The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-11
DIAMOND ANNALS
The Life of Harry Wright Al
most an Encyclopedia.
ACCURATE RECORD OF HIS DEEDS.

Hough. of the Philadelphia North Amer
No man In baseball today is more popular,
more honored, more respected by players,
magnates and public than Harry Wright,
the veteran manager and player. His career
is one of vast interest to ALL and it is of Itself
a sort of encyclopedia of the national game
This record of his life and services though
condensed, is the most complete ever given,
and is absolutely correct as to facts. 1t was
written in collaboration with Mr.. Frank
Hough, Of The Philadelphia North American,
than whom no one knows Mr. Wright better.
I take pleasure in according Mr.. Hough more
than half Of whatever credit is due the pro-
duction
Harry Wright was born in Sheffield, Eng
land, in 1885. When he was about eighteen
months old his parents removed to the United
States, where Daniel Wright, who has been
located in California for years; George, the
greatest short stop the game ever had, and
now successful sporting goods dealer of Bos-
ton, and Sam, who Is associated in business
with his brother George, were born. From
childhood Manager Wright took a keen in
terest in all outdoor sports and pastimes,
trait that he inherited from his father, who
was one of the first, if not the first, profess
sional cricketers in this country
While serving his apprenticeship with
manufacturing jeweler IN Maiden lane, New
| York, he devoted a considerable portion Of
each summer to playing cricket, and in 1861
he joined the KnickerbockeT club The latter
organization broke UP during the war, many
of its members going to the front.
In lS84-65 Mr. Wright joined the Gotham
club, Of New York, playing third and short,
and occasionally going behind the bat He
also played cricket with the st. George club
on the Red House grounds, First avenue and
One Hundred and Second and One Hundred
and Third streets, and in 1856 he made an
agreement to play with that club but he was
released from his engagement at his own re-
| quest, and joined the Cincinnati Cricket club
as professional at a salary of 81, 200. Some
OF the best known citizens of Cincinnati, in
| Guiding J. w. Johnston, Capt. II. A. Glass
ford, A B. Champion and Charles Scanlon,
were members of the Club. They soon tired
of cricket, and on July %, 1866, the Cincin-
natl Ball club was formed. The uniform was
a gorgeous affair, consisting Of red caps. blue
| trousersand white shirts The new club played
five games with the local amateur teams, win
ming three.
In 1866 Mr. Wright received an advan-
! tageous offer from the Germantown Cricket
| club of Philadelphia, which he would have
! liked to accept, but the Cincinnati people
would not let him go, and though they had
no legal claim on his services, only his prom
! Use, he declined the offer. Think Of that in
those days of cast iron, air tight contracts
In 1867 A. T. Goshorn, John Mclean, John
Joyce and others held meeting and resolved
! to take the grounds back of Lincoln park,
/ Cincinnati, and they were opened on July 4,
louisville haivcr iptr Nv, +ta
of 90 to "a On July 10 Cincinnati was de-
feated by the National club IS to 10, and that
so depressed Capt. Glassford that he re-
signed the presidency. That was the only
game the club lost that season, winning H.
In 1868 President Champion declined the
presidency, and a. T. Goshorn, afterward
director general of the centennial exhibition,
was elected. This year marked the advent Of
professionalism in baseball and the introduce
ton Of the knickerbockers as part Of play
er's costume. The Buckeye club of Cincinnati,
which was composed of teachers and pro-
fessors, was anxious to down Wright's team,
and sent an agent east, who secured DOckney,
Cherokee Fisher, Sweasy and Leonard
/ Wright was compelled to strengthen, and
John Hatfield, Fred Waterman, Asa Brai-
nard and Doug Allison were engaged. The
Buckeye grounds were opened in May, and in
the first game Harry Wright appeared on the
field clad in knicl1erbockers and long red
stockings, and caused a sensation, few of
the more prudish Of the women folk charac-
terizing his make up as Indecent. Cincinnati
won all the games from the Buckeyes.
The Buckeye people were anxious to win
the second game, and the night before they
took Hatfield, Brainard and Allison out and
got them drunk. The next day Wright would
not permit Hatfield to play, although the di-
rectors coaxed Wright to change his decision,
but he would not
In 1869 the famous Cincinnati Reds were
organized. This was the first entirely pro-
fessional ball club. Before starting out on that
campaign MANAGER Wright laid down a set of
rules which have since been the basis of all
club discipline The members were to report
at certain hours III the morning and after
noon, were to practice SO long a time and were
to retire at a certain hour. Drunkenness or
excess of any kind was not TO be tolerated, and
infringement of any CT she rules meant fine.
The writers of the day attempted 10 ridicule
Mr.. Wright and his methods, and the players
were referred to as ''WriEht's Babies" But
both Mr Wright and his methods were vim
dictated. The club went through the season
without defeat in fifty-eight games played
"a record lldL no team NdI CIV Gu LlON GA JtCb
to equal.
II $50 the Reds received their first defeat
at the hands of the Atlantics, and the interest
in bail in Cincinnati died out, although the
club finished the season. Boston parties then
commenced negotiations with Mr.. Wright, !
and notwithstanding Mr. Murs5 Halsread's
offer to back him in the formation OF a new
club. be departed for the Hub il II. His /
,i,- Adams and AT0liCDlS
then running the Bostons, were not Of the /
pleasantest character The playing rules |
having been made from time to time wers |
full Of contradictions and distressingly prolix, !
and in 1876 Mr. Wright, assisted by Mr.. |
ApslleniS, rewrete them.
When Messrs. Soden, Billings and Conant |
secured control Of the Boston club, they made |
it disagreeahle for Mr. Wright, but he was
such favovite with Boston bal players that /
neither of the triuE1virs had the courage TO |
request his resignation. Al their suggestion, |
however the Providence club directors made !
a proposition TO Mr. Wright 20 take charge I
Of their club. which be did N lSS2 In the I
eleven years that be managed the Boston /
club it won the penuant six tines-a per !
Torrance which eloquently demonstrated Els /
ability as manager. lie stayed with Provi- /
deuce only two seasons, bat in that &hort time l
ne got the team II 70 championship form.
In 1884 Mr. Wright assumed the manage |
Enent OF the Phladele hia club, which for some 4
time mad been gracefully adoTnins the tail Of 1
the League animal. He socn made the team 4
factor II the Penn2nt race, and ~ the BE- 1
ginning OF tas season 1SS9 there were may, /
svxa outzs-ia - PLl2E-IaLia- TAo thought 1
that me [goakers would Land the fag. But an /
unlocked for let down by the pitchers, the 1