Bug Holliday

James Wear "Bug" Holliday (February 8, 1867 – February 15, 1910) was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball for ten seasons, in the 1885 World Series and from through . He was the first player to make his major league debut in post-season play, with the Chicago White Stockings in 1885. He played the rest of his career with the Cincinnati Reds, both when they were in the American Association and in the National League. He twice led the league in home runs, and was among the leaders in various other offensive categories throughout his career. After his playing career was over, he was an umpire for one season.

Career Holliday was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and became the first player in major league history to make his debut in the post-season when he was called up, at the age of 18, by the Chicago White Stockings when they needed another outfielder for Game 4 of the 1885 World Series. He played in one game, and had no hits in four at bats.

Holliday made his regular-season major league debut in 1889 for the Cincinnati Red Stockings of the American Association. In his first season with the Red Stockings, he led the league in home runs with 19, while finishing in the top ten in many offensive categories. He was fifth in batting average with .321, fifth in runs batted in (RBIs) with 104, third in hits with 181, and ninth in doubles with 28. But after that, his season's power numbers dropped significantly, as he hit only four home runs, tallied 75 RBIs, and had a .270 batting average.

He bounced back the following season, when he hit nine home runs, which was fourth in the league, batted .319 to finish second in the league, and totalled 84 RBIs, which was ninth.

He continued to live in Cincinnati, and worked in a pool room while also covering horse racing for a local newspaper. He died at the age of 43 in Cincinnati of gangrene of foot and leg, and is interred at Spring Grove Cemetery, also in Cincinnati.

Personal life Holliday married Mary Thurman, daughter of Ohio politician Allen G. Thurman and the former wife of William S. Cowles, in 1894.