Ducky Hemp
Encyclopedia
William H. "Ducky" Hemp (December 27, 1862 – March 3, 1923) was a professional baseball
player whose career spanned seven seasons. Hemp played two of those seven seasons in Major League Baseball
. Over his major league career, Hemp compiled a batting average
of .214 with 25 hits
, 2 doubles
, 2 triples
, 5 RBIs, and 4 stolen bases.
with the Memphis Browns of the Southern League
in 1885, and later the Wichita Braves
of the Western League in 1887. With the Braves, Ducky was noted as a fan favorite, and his nickname "Ducky" was given to him while he played with the Braves. Hemp would later become the first player from the Braves to play in the majors. Later in 1887, Hemp joined the major league Louisville Colonels
. In 1 game with the Colonels, Hemp got 1 hit, 1 run
, 1 double, and 1 base on balls
in 4 plate appearances. He played the entire game in the outfield
as well.
. The next season, Hemp played with the Evansville Hoosiers of the Central Interstate League
. In 1890, Hemp returned to the majors, this time with the Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the National League
. Hemp played 21 games with the Alleghenys, and batted .235 with 19 hits, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 3 stolen bases. On the defensive side, Hemp played all of his 21 games in the outfield and committed 6 errors
.
. In 9 games with the Stars, Hemp batted .152 with 5 hits, 1 doubles, 1 RBI, and 1 stolen base. In the field, Hemp played all of his 9 games in the outfield, and committed 1 error.
. In 1891, Hemp played for the Green Bay, Wisconsin
baseball club of the Wisconsin State League
, the Terre Haute Hottentots of the Northwestern League
, and the Peoria Distillers
, also of the Northwestern League. Hemp's final season in professional baseball came in 1892 with the Rock Island-Moline Twins, and the Terre Haute Hottentots, both of the Illinois-Indiana League
.
at the age of 60. He was buried at Calvary Cemetery
in St. Louis.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player whose career spanned seven seasons. Hemp played two of those seven seasons 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...
. Over his major league career, Hemp compiled a 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 :...
of .214 with 25 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....
, 2 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 2 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....
, 5 RBIs, and 4 stolen bases.
Louisville Colonels
Before entering the major leagues, Hemp played in the minorsMinor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
with the Memphis Browns of the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
in 1885, and later the Wichita Braves
Wichita Braves
The Wichita Braves were a Class AAA minor league baseball franchise based in Wichita, Kansas, that played in the American Association during the 1956-57-58 seasons as a top affiliate of the then-dominant Milwaukee Braves of the National League....
of the Western League in 1887. With the Braves, Ducky was noted as a fan favorite, and his nickname "Ducky" was given to him while he played with the Braves. Hemp would later become the first player from the Braves to play in the majors. Later in 1887, Hemp joined the major league 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...
. In 1 game with the Colonels, Hemp got 1 hit, 1 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...
, 1 double, and 1 base on balls
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
in 4 plate appearances. He played the entire game in the outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
as well.
Pittsburgh Alleghenys
After he parted with the Colonels, Hemp played the rest of the 1887 season with the minor league Lincoln Tree Planters of the Western League. In 1888, Hemp again played in the minors, this time with the Dallas Hams of the Texas LeagueTexas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. The next season, Hemp played with the Evansville Hoosiers of the Central Interstate League
Central Interstate League
The Central Interstate League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1888-1889.-Former Teams:The following are former teams that made up the Central Interstate League:*Bloomington Reds, 1888*Burlington Babies, 1889...
. In 1890, Hemp returned to the majors, this time with the Pittsburgh Alleghenys 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...
. Hemp played 21 games with the Alleghenys, and batted .235 with 19 hits, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 3 stolen bases. On the defensive side, Hemp played all of his 21 games in the outfield and committed 6 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 ...
.
Syracuse Stars
Hemp played the rest of the 1890 season with the major league Syracuse StarsSyracuse Stars (American Association)
The Syracuse Stars was an American baseball team which played one season in the American Association in . They were unrelated to the Syracuse Stars of the National League of...
. In 9 games with the Stars, Hemp batted .152 with 5 hits, 1 doubles, 1 RBI, and 1 stolen base. In the field, Hemp played all of his 9 games in the outfield, and committed 1 error.
Later career
After his major league career was over, Hemp played in the minor leagues. He spent the rest of the 1890 season with the Lincoln Rustlers (who later that season became the Des Moines Prohibitionist) of the Western AssociationWestern Association
The Western Association was the name of five different leagues in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries.The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Western Association on October 28, 1887...
. In 1891, Hemp played for the Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
baseball club of the Wisconsin State League
Wisconsin State League
There was a class D league called the Wisconsin State League which began in 1905. In 1908 it changed its name to the Wisconsin-Illinois League. Another Wisconsin State League began in 1940, shut down for World War II from 1943 through 1945, then operated from 1946 through 1953...
, the Terre Haute Hottentots of the 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:...
, and the Peoria Distillers
Peoria Distillers
The Peoria Distillers were a minor league baseball team that existed on-and-off from 1894 to 1917. They played in the Western Association from 1894 to 1896; the Central League in 1900, 1904 and 1917; the Western League from 1902 to 1903; and the Three-I League from 1905 to 1917.-League...
, also of the Northwestern League. Hemp's final season in professional baseball came in 1892 with the Rock Island-Moline Twins, and the Terre Haute Hottentots, both of the Illinois-Indiana League
Illinois-Indiana League
The Illinois–Indiana League or Two-I League was based in Illinois and Indiana and refers the name of two different baseball circuits in Minor league baseball which operated in and .-Cities represented/Teams:-Cities represented/Teams:-Source:*...
.
Death
Hemp died on March 3, 1923 in his hometown of St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
at the age of 60. He was buried at Calvary Cemetery
Bellefontaine and Calvary Cemeteries
Bellefontaine Cemetery and the Roman Catholic Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri are adjacent burial grounds, which have numerous historic and extravagant tombstones and mausoleums. They are the necropolis for a number of prominent local and state politicians, as well as soldiers of the...
in St. Louis.