Denny McKnight

Harmar Denny McKnight (April 29, 1848 – May 5, 1900) was an American early baseball manager and executive. On October 15, he founded the Allegheny Base Ball Club of Pittsburgh in anticipation of playing in the new American Association. The club then became known as the Pittsburgh Alleghenys (now known as the Pittsburgh Pirates).

Biography

Personal life Denny was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Robert McKnight, a Republican congressional legislator representing Pennsylvania's 22nd congressional district. His brother Woodruff, was an early baseball catcher for the Enterprise Base Ball Club in Pittsburgh. Denny graduated from Lafayette College in 1869. He then became director of an iron manufacturing company in 1876.

Pittsburgh Allegheny and the International Association McKnight's career in baseball began in 1876, when he and several local organizers formed the Allegheny Base Ball Club. The founding occurred just twenty days after Pittsburgh lost its bid to join the newly-formed National League. The club was named Pittsburgh Allegheny, a minor league baseball club which is unaffiliated with the modern day Pittsburgh Pirates. The team played their first game at Union Park on April 15, 1876, defeating the Xanthas 7-3, at Union Park.

In 1877, McKnight was named the manager of the Pittsburgh Allegheny as the club became one of the first minor league baseball clubs as member of the International Association for Professional Base Ball Players. He also later served as the International Association's president after Candy Cummings resigned from the post. The team and the league would however fold in 1878.

After baseball McKnight left baseball in 1886. He worked for several years in New Mexico as a cattle company executive before returning to Pittsburgh and retiring from business. He died in Allegheny City on May 5, 1900, from what was termed "congestion of the brain".