Dave Fultz
Encyclopedia
David Lewis Fultz was a center fielder
in Major League Baseball
who played in the National League
with the Philadelphia Phillies
(1898–1899) and Baltimore Orioles
(1899), and for the Philadelphia Athletics
(1901–1902) and New York Highlanders
(1903–1905) of the American League
. He batted and threw right-handed. In a seven-season career, Fultz posted a .271 batting average
with 223 RBI
and three home run
s in 644 games played
.
, Fultz graduated in 1898 with a law degree
from Brown University
, where he excelled in football
and baseball
and was named captain of both teams. Signed by the Phillies the same year, he played for them in part of two seasons and went to Baltimore in the 1899 midseason and played under John McGraw
. With McGraw, Fultz developed as a solid bases stealer
, and in hit and run
and bunting situations.
When the American League was created, Fultz joined the Philadelphia Athletics of Connie Mack
in 1901, appearing at shortstop
and second base, and later moved to center field. Fultz led his team with 36 stolen bases and hit .292 with 95 runs
scored. His most productive season came in 1902, when he stole 44 bases, hit a career-high .302, and led the American League with 109 runs. On September 4, he stole second base, third
and home
, in the second inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers
.
From 1903 to 1905, Fultz played for the New York Highlanders when Clark Griffith
managed the team. During the offseason and in his spare time he attended New York Law School
, passing the New York bar exam. Fultz averaged 30 stolen bases for season with a high 42 in 1905. That season, he suffered a late September collision with teammate Kid Elberfeld
, breaking his nose and jaw, and retired at 31 age.
in 1900 and 1901 with the Homestead Library & Athletic Club, as a fullback
. In 1901 he was named the team's captain. Prior to playing for Homestead, Fultz played football for the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club
in 1899.
(1898–1899), Lafayette College
(1902), Brown University
(1903), and New York University
(1904), compiling a career college football record of 26–19–2. He also coached baseball at the United States Naval Academy
, Columbia University
and NYU.
coach for the University of Missouri–Columbia Tigers
located in Columbia, Missouri
and he held that position for two seasons, from 1898 until 1899. His career coaching record at Missouri was 10 wins, 6 losses, and 1 ties. This ranks him 15th at Missouri in total wins and 14th at Missouri in winning percentage.
and he held that position for the 1904 season. His coaching record at NYU was 3 wins, 6 losses, and 0 ties. This ranks him 14th at NYU in total wins and 15th at NYU in winning percentage.
. In 1912, he created a furor in baseball by unionizing major league players in an organization called the Players Fraternity. Ty Cobb
and Christy Mathewson
were among its officers. The group threatened to strike
in 1917, but the walkout was averted after Fultz obtained some concessions for the players. The union was disintegrated during World War I
.
After service as a WWI lieutenant aviator
, Fultz became president of the International League
. He retired in 1947 as a lawyer with offices at Broadway, New York, and came to Lake Helen, Florida
, where he bought the estate of Henry A. DeLand. Fultz died in DeLand, Florida
, at the age of 84.
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...
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...
who played in 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...
with 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...
(1898–1899) and Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles (19th century)
The Baltimore Orioles were a 19th-century American Association and National League team from 1882 to 1899. The club, which featured numerous future Hall of Famers, finished in first place three consecutive years and won the Temple Cup championship in 1896 and 1897...
(1899), and for the Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
(1901–1902) and New York Highlanders
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
(1903–1905) of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
. He batted and threw right-handed. In a seven-season career, Fultz posted a .271 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 :...
with 223 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
and three 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...
s in 644 games played
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,...
.
Early life and career
A native of Staunton, VirginiaStaunton, Virginia
Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,746 as of 2010. It is the county seat of Augusta County....
, Fultz graduated in 1898 with a law degree
Law school in the United States
In the United States, a law school is an institution where students obtain a professional education in law after first obtaining an undergraduate degree.Law schools in the U.S...
from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, where he excelled in football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and 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...
and was named captain of both teams. Signed by the Phillies the same year, he played for them in part of two seasons and went to Baltimore in the 1899 midseason and played under John McGraw
John McGraw
John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...
. With McGraw, Fultz developed as a solid bases stealer
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...
, and in hit and run
Hit and run (baseball)
A hit and run is a high risk/high reward offensive strategy used in baseball.When the offense has a baserunner on first base , the runner on first breaks for second as the pitch is thrown...
and bunting situations.
Later career in baseball
Connie Mack (baseball)
Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr. , better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins , losses , and games managed , with his victory total being almost 1,000 more...
in 1901, appearing at 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...
and second base, and later moved to center field. Fultz led his team with 36 stolen bases and hit .292 with 95 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...
scored. His most productive season came in 1902, when he stole 44 bases, hit a career-high .302, and led the American League with 109 runs. On September 4, he stole second base, third
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
and home
Home Plate
Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 .-Track listing:#"What Do You Want the Boy to Do?" – 3:19#"Good Enough" – 2:56#"Run Like a Thief" – 3:02...
, in the second inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
From 1903 to 1905, Fultz played for the New York Highlanders when Clark Griffith
Clark Griffith
Clark Calvin Griffith , nicknamed "the Old Fox", was a Major League Baseball pitcher, manager and team owner.-Biography:...
managed the team. During the offseason and in his spare time he attended New York Law School
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, passing the New York bar exam. Fultz averaged 30 stolen bases for season with a high 42 in 1905. That season, he suffered a late September collision with teammate Kid Elberfeld
Kid Elberfeld
Norman Arthur "Kid" Elberfeld , nicknamed "The Tabasco Kid," was a shortstop in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies , Cincinnati Reds , Detroit Tigers , New York Highlanders , Washington Senators , and Brooklyn Robins...
, breaking his nose and jaw, and retired at 31 age.
Football playing career
Fultz also played professional footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
in 1900 and 1901 with the Homestead Library & Athletic Club, as a fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
. In 1901 he was named the team's captain. Prior to playing for Homestead, Fultz played football for the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club
Duquesne Country and Athletic Club
The Duquesne Country and Athletic Club was a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1895 until 1900. The team was considered one of the best, if not the best, professional football teams in the country from 1898 until 1900...
in 1899.
Coaching career
Fultz served as the head football coach at the University of MissouriUniversity of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
(1898–1899), Lafayette College
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
(1902), Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
(1903), and New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
(1904), compiling a career college football record of 26–19–2. He also coached baseball at the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and NYU.
Missouri
Fultz got his first coaching job as the eighth head college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach for the University of Missouri–Columbia Tigers
Missouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States...
located in Columbia, Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
and he held that position for two seasons, from 1898 until 1899. His career coaching record at Missouri was 10 wins, 6 losses, and 1 ties. This ranks him 15th at Missouri in total wins and 14th at Missouri in winning percentage.
Lafayette
In 1903, Fultz returned to coaching at Lafayyete University and posted an impressive record of 8 wins and 3 losses. In six of the victories, the opponents were held scoreless.New York University
Fultz's next coaching move was to become the seventh head coach for the New York University VioletsNew York University Violets
NYU Violets is the name of the sports teams and other competitive teams at New York University. The colors are the trademarked hue "NYU Violet", and white. The school mascot represents a bobcat. The Violets compete as NCAA Division III teams in the University Athletic Association conference...
and he held that position for the 1904 season. His coaching record at NYU was 3 wins, 6 losses, and 0 ties. This ranks him 14th at NYU in total wins and 15th at NYU in winning percentage.
Later life
In 1906, Fultz became a practicing attorneyLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. In 1912, he created a furor in baseball by unionizing major league players in an organization called the Players Fraternity. Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
and 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...
were among its officers. The group threatened to strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
in 1917, but the walkout was averted after Fultz obtained some concessions for the players. The union was disintegrated during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
After service as a WWI lieutenant aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, Fultz became president of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
. He retired in 1947 as a lawyer with offices at Broadway, New York, and came to Lake Helen, Florida
Lake Helen, Florida
For the high-altitude lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park, see Lake Helen Lake Helen is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,743 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
, where he bought the estate of Henry A. DeLand. Fultz died in DeLand, Florida
DeLand, Florida
DeLand is the county seat of Volusia County, Florida. In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population to be 24,375. It is part of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 436,575 in 2006...
, at the age of 84.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases