General Stafford
Encyclopedia
James Joseph "General" Stafford (January 30, 1868 - September 18, 1923) was a Major League Baseball
player from 1890 to 1899. He played for the Buffalo Bisons, New York Giants
, Louisville Colonels
, Boston Beaneaters
, and Washington Senators
. Stafford stood at 5' 8" and weighed 165 lbs. His younger brother, John
, was also a Major League Baseball player.
. In 1887, at the age of 19, he started his professional baseball career in the Eastern League
. He then moved over to the Worcester Grays of the Atlantic Association for the next few years. During this time, Stafford was mainly a pitcher
but also played as an outfielder
occasionally. He had his best pitching season in 1888, when he went 16-7 with a 2.87 earned run average
.
After a short stint in the Players' League in 1890, Stafford went to the Western Association
in 1891 and then the California League in 1892. In 1893, he was acquired by the National League
's Giants. He had given up pitching by this time. While Stafford never put up good hitting numbers in the major leagues, he was versatile in the field. With the Giants, he was mainly an outfielder in 1893; a third baseman
in 1894; the starting second baseman
in 1895; and an outfielder again in 1896.
Stafford was traded to Louisville in May 1897 and was a shortstop
for the remainder of the season. He also slugged a career-high seven home run
s, which was the sixth-best total in the league. After 1897, Stafford had short stints with Boston and Washington before retiring in 1900. Overall, he played 571 games in the majors, including 251 as an outfielder, 161 as a second baseman, and 131 as a shortstop.
Stafford died in 1923, at the age of 55, in Worcester, Massachusetts
. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery.
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...
player from 1890 to 1899. He played for the Buffalo Bisons, 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....
, 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...
, Boston Beaneaters
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, and Washington Senators
Washington Senators (1891-1899)
The Washington Senators were a 19th century baseball team. The team was also known as the Washington Statesmen and the Washington Nationals. The team played at Boundary Field....
. Stafford stood at 5' 8" and weighed 165 lbs. His younger brother, John
John Stafford (baseball)
John Henry "Doc" Stafford was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Cleveland Spiders in 1893.-External links:...
, was also a Major League Baseball player.
Career
Stafford was born in Thompson, ConnecticutThompson, Connecticut
Thompson is a rural town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The town was named after Sir Robert Thompson, an English landholder. The population was 9,458 at the 2010 census...
. In 1887, at the age of 19, he started his professional baseball career in 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 then moved over to the Worcester Grays of the Atlantic Association for the next few years. During this time, Stafford was mainly a pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
but also played as an 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...
occasionally. He had his best pitching season in 1888, when he went 16-7 with a 2.87 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
.
After a short stint in the Players' League in 1890, Stafford went to the Western Association
Western 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 and then the California League in 1892. In 1893, he was acquired by 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...
's Giants. He had given up pitching by this time. While Stafford never put up good hitting numbers in the major leagues, he was versatile in the field. With the Giants, he was mainly an outfielder in 1893; a third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
in 1894; the starting 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...
in 1895; and an outfielder again in 1896.
Stafford was traded to Louisville in May 1897 and was a 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...
for the remainder of the season. He also slugged a career-high seven 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, which was the sixth-best total in the league. After 1897, Stafford had short stints with Boston and Washington before retiring in 1900. Overall, he played 571 games in the majors, including 251 as an outfielder, 161 as a second baseman, and 131 as a shortstop.
Stafford died in 1923, at the age of 55, in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery.