Algie McBride
Encyclopedia
Algernon Griggs "Algie" McBride (May 23, 1869 – January 10, 1956), was an American
professional baseball
player in the late 19th and early 20th century. Born in Washington, D.C.
in 1869, he played as an outfielder
for five seasons in Major League Baseball
, beginning with the Chicago Colts
in , played with the Cincinnati Reds
from until , and then finished the 1901 season with the New York Giants
.
Hawkeyes of the Central Interstate League
, and completed the season with the Greenville
representative of the Michigan State League
. He played for the Waco
Tigers of the Texas League
in 1892, and in 1895 he played for both the Rockford
Forest City Reds of the Western Association
and the Austin
Beavers of the Texas and Southern League
s.
On August 14, 1895, following the demise of the Austin team, he was acquired by the Chicago Colts of the National League
(NL), and he made his major league debut on May 12, 1896. Cap Anson
pursueded the team to acquire McBride based on his outstanding Texas League season in 1895, and had expected him to take over the starting job in left field
in replace of departing Walt Wilmot
. However, he appeared in just nine games for the Colts during 1896 season, and had a batting average
of .241 in 29 at bat
s, and hit first major league home run
on May 29 against Harley Payne
of the Brooklyn Bridgegrooms
. He finished the 1896 season with the Grand Rapids
Rippers/Gold Bugs of the Western League
.
He played for the St. Paul Saints
, also of the Western League, for the 1897 season. For the 1898 season, he joined the Cincinnati Reds of the NL, and played in 120 games
as their starting center fielder
. He had a batting average of .302 in 486 at bats, scored 94 runs
, hit 12 triples
, and stole
16 bases. In , McBride's playing time dropped to 64 games played, but he did have a .342 batting average, his career-high total for a season. He played in 102 games for Reds in , had a .275 batting average, hit four home runs, and stole 12 bases.
McBride appeared in 30 games for the Reds in 1901, and had a batting average of .236, in 123 at bats, before being released by the team on June 28. He was signed by the New York Giants the following day, and onn July 25, in a game against the Brooklyn Superbas
, he provided the only hit, a single
, against Frank Kitson as he defeated Christy Mathewson
5–0. He appeared in 68 games, and had a .280 batting average, for the Giants, before being released on September 17. Although he worked out with the 1902 Reds in spring training
, he was not signed, however, he did play for the Milwaukee Brewers
of the American Association
that season, his last at the professional level.
McBride died at the age of 86 in Georgetown, Ohio
, and is interred at Greenlawn Cemetery in Portsmouth, Ohio
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player in the late 19th and early 20th century. Born in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1869, he played as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
for five seasons in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, beginning with the Chicago Colts
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in , played with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
from until , and then finished the 1901 season with the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
.
Career
McBride began his professional baseball career in 1889 with the DavenportDavenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
Hawkeyes of the Central Interstate League
Central Interstate League
The Central Interstate League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1888-1889.-Former Teams:The following are former teams that made up the Central Interstate League:*Bloomington Reds, 1888*Burlington Babies, 1889...
, and completed the season with the Greenville
Greenville, Michigan
Greenville is a city in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. Portions of the county are associated with the Western region while others are more closely associated with the Central Michigan region. The population was 8,481 at the 2010 census...
representative of the Michigan State League
Michigan State League
Michigan State League was the name of six American professional baseball leagues. Five of them operated only one or two baseball seasons and the other four seasons...
. He played for the Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
Tigers of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
in 1892, and in 1895 he played for both the Rockford
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
Forest City Reds of the Western Association
Western Association
The Western Association was the name of five different leagues in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries.The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Western Association on October 28, 1887...
and the Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
Beavers of the Texas and Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
s.
On August 14, 1895, following the demise of the Austin team, he was acquired by the Chicago Colts of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
(NL), and he made his major league debut on May 12, 1896. Cap Anson
Cap Anson
Adrian Constantine Anson , nicknamed "Cap" and "Pop", was a National Association and Major League Baseball first baseman...
pursueded the team to acquire McBride based on his outstanding Texas League season in 1895, and had expected him to take over the starting job in left field
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
in replace of departing Walt Wilmot
Walt Wilmot
Walter Robert Wilmot was an outfielder in Major League Baseball who played over parts of 10 seasons with the Washington Nationals , Chicago Colts and New York Giants . Listed at 5 ft 9 in, 165 lb., Wilmot was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed...
. However, he appeared in just nine games for the Colts during 1896 season, and had a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .241 in 29 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s, and hit first major league home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
on May 29 against Harley Payne
Harley Payne
Harley Fenwick Payne , was a former professional baseball player who played pitcher for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and Pittsburgh Pirates from 1896-1899.-External links:...
of the Brooklyn Bridgegrooms
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. He finished the 1896 season with the Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
Rippers/Gold Bugs of the Western League
Western League
Western League may refer to:* Western League , the predecessor to North American baseball's modern American League* Western League , one of two professional baseball minor leagues in Japan...
.
He played for the St. Paul Saints
St. Paul Saints
The St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The Saints are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
, also of the Western League, for the 1897 season. For the 1898 season, he joined the Cincinnati Reds of the NL, and played in 120 games
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
as their starting center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
. He had a batting average of .302 in 486 at bats, scored 94 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, hit 12 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and stole
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
16 bases. In , McBride's playing time dropped to 64 games played, but he did have a .342 batting average, his career-high total for a season. He played in 102 games for Reds in , had a .275 batting average, hit four home runs, and stole 12 bases.
McBride appeared in 30 games for the Reds in 1901, and had a batting average of .236, in 123 at bats, before being released by the team on June 28. He was signed by the New York Giants the following day, and onn July 25, in a game against the Brooklyn Superbas
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, he provided the only hit, a single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
, against Frank Kitson as he defeated Christy Mathewson
Christy Mathewson
Christopher "Christy" Mathewson , nicknamed "Big Six", "The Christian Gentleman", or "Matty", was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire career in what is known as the dead-ball era...
5–0. He appeared in 68 games, and had a .280 batting average, for the Giants, before being released on September 17. Although he worked out with the 1902 Reds in spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, he was not signed, however, he did play for the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers (minor league baseball team)
The Milwaukee Brewers were a Minor League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They played in the American Association from 1902 through 1952.-A Milwaukee Tradition:...
of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
that season, his last at the professional level.
McBride died at the age of 86 in Georgetown, Ohio
Georgetown, Ohio
Georgetown is a village in Brown County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,691 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Brown County. Georgetown was the childhood home of Ulysses S...
, and is interred at Greenlawn Cemetery in Portsmouth, Ohio
Portsmouth, Ohio
Portsmouth is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Scioto County. The municipality is located on the northern banks of the Ohio River and east of the Scioto River in Southern Ohio. The population was 20,226 at the 2010 census.-Foundation:...
.