John Albert "Jack" Morrissey (May 2, 1876 – October 30, 1936), nicknamed "King", was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 professional baseball player from Lansing, Michigan

Lansing, Michigan

Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...

 who played parts of two season 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...

 for the Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....

 from 1902 to 1903.

Career

Morrissey began his professional baseball career at the age of 19 when joined the local Lansing Senators of the Michigan State League

Michigan State League

Michigan State League was the name of six American professional baseball leagues. Five of them operated only one or two baseball seasons and the other four seasons...

 in 1895, the only year of operation as a class "B" league in the 19th century. The following season, he travelled to 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...

 to play for the Rabbits of the class "C" New Pacific League

Pacific Northwest League

The Pacific Northwest League was a professional Minor League Baseball league based in the Pacific Northwest. It was the first professional baseball league ever in the region.-Founding:...

. In 1898, he was playing in the Canadian League for the Chatham Reds. Morrissey's next recorded playing period began in 1901, when he a member of the Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...

 Furniture Makers of the Western Association, a class "A" league that was in operation for one season.

In 1902, Morrissey played for two different minor league teams; the Minneapolis Millers

Minneapolis Millers

The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, until 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League.The team played first in Athletic Park and later Nicollet Park.The name Minneapolis...

 of the American Association

American Association (20th century)

The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...

 and the Muskegon

Muskegon, Michigan

Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...

 Reds of the Michigan State League. Toward the end of the 1902 season, he was signed by the Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....

 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...

, and made his Major League Baseball debut on September 18. For the remainder of the season, he appeared in 12 games, 11 of which were as their 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...

, collected 11 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 39 at bat

At bat

In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...

s for a .282 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 :...

. He re-signed with the Reds for the 1903 season, appearing in 29 games, 17 at second base and 8 as an outfielder

Outfielder

Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...

, before playing final major league contest on July 6. His final major league career totals include 41 games played while collecting 33 hits in 128 at bats for a .258 batting average. He played out the rest of the 1903 season with the Columbus

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

 Senators of the American Association, recently upgraded to a class "A" league, and the Lawrence

Lawrence, Massachusetts

Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...

 Colts of the class "B" New England League

New England League

The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played sporadically in five of the six New England states between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League Baseball clubs in Boston and alongside stronger, higher-classification...

.

He relocated to Grand Rapids to played for the Orphans of the class "B" Central League

Central League (baseball)

The Central League was a minor league baseball league that operated sporadically from 1903-1917, 1920-1922, 1926, 1928-1930, 1934, and 1948-1951. In 1926, the league merged mid-season with the Michigan State League and played under that name for the remainder of the season...

 for two seasons from 1904 to 1905, and was the club's player-manager during his first season. From 1907 to 1914, he returned to the Lansing Senators, now of the class "D" Southern Michigan League

Southern Michigan League

The Southern Michigan League was a Minor League Baseball circuit which operated between 1906 and 1912. It was classified as a Class D league from 1906 to 1910 and as a Class C league from 1911 to 1912...

. He was the team's manager

Manager (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...

all eight seasons with the Senators, while playing in 1907, 1908, and 1910.

He died in his hometown of Lansing at the age of 60 on October 30, 1936, and is interred at the city's Mount Hope Cemetery.

External links