Art McLarney
Encyclopedia
Arthur James "Art" McLarney (December 20, 1908 – December 20, 1984) was an Irish American
professional baseball
player whose career spanned three seasons, one of which was spent in Major League Baseball
(MLB) with the New York Giants (1932). Over his major league career, he compiled a .130 batting average
with two runs scored, three hits
, one double
, and three run batted in
(RBIs) in nine games played
. Defensively, he played seven games at shortstop
. McLarney also played two season in the minor leagues
with the Class-A Williamsport Grays
(1933), and the Double-A Seattle Indians (1933–34). In his two-year minor league career, he batted .255 with 126 hits, 18 doubles, two triples
, and two home runs. McLarney played shortstop, second base, and first base over his career in the minors. After his playing career was over, McLarney coached college baseball, basketball
, and football
. During his playing career, he stood at 6 feet (182.9 cm) and weighed 168 pounds (76.2 kg). He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed.
to Edward, and Margret McLarney, both of New York
, and Irish American
. Edward McLarney was a soldier
in the United States Army
, and later in life a clerk
. Art McLarney had four siblings; brothers Douglas, Ralph, and Felix; and sister Ethel. By 1930, Art McLarney was living with his sister, Ethel. In 1930, Art McLarney enrolled at Washington State University
in Pullman, Washington
. While in college, he played basketball
and baseball
. As a member of the baseball team, he was a two-time letter winner (1930, 1932). During the 1931 baseball season, he batted
.320 with 15 runs scored, and 32 hits
in 100 at-bats. During the 1931–32 basketball season, McLarney was selected to the Pacific Coast Conference
all-star second team.
suffered a season-ending injury. The Associated Press wrote that McLarney was a "sensational shortstop
[...] brilliant fielder and a consistent hitter". He made his major league debut on August 23 that season against the Pittsburgh Pirates
where he was used as a defensive replacement. His first major league hit, which was a double
, came on September 20, against the Boston Braves
. On the season, he batted .130 with two runs scored, three hits, one double, three runs batted in (RBIs), three strikeout
s, and one base on balls
in nine games played
. Defensively, he made 13 putout
s, 17 assists
, and he converted three double plays in seven games.
At the start of the 1933 season, McLarney was a member of the Giant's spring training
roster. Before the start of the regular season, the Giant's optioned McLarney to the Class-A Williamsport Grays
of the New York-Pennsylvania League
. With the Grays that season, he batted .237 with 32 hits, five doubles, and one triple
in 33 games played. In the field, he played all of his 33 games at second base. Later that year, he signed with the Double-A Seattle Indians of the Pacific Coast League
. In 86 games with the Indians, he batted .268 with 85 hits, 12 doubles, one triple, and two home runs. Defensively, he played all of his games at shortstop. In 1934, McLarney re-signed with the Seattle Indians. That year, which would be his final as a player, he batted .209 with nine hits, and one double in 18 games played. He played all of his games at first base that season.
of the Bellingham, Washington
semi-professional
baseball team, who were members of the Northwest League
. He served as the physical education
teacher, head
basketball coach, head track
coach, and assistant football
coach for Roosevelt High School in 1946. In 1946, McLarney accepted a job from the University of Washington
to be the assistant coach of their football team. He also served as the assistant coach for the school's men's basketball team. Later that year he accepted the position as head coach of their baseball team. He coached them for three seasons (1947–49). In 1947, the University of Washington hired him to lead the men's basketball team. He served as their coach for three seasons (1947–1950). McLarney resigned his position in 1950 due to stress.
McLarney was hired to coach the basketball team at Bellarmine Preparatory School
in Tacoma, Washington
during the 1950–51 season. In 1951, there was a rumor that McLarney was hired by Gonzaga University
to coach their men's basketball team
, however nothing ever formed. He was brought in to coach the University of Portland
men's baseball team
in 1952. He led the team to a 24–32 record in his three seasons at the helm (1952–54). He resigned as the head basketball coach due to health issues. McLarney also coached the University of Portland men's basketball team for the 1954–55 season, compiling a 10–16 record.
During the mid-1950s, McLarney served as a coach for the Pendleton Ranchers, a collegiate summer league baseball team based in Pendleton, Oregon
.
Diagnostic and Treatment Center in his home-town Port Townsend, Washington. In 1981, he was inducted into the Washington State Cougars
athletic hall of fame
. McLarney died on December 20, 1984, the day of his 76 birthday, in Seattle, Washington
. He was buried at Laurel Grove Cemetery in Port Townsend, Washington.
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player whose career spanned three seasons, one of which was spent in Major League Baseball
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...
(MLB) with the New York Giants (1932). Over his major league career, he compiled a .130 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 :...
with two runs scored, three 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....
, one double
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....
, and three run 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...
(RBIs) in nine 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,...
. Defensively, he played seven games at shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
. McLarney also played two season in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
with the Class-A Williamsport Grays
Williamsport Grays
*Location: Williamsport, Pennsylvania*League: New York-Penn League 1924-1937; Eastern League 1938-1942, 1944–1946, 1950, 1954–1956, 1958–1962...
(1933), and the Double-A Seattle Indians (1933–34). In his two-year minor league career, he batted .255 with 126 hits, 18 doubles, two 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 two home runs. McLarney played shortstop, second base, and first base over his career in the minors. After his playing career was over, McLarney coached college baseball, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. During his playing career, he stood at 6 feet (182.9 cm) and weighed 168 pounds (76.2 kg). He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed.
Early life and college career
Art McLarney was born on December 20, 1908 in Port Townsend, WashingtonPort Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, United States, approximately north-northwest of Seattle . The population was 9,113 at the 2010 census an increase of 9.3% over the 2000 census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County...
to Edward, and Margret McLarney, both of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
. Edward McLarney was a soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, and later in life a clerk
Clerk
Clerk, the vocational title, commonly refers to a white-collar worker who conducts general office or, in some instances, sales tasks. It is also occasionally used to refer to third-year medical students completing a medical clerkship. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record...
. Art McLarney had four siblings; brothers Douglas, Ralph, and Felix; and sister Ethel. By 1930, Art McLarney was living with his sister, Ethel. In 1930, Art McLarney enrolled at Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
in Pullman, Washington
Pullman, Washington
Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
. While in college, he played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and 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...
. As a member of the baseball team, he was a two-time letter winner (1930, 1932). During the 1931 baseball season, he batted
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 :...
.320 with 15 runs scored, and 32 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....
in 100 at-bats. During the 1931–32 basketball season, McLarney was selected to the Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
all-star second team.
Professional playing career
In 1932, the New York Giants signed McLarney out of college. The position on the Giant's roster that McLarney was given became available after Travis JacksonTravis Jackson
Travis Calvin Jackson was a Major League Baseball player during the 1920s and 1930s. His exceptional range at shortstop led to the nickname "Stonewall."...
suffered a season-ending injury. The Associated Press wrote that McLarney was a "sensational shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
[...] brilliant fielder and a consistent hitter". He made his major league debut on August 23 that season against 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...
where he was used as a defensive replacement. His first major league hit, which was a double
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....
, came on September 20, against the Boston Braves
Boston Braves
Boston Braves may refer to any of the following American professional sports teams:*Boston Braves , the Major League Baseball team now known as the Atlanta Braves...
. On the season, he batted .130 with two runs scored, three hits, one double, three runs batted in (RBIs), three strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s, and one base on balls
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
in nine 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,...
. Defensively, he made 13 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, 17 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...
, and he converted three double plays in seven games.
At the start of the 1933 season, McLarney was a member of the Giant's spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
roster. Before the start of the regular season, the Giant's optioned McLarney to the Class-A Williamsport Grays
Williamsport Grays
*Location: Williamsport, Pennsylvania*League: New York-Penn League 1924-1937; Eastern League 1938-1942, 1944–1946, 1950, 1954–1956, 1958–1962...
of the New York-Pennsylvania League
New York-Pennsylvania League (early 20th century)
The New York-Pennsylvania League of 1923 through 1937 was an American minor league baseball circuit.The forerunner to the modern Class AA Eastern League, it was a Class B circuit through 1932 and upgraded to Class A for the final five seasons of its existence. It is actually the second of three...
. With the Grays that season, he batted .237 with 32 hits, five doubles, and one triple
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....
in 33 games played. In the field, he played all of his 33 games at second base. Later that year, he signed with the Double-A Seattle Indians of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
. In 86 games with the Indians, he batted .268 with 85 hits, 12 doubles, one triple, and two home runs. Defensively, he played all of his games at shortstop. In 1934, McLarney re-signed with the Seattle Indians. That year, which would be his final as a player, he batted .209 with nine hits, and one double in 18 games played. He played all of his games at first base that season.
Coaching career
After his playing career was over, McLarney was hired as the managerManager (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...
of the Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
baseball team, who were members of the Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
. He served as the physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
teacher, head
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
basketball coach, head track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
coach, and assistant football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach for Roosevelt High School in 1946. In 1946, McLarney accepted a job from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
to be the assistant coach of their football team. He also served as the assistant coach for the school's men's basketball team. Later that year he accepted the position as head coach of their baseball team. He coached them for three seasons (1947–49). In 1947, the University of Washington hired him to lead the men's basketball team. He served as their coach for three seasons (1947–1950). McLarney resigned his position in 1950 due to stress.
McLarney was hired to coach the basketball team at Bellarmine Preparatory School
Bellarmine Preparatory School
Bellarmine Preparatory School is a Roman Catholic high school in the Jesuit tradition in Tacoma, Washington, USA. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle. Today it serves just over 1,000 students from the Greater Tacoma area....
in Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
during the 1950–51 season. In 1951, there was a rumor that McLarney was hired by Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
to coach their men's basketball team
Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball
The Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Gonzaga University. The school competes in the West Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, however nothing ever formed. He was brought in to coach the University of Portland
University of Portland
The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students...
men's baseball team
Portland Pilots
The Portland Pilots were a Class-B minor league baseball team in Portland, Maine out of the New England League. Created in 1946 as the Portland Gulls, the Pilots lasted until 1949, when the New England League collapsed...
in 1952. He led the team to a 24–32 record in his three seasons at the helm (1952–54). He resigned as the head basketball coach due to health issues. McLarney also coached the University of Portland men's basketball team for the 1954–55 season, compiling a 10–16 record.
During the mid-1950s, McLarney served as a coach for the Pendleton Ranchers, a collegiate summer league baseball team based in Pendleton, Oregon
Pendleton, Oregon
Pendleton is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Pendleton was named in 1868 by the county commissioners for George H. Pendleton, Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1864 presidential campaign. The population was 16,612 at the 2010 census...
.
Later life and death
In 1959, McLarney was appointed recreational leader of the Fort WordenFort Worden
Fort Worden and accompanying Fort Worden State Park are located in Port Townsend, along Admiralty Inlet in Washington. It is situated on 433 acres originally built as a United States Army installation for the protection of Puget Sound. Fort Worden was named after U.S...
Diagnostic and Treatment Center in his home-town Port Townsend, Washington. In 1981, he was inducted into the Washington State Cougars
Washington State Cougars
The Washington State Cougars are the athletic teams at Washington State University; the term applies to any of the school's varsity teams. Washington State University is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, which participates in the NCAA Division I...
athletic hall of fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
. McLarney died on December 20, 1984, the day of his 76 birthday, in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. He was buried at Laurel Grove Cemetery in Port Townsend, Washington.