Albert Goodwill Spalding (September 2, 1849 – September 9, 1915) was an American pitcher, manager, and executive in the early years of professional baseball, and the co-founder of A.G.
Gradually, it faded out of existence and was replaced by myriad minor leagues and associations around the country. In the late 1850s, Spalding advocated against the inclusion of black and women baseball players while speaking out against baseball's professionalization.
Star pitcher of Forest City Club in late 1860s, 4-year champion Bostons 1871–75 and manager-pitcher of champion Chicagos in National League's first year.
He also wrote the first set of official baseball rules. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. ==Baseball career== ===Player=== Having played baseball throughout his youth, Spalding first played competitively with the Rockford Pioneers, a youth team, which he joined in 1865.
News of the signings by the Boston and Philadelphia players leaked to the press before the season ended and all of them faced verbal abuse and physical threats from the fans of those cities. He was "the premier pitcher of the 1870s", leading the league in victories for each of his six full seasons as a professional.
He played major league baseball between 1871 and 1878.
Star pitcher of Forest City Club in late 1860s, 4-year champion Bostons 1871–75 and manager-pitcher of champion Chicagos in National League's first year.
Playing to the pitcher's desire to return to his Midwestern roots and challenging Spalding's integrity, Hulbert convinced Spalding to sign a contract to play for the White Stockings (now known as the Chicago Cubs) in 1876.
In 1876, Spalding won 47 games as the prime pitcher for the White Stockings and led them to win the first-ever National League pennant by a wide margin. In 1877, Spalding began to use a glove to protect his catching hand.
In 1876, Spalding won 47 games as the prime pitcher for the White Stockings and led them to win the first-ever National League pennant by a wide margin. In 1877, Spalding began to use a glove to protect his catching hand.
He played major league baseball between 1871 and 1878.
However, once he began donning gloves, he influenced other players to do so. Spalding retired from playing baseball in 1878 at the age of 27, although he continued as president and part owner of the White Stockings and a major influence on the National League.
In the 1880s, he took players on the first world tour of baseball.
He feared it would bring about "the introduction of rowdies, drunkards, and dead-beats." In 1886, with Spalding as president of the franchise, the Chicago White Stockings (today's Chicago Cubs), began holding spring training in Hot Springs, Arkansas, which subsequently has been called the "birthplace" of spring training baseball.
Spalding also founded the "Baseball Guide", which at the time was the most widely read baseball publication. ===Spalding Athletic Library=== Spalding (company), from 1892. to 1941. sold books under the name Spalding Athletic Library on many different sports. ===Tour=== In 1888–1889, Spalding took a group of major league players around the world to promote baseball and Spalding sporting goods.
Organizer of baseball's first round-the-world tour in 1888." His nephew, also named Albert Spalding, was a renowned violinist. ==See also== List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders List of Major League Baseball player-managers Major League Baseball titles leaders ==References== ==Further reading== Bales, Jack (2019).
Spalding also founded the "Baseball Guide", which at the time was the most widely read baseball publication. ===Spalding Athletic Library=== Spalding (company), from 1892. to 1941. sold books under the name Spalding Athletic Library on many different sports. ===Tour=== In 1888–1889, Spalding took a group of major league players around the world to promote baseball and Spalding sporting goods.
The tour and formation of the Player's League is depicted in the 2015 movie Deadball. ===1900 Olympics=== In 1900 Spalding was appointed by President McKinley as the USA's Commissioner at that year's Summer Olympic Games. ==Other activities== Spalding had been a prominent member of the Theosophical Society under William Quan Judge.
In 1900, Spalding moved to San Diego with his newly acquired second wife, Elizabeth and became a prominent member and supporter of the Theosophical community Lomaland, which was being developed on Point Loma by Katherine Tingley.
Many other teams followed the concept and began training in Hot Springs and other locations. In 1905, after Henry Chadwick wrote an article saying that baseball grew from the British sports of cricket and rounders, Spalding called for a commission to find out the real source of baseball.
After three years of searching, on December 30, 1907, Spalding received a letter that (erroneously) declared baseball to be the invention of Abner Doubleday.
In 1907–1909 he was the driving force behind the development of a paved road, known as the "Point Loma boulevard," from downtown San Diego to Point Loma and Ocean Beach; the road also provided good access to Lomaland.
He ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate in 1910 as a Republican, but lost to eventual winner John D.
Albert Goodwill Spalding (September 2, 1849 – September 9, 1915) was an American pitcher, manager, and executive in the early years of professional baseball, and the co-founder of A.G.
He helped to organize the 1915 Panama–California Exposition, serving as second vice-president. ==Death== He died of a stroke on September 9, 1915, in San Diego, one week after his 66th birthday.
He also wrote the first set of official baseball rules. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. ==Baseball career== ===Player=== Having played baseball throughout his youth, Spalding first played competitively with the Rockford Pioneers, a youth team, which he joined in 1865.
His ashes were scattered at his request. ==Legacy== He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1939, as one of the first inductees from the 19th century at that summer's opening ceremonies.
Spalding also founded the "Baseball Guide", which at the time was the most widely read baseball publication. ===Spalding Athletic Library=== Spalding (company), from 1892. to 1941. sold books under the name Spalding Athletic Library on many different sports. ===Tour=== In 1888–1889, Spalding took a group of major league players around the world to promote baseball and Spalding sporting goods.
The tour and formation of the Player's League is depicted in the 2015 movie Deadball. ===1900 Olympics=== In 1900 Spalding was appointed by President McKinley as the USA's Commissioner at that year's Summer Olympic Games. ==Other activities== Spalding had been a prominent member of the Theosophical Society under William Quan Judge.
All text is taken from Wikipedia. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License .
Page generated on 2021-08-05