1900 Eastern League

Like the Connecticut League, this league's 1900 edition was a rare example of an early minor league that did not change any cities from its previous season. It is hover victory for Providence past intriguing drives by Rochester and Hartford; Providence led by future stars Harry Davis and Freddy Parent.

Hartford provided the drama for the year when manager Billy Barnie died suddenly, July 15th. The 47 year old manager had nagging Bronchitis in the Spring, and got sick during a rainout at Worcester, June 14th. Nevertheless, on July 9th, he insisted on going to the train station to travel to Atlantic City for the annual Elks Club convention. He collapsed at the station, but went on anyway, and then collapsed at Atlantic City shortly after the convention opened, July 10. He ended up missing the convention and straggling back to Hartford, the 14th, convalescing at his brother-in-law's house with pneumonia. Hartford traveled to Providence without their manager for a Sunday game, July 15th, and eked out an 11-inning win. After the game, Barnie was dead.

Barnie originally bought Hartford in 1896, then an Atlantic League team, but he sold the club before a short-lived stint as Brooklyn's manager in 1898 during which time he was heavily criticized. In the Spring of 1899, and without any real funds, Barnie announced that Hartford would field a team for the Eastern League. Then he simply took a collection from among Hartford's civic leaders that made his vision a reality.

Hartford was 32-32 when Barnie died, 8.0 games behind Providence. Over the next five weeks the team would go 25-8 to take over first place, August 21, by percentage points. The day before, August 20th, 4,500 fans filled Hartford Park to celebrate "Billy Barnie Benefit" day after a parade of electric cars to the park. The Brooklyn National League club were the opponents and all proceeds went to Barnie's widow.

However, Hartford starting pitchers George Hemming and Patsy Flaherty reportedly threw their arms out trying to impress Brooklyn and following that game Hartford collapsed. They finished the year 11-15 with only starting pitcher "Wild Bill" Donovan impressing anyone. He went on to a 186 win career and a short stint as a beloved manager of the New York Yankees.

There are two descriptions of games in the Hartford Courant which I enjoyed about this season. One refers to Hartford's Fox Terrier mascot, a small dog owned by poor-fielding third-baseman Frank Gatins that the players kept near the dugout. Before each at-bat during their hot streak in August, each player would rub his hands over the dog's head. The player in charge of the dog was the pitcher slated to start the next day, but these men played a joke on Gatins. The Courant observes: "The dog has been taught to bark only when his master makes an error and the animal has almost lost his voice."

Another Courant description for a homerun hit by Hartford's hard-hitting first-baseman Bill Massey, May 28th. "The ball went up in the air to such a height that a man in Wethersfield with a glass thought he had located the planet Vulcan. When the ball had nearly stopped traveling upward it took an onward flight like a homing pigeon... and by easy, graceful stages dropped over the fence in the buckwheat field. The ball had to be dug out of the ground."

P.S., For those living in Hartford, Barnie's brother-in-law was J. G. A. Naedele, and his home was located at 51 Mahl Avenue.