Mike McGeary

Michael Henry McGeary (November 16, 1850 – October 2, 1933) was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1871 to 1882. He played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball, playing principally as an infielder and catcher, for seven different major league clubs: the Troy Haymakers (1870–1871), the Philadelphia Athletics (NA) (1872–1874), the Philadelphia White Stockings, the St. Louis Brown Stockings (1876–1877), the Providence Grays (1879–1880), the Cleveland Blues (1880–1881) and the Detroit Wolverines (1882). Three of those clubs, the Philadelphia White Stockings, Providence Grays and Cleveland Blues, also employed him as player-manager.

In 11 major league seasons, McGeary compiled a .276 career batting average with 484 runs scored in 547 major league games. Rumors that he threw games persisted throughout his career, though such rumors were never proven.

Early years McGeary was born in Philadelphia on November 16, 1850. His parents, Michael and Ann McGeary (or McGary), were both immigrants from Ireland, and his father worked as a carpenter in Philadelphia.

Professional baseball

Troy Haymakers McGeary began his baseball career in his home town of Philadelphia, playing for the "Experts" in 1868 and 1868. In 1870, he joined the Troy Haymakers. McGeary played in 37 of 46 games and was a little below average as a batter in the company of his teammates.

McGeary remained with the Haymakers in 1871 as the team participated in the first professional league. During the 1871 season, McGeary appeared in 29 games, 26 of them as a catcher and three as a shortstop. He compiled a .264 batting average, scored 42 runs in 29 games, and led the NABBP with 20 stolen bases. As a player, McGeary appeared in 27 games as a third baseman, 23 as a second baseman, 18 as a shortstop and three as an outfielder. He compiled a .290 batting average, stole 19 bases, and scored a career high 71 runs in 68 games.

In 1905, The Sporting Life wrote that McGeary was the best base-runner of his era: "The famous Mike McGeary in his day the best runner in the profession, and the Mike Kelly of that period, in point of base ball brains was the one player who regularly practiced sliding."

Between 1871 and 1876, McGeary also developed a reputation as one of the least likely batters to strikeout at the plate. During those six seasons, he struck out only six times in 1,518 plate appearances. He led his league in at bats per strikeout ratio on three occasions, with ratios of 275 in 1873, 310 in 1875, and 276 in 1876.

St. Louis Browns In 1876, the National League was formed and replaced the NABBP. During the 1876 and 1877 seasons, McGeary played in the National League for the St. Louis Brown Stockings. During the 1876 season, he appeared in 61 games for St. Louis, 56 of them as a second baseman. He compiled a .261 batting average and scored 48 runs. On June 24, 1875, Philadelphia lost a game in the 12th inning against the Chicago White Stockings. McGeary committed five errors in the game, and his Philadelphia teammates committed another 16 errors. A report was published that gamblers had paid $300 to $500 to members of the Philadelphia team to throw the game. On October 18, 1875, errors by McGeary were also cited as contributing to a Philadelphia loss in which heavy betting was placed on the opposing team.

After the formation of the National League in 1876, McGeary was the first league player to be accused of game-fixing. He was suspended but then reinstated after an investigation was unable to produce evidence. St. Louis management suspected him of "throwing" a game on May 27, 1876. The game took place against the New York Mutuals at the Union Grounds, and McGeary made four errors.

In 1888, The Sporting Life published a story suggesting that McGeary had used "a very peculiar yellow umbrella" to communicate with gamblers at the ball park. According to the story, It was amusing and instructive to notice how often Mike raised his yellow parasol, and just as often lowered it. Indeed, he seemed to go through a regular drill with it ... Strange to say a few bad errors would invariably follow, and a number of runs would result to his club. Then Captain Mike would move over into another part of the stand where some one was offering a heavy bet that his club would not score a run in the next inning. A man following close to Mike would take the bet. In order to wipe the perspiration from his brow the yellow umbrella had to be lowered and while this work was being done, his men out on the field would become possessed, and fairly knock the ball out of the enclosure. That old yellow umbrella was worth more to McGeary in those days than any old pair of shoes or gloves in those days of the $2,000 limit rule.

Providence Grays After spending the 1878 seasons playing for Springfield in the International Association, McGeary returned to the National League in 1879 with the Providence Grays and served as a player-manager for a portion of the following season. He led the Grays to an 8–7 record in his brief turn as manager, He appeared in a total of 42 games for Cleveland, 40 of them at third base and two in the outfield, and compiled a .243 batting average.

At the time of the 1910 United States census, McGeary was living as a lodger at 98 West 102nd Street in Manhattan and listed his occupation as a builder of houses.

McGeary died on October 2, 1933, in Philadelphia.