Charles J. Bastian was a right-handed infielder

Infielder

An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...

 in four different major baseball leagues in the 19th Century. The light-hitting Bastian toiled for a total of six teams in the Union League

Union League

A Union League is one of a number of organizations established starting in 1862, during the American Civil War to promote loyalty to the Union and the policies of Abraham Lincoln. They were also known as Loyal Leagues. They comprised upper middle class men who supported efforts such as the United...

, 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...

, Players League

Players League

The Players' National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs, popularly known as the Players' League , was a short-lived but star-studded professional American baseball league of the 19th century...

, and 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...

 during an eight-year career.

Debuting with the Wilmington Quicksteps

Wilmington Quicksteps

The Wilmington Quicksteps were an 1884 late season replacement team in the Union Association. They finished with a 2-16 record and were managed by Joe Simmons. The team played home games in Union Street Park in Wilmington, Delaware....

 in 1884, Bastian played just 17 games before moving on to Union Association rival Kansas City Cowboys

Kansas City Cowboys (Union Association)

The Kansas City Cowboys were a team in the Union Association during its only season, . Referred to as the "Cowboys" mostly by historians, they had no official nickname during their short life and were most frequently referred to by local press of the day as the "Unions" and by the press of other...

, where he tallied another eleven. After the demise of the UA, Bastian signed with the Philadelphia Quakers

Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

 of the National League. He became the club's everyday shortstop

Shortstop

Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...

, playing 103 games but hitting only .167 with 4 home runs and 29 RBI. He also led the league in strikeout

Strikeout

In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....

s with 82. Despite this, in 1886, Bastian became the regular second baseman

Second baseman

Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...

 for the Quakers. His production increased a bit as he hit .217 with 2 home runs and 38 RBI, and he placed in the league's top ten in 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....

. However, as his offense was still subpar, Bastian lost his starting job for 1887, remaining with the team as a utility infielder that season and the next.

The Chicago White Stockings

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...

 (predecessors of the Cubs) were Bastian's next stop, as they purchased him from Philadelphia. With the Cubs, Bastian's performance bottomed out. He batted a career-low .135 and played in just 46 games. Bastian jumped to the fledgling Players' League in 1890, signing with the Chicago Pirates

Chicago Pirates

The Chicago Pirates were a baseball team in the Players' League for a single season in 1890. The team played their home games at South Side Park . Their powerful National League rivals were the Chicago White Stockings. The Pirates recruited most of the White Stocking's players, and for this reason...

, where he was once again an everyday shortstop. However, his lack of offensive production continued to plague him, as Bastian failed to hit .200 for a third consecutive season.

Bastian played a game each for the Cincinnati Kelly's Killers and his old Philadelphia Quakers, now the Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

, in 1891 before hanging up his glove after his final appearance on August 22. In a 504-game career, Bastian hit just .189 with eleven home runs and 144 RBI.

Bastian died on January 18, 1932 in Pennsauken, New Jersey.

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