About Phil Tomney
Lived 1863 – 1892 (aged 28). Phil Tomney was an American baseball player.
Philip H. "Buster" Tomney (July 17, 1863 – March 18, 1892) was an American professional baseball player for a period of nine seasons, three of which were at the major league level with the Louisville Colonels of the American Association from to .
Tomney was the starting shortstop for the Louisville club in 1889 and 1890. In 1889 the club finished in last place; in 1890 it finished in first place. This sudden ascension was historic; the Louisville Colonels were the first team in major league history to move from last place to first place in the span of one year. The club's remarkable achievement is chronicled in a 2026 book, The 1890 Louisville Cyclones, by Perry T. Cooper. Phil Tomney is prominently featured in this book, which shows that he was the most productive shortstop in the American Association in 1890, despite the fact that sportswriters of the era regularly derided him for his tiny stature.
Tomney died in his hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania in 1892 at the age of 28 due to a lung infection brought on by pulmonary phithisis (tuberculosis). He is interred at Aulenbach's Cemetery in Mount Penn, Pennsylvania.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Phil Tomney's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Phil Tomney?
Major League Baseball player (1863–1892)
When was Phil Tomney born?
Phil Tomney was born on 17 July 1863 in Reading.
When did Phil Tomney die?
Phil Tomney died on 18 March 1892 in Reading.
What was Phil Tomney's occupation?
Phil Tomney was a baseball player.
What nationality was Phil Tomney?
Phil Tomney was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Phil Tomney. https://biography.guide/phil-tomney/
MLA: "Phil Tomney." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/phil-tomney/.
Chicago: "Phil Tomney." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/phil-tomney/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-25 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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