Bill McGunnigle
Encyclopedia
William Henry McGunnigle (January 1, 1855, Boston, Massachusetts - March 9, 1899, Brockton, Massachusetts
) was an American
baseball
manager
for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms
, Pittsburgh Pirates
and Louisville Colonels
. He was nicknamed "Gunner" or "Mac" during his playing days.
as a child, McGunnigle began his career in the Massachusetts League with the Howard Juniors club of nearby Brockton
. He went to the Fall River
team in 1875, primarily pitching and catching, but also serving as a utility player for the club.
In 1876, he left to play pitcher and catcher for a club in Buffalo
which would eventually come to be known as the Bisons, winning the International Association pennant in 1878
. The team became a professional club and joined the National League
as the Buffalo Bisons
in 1879 (http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/history/top100.jsp?idx=24).
McGunnigle had an abbreviated playing record in top professional leagues, tallying 58 games for the Buffalo Bisons
(1879
-80
), Worcester Ruby Legs (1880
) and Cleveland Blues
(1882
). McGunnigle won the Clipper Medal, the equivalent of an all-star selection, as a right fielder
for the Bisons in 1879. Over his two years with Buffalo, he compiled an 11-8 record in 18 starts, leading the league with the lowest per-inning rates of hits and strikeouts in 1879 and posting the fourth-best winning percentage. He was briefly the player/manager for the Bisons in 1880, but team management replaced him with infielder Sam Crane after 17 games. As a professional, McGunnigle was a career .173 hitter with a .900 fielding percentage as a part-time outfielder.
McGunnigle was lured in 1883
, along with other top Massachusetts players, to the newly-formed Northwestern League
since there were no high-level minor league
s in New England (http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=1070&bid=864). He played for the Saginaw Old Golds
primarily as a pitcher and right fielder in 1883 (where he caught future Hall-of-Famer John Clarkson
) and part of 1884 before a midseason transfer to the Bay City Independents
.
He returned to the East Coast
in 1885
and, as manager/captain, led the Brockton club to the New England League
championship. McGunnigle's skull was fractured by pitcher Dick Conway
on July 23 of that season, effectively ending his playing career. According to the Brockton Weekly Gazette:
After another year in Brockton, he moved to manage and captain the Lowell Browns
, winning the 1887
pennant.
, after the club had finished sixth in the American Association
the previous year under owner/manager Charlie Byrne
. McGunnigle guided the team to a second-place finish that year, four games behind perennial league champ St. Louis
.
The next season
, McGunnigle's boys edged the Browns for the American Association pennant
. Facing the New York Giants
of the rival National League
in the 1889 World Series
, the Bridegrooms were outscored by more than 20 run
s and bowed, 6-3, in the exhibition.
The team was admitted to the National League the following year, and McGunnigle again led the team to a pennant, helping the Bridegrooms become the first team in any professional sports league to win two championships in consecutive years. Despite back-to-back pennant runs (and tying the 1890
World Series 3-3-1), McGunnigle was let go after the season and replaced by John Montgomery Ward
.
After the 1891
Pittsburg Pirates
got off to a 31-47 start on the heels of a 23-113 season, the club demoted captain/manager Ned Hanlon and hired McGunnigle. (Relatedly, Hanlon would later be a successful manager for the Brooklyn club at the turn of the century
.) McGunnigle managed the Pittsburg club to a modest 24-33 record over the remainder of the year. He was not brought back for the following season.
During 1891, McGunnigle also managed the Providence
team in the amateur Eastern League, playing in the first Sunday organized baseball game ever played in New England on August 9, 1891, in Rhode Island
. At the time, custom and law forbade Sunday baseball, but it was allowed by officials in Warwick, Rhode Island
for games at the Rocky Point Resort.
When the New England League
was re-formed in 1892
, McGunnigle again became the player/manager of the Brockton club. He joined the team at midseason, immediately spurring Brockton on a 12-game winning streak and vaulting the team into first place. However, the club could not retain their spot in the standings. He helped Fred Doe
organize the first professional baseball game to ever be played on a Sunday in New England. The Brockton club won the game at Rocky Point Resort, 7-6, over Woonsocket
on July 10, 1892. The game eventually led to a change of Massachusetts law, which forbade Sunday baseball, in 1928. http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=3651&bid=1252 McGunnigle returned to Lowell in 1893
, and spent 1894 and 1895 involved in the game of polo
.
In 1896
, the NL's Louisville Colonels
started 2-17 under manager John McCloskey
, who was subsequently let go. McGunnigle came on board and managed the Colonels to a 36-76 record the rest of the way, finishing last in the league, two games behind St. Louis. McGunnigle was not asked to manage the team further, being "roughly handled" in his dismissal, according to the Brockton Times. His career professional managerial record in 586 games with Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, and Louisville was 327-248 (.569).
An automobile struck a carriage carrying McGunnigle and other men in an 1897 accident, throwing them out of the vehicle. McGunnigle was chronically ill thereafter, and homeridden for the last months of his life. He died at age 44 and is buried at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Brockton.
Brockton, Massachusetts
Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 93,810 in the 2010 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County...
) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms
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...
, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
and Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels
The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse and later as the Louisville Colonels , the latter name derived from the historic Kentucky colonels...
. He was nicknamed "Gunner" or "Mac" during his playing days.
McGunnigle the player
After moving to East StoughtonAvon, Massachusetts
At the 2000 census, there were 4,443 people, 1,705 households and 1,220 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,014.7 per square mile . There were 1,740 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 93.45% White, 3.74% African American, 0.27% Native...
as a child, McGunnigle began his career in the Massachusetts League with the Howard Juniors club of nearby Brockton
Brockton, Massachusetts
Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 93,810 in the 2010 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County...
. He went to the Fall River
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
team in 1875, primarily pitching and catching, but also serving as a utility player for the club.
In 1876, he left to play pitcher and catcher for a club in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
which would eventually come to be known as the Bisons, winning the International Association pennant in 1878
1878 in baseball
-Champions:*National League: Boston Red Caps*International Association: Buffalo Bisons*Pacific Coast: San Francisco Athletics Inter-league playoff: Boston and Buffalo each won 1 game in 2 game series.-National League final standings:...
. The team became a professional club and joined 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...
as the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons (1879-1885)
The original Buffalo Bisons baseball club played in the National League between 1879 and 1885. The Bisons played their games at Riverside Park and Olympic Park in Buffalo, New York.-Year-by-year records:-Players of note:*Dan Brouthers...
in 1879 (http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/history/top100.jsp?idx=24).
McGunnigle had an abbreviated playing record in top professional leagues, tallying 58 games for the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons (1879-1885)
The original Buffalo Bisons baseball club played in the National League between 1879 and 1885. The Bisons played their games at Riverside Park and Olympic Park in Buffalo, New York.-Year-by-year records:-Players of note:*Dan Brouthers...
(1879
1879 in baseball
-Champions:*National League: Providence GraysNational Association: Albany Blue StockingsNorthwest League: Dubuque RabbitsInter-league playoff: Providence Grays def. Albany Blues , 2 games to 0.-National League final standings:-Statistical leaders:...
-80
1880 in baseball
-Champions:*National League: Chicago White StockingsNational Association: Washington NationalsInter-league playoff: Washington def. Chicago , 4 games to 3 -National League final standings:-Statistical leaders:-January–March:...
), Worcester Ruby Legs (1880
1880 in baseball
-Champions:*National League: Chicago White StockingsNational Association: Washington NationalsInter-league playoff: Washington def. Chicago , 4 games to 3 -National League final standings:-Statistical leaders:-January–March:...
) and Cleveland Blues
Cleveland Blues (NL)
The Cleveland Blues were a Major League Baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio that operated in the National League from 1879 to 1884. In six seasons their best finish was third place in 1880. Hugh Daily threw a no-hitter for the Blues on Sept. 13, 1883. Besides Daily, notable Blues players...
(1882
1882 in baseball
-Champions:*National League: Chicago def. Providence 5 games to 4*American Association: Cincinnati Red Stockings*League Alliance: New York MetropolitansInterleague*Chicago vs. Cincinnati tie 1 game each*Chicago def...
). McGunnigle won the Clipper Medal, the equivalent of an all-star selection, as a right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
for the Bisons in 1879. Over his two years with Buffalo, he compiled an 11-8 record in 18 starts, leading the league with the lowest per-inning rates of hits and strikeouts in 1879 and posting the fourth-best winning percentage. He was briefly the player/manager for the Bisons in 1880, but team management replaced him with infielder Sam Crane after 17 games. As a professional, McGunnigle was a career .173 hitter with a .900 fielding percentage as a part-time outfielder.
McGunnigle was lured in 1883
1883 in baseball
-Champions:*National League: Boston Beaneaters*American Association: Philadelphia Athletics*Inter-State League: Brooklyn Atlantics*Northwestern League: Toledo Blue StockingsInter-league playoff: Philadelphia declined to play Boston...
, along with other top Massachusetts players, to the newly-formed Northwestern League
Northwestern League
The Northwestern League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1883–1884, and again from 1886-1887. It was founded by Elias Matter in 1883.-1883-1884:...
since there were no high-level minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
s in New England (http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=1070&bid=864). He played for the Saginaw Old Golds
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
primarily as a pitcher and right fielder in 1883 (where he caught future Hall-of-Famer John Clarkson
John Clarkson
John Gibson Clarkson was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played from 1882 to 1894. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Clarkson played for the Worcester Ruby Legs , Chicago White Stockings , Boston Beaneaters , and Cleveland Spiders .He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in...
) and part of 1884 before a midseason transfer to the Bay City Independents
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
.
He returned to the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
in 1885
1885 in baseball
-Champions:*Post-season playoff: Chicago White Stockings played St. Louis Browns. Series ended with both teams going 3-3-1 in a best-of-7 series. Game 1 ended in a tie called after 8 inning due to darkness; Game 2 was awarded to Chicago by forfeit after 6 innings because St. Louis refused to...
and, as manager/captain, led the Brockton club to the New England League
New England League
The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played sporadically in five of the six New England states between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League Baseball clubs in Boston and alongside stronger, higher-classification...
championship. McGunnigle's skull was fractured by pitcher Dick Conway
Dick Conway
Richard Butler Conway was a pitcher/right fielder who played from through in Major League Baseball. Conway batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Lowell, Massachusetts....
on July 23 of that season, effectively ending his playing career. According to the Brockton Weekly Gazette:
"[McGunnigle] dodged the first ball thrown at his head ... with the second [pitch] he needed to drop to all fours to save himself ... The unfortunate batsman could not avoid the [third] ball in time, and it struck him directly behind the left ear which caused a crash that was heard in every part of the grounds. Poor 'Mac' fell like an animal beneath the butcher's axe, and his quivering form was drawn up in agony as he lay upon the ground."The rules of organized baseball had recently been changed to allow overhand pitching, and at the time, the pitching rubber was only 50 feet from home plate (much closer than the modern standard of 60 feet, 6 inches). The Boston Globe, in writing about the incident, said "The only topic on the street tonight is the question of whether it was Conway's idea to frighten the batsman or if he was trying to get the balls as close to the batsman as possible" (http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=2780&bid=1365).
After another year in Brockton, he moved to manage and captain the Lowell Browns
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
, winning the 1887
1887 in baseball
-National League final standings:-American Association final standings:-National League statistical leaders:-American Association statistical leaders:-January–March:...
pennant.
A successful manager in the bigs
McGunnigle took over as manager of the Brooklyn Bridegrooms in 18881888 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: New York Giants 6, St. Louis Browns 4*National League: New York Giants*American Association: St. Louis Browns-National League final standings:-American Association final standings:-National League statistical leaders:...
, after the club had finished sixth in the American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
the previous year under owner/manager Charlie Byrne
Charlie Byrne (baseball)
Charles H. Byrne was a New York realtor who was one of the original founders of the team that became the Brooklyn Dodgers....
. McGunnigle guided the team to a second-place finish that year, four games behind perennial league champ St. Louis
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
.
The next season
1889 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: New York Giants 6, Brooklyn Bridegrooms 3*National League: New York Giants*American Association: Brooklyn Bridegrooms-National League final standings:-American Association final standings:-National League statistical leaders:...
, McGunnigle's boys edged the Browns for the American Association pennant
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
. Facing 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....
of the rival 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...
in the 1889 World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, the Bridegrooms were outscored by more than 20 run
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...
s and bowed, 6-3, in the exhibition.
| Pennants won | ||
| as a manager | ||
| Club | Lg | Year |
| Brockton * | NE New England League The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played sporadically in five of the six New England states between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League Baseball clubs in Boston and alongside stronger, higher-classification... |
1885 1885 in baseball -Champions:*Post-season playoff: Chicago White Stockings played St. Louis Browns. Series ended with both teams going 3-3-1 in a best-of-7 series. Game 1 ended in a tie called after 8 inning due to darkness; Game 2 was awarded to Chicago by forfeit after 6 innings because St. Louis refused to... |
| Lowell Browns * | IA | 1887 1887 in baseball -National League final standings:-American Association final standings:-National League statistical leaders:-American Association statistical leaders:-January–March:... |
| Brooklyn Bridegrooms | AA American Association (19th century) The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball... |
1889 1889 in baseball -Champions:*World Series: New York Giants 6, Brooklyn Bridegrooms 3*National League: New York Giants*American Association: Brooklyn Bridegrooms-National League final standings:-American Association final standings:-National League statistical leaders:... |
| Brooklyn Bridegrooms | NL 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... |
1890 1890 in baseball -Champions:*World Series: Brooklyn Bridegrooms 3, Louisville Colonels 3, 1 tie*National League: Brooklyn Bridegrooms*American Association: Louisville Colonels*Players' League: Boston RedsInter-league playoff: Brooklyn declined challenge by Boston... |
| * player/manager | ||
The team was admitted to the National League the following year, and McGunnigle again led the team to a pennant, helping the Bridegrooms become the first team in any professional sports league to win two championships in consecutive years. Despite back-to-back pennant runs (and tying the 1890
1890 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: Brooklyn Bridegrooms 3, Louisville Colonels 3, 1 tie*National League: Brooklyn Bridegrooms*American Association: Louisville Colonels*Players' League: Boston RedsInter-league playoff: Brooklyn declined challenge by Boston...
World Series 3-3-1), McGunnigle was let go after the season and replaced by John Montgomery Ward
John Montgomery Ward
John Montgomery Ward , known as Monte Ward, was an American Major League Baseball pitcher, shortstop and manager. Ward was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Renovo, Pennsylvania...
.
After the 1891
1891 in baseball
-Champions:*National League: Boston Beaneaters*American Association: Boston RedsWorld Series: Boston declined to meet Boston -National League final standings:-American Association final standings:-National League statistical leaders:...
Pittsburg Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
got off to a 31-47 start on the heels of a 23-113 season, the club demoted captain/manager Ned Hanlon and hired McGunnigle. (Relatedly, Hanlon would later be a successful manager for the Brooklyn club at the turn of the century
Century
A century is one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages .-Start and end in the Gregorian Calendar:...
.) McGunnigle managed the Pittsburg club to a modest 24-33 record over the remainder of the year. He was not brought back for the following season.
During 1891, McGunnigle also managed the Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
team in the amateur Eastern League, playing in the first Sunday organized baseball game ever played in New England on August 9, 1891, in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. At the time, custom and law forbade Sunday baseball, but it was allowed by officials in Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
for games at the Rocky Point Resort.
When the New England League
New England League
The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played sporadically in five of the six New England states between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League Baseball clubs in Boston and alongside stronger, higher-classification...
was re-formed in 1892
1892 in baseball
-Champions:*National League: Boston Beaneaters defeated Cleveland Spiders, 5 games to 0 - First half of season :-Second half of season:-Overall record:-Events:...
, McGunnigle again became the player/manager of the Brockton club. He joined the team at midseason, immediately spurring Brockton on a 12-game winning streak and vaulting the team into first place. However, the club could not retain their spot in the standings. He helped Fred Doe
Fred Doe
Alfred George "Fred" Doe was a Major League Baseball pitcher in the Players' League. Doe played in one game for the Pittsburgh Burghers and the Buffalo Bisons in the season. He had a 0-1 record in 10.0 innings pitched....
organize the first professional baseball game to ever be played on a Sunday in New England. The Brockton club won the game at Rocky Point Resort, 7-6, over Woonsocket
Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Woonsocket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 41,186 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Woonsocket lies directly south of the Massachusetts border....
on July 10, 1892. The game eventually led to a change of Massachusetts law, which forbade Sunday baseball, in 1928. http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=3651&bid=1252 McGunnigle returned to Lowell in 1893
1893 in baseball
-National League final standings:-Events:*August 16 – Bill Hawke of the Baltimore Orioles pitches a no-hitter against the Washington Senators in a 5–0 win. It is the first no-hitter thrown from the modern-day pitching distance of 60'6"....
, and spent 1894 and 1895 involved in the game of polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
.
In 1896
1896 in baseball
-Champions:*Temple Cup: Baltimore Orioles defeated Cleveland Spiders, 4 games to 0*National League: Baltimore Orioles-Statistical leaders:*Batting: Jesse Burkett .410*Home Runs: Ed Delahanty & Bill Joyce 13*Wins: Kid Nichols 30*ERA: Billy Rhines 2.46...
, the NL's Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels
The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse and later as the Louisville Colonels , the latter name derived from the historic Kentucky colonels...
started 2-17 under manager John McCloskey
John McCloskey (baseball manager)
John Joseph "Honest John" McCloskey was a Major League Baseball manager. He was manager for the Louisville Colonels in 1895 and 1896. McCloskey managed the St. Louis Cardinals in 1906-1908. His career record was 190-417. He was born and died in Louisville, Kentucky.-External links:*...
, who was subsequently let go. McGunnigle came on board and managed the Colonels to a 36-76 record the rest of the way, finishing last in the league, two games behind St. Louis. McGunnigle was not asked to manage the team further, being "roughly handled" in his dismissal, according to the Brockton Times. His career professional managerial record in 586 games with Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, and Louisville was 327-248 (.569).
An automobile struck a carriage carrying McGunnigle and other men in an 1897 accident, throwing them out of the vehicle. McGunnigle was chronically ill thereafter, and homeridden for the last months of his life. He died at age 44 and is buried at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Brockton.
Trivia
- Some local sources indicate that McGunnigle once wore a pair of bricklayerBricklayerA bricklayer or mason is a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The term also refers to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of masonry. In British and Australian English, a bricklayer is colloquially known as a "brickie".The training of a trade in...
's gloves in a game against Harvard in 1875, becoming the first catcherCatcherCatcher 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...
to wear a gloveBaseball gloveA baseball glove or mitt is a large leather glove that baseball players on the defending team are allowed to wear to assist them in catching and fielding balls hit by a batter, or thrown by a teammate.-History:...
in a baseball game. - As a manager, McGunnigle employed a tin whistleTin whistleThe tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
to signal his players. - McGunnigle has the best winning percentage in the history of the Dodgers franchise among those who managed at least one full season.
- Led the 1889/1890 Brooklyn Bridegrooms to back-to-back pennants in different leagues, becoming the first of three professional American sports franchises to do so. (The 1948/1949 Minneapolis Lakers of the NBLNational Basketball League (United States)Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.- League history :The...
and BAA (now the NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
) and the 1949/1950 Cleveland Browns of the AAFCAll-America Football ConferenceThe All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
and NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
are the other two.)