Phonney Martin
| Alphonse Martin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Right fielder/Pitcher | |
| Born: August 4, 1845 New York, New York | |
| Died: May 24, 1933 (aged 87) Hollis, New York | |
Batted: Unknown Threw: Unknown | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 26, 1872, for the Troy Haymakers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 21, 1873, for the New York Mutuals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .243 |
| Runs | 52 |
| Runs batted in | 37 |
| Teams | |
| |
Alphonse Case "Phonney" Martin (August 4, 1845 – May 24, 1933) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and pitcher who played two seasons in the National Association from 1872 to 1873.[1]
Career[edit]
Martin, born in New York City, was an American Civil War veteran[2] who 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.[3] His pitching style led to his nickname of "Old Slow Ball".[4]
Martin officially began his professional baseball career when he joined the 1872 Troy Haymakers of the National Association as a pitcher and right fielder, playing in 25 games, pitching in eight of those games.[1] 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.[1] That year, he is given credit for managing the Eckfords for nine games, with a record of 1 win and 8 losses.[1] There is some dispute about this, as SABR and retrosheet.org list Andy Allison, Jimmy Wood, and Martin as managing the team that year,[5] while baseball-reference.com lists Jim Clinton and Wood as the managers.[6] For the 1873 season, he joined the New York Mutuals, which turned out to be his last season at this level. He played 30 games in right field, and pitched six games.[1]
Death[edit]
Martin died in Hollis, New York at the age of 87, and is interred at Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f "Phonney Martin's Stats". retrosheet.org. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ "Civil War Veterans Who Played Major League Baseball Project" (PDF). sabr.org. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ "Charlton's Baseball Chronology - 1869". baseballlibrary.com. Archived from the original on 2008-12-11. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ Fox (1998). Big Leagues: Professional Baseball, Football, and Basketball in National Memory. p. 201.
- ^ "1872 Brooklyn Eckfords". retrosheet.org. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ "1872 Brooklyn Eckfords". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
External links[edit]
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Retrosheet
- Phonney Martin at Find a Grave
- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Major League Baseball right fielders
- New York Mutuals (NABBP) players
- Brooklyn Eckfords (NABBP) players
- Troy Haymakers players
- Brooklyn Eckfords players
- Brooklyn Eckfords managers
- New York Mutuals players
- Baseball player-managers
- Baseball players from New York City
- Burials at Cypress Hills Cemetery
- 1845 births
- 1933 deaths
- 19th-century baseball players