Bill Harbridge
Encyclopedia
William Arthur "Bill" Harbridge (March 29, 1855 – March 17, 1924), also known as "Yaller Bill", was a Major League Baseball
player who split his playing time between catcher
and in the outfield
for five different teams during his nine season career that lasted from through .
and finished with the Union Association
in its only year of existence.
On May 6, , Bill is credited as becoming the first left-handed catcher in major league baseball history. He died in his hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
at the age of 68, and was interred at Fernwood Cemetery in Fernwood, Pennsylvania
.
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...
player who split his playing time between catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
and in the outfield
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 different teams during his nine season career that lasted from through .
Career
He began his career in the last year of the National AssociationNational Association of Professional Base Ball Players
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players , or simply the National Association , was founded in 1871 and continued through the 1875 season...
and finished with the Union Association
Union Association
The Union Association was a league in Major League Baseball which lasted for only one season in 1884. St. Louis won the pennant and joined the National League the following season...
in its only year of existence.
On May 6, , Bill is credited as becoming the first left-handed catcher in major league baseball history. He died in his hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
at the age of 68, and was interred at Fernwood Cemetery in Fernwood, Pennsylvania
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
.