Dave Fultz David Lewis Fultz ( May 29 , 1875 – October 29 , 1959 ) was a center fielder in Major League Baseball who played in the National League with the Philadelphia Phillies ( 1898 – 1899 ) and Baltimore Orioles ( 1899 ) , and for the Philadelphia Athletics ( 1901 – 1902 ) and New York Highlanders ( 1903 – 1905 ) of the American League . He batted and threw right - handed . In a seven - season career , Fultz posted a . 271 batting average with 223 RBI and three home run s in 644 games played . Early life and career . A native of Staunton , Virginia , Fultz graduated in 1898 with a law degree from Brown University , where he excelled in football and baseball and was named captain of both teams . Signed by the Phillies the same year , he played for them in part of two seasons and went to Baltimore in the 1899 midseason and played under John McGraw . With McGraw , Fultz developed as a solid bases stealer , and in hit and run and bunting situations . Later career in baseball . When the American League was created , Fultz joined the Philadelphia Athletics of Connie Mack in 1901 , appearing at shortstop and second base , and later moved to center field . Fultz led his team with 36 stolen bases and hit . 292 with 95 runs scored . His most productive season came in 1902 , when he stole 44 bases , hit a career - high . 302 , and led the American League with 109 runs . On September 4 , he stole second base , third and home , in the second inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers . From 1903 to 1905 , Fultz played for the New York Highlanders when Clark Griffith managed the team . During the offseason and in his spare time he attended New York Law School , passing the New York bar exam . Fultz averaged 30 stolen bases for season with a high 42 in 1905 . That season , he suffered a late September collision with teammate Kid Elberfeld , breaking his nose and jaw , and retired at 31 age . Football playing career . Fultz also played professional football in 1900 and 1901 with the Homestead Library & Athletic Club , as a fullback . In 1901 he was named the team ' s captain . Prior to playing for Homestead , Fultz played football for the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club in 1899 . Coaching career . Fultz served as the head football coach at the University of Missouri ( 1898 – 1899 ) , Lafayette College ( 1902 ) , Brown University ( 1903 ) , and New York University ( 1904 ) , compiling a career college football record of 26 – 19 – 2 . He also coached baseball at the United States Naval Academy , Columbia University and NYU . Missouri . Fultz got his first coaching job as the eighth head college football coach for the University of Missouri – Columbia Tigers located in Columbia , Missouri and he held that position for two seasons , from 1898 until 1899 . His career coaching record at Missouri was 10 wins , 6 losses , and 1 ties . This ranks him 15th at Missouri in total wins and 14th at Missouri in winning percentage . Lafayette . In 1903 , Fultz returned to coaching at Lafayyete University and posted an impressive record of 8 wins and 3 losses . In six of the victories , the opponents were held scoreless . New York University . Fultz ' s next coaching move was to become the seventh head coach for the New York University Violets and he held that position for the 1904 season . His coaching record at NYU was 3 wins , 6 losses , and 0 ties . This ranks him 14th at NYU in total wins and 15th at NYU in winning percentage . Later life . In 1906 , Fultz became a practicing attorney . In 1912 , he created a furor in baseball by unionizing major league players in an organization called the " Players Fraternity " . Ty Cobb and Christy Mathewson were among its officers . The group threatened to strike in 1917 , but the walkout was averted after Fultz obtained some concessions for the players . The union was disintegrated during World War I . After service as a WWI lieutenant aviator , Fultz became president of the International League . He retired in 1947 as a lawyer with offices at Broadway , New York , and came to Lake Helen , Florida , where he bought the estate of Henry A . DeLand . Fultz died in DeLand , Florida , at the age of 84 .