Wally Andrews

William Walter Andrews

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 170 lb.

• Debut May 22, 1884
• Final Game August 8, 1888
• Born September 18, 1859 in Philadelphia, PA USA
• Died January 20, 1940 in Indianapolis, IN USA

BR page

Biographical Information

First baseman Wally Andrews played two seasons, four years apart, for the Louisville entry in the American Association - the team was called the Louisville Eclipse in 1884 and the Louisville Colonels in 1888. Although his lifetime batting average of .197 looks weak, he could draw walks, hit for some power, and fielded his position well. In 1884, although he hit only .204, his slugging percentage was above the team average. In 1888, although he hit .194, both his on-base percentage and his slugging percentage were above the team averages.

In 1885, Wiman Andrus was listed for a long time as playing one game for the Providence Grays of the National League on September 15th, going 0 for 4 at third base. That game was originally attributed to Andrews, but this was changed in 1988. However, doubts were later raised recently about this change, given that Andrus was playing for the minor league Hamilton Clippers that season, and appeared in a boxscore for the team the next day, far from Indianapolis, IN, where the game was played. That season, Andrews was also playing in the minor leagues, for the Columbus Stars of the Southern League, but the team and the league disbanded in the first days of September, so he could easily have been back in his home town of Indianapolis by the time the game was played. Contemporary newspapers list the mystery player as "Wallie Andrews". Because the bulk of the evidence point to Andrews being the correct player, that game was added back to Wally's record.

In 1887, Andrews hit .422 with 218 hits, 143 runs scored, 28 home runs and 52 stolen bases in 111 minor league games for the Memphis Browns, back in the re-formed Southern League. It appears he held the professional record for most home runs in a single season until Perry Werden broke the record with 43 in 1894. In 1889 and 1890 he played with the Omaha Omahogs of the Western Association.

Further Reading

• "Misidentified Player #1", in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, January/February 2026, p. 1.

Related Sites

• Find-A-Grave Memorial for Wally Andrews