James Cavanagh
From BR Bullpen
- Bats Unknown, Throws Unknown
James Cavanagh
- Debut September 11, 1872
- Final Game September 19, 1872
[edit] Biographical Information
James Cavanagh played decently enough in 5 games for the Brooklyn Eckfords in September of 1872, hitting .261 for a team which hit .225. He made four errors, but then the team had a fielding percentage under .800 so he wasn't so terrible. However, only his last name had made it onto official records and he was listed in encyclopedias simply as Kavanaugh.
There has (through 2008) never been another Kavanaugh in the majors, and while there have been numerous Kavanaughs in the minors, none were known to have played around 1872. No major league players named Kavanagh were known to have played around then either. In those early years of baseball, organized leagues were a rarity however, and the Eckfords were known to pick up many of their players from the semi-pro Burnsides club of Brooklyn, NY. The team was well enough known that its games were covered in papers like the Brooklyn Eagle, where present-day researchers found mention of James Cavanagh, whose tenure with the team is consistent with his major league record.
[edit] Related Sites
- "Kavanaugh of the Eckfords Identified", in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, January/February 2011, p. 2.
