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List of 19th-century Major League Baseball players with unidentified given names

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Thirty-three individuals who played professional baseball at the major league level before 1900 lack identified given names (there are hundreds of other players of which this is true from the twentieth-century Negro leagues). All 33 played between 1872 and 1892; 18 played in the National Association, which folded in 1875. Identification of players remains difficult due to a lack of biographical information. A Brooklyn, New York, directory, for instance, lists more than 30 men who could be the professional player "Stoddard".[1] Philadelphia Athletics manager Bill Sharsig signed three of the 32, "local players" McBride, Stafford and Sweigert, for Philadelphia's last game of the season against the Syracuse Stars on October 12, 1890. McBride, Philadelphia's center fielder, and Stafford, the team's right fielder, both failed to reach base, but left fielder Sweigert reached base on a walk and stole a base. Society for American Baseball Research writer Bill Carle "doubt[s] we will ever be able to identify them".[2] David Nemec has commented on this phenomenon with both major league and minor league players, noting, for example, that a McGuire (not on this list because he was a minor league player) is probably the player with an unknown first name whose appearances came closest to the twentieth century.[3]

Despite their relative anonymity, several of these players received media coverage describing their games. In 1872, The New York Times described O'Rourke as a new player on Eckford of Brooklyn who "appear[ed] to be an improvement over the recent incumbents": in his only game, the pitcher allowed 15 runs to score in a complete game against the Troy Trojans.[1] Lewis received a mention in Sporting Life (pictured) that recapped his performance, and another in the Pittsburgh Press, with a synopsis that summarized the game as "one of the greatest slugging matches ever seen since curve pitching came into vogue".[4][5]

Of the 33 athletes with an unidentified given name, Baltimore Monumentals right fielder Scott played in the most games at the major league level, with 13, followed by Wills with 9. Scott also has the most hits among players without an identified given name, with 12, followed by both Wills and Jones with 5 each. Among pitchers, Lewis has the highest earned run average, 60.00,[6] whereas McDoolan has the lowest, 3.00.

Players without identified given names

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A faded clipping from Sporting Life, dated July 19, 1890.
A Sporting Life clip that describes Lewis as a "much disgusted ball tosser", taken from an article dated July 19, 1890.[4]

National Association

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1872–1874

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Name Position Team League Year Ref
Higby Right fielder Brooklyn Atlantics National Association 1872 [7]
Summary:
O'Rourke Pitcher Eckford of Brooklyn National Association 1872 [8]
Summary:
Spencer Shortstop Washington Nationals National Association 1872 [9]
Summary:
McDoolan Pitcher Baltimore Marylands National Association 1873 [10]
Summary:
McGovern (Gavern) Second baseman Brooklyn Atlantics National Association 1874 [11]
Summary:
Quinlan Shortstop Philadelphia White Stockings National Association 1874 [12]
Summary:
Wood Second baseman Baltimore Canaries National Association 1874 [13]
Summary:

1875

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Name Position Team League Year Ref
Boland Third baseman Brooklyn Atlantics National Association 1875 [14]
Summary:
Booth Shortstop New Haven Elm Citys National Association 1875 [15]
Summary:
Edwards Center fielder / Pitcher Brooklyn Atlantics National Association 1875 [16]
Summary:
Evans Left fielder New Haven Elm Citys National Association 1875 [17]
Summary:
Hellings Second baseman Brooklyn Atlantics National Association 1875 [18]
Summary:
Quinn Outfielder / Shortstop Brooklyn Atlantics National Association 1875 [19]
Summary:
Shaffer Right fielder Brooklyn Atlantics National Association 1875 [20]
Summary:
Sheridan Left fielder Brooklyn Atlantics National Association 1875 [21]
Summary:
D. Smith Second baseman Brooklyn Atlantics National Association 1875 [22]
Summary:

Misidentified until 2023 as Thomas N. Smith[23]

Stoddard Outfielder Brooklyn Atlantics National Association 1875 [24]
Summary:
Sullivan Right fielder New Haven Elm Citys National Association 1875 [25]
Summary:

Union Association, American Association and Players' League

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1884–1885

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Name Position Team League Year Ref
Carroll Left fielder Washington Nationals Union Association 1884 [26]
Summary:
Franklin Center fielder Washington Nationals Union Association 1884 [27]
Summary:
Jones Left fielder Washington Nationals American Association 1884 [28]
Summary:
McRemer Right fielder Washington Nationals Union Association 1884 [29]
Summary:
Murphy Catcher / Left fielder Boston Reds Union Association 1884 [30]
Summary:
Scott Right fielder / Third baseman Baltimore Monumentals Union Association 1884 [31]
Summary:
Smith Pitcher / Right fielder Baltimore Monumentals Union Association 1884 [32]
Summary:
Wills Center fielder Washington Nationals American Association
Kansas City Cowboys (UA)		 1884 [33]
Summary:
Jones Third baseman New York Metropolitans American Association 1885 [34]
Summary:

1890–1892

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Name Position Team League Year Ref
Lewis Left fielder / Pitcher Buffalo Bisons Players' League 1890 [35]
Summary:
For broader coverage of this topic, see 1890 Buffalo Bisons season § Brooklyn vs Buffalo game and the story of Lewis.
Macey Catcher Philadelphia Athletics American Association 1890 [36]
Summary:
McBride Center fielder Philadelphia Athletics American Association 1890 [37]
Summary:
Stafford Right fielder Philadelphia Athletics American Association 1890 [38]
Summary:
Sweigert Left fielder Philadelphia Athletics American Association 1890 [39]
Summary:
Leonard Right fielder St. Louis Browns American Association 1892 [40]
Summary:

References

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  1. ^ a b Batesel, Paul (2012). Players and Teams of the National Association, 1871–1875. McFarland. pp. 101, 123. ISBN 978-0-7864-7012-9.
  2. ^ Bill Carle (2007). "SABR Biographical Research Committee September/October 2007 Report". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  3. ^ Nemec, David (2012). The rank and file of 19th century major league baseball : biographies of 1,084 players, owners, managers and umpires. Jefferson: McFarland & Co., Publishers. p. 60. ISBN 9780786490448.
  4. ^ a b "Base Ball: Players' League" (PDF). Sporting Life. Vol. 15, no. 16. July 19, 1890. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 12, 2014 – via LA84 Foundation.
  5. ^ "A Disastrous Experiment". The Pittsburgh Press. July 13, 1890.
  6. ^ There is a problem with this number, however. The game's box score (q.v.) reveals that at least six (and possibly as many as fourteen) of the 20 runs Lewis allowed in his single stint on the mound must have been unearned, giving Lewis an actual ERA somewhere between 18.00 and 42.00, not 60.00.
  7. ^ "Higby". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  8. ^ "O'Rourke". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  9. ^ "Spencer". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  10. ^ "McDoolan". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  11. ^ "Gavern". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  12. ^ "Quinlan". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  13. ^ "Wood". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  14. ^ "Boland". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  15. ^ "Booth". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  16. ^ "Edwards". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  17. ^ "Evans". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  18. ^ "Hellings". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  19. ^ "Quinn". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  20. ^ "Shaffer". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  21. ^ "Sheridan". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  22. ^ "D. Smith Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  23. ^ "Want a Challenge?" (PDF). SABR Biographical Research Committee Report (May/June 2024): 1–2. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  24. ^ "Stoddard". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  25. ^ "Sullivan". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  26. ^ "Carroll". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  27. ^ "Franklin". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  28. ^ "Jones". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  29. ^ "McRemer". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  30. ^ "Murphy". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  31. ^ "Scott". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  32. ^ "Smith". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  33. ^ "Wills". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  34. ^ "Jones". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  35. ^ "Lewis". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  36. ^ "Macey". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  37. ^ "McBride". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  38. ^ "Stafford". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  39. ^ "Sweigert". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  40. ^ "Leonard". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
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