Harry Wright, 125 Years -- October 3, 2020

 

Washington Evening Star, 04-October-1895

Harry Wright was a pioneering baseball player, manager and executive. He organized, managed and played for the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first openly professional baseball team. After the Cincinnati club folded, Wright and many of his Cincinnati players moved to Boston and formed the Boston Red Stockings of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, which were the direct ancestor of the Atlanta Braves. He died 125 years ago today, on 03-October-1895. 

HARRY WRIGHT'S CAREER.

The Most Widely Known Man in Base Ball Circles. 

 Harry Wright, chief of umpires of the National League of Base Ball Clubs and ex-manager of the Philadelphia National League club, whose death was announced in yesterday's Star, was sixty years of age. 

 He was taken ill in Philadelphia ten days ago, and thought a trip to the seashore would be beneficial. He grew worse. He had catarrhal pneumonia. 

Harry Wright was the most widely known and perhaps the best posted base ball man of the times. Honest in his dealings with managers and players, he established an enviable reputation. He was born in England in 1835, but came to this country with his parents a year later. His athletic career began as a cricketer. He played with the St. George Cricket Club of New York when but fifteen years of age. He commenced to play base ball in 1857, when he was center fielder for the famous Knickerbockers of New York. 

In 1866 he went to Cincinnati and helped to organize the famous Cincinnati Red Stockings. During the season of 1869 the Red Stockings traveled all over the United States without losing a game. It was while a member of this club that Harry Wright, in a game at Newport, Ky., June 22, 1867, made seven home runs, the record to this day. 

In 1871 he was engaged to play center field and captain the Boston club. After the National League was organized Harry's Boston team won the championship of that organization In the seasons of 1877 and 1878. He remained with the Boston club until the end of the season of 1881. 

He was engaged in 1882 to manage the Providence club, and it finished second in the championship race that season and third in 1883. Harry Wright in 1884 was engaged to manage the Philadelphia club, with which he remained until the close of the season of 1893, when he was made chief of the league staff of umpires, a position which was created for him, and which he held at the time of his death.