Ned Hanlon (baseball)

Ned Hanlon
Outfielder, Manager
Born: August 22, 1857(1857-08-22) Montville, Connecticut
Died: April 14, 1937(1937-04-14) (aged 79) Baltimore, Maryland
Batted: Left	Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 1, 1880 for the Cleveland Blues
Last MLB appearance
September 15, 1892 for the Baltimore Orioles
Career statistics
Batting average	.260
Home runs	30
Runs batted in	517
Stolen bases	329
Teams
As Player Cleveland Blues (1880) Detroit Wolverines (1881-1888) Pittsburg Alleghenys (1889) Pittsburgh Burghers (1890) Pittsburgh Pirates (1891) Baltimore Orioles (1892) As Manager Pittsburg Alleghenys (1889) Pittsburgh Burghers (1890) Pittsburgh Pirates (1891) Baltimore Orioles (1892-1898) Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1905) Cincinnati Reds (1906-1907)
Career highlights and awards
As Player National League pennant: 1887 As Manager Career record: 1313-1164 National League pennant: 1894-1896, 1899, 1900
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1996
Election Method	Veteran's Committee

Edward Hugh "Ned" Hanlon (August 22, 1857 – April 14, 1937) was a 19th-century Major League Baseball player most notable for his career as a manager. His 1313 game wins ranks 28th among all managers.

Early life and education

Hanlon was born to Irish-American parents in Montville, Connecticut. He went to parochial school where his greatest love was baseball.

After early schooling, Hanlon broke into the National League with the Cleveland Blues in 1880. He played until 1892 with several different teams. His playing career was unexceptional.

Career

In 1889 Hanlon was hired as the manager of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, coming into his own and beginning what would be an illustrious career. He left the team in 1890 for the Pittsburgh Burghers of the rivial upstart Players' League, before rejoining Allegheny once that league folded. In 1891, Louis Bierbauer, a second baseman who played with the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association, signed with the upstart Players' League. Once the League folded in 1891, pretty much every player that left the National League or the American Association for the Players League was allowed to return to their original team. However Bierbauer never signed back with the Athletics. Alfred Spink, the founder of the Sporting News, wrote about the incident in 1910 for a journal called The Pirates Reader. According to Spink, Hanlon traveled to Presque Isle in the dead of winter to sign him, crossing the ice on the harbor during a snow storm. He finally reached Bierbauer's home and got him to sign a contract with Allegheny.

The Athletics, upon learning of this deal, objected to Bierbauer’s signing and stated that he should return to the A’s, since that was the team that employed him before his defection. An official for the American Association also objected to Bierbauer signing with Allegheny and called the act "piratical." However the Alleghenies contended that because “the [American Association] did not reserve Bierbauer, he was a free agent". An arbitrator agreed, and soon players and fans alike were calling the team the "Pittsburgh Pirates."

In 1892 he moved to the Baltimore Orioles where, despite some growing pains, he experienced his greatest success. He led Baltimore to the National League title from 1894 to 1896 by playing inside baseball, and using innovative strategies, including the hit-and-run.

After two more successful, but not championship-calibre seasons with Baltimore, Hanlon moved to Brooklyn in 1899 to manage the Superbas, (Who were named after his acting company, Hanlon's Superbas) . After winning the National League pennant in 1899 and 1900, Hanlon's team faltered. In 1905, Hanlon's final season with the Superbas, the Superbas failed to win even a third of its games. Hanlon, realizing that the Superbas realizing that the Superbas growing number of fans could not be held by the team's current park, tried to move the Superbas elwhere, but failed in this plan.

The following season, Hanlon moved to the Cincinnati Reds. After the 1907 season, he retired from managing. His teams finished in 6th place both of his seasons in Cincinnati.

Hanlon was later involved as the principal shareholder in the Baltimore franchise of the failed Federal League. He declined to manage the team.

After his death, Hanlon was interred in the New Cathedral Roman Catholic Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland.

Among Hanlon's great-grandsons is retired Marine Corps Lieutenant General Edward Hanlon, Jr.

Legacy and honors

• Hanlon's 1313 wins rank 26th all-time among managers. He finished his managerial career with a 1313–1164 record. Remarkably, from 1894 to 1900, he led teams to seven consecutive .600-plus winning percentages.

• 1996 - Hanlon was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

• Hanlon Park in Baltimore City is named after Ned Hanlon

See also

• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
• 1887 Detroit Wolverines season
• List of Major League Baseball player–managers

External links

• Ned Hanlon (baseball) at the Baseball Hall of Fame
• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference

Preceded by Fred Dunlap	Pittsburgh Alleghenys Manager 1889	Succeeded by Guy Hecker
Preceded by Guy Hecker	Pittsburgh Pirates Manager 1891	Succeeded by Bill McGunnigle
Preceded by John Waltz	Baltimore Orioles (NL) Managers 1892 - 1898	Succeeded by John McGraw
Preceded by Charlie Ebbets	Brooklyn Superbas Manager 1899–1905	Succeeded by Patsy Donovan
Preceded by Joe Kelley	Cincinnati Reds Manager 1906-1907	Succeeded by John Ganzel