Tommy McCarthy

From BR Bullpen

1887 Old Judge baseball card for Thomas 'Tommy' McCarthy of the Philadelphia Quakers

Thomas Francis Michael McCarthy

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 7", Weight 170 lb.

• Debut July 10, 1884
• Final Game September 26, 1896
• Born July 24, 1863 in Boston, MA USA
• Died August 5, 1922 in Boston, MA USA

Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1946

BR page

[edit] Biographical Information

"The best man in the business at the trapped-ball trick was Tommy McCarthy. He had the play down pat, and on more than one occasion saved his team by resorting to it." - John McGraw.

Tommy McCarthy played thirteen seasons in the major leagues and was player-manager for part of one season, but is in the Hall of Fame more for his innovations as a baseball pioneer than for his exploits as a player. He not only did the trapped-ball trick, but also was one of the pioneers of the hit and run and other concepts.

He was a player on the high-profile St. Louis Browns and Boston Beaneaters teams. He rarely led the league in major offensive categories, although he led the league in stolen bases in 1890, and had 93 steals in 1888. 1890, the year of three leagues, was by far his best year.

As a pitcher, he had a career major league record of 0-7.

He managed the Newark Bears in 1918 (64-63 - 4th place).

There is only one Hall of Famer on the list of the ten most similar players to McCarthy. One recent player on the list, Lance Johnson, is an interesting comparison.

[edit] Notable Achievements

• AA At Bats Leader (1889)
• AA Stolen Bases Leader (1890)
• AA Singles Leader (1891)
• 100 RBI Seasons: 2 (1893 & 1894)
• 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 7 (1888-1894)
• 50 Stolen Bases Seasons: 4 (1888-1890 & 1892)
• Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1946

[edit] Further Reading

• Donald Hubbard: The Heavenly Twins of Boston Baseball: A Dual Biography of Hugh Duffy and Tommy McCarthy, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2008.

[edit] Related Sites