Cub Stricker
Encyclopedia
John A. "Cub" Stricker, born John A. Streaker (June 8, 1859 - November 19, 1937), was an American
second baseman
in Major League Baseball
who played for seven different teams during his 11-season career, the bulk of his playing time being with the Philadelphia Athletics
and Cleveland Blues/Spiders
.
, Stricker was signed by the Athletics as a free agent
in and played four seasons with moderate success. He would get his most playing time while with the Cleveland Blues
though, and did well with the opportunity, especially his first season with them in , when he batted
.264 in 131 games, scored 122 runs scored
, and stole
86 bases. He stole 60 bases the following year, and finished his career with a respectable 278, along with 1,106 base hits
and a .239 batting average.
In , he was signed by the St. Louis Browns
to be the team's player-manager. His time was cut short when after 23 games, the team had only won six of them. The final straw came after a home loss, and Stricker jumped into the stands and punched a fan who had been heckling the team. He was traded soon after to the Pittsburgh Pirates
in exchange for Pud Galvin
. Cub did not play a game for the Pirates, as he was traded again, three days later to the Baltimore Orioles
in exchange for Adonis Terry
.
Though his career was unremarkable, it was marred by an incident in his final season, while playing with the Washington Senators. During the sixth inning of a game on August 5, 1893 in Philadelphia, the crowd was jeering the Senators relentlessly when, after making the third out
, Stricker walked over near the crowd and feigned throwing the ball at them a couple times until he finally did release the ball. The ball struck the ground before the fence that divided the crowd and the baseball field and bounded over the fence and struck a young man in the face, breaking his nose. Stricker was arrest
ed, and held until a hearing could be conducted. He apologized, explaining that he meant to only throw it into the fence and that it was an accident.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
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...
who played for seven different teams during his 11-season career, the bulk of his playing time being with the Philadelphia Athletics
Philadelphia Athletics (American Association)
The Philadelphia Athletics were a professional baseball team, one of six charter members of the American Association, a 19th-century major league, which began play in 1882 as a rival to the National League. The other teams were the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Red Stockings, Eclipse of...
and Cleveland Blues/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 :...
.
Career
Born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Stricker was signed by the Athletics as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in and played four seasons with moderate success. He would get his most playing time while with the Cleveland Blues
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 :...
though, and did well with the opportunity, especially his first season with them in , when 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 :...
.264 in 131 games, scored 122 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...
, and stole
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...
86 bases. He stole 60 bases the following year, and finished his career with a respectable 278, along with 1,106 base 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....
and a .239 batting average.
In , he was signed by the St. Louis Browns
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
to be the team's player-manager. His time was cut short when after 23 games, the team had only won six of them. The final straw came after a home loss, and Stricker jumped into the stands and punched a fan who had been heckling the team. He was traded soon after to 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...
in exchange for Pud Galvin
Pud Galvin
James Francis Galvin , nicknamed "Pud", "Gentle Jeems", and "The Little Steam Engine", was an American National Association and Major League Baseball pitcher. He was Major League Baseball's first 300-game winner...
. Cub did not play a game for the Pirates, as he was traded again, three days later to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore 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...
in exchange for Adonis Terry
Adonis Terry
William H. "Adonis" Terry was an American Major League Baseball player whose career spanned from his debut with the Brooklyn Atlantics in , to the Chicago Colts in . In his 14 seasons, he compiled a 197-196 win–loss record, winning 20 or more games in a season four different times...
.
Though his career was unremarkable, it was marred by an incident in his final season, while playing with the Washington Senators. During the sixth inning of a game on August 5, 1893 in Philadelphia, the crowd was jeering the Senators relentlessly when, after making the third out
Out (baseball)
In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired...
, Stricker walked over near the crowd and feigned throwing the ball at them a couple times until he finally did release the ball. The ball struck the ground before the fence that divided the crowd and the baseball field and bounded over the fence and struck a young man in the face, breaking his nose. Stricker was arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
ed, and held until a hearing could be conducted. He apologized, explaining that he meant to only throw it into the fence and that it was an accident.
Post-career
Stricker died at the age of 78 in his hometown of Philadelphia, and was interred at West Laurel Hills Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PennsylvaniaBala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Bala Cynwyd is a community in Lower Merion Township which is located on the Main Line in southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at US Route 1 . It was originally two separate towns, Bala and Cynwyd, but is commonly treated as a single community...
.