Smalley.Will.Obit.html The young ballplayer declined rapidly and died on October 11, 1891, at the age of 20; his remains were buried in Oakland.
Before the passing of Jay Dahl
Jay Dahl
Jay Steven Dahl was an American baseball player who debuted in Major League Baseball at age 17 in 1963, then died less than two years later in an automobile accident.-Career:...
three-quarters of a century later, Smalley was the youngest at death of any player in Major League history.