Curt Welch

From BR Bullpen

Curtis Benton Welch

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 5' 10", Weight 175 lb.

Debut May 1, 1884
Final Game May 23, 1893
Born February 11, 1862 in East Liverpool, OH USA
Died August 29, 1896 in East Liverpool, OH USA

[edit] Biographical Information

"Curt Welch, the center fielder of the St. Louis Browns . . . was by long odds the greatest fielder of his day. . . It was said that he could tell by the sound of the crack of the bat just how far the ball was going to go. . ." - from The National Game

"Curt Welch's '$15,000 slide' is the most famous play of 19th century baseball." - Bill James

Curt Welch, considered the top centerfielder of his day, was also an above-average hitter who stole a lot of bases. He played ten years in the majors, and some of his teams were quite noteworthy.

Welch was considered a tough and aggressive guy, and one source calls him "the toughest man on the St. Louis Browns".

He was working as a potter when one day he came to the train station to see the local amateur team off on a road trip. The catcher had an injured hand, and somebody suggested the team take Welch along. He did well, and his career took off with a couple amateur teams.

He then signed with Toledo to start his major league career, and made his debut with a noteworthy team that featured perhaps the first black players, Fleet Walker and Welday Walker. Welch was said to be good friends on the team with Tony Mullane and Sam Barkley, the two best players on the team. Welch was the regular centerfielder but also played a couple games at catcher.

After the 1884 season he was purchased (along with Barkley) by Chris Von der Ahe's famous St. Louis Browns, where he spent 1885-87. The Browns won the pennant all three years.

In the 1886 post-season play, Welch stole home on a high pitch that may have been a pitchout, one that King Kelly juggled. It came to be known as the "$15,000 slide" because his steal constituted the winning run and $15,000 was the amount that the winning players were supposed to share.

After 1887 he was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics, where, it is said, he played for the highest salary ever commanded by an outfielder, and also served as team captain.

After his major league days he played for some minor league clubs but his health was failing (said to be consumption), and he died in 1896.

Main sources: Curt Welch and The Cardinals Encyclopedia.