Dave Oldfield
Encyclopedia
David "Dave" Oldfield was a catcher
and outfielder
in Major League Baseball
in 1883 and then from 1885 to 1886. He played with three teams during his three season career; first with the Baltimore Orioles
in 1883, then with the Brooklyn Grays
from 1885 to 1886, and finally with the Washington Nationals
in 1886.
. He began his professional baseball playing career with the Altoona, Pennsylvania
representative of the Western Interstate League in 1883 at the age of 19. However, he played for the Brooklyn
, New York
team in the Interstate Association
shortly thereafter, during which, he played a single game for the Baltimore Orioles of the American Association
on June 28, 1883. He had no hits
in four at bat
s while committing three errors
and tallied five passed ball
s as the team's catcher. For the 1884 baseball season, he played for the Lancaster
Ironsides of the Eastern League
.
He began the 1885 season with Lancaster, which later moved and became the Baltimore Monumentals. Oldfield then finished the year with the Brooklyn Grays of the American Association, and had a .320 batting average
in 10 games played
. He stayed with Brooklyn through the beginning of the 1886 season, then later played for the Washington Nationals of the National League
. For the season, he had a .183 batting average in 35 games played while playing a catcher and in the outfield.
Although Oldfield did not return to major league play again, he did play professionally in the International Association for several seasons, including the Oswego
Starchboxes (1887), the Toronto
Canucks (1887–1888), the Hamilton
Hams (1889), the Montreal
Shamrocks (1890), and the Buffalo Bisons (1890). He died at the age of 75 in his hometown of Philadelphia, and is interred at Oakland Cemetery.
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 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...
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...
in 1883 and then from 1885 to 1886. He played with three teams during his three season career; first with the 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...
in 1883, then with the Brooklyn Grays
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...
from 1885 to 1886, and finally with the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals (1886-89)
The Washington Nationals, sometimes referred to as the Washington Statesmen, was a professional baseball team in the mid to late 1880s. They existed for a period of four years as a member of the National League from to . During their four-year tenure they had six different managers and compiled a...
in 1886.
Career
Oldfield was born on December 18, 1863 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He began his professional baseball playing career with the Altoona, Pennsylvania
Altoona, Pennsylvania
-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...
representative of the Western Interstate League in 1883 at the age of 19. However, he played for the Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
team in the Interstate Association
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...
shortly thereafter, during which, he played a single game for the Baltimore Orioles of 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...
on June 28, 1883. He had no hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in four 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 while committing three errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
and tallied five passed ball
Passed ball
In baseball, a catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that, with ordinary effort, should have been maintained under his control. When, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a runner on base advances, the catcher is thereby charged...
s as the team's catcher. For the 1884 baseball season, he played for the Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
Ironsides of the Eastern 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 began the 1885 season with Lancaster, which later moved and became the Baltimore Monumentals. Oldfield then finished the year with the Brooklyn Grays of the American Association, and had a .320 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 :...
in 10 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,...
. He stayed with Brooklyn through the beginning of the 1886 season, then later played for the Washington Nationals 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...
. For the season, he had a .183 batting average in 35 games played while playing a catcher and in the outfield.
Although Oldfield did not return to major league play again, he did play professionally in the International Association for several seasons, including the Oswego
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
Starchboxes (1887), the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
Canucks (1887–1888), the Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
Hams (1889), the Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
Shamrocks (1890), and the Buffalo Bisons (1890). He died at the age of 75 in his hometown of Philadelphia, and is interred at Oakland Cemetery.