Mike McGeary
Encyclopedia
Michael Henry McGeary was an American
Major League Baseball
player. He played mainly infield
positions during his 11 league seasons, which included stints for seven different teams in two leagues. Three of those teams employed him as player-manager.
McGeary was a native of Philadelphia. He made his professional debut at 19, as the regular catcher
for the Troy Haymakers
in 1870, the last season of the National Association of Base Ball Players
. The NABBP had first permitted professional clubs for the 1869 season and the "Haymakers" had been one of twelve pioneers. Formally they were the Union baseball club of Lansingburgh, New York
, a city neighboring Troy and subsequently annexed by it.
While the team played 25 professional matches in 1870 (with 11 wins and one tie), McGeary played in 37 of all 46 games on record. He was a little below average as a batter in the company of his teammates.
It was a solid team in the professional class. Seven of the including McGeary were remained together when the club participated in the first professional league during 1871.
His league statistics seem to show that Mike was a solid ballplayer, but rumors that he threw games persisted throughout his career, though never substantiated. He was suspended by the St. Louis management for allegedly "throwing" a game on May 27, . The game took place against the New York Mutuals
at the Union Grounds
, and Mike had made four errors
.
Little is known about Mike McGeary after his baseball career. The best resources may only be census records. The last of these records appear to be from 1910, which hints that he may have died between 1910 and 1920.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
player. He played mainly infield
Infield
Infield is a widely used term in sports terminology, its meaning depends on the sport in which it is used.- In baseball :In baseball the baseball diamond plus a region beyond it , has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-covered outfield...
positions during his 11 league seasons, which included stints for seven different teams in two leagues. Three of those teams employed him as player-manager.
McGeary was a native of Philadelphia. He made his professional debut at 19, as the regular 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...
for the Troy Haymakers
Troy Haymakers
The Troy Haymakers were an American professional baseball team.-History:Established in 1860 as the Union base ball club of neighboring Lansingburgh, New York, the Haymakers participated in the first professional pennant race of 1869 and joined the first professional league, the 1871 National...
in 1870, the last season of the National Association of Base Ball Players
National Association of Base Ball Players
The National Association of Base Ball Players was the first organization governing American baseball. The first, 1857 convention of sixteen New York City clubs...
. The NABBP had first permitted professional clubs for the 1869 season and the "Haymakers" had been one of twelve pioneers. Formally they were the Union baseball club of Lansingburgh, New York
Lansingburgh, New York
Lansingburgh was the first chartered village in Rensselaer County, New York, USA and was settled around 1763. The name is from Abraham Lansing, an early settler, combined with the Scottish word burgh....
, a city neighboring Troy and subsequently annexed by it.
While the team played 25 professional matches in 1870 (with 11 wins and one tie), McGeary played in 37 of all 46 games on record. He was a little below average as a batter in the company of his teammates.
It was a solid team in the professional class. Seven of the including McGeary were remained together when the club participated in the first professional league during 1871.
His league statistics seem to show that Mike was a solid ballplayer, but rumors that he threw games persisted throughout his career, though never substantiated. He was suspended by the St. Louis management for allegedly "throwing" a game on May 27, . The game took place against the New York Mutuals
New York Mutuals
The Mutual Base Ball Club of New York was a leading American baseball club almost throughout its 20-year history. It was established during 1857, the year of the first baseball convention, just too late to be a founding member of the National Association of Base Ball Players. It was a charter...
at the Union Grounds
Union Grounds
Union Grounds was a baseball park located in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. The grounds opened in 1862 and was the first baseball park enclosed entirely by a fence, thereby allowing proprietor William Cammeyer or his tenant to charge admission, permitting only paying customers to...
, and Mike had made four errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
.
Little is known about Mike McGeary after his baseball career. The best resources may only be census records. The last of these records appear to be from 1910, which hints that he may have died between 1910 and 1920.