Tommy Corcoran Marquee

b. January 4, 1869 · Pittsburgh Burghers 1890, Philadelphia Athletics 1891, Brooklyn Grooms 1892–1895, Brooklyn Bridegrooms 1896, Cincinnati Reds 1897–1906, New York Giants 1907, Pittsburg Alleghenys

On September 17, 1900, coaching at third base for Cincinnati in Philadelphia, he noticed the ground was soft and started digging with his spikes. He pulled up a wooden box connected by wire to the clubhouse in center field, where a man with a spyglass had been reading the catcher's signs and buzzing them to the coach. It was the first time anyone caught a club at it with the equipment in hand.

Eighteen seasons gave him 2,259 hits, 289 doubles, 155 triples, 1,137 runs batted in, 388 stolen bases and a .256 average, with 2,078 games at shortstop — a total only fifteen men have passed. He played ten years for Cincinnati and never missed a season between 1890 and 1907.

He hit .256 and stayed in the lineup on his glove, which is what shortstops did then. He umpired in the National League after he retired and lived to ninety-one, dying in 1960. Three committees have looked at his name.

Batting, season by season

Year	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG
1890	PBB	126	515	81	120	14	13	1	63	39	45	44	.233
1891	PHA	133	511	84	130	11	15	7	71	29	56	30	.254
1892	BRO	151	613	77	145	11	6	1	74	34	51	39	.237
1893	BRO	115	459	61	126	11	10	2	58	27	12	14	.275
1894	BRO	129	576	123	173	21	20	5	92	25	17	33	.300
1895	BRO	128	540	83	145	17	10	2	69	23	11	17	.269
1896	BRO	132	532	63	154	15	7	3	73	15	13	16	.289
1897	CIN	109	445	76	128	30	5	3	57	13	6	15	.288
1898	CIN	153	619	80	155	28	15	2	87	26	17	19	.250
1899	CIN	138	540	93	150	11	8	0	81	29	12	32	.278
1900	CIN	127	523	64	128	21	9	1	54	22	18	27	.245
1901	CIN	31	115	14	24	3	3	0	15	11	4	6	.209
1902	CIN	138	538	54	136	18	4	0	54	11	29	20	.253
1903	CIN	115	459	61	113	18	7	2	73	12	27	12	.246
1904	CIN	150	578	55	133	17	9	2	74	19	46	19	.230
1905	CIN	151	605	70	150	21	11	2	85	23	44	28	.248
1906	CIN	117	430	29	89	13	1	1	33	19	27	8	.207
1907	NYG	62	226	21	60	9	2	0	24	7	12	9	.265
Career	—	2205	8824	1189	2259	289	155	34	1137	384	447	388	.256

On this day & linked events

1869

Born January 4, 1869

New Haven, CT, USA

1960

Died June 25, 1960

1890

Major-league debut: Tommy Corcoran

Tommy Corcoran made a major-league debut on April 19, 1890.

1907

Final major-league game: Tommy Corcoran

Tommy Corcoran played a final major-league game on July 10, 1907.

Image: Unknown author Unknown, public domain