Scott Hastings (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Winfield Scott Hastings (August 10, 1847 - August 14, 1907) was a major league baseball player and manager
in the late 19th century. Primarily a catcher
and outfielder
, Hastings also appeared as a first baseman
, second baseman
, and shortstop
over the course of his career.
, Hastings made his major league debut on May 6, for the Rockford Forest Citys
of the National Association
as the starting catcher and manager of the team. The team disbanded after the 1871 season and Hastings moved to the Cleveland Forest Citys
for the campaign as a player-manager again. Rotating between catcher, second base and outfield, Hastings was batting
.391 when the team folded on August 19.
Hastings then moved to the Baltimore Canaries
to finish out the season, primarily catching and hitting a respectable .306. Hastings remained with the Canaries for the season, batting .281 and rotating with two other players at the catching position as well as filling in as a fourth outfielder. He moved to the Hartford Dark Blues
in , once again platooning at catcher and playing in the outfield when not behind the plate. Hastings had a good year, hitting .325 and leading the team in runs scored.
. Hastings was the regular catcher for Chicago but his average fell to .254. White Stockings owner William Hulbert
found Hastings expendable as he signed Deacon White
from the Boston Red Stockings
to replace him. Hastings caught on with the Louisville Grays
for the season in the new National League
. Hastings was the everyday center fielder for the Grays, and although leading the team in runs scored Hastings' average was only .258 and was looking for a new team again after the season.
In , Hastings played for the Cincinnati Reds
and was one of six players who caught five games or more. The job was Hastings to lose and he did, batting only .141 for the season, his last in the majors.
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...
in the late 19th century. Primarily a 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...
and 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...
, Hastings also appeared as a first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
, 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...
, and 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...
over the course of his career.
Early career
Born in Hillsboro, OhioHillsboro, Ohio
Hillsboro is a city in and the county seat of Highland County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,605 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hillsboro is located at ....
, Hastings made his major league debut on May 6, for the Rockford Forest Citys
Rockford Forest Citys
Rockford Forest Citys , from Rockford, Illinois was one of the first professional baseball clubs. Rockford played for one season during the National Association inaugural year of 1871.-Origins:...
of the National Association
National Association of Professional Base Ball Players
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players , or simply the National Association , was founded in 1871 and continued through the 1875 season...
as the starting catcher and manager of the team. The team disbanded after the 1871 season and Hastings moved to the Cleveland Forest Citys
Cleveland Forest Citys
The Forest Citys were a short lived professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio in the early 1870s. The actual name of the team, as shown in standings, was Forest City, not "Cleveland". The name "Forest Citys" was used in the same generic style of the day in which the team from Chicago,...
for the campaign as a player-manager again. Rotating between catcher, second base and outfield, Hastings was batting
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 :...
.391 when the team folded on August 19.
Hastings then moved to the Baltimore Canaries
Baltimore Canaries
The Baltimore Canaries were a professional baseball club in the National Association from 1872 to 1874.-History:The team was usually listed as Lord Baltimore in the box scores of the day, and were also referred to as the Yellow Stockings...
to finish out the season, primarily catching and hitting a respectable .306. Hastings remained with the Canaries for the season, batting .281 and rotating with two other players at the catching position as well as filling in as a fourth outfielder. He moved to the Hartford Dark Blues
Hartford Dark Blues
The Hartford Dark Blues were a 19th century baseball team. The team was based in Hartford, Connecticut.-History:They were a member of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players in 1874 and 1875 and the National League in 1876 and 1877...
in , once again platooning at catcher and playing in the outfield when not behind the plate. Hastings had a good year, hitting .325 and leading the team in runs scored.
Later career
Hastings was on the move again for , joining the Chicago White StockingsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. Hastings was the regular catcher for Chicago but his average fell to .254. White Stockings owner William Hulbert
William Hulbert
William Ambrose Hulbert was one of the founders of the National League, recognized as baseball's first major league, and was also the president of the Chicago White Stockings franchise....
found Hastings expendable as he signed Deacon White
Deacon White
James Laurie "Deacon" White was an American baseball player who was one of the principal stars during the first two decades of the sport's professional era...
from the Boston Red Stockings
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
to replace him. Hastings caught on with the Louisville Grays
Louisville Grays
The Louisville Grays were a 19th century U.S. baseball team and charter member of the National League, based in Louisville, Kentucky. They played two seasons, 1876 and 1877, and compiled a record of 65–61. Their home games were at the Louisville Baseball Park. The Grays were owned by...
for the season in the new 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...
. Hastings was the everyday center fielder for the Grays, and although leading the team in runs scored Hastings' average was only .258 and was looking for a new team again after the season.
In , Hastings played for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds (1876-1880)
The Cincinnati Reds, also known as the Cincinnati Red Stockings, were a professional baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio that played from 1876–1880. The Reds were a charter member of the National League.-History:...
and was one of six players who caught five games or more. The job was Hastings to lose and he did, batting only .141 for the season, his last in the majors.