Phonney Martin
Encyclopedia
Alphonse Case "Phonney" Martin (August 4, 1845 – May 24, 1933) was an American
Major League Baseball
baseball
player who played two seasons in the National Association
from to .
veteran, played in organized baseball as far back as 1869 when he pitched
for the Brooklyn Eckfords
. That year, a reporter for the New York Clipper
described him as an "extremely hard pitcher to hit for the ball never comes in a straight line‚ but in a tantalizing curve." If the observation is true, this would pre-date Candy Cummings
, the pitcher given credit as the inventor of the curveball
. His pitching style led to his nickname of "Old Slow Ball".
Martin officially began his professional baseball career when he joined the Troy Haymakers
of the National Association as a pitcher and right fielder
, playing in 25 games
, pitching in eight of those games. Later in the season, he returned to the Eckfords, now also in the Association, and played in the same pitcher/outfielder role for 18 games. That year, he is given credit for managing
the Eckfords for nine games, with a record of 1 win and 8 losses. There is a level of dispute on this, sabr and retrosheet.org list Andy Allison
, Jimmy Wood, and Martin as managing the team that year, while baseball-reference.com list Jim Clinton
and Wood as the managers. For the season, he joined the New York Mutuals
, which turned out to be his last season at this level. He played 30 games in the right field, and pitched six games.
in Brooklyn
, New York
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
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...
player who played two seasons in the National Association
National Association of Professional Base Ball Players
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players , or simply the National Association , was founded in 1871 and continued through the 1875 season...
from to .
Career
Martin, born in New York, New York, and an American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
veteran, played in organized baseball as far back as 1869 when he pitched
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...
for the Brooklyn Eckfords
Eckford of Brooklyn
Eckford of Brooklyn, or simply Eckford, was an American baseball club from 1855 to 1872. When the pioneering Union Grounds opened for baseball in 1862, the Eckfords must have been the most important tenant, for they played more games than any other club that year and won the "national"...
. That year, a reporter for the New York Clipper
New York Clipper
The New York Clipper, also known as The Clipper, was a weekly entertainment newspaper published in New York City from 1853 to 1924. It covered many topics, including circuses, dance, music, the outdoors, sports, and theatre. It had a circulation of about 25,000. The publishers also produced the...
described him as an "extremely hard pitcher to hit for the ball never comes in a straight line‚ but in a tantalizing curve." If the observation is true, this would pre-date Candy Cummings
Candy Cummings
William Arthur "Candy" Cummings was a professional baseball pitcher in the National Association and National League who was credited with inventing the curveball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.-Career:...
, the pitcher given credit as the inventor of the curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
. His pitching style led to his nickname of "Old Slow Ball".
Martin officially began his professional baseball career when he joined the Troy Haymakers
Troy Haymakers
The Troy Haymakers were an American professional baseball team.-History:Established in 1860 as the Union base ball club of neighboring Lansingburgh, New York, the Haymakers participated in the first professional pennant race of 1869 and joined the first professional league, the 1871 National...
of the National Association as a pitcher and right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
, playing in 25 games
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,...
, pitching in eight of those games. Later in the season, he returned to the Eckfords, now also in the Association, and played in the same pitcher/outfielder role for 18 games. That year, he is given credit for managing
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
the Eckfords for nine games, with a record of 1 win and 8 losses. There is a level of dispute on this, sabr and retrosheet.org list Andy Allison
Andy Allison
Andrew K. Allison was a professional baseball player who played first base in Major League Baseball for the 1872 Brooklyn Eckfords. He was the older brother of Eckfords teammate Bill Allison.-External links:...
, Jimmy Wood, and Martin as managing the team that year, while baseball-reference.com list Jim Clinton
Jim Clinton
James Lawrence Clinton was an outfielder in Major League Baseball....
and Wood as the managers. For the season, he joined the New York Mutuals
New York Mutuals
The Mutual Base Ball Club of New York was a leading American baseball club almost throughout its 20-year history. It was established during 1857, the year of the first baseball convention, just too late to be a founding member of the National Association of Base Ball Players. It was a charter...
, which turned out to be his last season at this level. He played 30 games in the right field, and pitched six games.
Post-career
Martin died in Hollis, New York at the age of 87, and is interred at Cypress Hills National CemeteryCypress Hills National Cemetery
Cypress Hills National Cemetery is the only United States National Cemetery in New York City and has more than 21,100 interments of veterans and civilians. There are 24 Medal of Honor recipients buried in the cemetery, including three men who won the award twice...
in 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...
.