Charlie Bartson

Charles Franklin Bartson (March 13, 1865 – June 9, 1936) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played for the Chicago Pirates of the Players' League (PL) during the 1890 baseball season. Over his PL career, Bartson pitched to a 9–10 win–loss record with an earned run average of 4.11 and 52 strikeouts. After his PL career, he formed a Western Association team in Peoria, Illinois, and served as Republican Central Committee chairman in the city. He died of heart disease on June 9, 1936.

Biography Charles Franklin Bartson was born on March 13, 1865, in Peoria, Illinois. Bartson began his professional career for the Omaha Omahogs of the Western League in 1887, when he also played for the St. Joseph Reds of the same league. Combined, Bartson had a 11–18 win–loss record with a 5.08 earned run average (ERA) over 253.1 innings pitched. As a batter, Bartson had a .259 batting average with 35 hits and 18 runs scored. In 1888, Bartson played for the Buffalo Bisons of the International Association for Professional Base Ball Players and the Peoria Canaries of the Central Interstate League.

Bartson made his PL debut for the Pirates on May 14, 1890, in a game against the Buffalo Bisons that Chicago won 4–1. In July, Bartson was traded to Buffalo to help their pitching staff, though he voided the trade, a condition possible under league structure. Bartson reasoned it was better to pitch once a week for a good team than once every three days for a bad one.

After the season, he played for the Quincy Ravens of the Illinois–Iowa League (IIL), the Minneapolis Millers of the Western Association (WA), and the St. Paul Apostles/Duluth Whalebacks of the WA in 1891. In 1892, Bartson recorded a 17–13 win–loss record and a 1.30 ERA over 242.1 innings pitched for the Rock Island-Moline Twins of the IIL. Bartson died on June 9, 1936, in Peoria, of heart disease, and is interred at Springdale Cemetery in Peoria.