Washington DC Baseball

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Player #6: Owen F. "Spider" Clark. Utility player with the Washington Nationals in 1889. 106 hits and 5 home runs in 2 MLB seasons. He also played in 1890 for the Buffalo Bisons of the Players' League. While he was primarily a right fielder, he played all over the diamond on defense, playing every position at least once, including one game as a pitcher for the Bisons.

With the Nationals in 1889, Clark also became the first major league player with the nickname of "Spider," a moniker he received because of his thin build and his excellent range as a fielder. Clark died of tuberculosis in 1892 at 24 years old.

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Player #7: Patrick E. "Pat" Dealy played all or part of five seasons in the majors between 1884 and 1890. 113 hits and 2 home runs in 5 MLB seasons. He debuted with the St. Paul Saints of the Union Association in 1884 as their backup catcher, which was his primary position throughout his career (he also played substantial numbers of games at shortstop, third base, and the outfield). He then played three seasons in the National League, with the Boston Beaneaters in 1885 and 1886 and Washington Nationals in 1887. His final season came with the Syracuse Stars of the American Association. Dealey also umpired two NL games in 1886. In 1887, he was Connie Mack's back-up.

Dealy is said to have allowed 10 passed balls in a game on May 3, 1886, which is odd given that he appeared in 14 games at catcher that season and allowed a total of 20 passed balls, which means that he had a total of 10 in the other 13 games. It was apparently typical to allow one passed ball per game - Dealy allowed 24 during 28 games at catcher in 1887 while Connie Mack allowed 76 passed balls during 76 games at catcher in 1887.

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Player #8: John A. "Jack" Farrell. "Moose". Second baseman with the Washington Nationals in 1886-1887. 877 hits and 23 home runs in 11 MLB seasons. He debuted with the Syracuse Stars in 1879. His best season was 1883 with the Providence Grays as he posted a .329 OBP with 92 runs scored in 435 plate appearances. He last played for the Baltimore Orioles in 1888-1889. In 1881, he managed the Providence Grays.

Farrell was the second baseman for the Providence Gray's in 1879-1885, a consistently good team that won the pennant in 1879 and 1884.

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Player #9: Andrew B. "Barney" Gilligan. Catcher with the Washington Nationals in 1886-1887. 386 hits and 3 home runs in 10 MLB seasons. He debuted with the Cleveland Blues in 1879-1880. His best season was 1884 with the Providence Grays as he posted a .325 OBP with 47 runs scored in 329 plate appearances. He was Hoss Radbourn's catcher as Radbourn won 54 games and the Grays won the 1884 pennant. He finished his MLB career with the Detroit Wolverines in 1888.

In the 1880's catching was brutal, dangerous work using the primitive equipment of the day. It was also customary for "batteries" to stay together. Most teams had two pitcher/catcher duos and rarely mixed them up barring injury. So, when Hoss Radbourn took over starting every Providence Grays game in the second half of the 1884 pennant-winning season, it meant Gilligan caught every game as well. It is well understood that Radbourn's was a feat of fantastic endurance; less appreciated, is Gilligan's ability to catch Radbourn game after game. Despite the physical demands of all the catching, 1884 was also Gilligan's finest offensive season.

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Player #10: John J. "Egyptian" Healy. "Long John". Healy was born in Cairo, IL, hence the nickname, "Egyptian". Pitcher with the Washington Nationals in 1889. 78 wins and a 3.84 ERA in 8 MLB seasons. He debuted with the St. Louis Maroons in 1885-1886. His best season was 1890 with the Toledo Maumees as he went 22-21 record with a 2.89 ERA in 389 innings pitched. His final season was 1892 with the Louisville Colonels. Healy's career W-L record was 78-136; during the 1880s, his .310 winning percentage (44-98) was the lowest of any Major League pitcher in the decade.

During the 1888-89 off-season he was part of the world tour which Al Spalding organized. Among other places, they went to Egypt. Healy died of consumption in 1899 at age 32.

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The Washington Nationals played their first and only season of professional baseball in 1872 as a member of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players. They finished eleventh in the league with a record of 0-11.

The Washington Blue Legs played their first and only season in 1873 as a member of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players. They finished seventh in the league with a record of 8-31.

The 1891 Washington Statesmen baseball team finished the season with a 44–91 record in the American Association in their first season. After the season, the AA disbanded and the Washington club, renamed the "Senators," joined the National League.

Player #11: Paul A. Hines. Outfielder with the Washington Nationals in 1886-1887. 2,133 hits and 57 home runs in 20 MLB seasons. 1884 World Series champion with the Providence Grays. 1878 Triple Crown winner. 2-time (1878 and 1879) batting champion. 1878 NL home run leader and NL RBI leader. Hines debuted with Washington in the National Association in 1972 and played for eight other MLB teams, including the Washington Blue Legs (1873), Washington Nationals (NL) (1886-1887), and, in his final season, the Washington Statesmen (1891). During the first five NL seasons, from 1876 through 1880, Hines had more base hits than any other player, and he retired third to Cap Anson and Jim O'Rourke with 1,884 career hits in the majors.

Hines' total of sixteen seasons as a major league team's primary center fielder was not surpassed until Tris Speaker and Ty Cobb in 1925.

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Player #12: William F. "Bill" Krieg. Catcher/1B/Outfielder with the Washington Nationals in 1886-1887. 127 hits and 4 home runs in 4 MLB seasons. He debuted with the Chicago Browns/Pittsburgh Stogies in 1884.

Krieg started 1887 with Washington. On opening day, he hit a home run, and in the stands, "hats, umbrellas and canes were thrown into the air and the multitude shouted forth their joy in hilarious manner." However, Krieg batted just .253 in 25 games and was released in midseason.

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