Frank Pidgeon

Francis Pidgeon Sr. (February 11, 1825 – June 12, 1884) was an American baseball pitcher. He played for Eckford of Brooklyn from 1855 to 1862, and was one of the club's founders. Pidgeon has been called one of the top pitchers of the era, and participated in New York-area all-star games in 1858. Playing as an amateur, Pidgeon vigorously opposed payments to baseball players and authored a law banning them in the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP). After professionalism began spreading, he left the Eckford club before sponsoring an unsuccessful resolution opposing player pay in 1870. Pidgeon worked as a contractor before being hit by a train and killed in 1884.

Early life and family Pidgeon was born on February 11, 1825, in modern-day New York City. He built ships and yachts in Brooklyn, having entered the field in his youth. In 1849, Pidgeon traveled to California as part of the California Gold Rush, He and Mary Elizabeth Orr were married following his trip to the West, and the couple had six children: four daughters and two sons. According to Pidgeon's account, the demands of the players' professions led to a lack of practice time: they were limited to one session of play a week, at most. The members were open to a competitive game against another club, but Pidgeon wrote that "no such invitation came, and we began seriously to doubt if we were worth taking notice of." Regardless, he and his teammates enjoyed playing recreationally; Pidgeon's opinion was that "Such sport as this brightens a man up, and improves him, both in mind and body." At an 1857 convention of local baseball teams, in which a common set of rules was drafted, Pidgeon was one of Eckford's three delegates. After not holding an executive position for the club in 1856 or 1857, he was a secretary in 1858 before serving again as club president in 1860 and 1861. His last held that position in 1863. However, Eckford upset Union by a score of 22–8. One month after their matchup, the two teams faced each other in a rematch. Eckford won again, 22–6. The pair of results gave Eckford recognition in the baseball press.

Eckford played seven match games the following year, but won only twice. Two of their defeats came against the Brooklyn Atlantics. The team improved in 1858, as it began attracting players from Brooklyn's Eastern District, particularly volunteer firemen. Their record was 5–1 in match play for the season. Offensively, he contributed three runs, having scored once in game one. On September 10, the series was decided in the third game. Pidgeon allowed a home run to the leadoff hitter for New York, shortstop Joe Gelston, and was forced to throw 87 pitches in the first inning as New York posted seven runs. New York went on to win by a 29–18 final score, as Pidgeon's pitch count reached 436 for the game. He accounted for three of Brooklyn's runs in the loss. Eckford promptly took the lead, and a seven-run ninth inning gave them a win; however, they lost to Atlantic in the third and deciding game. he did not make any game appearances in 1861, but supported them as a spectator. He next played in July 1862, for an Eckford club that ended up winning the NABBP title over Atlantic. In 1863, Pidgeon stopped playing baseball; author William J. Ryczek attributes this to a leg injury that occurred as the result of an accident. From 1856 to 1860, Pidgeon was the most frequently used Eckford pitcher. In one game against Atlantic, Pidgeon reportedly ripped off pieces of his clothing as the contest progressed, in an attempt "to put an extra twist on the ball"; despite his efforts, Eckford was defeated.

Opposition to professionalism Pidgeon played as an amateur, and was an outspoken opponent of baseball players receiving money from teams. The NABBP outlawed the practice of teams paying players in 1859, with Pidgeon the author of the law. However, secret payments were sometimes made in spite of the regulation, as the NABBP proved unable to enforce it; one example came when Excelsior of Brooklyn obtained the services of Jim Creighton. Some teams used the promise of compensation for travel expenses to attract new talent. In cases where players could not pay their way, Pidgeon suggested that they prioritize earning a living over the sport of baseball. Pidgeon himself was later the subject of false reports that he would move to Atlantic, which led him to profess his loyalty to Eckford. Ryczek wrote the Pidgeon was "forever anchored" to the norms of baseball in the 1850s.

After Eckford completed an undefeated season in 1863 and won a second straight NABBP title, the team experienced numerous defections to Atlantic and the New York Mutuals. Sportswriter Henry Chadwick wrote that the club needed Pidgeon's influence. However, he was not interested in making a return, as professionalism became more commonplace. As Eckford became a professional side, Pidgeon ended his involvement with the team. After the NABBP created separate classes for amateur and professional teams, a new resolution in opposition to player pay was put up for a vote by amateur clubs, such as the New York Knickerbockers, at an 1870 convention. Pidgeon sponsored the proposal, and spoke on its behalf, in what Ryczek calls "amateurism's last stand".

Later life Shortly after the end of his playing career, Pidgeon and his family moved upstate to a house near Saugerties. Working as a construction contractor, Pidgeon built docks and worked on landfills in Brooklyn and New York City. He became wealthy and garnered significant holdings of land that he received as payment for services. killing him at the age of 59. Questions arose as to whether Pidgeon killed himself or was the victim of an accident. Pidgeon was buried in Mountain View Cemetery in the village of Saugerties, New York.