Dick Knox

Richard J. Knox
(Dick)

• Height 5' 11", Weight 190 lb.

• Born August 11, 1864 in Baltimore, MD USA
• Died Unknown

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Dick Knox played in the minor leagues over a 20 year span, from the mid-1880s into the 1900s and was one of the most famous ball players of his time. A tall, eccentric man with a squeaky, effeminate voice, Knox kept up a constant repartee during games, talking to himself and to the ball, particularly after his misplays or swings and misses, and with fans, which made him a frequent favorite of his home grandstands, but brought out unmerciful derision from many spectators in road games. Though some did not appreciate his attempts at comedy, he became known as a "great comedian" and "great coacher", as well as being a great kicker in arguing with umpires.

As a player Knox had good speed and big power, but was prone to lose confidence and go into spells of games where his errors and strikeouts piled up. He was said to be a conscientious player and took good care of himself, allowing him to play into his forties, and he had numerous stories told about his powerful drives, putting balls over and through outfield fences. He was a daring baserunner and was always ambitious to win, but a tendency towards anxiety led to his frequent slumps and kept him from ever reaching the major leagues, despite his periodic sensational play.

A measure of Knox's fame can be seen in the variety of nicknames he picked up during his career. While he was usually known as Dick, Dicky, or Dickey, he was also called "Cyclone", "Dasher", "Tackey", "Daffy", "Mud Horse", "Daredevil Dick", "Posey", and "Horrid Moustache Dickey". One writer who did not care for his antics dubbed him "the worst on earth".

Knox came from Baltimore and worked as a pitcher for a local club, the Patapscos, in 1885 and 1886. He began his career outside the city in 1886, with short stints as a pitcher with the independent Seasides of Wilmington, NC and with Richmond in the Virginia League. In 1887 he went north to New York to play in Lockport and Batavia, then finished the year in Ontario with the Park Nine club of Kingston.

In 1888, Knox joined the Rochester Jingoes in the International Association, where he began to play the field regularly rather than featuring as a pitcher. In a pattern that would become common in his career, he got off to a hot start before going into an extended slump, earning his release in July. He stayed nearby to play with Seneca Falls in the Central New York League, then soon returned to the International with the Albany Governors. In Albany he displayed some "phenomenal" skills, but was released after a late-season injury. He went back to play in the New York State League in 1889 with Canandaigua, where he hit .342, and in 1890 with Troy, where he hit .288. Working as Troy's second baseman, he had an outstanding start to the 1890 season, being dubbed the "best base-runner and hardest hitter" in the league, but after slumping and piling up errors, he finished the year playing mostly in the outfield.

Knox went west for the first time in 1891, opening the season with Dayton, OH in the Northwestern League, where he skipped out on the team shortly before it disbanded to join Ottawa, IL in the Two-I League, where he played for his former manager in Troy, Jack Remsen. After Ottawa's season ended, he returned to finish the season with another stint in Troy, where he made his offseason home for several years around this time. He had a second stint with Albany in 1892, but hit just .225 in 45 Eastern League games before being released, then finished the year with some independent teams around Oneonta, NY and Pittsfield, MA. He returned to Albany in 1893 and spent the full season with them, hitting .292 with 13 home runs, playing primarily in the outfield, but also winning 3 games as a pitcher.

Knox headed south for the 1894 season, opening the year in the Southern Association with the Charleston Seagulls, where he hit .299 in 45 games. After they disbanded in June, he went to the Virginia League, first with Lynchburg, VA, then played the final days of the season with the pennant-winning Petersburg Farmers. Typically impressive and annoying by turn, Knox was comfortable in Virginia and spent the full 1895 season with the Portsmouth Truckers, batting .272 in 82 games, and spent several offseasons in the Tidewater area, working as a watchman for a railroad.

In 1896 Knox was back in the Southern Association with the New Orleans Pelicans, where he played second base and hit .299 in 102 games. An often repeated story of his time in New Orleans tells of him taunting the southern crowd with cheers for Grant and Lincoln before he ran off the field in a chase. Though he claimed to suffer with malaria while in New Orleans, he went back south to the Texas League in 1897 with the Houston Buffaloes, but suffered from an extended illness to start the season. After he got back on the field in June, there was a dispute that he had also signed a contract with Brockton in the New England League, and while he was initially rewarded to Brockton, Houston bought his release and he stayed with the team until they disbanded in August. He spent one more season in the south, hitting .397 in 18 games with Birmingham in the Southern Association, before being released in May 1898, then had a brief stint with Norfolk in the Atlantic League.

After signing with them in 1897, but never playing for them then, Knox made his way to Brockton in 1899. As the team's second baseman he hit .301 with 11 home runs in 72 games before the team disbanded, then had another stint back in Albany, where he played outfield and hit .182 in 19 games. He was released by Albany at his own request and finished the year in Bridgeport, CT, where he hit .277 in 17 games. Knox opened 1900 as an outfielder with Scranton, PA, but that team disbanded in June and he then went to the Montana State League with the Anaconda Serpents, where he batted .330. He spent time with both Anaconda and Butte in Montana to open 1901, then joined Spokane in the Pacific Northwest League, where he hit just .232, but slugged .432, in 49 games. After beginning 1902 with a team in Pendleton, OR, Knox went back to join the Butte Miners, who won the Pacific Northwest League, with Knox playing outfield and hitting .288.

While working in Butte during the offseason, Knox signed a contract with Evansville, IN for the 1903 season. He played with the club before the league season began, but then jumped his contract to play for an independent team in Wilmington, DE. By 1904 he was ready for league ball again and returned to Evansville to fulfill his contract and play in the Central League. Knox again got off to a strong start before fading, though remained with the club throughout the season, finishing as a .253 hitter in 103 games. He tied George McConnell fo the CL lead in homers (9). Despite nearly being released in 1904, Knox was back in Evansville to start 1905, though after a few exhibition games he was loaned to the Rochester, and was not kept on by either club for the league season. He went back west to play with Boise in the Pacific National League. After that league fell apart, he played with clubs in Idaho Falls, ID and Butte.

Knox played his final season in 1906. An old teammate, Danny Shay, brought him to play for Stockton in the California League. After being released by Stockton in July, he was playing with Modesto in August, which is his final confirmed time on the diamond.

Though stories of Knox's exploits on the field and his interactions with fans would continue to be published for years to come, little is known of his life after his playing days. In 1912 he was found living in San Francisco, where his family found him to inform him that he was an heir to his wealthy aunt's estate. His whereabouts beyond that are unknown.

Related Sites

BR Minors page (misidentified as Henry Knox for 1897 season)