Theo Conover

Theo Conover pitched in one game for the 1889 Cincinnati Reds.

Theodore Conover was born March 10, 1868, in Lexington, Kentucky, to Charles and Mary Conover. In the 1870 census the family lives in Lexington. Charles is 60 and keeps a wagon yard; Mary is 36. Oldest daughter Rebecca, 19, lives there with her husband, William Arnold, no occupation listed; then there’s Anna, 16; Minerva, 14; Mary, 12: Alonzo, 10; Nannie, 5; William T., 4; Theodore, 2; and Lena, three months. Plus two boarders, both young men in their 20s who work as rope spinners.

Charles passed away in 1872. In the 1880 census Mary and several of her kids are living on West Main Street in Lexington; Mary is listed as 44, just eight years older than ten years ago, and is a housekeeper; Rebecca, 28, is without William, is back to her maiden name, and is listed as a boarder; Mary is 22; Alonzo, 18, a laborer; Nancy (Nannie) is 16; Todd (William Todd) 12; Theodore 10; and Lena 9.

The 1883 Louisville city directory shows Theo living there with brother Alonzo and their mother, at 945 Milk Street. Theo and Alonzo are both listed as ropemakers, for two different companies.

Theo started playing amateur baseball as a teenager. One story said that in 1888 he pitched for the Paris (Kentucky) Blues, while this story, from the May 28, 1889, Cincinnati Post, announcing his signing of a major league contract with the American Association’s Reds, gave this account:

Theodore Conover, the Reds’ new pitcher, is 20, and is a native of Lexington, Ky.

He began his baseball career as a pitcher three years ago with the Lexington Reds. About a year ago he signed with the Kentucky Centrals, of Covington, and for a year has been a terror to all the local amateur baseball clubs. He has averaged 15 strikeouts and the opposing clubs seldom hit him safely more than three or four times. With Conover in the box victory seemed so certain that other clubs became disgusted and refused to make dates with the “K.C.’s.” Conover, like every other young player, is inclined to be rattled in the presence of a big crowd, but it will no doubt pay the Cincinnati management to hold him on the reserve list.

From the Cincinnati report in the next day’s Sporting Life:

Conover, who has been signed, used to play in the Blue Grass League. He is a young fellow with speed enough to make even that veteran Jim Keenan wince as he shot them right at him. When President Davidson was here a few weeks ago Conover was recommended to him, but he missed the chance. He has been pitching for the K.C.’s (Kentucky Centrals), and that club has been defeated very few times by any crack amateur team.

Three days before the date on that issue, Theo had made his major league debut, in the second game of a home doubleheader against Louisville. From the game report in the June 5 Sporting Life:

In the afternoon the Reds had a genuine walk-over. Ehret pitched for Louisville. The Reds sized him up for fourteen singles, three doubles and two home runs. Duryea held the visitors down to four hits in the first seven innings, when Conover, a local amateur, was substituted. His pitching was hit very hard.

The Reds were ahead 13-0 through seven, when Theo was brought in, and they won 16-4. In two innings he allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits and two walks, and was retroactively credited with a save. His teammates in the game included Tony Mullane, Bid McPhee, Bug Holliday and George Tebeau; the Louisville lineup included Pete Browning, Guy Hecker, Chicken Wolf and Farmer Weaver. The game was not only his major league debut, but his swan song. From the June 26 Connecticut Western News:

Theodore Conover, who has enjoyed the sensation of being on the bench and the Reds’ pay roll as a pitcher for the last month, was released by the Cincinnati Club. He had but one trial, and he was so nervous that Louisville rattled him in two innings.

Theo signed with Springfield (Ohio) of the Tri-State League. Sporting Life, July 17, Cincinnati report:

Springfield has found Theo. Conover a prize, and let it be remembered that one year ago “Darby” O’Brien was a Tri-State Leaguer at Lima…Conover has not lost a game since Cincinnati released him. He is hitting just as well as he is pitching—an admirable trait in a twirler.

I found no pitching stats for the 1889 Tri-State League, but in 27 games Theo hit .194 in 103 at-bats, with 11 sacrifice hits and seven stolen bases. Sporting Life, October 16:

Theo. Conover, the ex-Red who made such a great record at Springfield, is pitching for the Ludlows over in Kentucky. Many great players have been associated with ball in that hamlet.

Soon after that it was reported that Theo would sign with Baltimore, and soon after that it was reported that he had signed with Louisville, both of the American Association, but neither happened. Sporting Life Cincinnati report, January 8, 1890:

Theo. Conover is the mildest-mannered boy in the business hereabouts. If he had as much ambition as he has talent he’d do wonders. He is putting on the winter working for the Kentucky Central Railroad in Covington. Manager Powell recently asked for his terms. [Don’t know where Powell managed.]

The 1890 Covington city directory shows Theo as a base ball player, boarding at 606 Washington Street.

Sporting Life, April 2: “The Cincinnati Club [moved to the National League this season] is to give pitcher Theodore Conover another trial.” Apparently SL changed the day of the week it was published just then, as the next issue was dated April 5, and its Cincinnati report included:

George Nulton has signed to cover third base for the Texans and he started South night before last. Theo Conover left this evening—he having signed to pitch there. They wanted Theo to return to them up in the champion city, but he is young and wants to see the country. In Texas he can gaze upon cacti, green lizards and horned frogs.

Theo and Nulton had signed with the Austin Senators of the Texas League. From the June 7 Sporting Life:

One of the greatest “phenoms” of the season is young Conover, pitcher of the Austin Club. He is a slender built youth and weighs about 135 pounds. He has good speed, curves and wonderful endurance. He has been doing all the work in the box for Austin, pitching about twelve straight games and winning a majority of them.

That last part seems to have been an exaggeration, but when the team folded after its June 1 game Theo had pitched in 26 of its 42 games, starting 22 and completing all of those. He had a 1.82 ERA but an 8-13 record, allowing just 40 earned runs but 135 overall. He batted .165, with all of his hits being singles. From the Cincinnati report in the June 14 Sporting Life:

Rumblings from Texas affect the local world of players, for there are several Cincinnati and Covington boys down in the Lone Star State. Theo Conover, “Rodie” Carey, Auberger and Ed Reeder, of the defunct Austins, have reached home…The death of the two Northern boys, Harry Elliff and Billy Mussey, had a tendency to scare the clan back, and it was that spectre of the dread fever which prevented Conover from accepting Galveston’s offer.

“That’s a great country down there and I rather enjoyed the experience,” said Conover to me, “but I wouldn’t be an umpire for all of Texas. Poor Hengle was badly treated and he was afraid to speak lest he lose his life. Galveston is playing splendid ball and the Sand Crabs had a pretty sure thing on the pennant.”

That same issue reported that Theo was negotiating with Indianapolis of the Interstate League, but instead he signed with the Akrons of the Tri-State League. He played there from June 18 through the end of the season August 3; no pitching stats were published, but he played in 20 games and had an .830 fielding percentage in 17 games on the mound.

Back in Kentucky, Theo got into at least one amateur game. Lexington Leader, August 7:

DEFEATED THE DEPPENS.

The Lexington Boys Put Up a Good Enough Game of Ball to Defeat the Amateur Champions.

The Lexington club played a good enough game of ball with the Louisville Deppens, the champion amateurs of Kentucky, to win by a score of 14 to 13.

Theodore Conover returned home Tuesday and made his first appearance in the points after a considerable absence in the North. He was heartily welcomed by his old admirers, and when he hammered out a clean home run the first time at bat the enthusiasm of the spectators knew no bounds.

Conover’s pitching was the feature of the game, and he struck out about one-half of the Deppens.

From the Cincinnati report, dated August 19, in the August 23 issue of Sporting Life:

Another raid on Tennessee has been planned and to-night Manager Harry Baumgartner gathered around him a dozen idle players and moved, via the Queen and Crescent, to Louisville. “Bummy’s Professionals” will be pitted against the flower of Tennessee’s mountains in four games. In his team were Charley Bell, late of Kansas City; Jake Stenzel, Theo Conover, Rod Bittman, Al Hungler, George Proesser, Sam Black, Jack Shoupe, Ed Cline, Lucky and Higgins. They represent the “exes” of the National, Texas, Tri-State, Interstate and North Pacific Leagues. Verily the woods are full of unemployed talent in this year of “the elevation of the game.”

Cincinnati report, December 13 Sporting Life:

Aleck Voss, Theodore Conover and Jones form a trio of tossers who are wintering over in Covington without the aid of any advance. They are all open for offers. Conover made quite a hit at Knoxville late in the season. [I don’t know when he might have been in Knoxville.]

On March 18, 1891, it was announced that Theo had signed with Portland of the Pacific Northwestern League. The next day’s Oregonian reported that: “He is said to be a pitcher who plays with his head as much as his hands, and if he is put in the box for the Portlands he will not let the home team lose for the want of good pitching.” However, a few days later it was reported that he had signed with the Spokane Bunch Grassers of the same league, and that was true. On April 8 the Spokane Chronicle reported that he had arrived in town the night before, and added:

Theodore Conover said: “I first played with the K.C. nine when I was employed in the Kentucky Carshop at Covington, Ky., but my first professional season was year before last when I pitched for the Cincinnatis. Last season, I played in Austin, Texas. That local league breaking up, I went to Akron, where I finished the season.”

In the May 2 Sporting Life their Spokane correspondent stated: “If Klopf keeps up his good work we will be the strongest team in the League in the box with Klopf, Lawson and Conover to draw from.” From the same writer, May 30:

Klopf and Conover each pitched two games and both did great work. In those two we have without doubt the best in and out men in the League in the box.

Portland Oregonian, June 21: “The very fact that Manager Barnes’ star box rustler, Mr. Theodore Conover, was batted out of the box yesterday is sufficient to demonstrate that the Portlands had a walkover.” Also on June 21, Theo umpired the next game in the Spokane at Portland series; Spokane won 6-5, and Sporting Life reported: “Conover, of the Spokane team, umpired, and failed to give satisfaction to the local patrons.”

In the August 8 Sporting Life, in the Spokane report, dated July 29: “George Nulton has been laid up with erysipelas for a week and Conover is suffering with an attack of typhoid fever; luckily it is only a slight one, and he will be all right again soon.”

By the time that issue appeared, though, Theo had been released by Spokane and signed by Tacoma, also of the PNL. He made his debut at home on the 8^th, beating Seattle, 6-3. He pitched for Tacoma through September 21; on the 26^th he was back pitching for Spokane, where he stayed through the end of the season on October 4. Between the two teams he appeared in 43 games, 34 as a pitcher and 12 as an outfielder. He hit .199 in 131 at-bats, and had a 14-15 record and 2.37 ERA in 240 innings, starting 26 games and completing 19 of them. He spent the winter in Cincinnati and on the Spokane reserve list.

Lexington Leader, February 2, 1892: “Mrs. Mary Conover, who resides on West Short street, and mother of Mr. Theodore Conover, the base ball player, is very ill and there is no hope for her recovery.” Fake news! She lived another six years.

Theo started the 1892 season without a team. He was mentioned in the June 25 Sporting Life as having been made an offer by a team in Quincy, Illinois, but he ended up with Nicholasville, Kentucky, in a short-lived, marginally professional league called the Blue Grass League. Sporting Life, July 23:

BLUE GRASS LEAGUE.

A successful League in Kentucky—The Record, Etc.

DANVILLE, Ky., July 19.—Editor SPORTING LIFE:--There has been a hot fight for the championship in the Blue Grass League, of Kentucky, between Danville and Nicholasville. The latter club is now in the ascendancy by only one game, and, as all the clubs are putting up a star game, there is no telling how the two leaders will stand at the end of a week.

The League was organized on June 1 with Danville, Shelbyville, Nicholasville, Stanford and Harrodsburg, but before the opening game, on the 7^th of the month, Shelbyville dropped out, and it was decided to play the season of twenty-four games with a four-club league. The teams are all close together, and on the guarantee of $20 the visiting club always makes more than expenses.

The standing of the teams at this time is as follows:

Nicholasville 9-2

Danville 7-3

Stanford 2-7

Harrodsburg 1-8

[Which totals 19 wins and 20 losses.]

The by-laws of the League only admit of employment of two hired men. Danville was represented by their battery, Ralph Elting, of Huntington, W. Va., and Paul Jones, of Covington, Ky. Conover, of last year’s Spokane Falls team, pitches for Nicholasville, and Pat Reaman is doing the receiving…

But three weeks later the league was no more. Sporting Life, August 13:

GONE UP.

The Blue Grass League, of Kentucky, Disbanded.

DANVILLE, Ky., Aug. 10.—Editor, SPORTING LIFE:--The last ten days has seen the sun set on the little League that was formed of the four leading towns of the blue grass section of the grand old commonwealth. The League has gone and busted. In the first place, Stanford was handicapped by a too heavy salary list and was forced to the wall by the demand of the players for their money. The club had been losing right along, and the backers thereof were nothing loth to let go the hot end of it. The Nicholasville Club, who were in the lead for the pennant by one game, also dropped out, and Danville and Harrodsburg were forced to quit…

The Danville team left Sunday for a trip through West Virginia, playing three games at Charleston and at Ironton, O. The team is made up of Jones, catcher,…of the Danvilles; Vetter, short stop, of the Harrodsburgs; Rieman, Conover, Goss and Duncan, of the Nicholasvilles, and one or two other players. The boys expect to return with three of the games to their credit.

From an August 20 report from Danville in the September 3 Sporting Life:

The Danville team returned yesterday from a trip through West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. While absent the club played seven games, and although they won but two of them they have no cause for complaints…

The Danville professionals leave for their homes today. Jones and Conover going to Newport…

In 1893 Theo caught on with an independent team in Lexington. Sporting Life, August 26:

THE BLUE GRASS REGION.

Base Ball Booming Down in the Old Bourbon Country.

LEXINGTON, Ky., Aug. 12.—Editor SPORTING LIFE:--Base ball in the blue grass region is enjoying quite a healthy boom at the present. Lexington, Frankfort, Danville and other points have teams and the rivalry between them is very keen. The idea of a Blue Grass League was suggested, but it was not organized…As the clubs are now constituted the highest salaries are about $75.00. In two of the best teams the writer knows the above to be a fact. Three games are played in each of the towns a week, and so far I have not heard of any big losses. Strong, semi-professional clubs in Louisville and Cincinnati have found the Kentucky clubs “good money” this year.

The local club has played about twenty-seven games this season, and have lost about seven or eight. The Frankfort Club has defeated them the greatest number of games. The club has several well-known players on the pay-roll now. Joe Sommer, of Barnie’s old Orioles, etc., is captain and plays at short. Joe is putting up a rustling game. Jack Keenan, who pitched awhile for Ted Sullivan’s Nashvilles, and Theo. Conover, who has played in the Texas and other minor leagues, attend the pitching for the club. Both have been doing gilt-edged work…

Theo made his way back to organized baseball in 1894, being picked up by Atlanta of the Southern Association. Lexington Leader, February 26:

Paul Jones, the base ball player, who was run over by a fire engine in Danville on Saturday and badly hurt, notice of which appeared in Sunday’s LEADER, is a Lexington boy and is engaged to catch Theodore Conover’s balls with the Atlanta, Ga., team this coming season.

Theo signed an Atlanta contract in early April, during spring training. From the April 20 Lexington Leader:

Theo Conover is rapidly getting into form, and the Atlanta people like him. Though he was lined all over the lot by the Charlestons, he went in a day or two afterward and held the Macon team down to one solitary base hit. It is the best pitching yet done in the Southern Association.

Atlanta Journal, April 26:

While Pitcher Theodore Conover, of the Atlantas, was mowing down New Orleans Tuesday [24^th], his sister died in Lexington. From some cause the news failed to reach him until last evening, after the young lady was buried. He is badly broken up over the sad event.

This was sister Minerva. Sporting Life, May 12:

As for pitchers, Teddy [Sullivan] is now well supplied. Conover doing the best work to date, closely followed by Chard and Keenan. Conover is the speediest twirler in these regions, and if some of the Rules Committee of the National were ever fortunate enough to see him slap ‘em over the plate they would mentally cuss themselves for not putting the pitcher nearer the centre of the diamond…

Theo was described as “under the weather” in the May 26 SL, and the June 9 issue reported “Conover is suffering from heart trouble and cannot do himself justice in the box. This will necessitate the signing of a new twirler…” He came back soon after that, as described in the Atlanta report, filed June 18 and appearing in the June 23 SL:

After Graves’ Giants had whipped our boys two straight, Manager Sullivan kept awake nights thinking out some scheme, to turn the tide and drown out these land-lubbers before they left town. At last a happy thought struck him clean across the tip of his top-knot and but one word, CONOVER escaped his lips as he slumbered sweetly and smiled contentedly while dreaming of triumphs new and fast approaching. So when the Atlanta public greedily devoured the columns of the Constitution the next morning, their eyes were greeted with the startling intelligence that Pitcher Conover, who had so long been out of the game, owing to sickness in his immediate neighborhood, would officiate in the box in the afternoon’s game, and would do his level best to make some of those haughty Memphians bow before him. Well, they bowed, and did it with grace and frequency. Not only did they do that, but they even tied themselves into several bewildering knots in their anxiety to show Conover how much they thought of him, and how they hated to see those pretty balls he was sending in so sweetly pass them by without their share of recognition. Batter after batter wrenched his spinal column in a furious but futile endeavor to annihilate that ball, but the only thing they did annihilate was space. That’s why there was such a wind storm here the next day—and that’s why Teddy smiled so blandly for 24 consecutive hours. It was one of those refreshing contests which acts upon the tortured feelings of the jaded fans who have rooted the very hair from their heads without avail, trying to pull out a victory for their champions. Conover simply outwitted the sluggers from Graves’ yard and had them hypnotized. They were the pigmies and he the giant.

The same issue included this news item: “First baseman Ryan and pitcher Conover, of the Atlanta team, had a fight with the result that Ryan got a knife wound in the wrist, which will prevent him from playing ball for the balance of the season.”

The July 7 SL reported on a Southern Association league meeting which resulted in the Mobile team moving to Atlanta and the previous Atlanta team disbanding; Theo went home to Kentucky. He wound up with a team in Paris, where he got involved in his second knife incident of the summer. The Paris Bourbon News reported on it on August 21:

While Johnnie Hileman and Theodore Conover, two popular members of the local team, were engaged in a friendly wrestle for the possession of a knife, Sunday, Conover was accidentally cut on the left wrist. Three stitches were taken in the cut.

The next day the Paris Kentuckian-Citizen gave its version:

Theodore Conover was accidentally cut across the back of his left hand Sunday afternoon by Johnnie Heilman. The accident happened in the office of Hotel Windsor. They had both started to get a drink of water, and when Conover reached up for the cup he struck his hand against a knife in Heilman’s hand, cutting the skin for about an inch and a half. Conover will not be able to play for at least ten days.

Paris played their last game on September 12, and Theo went home to Lexington. In early 1895 there was speculation that he would be playing in Virginia with Roanoke or Richmond, but he went with the Canton (Ohio) Deubers in the Interstate League. Canton Repository, April 14:

LOCAL BASE BALL

Manager Goble Signing Players for the Canton Team—Two Good Ones Accepted Saturday.

Manager Al Goble has lines out after two well-known ex-Tri-State club players, with good prospects of getting them. Theo. Conover, a pitcher, who last season shut out the New Orleans team of hard hitters without a hit in one game and only two hits in the second, sent his terms Saturday to Manager Goble. Conover, in the days of the old Tri-State league, played with the Springfield team, and is well known in Canton. He played last season with Atlanta, Ga. He is a great pitcher, hard hitter and excellent fielder.

Before heading to spring training with Canton, Theo worked out with the University of Kentucky team, which I think is what this item from the April 20 Cincinnati Post is alluding to:

Theo Conover is now posing as a student at the Kentucky University at Lexington. He is taking a course in curves and inshoots and shot a few into the vitals of the University of Cincinnati boys. The ratio of woe from the crimson and black warriors under Captain Richards was 10 to 4.

A May 26 article in the Canton Repository on the players on the team had this to say about Theo:

Theo. Conover, is an experienced pitcher, having played with Springfield old [sic] Tri-state league team, and since then has played with Spokane in Pacific league, Green Bay, Wis.[?], Macon, Ga.[?] and Atlanta, Ga. He is pitching his old time game and will prove a winning pitcher. Conover is twenty-seven years old, height five feet ten inches and weighs 145 pounds.

On June 7 it was reported that the Canton team had disbanded, and Theo was picked up by the Columbus Statesmen of the same league. The league folded completely in mid-July, and Theo caught on with Wheeling, one of two Interstate League teams that were absorbed by the Iron and Oil League. Before the various Statesmen left town they played a game against the National League’s Brooklyn Grooms, winning 15-11 as Theo started on the mound and later moved to right field.

Wheeling Register, July 20:

This morning a force of men armed with hatchets will start to work on the outfield, and the weeds will be conspicuous by their absence this afternoon. There will be no more stretching of scratch singles into home runs. Theodore Conover, the Kentucky phenom, who defeated Brooklyn at Columbus this week, will twirl the ball for the home club.

Theo pitched that afternoon and lost, 2-1, though the next day’s Register had this to say about him: “Theodore Conover, a product of the State of blooded horses, beautiful women, and good whisky, put the sphere over the plate like rifle balls, and twisted it about the necks of the batters.”

On August 13 the Register published a strange account of the previous day’s strange-sounding game:

THE TWINS DEFEATED

In a Close and Interesting Game Yesterday Afternoon.

Captain “Jack” Glasscock appeared yesterday afternoon in the role of a conjurer. He brought to the ball park a little cabinet of tricks with which to deceive the Unheavenly Twins. They were distributed to the players before the game, and they succeeded in mystifying the visitors. Broncho Jack was conspicuous by his absence. He stopped off at Steubenville to spend the day with his best girl. Myers filled his position at second very well, so far as playing is concerned, but he fell short on mouth. The Twins found a very life-like portrait of the prince of kickers in front of their bench. It was drawn with whitewash, and represented the Liverpool lad astride a Texas mustang. It was so true to nature that at several stages of the game the spectators almost expected the capacious vocal organ to open in protest against some of the decisions of Umpire Kelly.

Captain Glasscock needed all his powers of prestidigitation in the ninth inning. He had placed in Kane’s hand a rubber band labeled “Optical Illusion.” “Tolly” was instructed to touch the ball with it every time he delivered it. It worked all right for awhile, but it became detached, and “Tolly’s” arm lost its cunning. It was at this stage that Glasscock called that king of twisters, Theodore Conover, into the box. “That ole gem’men” had been dreaming of a blue grass belle who had failed to write as usual, and he was a trifle nervous. The Twins needed two to tie and three to win. “Sweet Violets” stepped up and Theodore smote him on the leg. “Hopper” Gallagher, who is not related to “Let ‘er Go,” gave the sphere a weak little punch, and the Violets withered and died at second. Pritchard got a life on Ball’s bad throw, and “Hopper” went around to third. Two strikes were called on “Dummy” and he made a face at Conover, whereupon Theodore became wrothy and smote him with the ball. Shaw bumped the sphere gently. It was gathered up in right garden, after Gallagher had crossed the plate. One to tie, now, and the rooters did everything but breathe. Briggs came up with an air of confidence and popped up a nice little sky-scraper. The gentleman with the Hibernian name started to sprint for it, and it dropped into his mitten over by the bleacher fence.

Glasscock’s box of tricks did very effective work, turning probable defeat into victory. There was one little ash stick which was designed especially for bunts, and it was used with good results. Ball and Kerr each wore spectacles which came from the little cabinet. Ball got three free passes to the initial bag, and the Canuck reached the same bag an equal number of times on nice clean singles. In the fourth inning, with Shaw on first, Briggs drove the sphere on a line right into Ball’s hands. Ball juggled it, and then dropped it purposely in order to execute a double play. It was a neat piece of head work, and he was warmly applauded.

Hawley pitched with an “I-want-my-salary-or-my-release” air. ‘Twas an off day for the Hawleys. His illustrious namesake struck a Waterloo at Cincinnati. But the Twin City Hawley is not so much pumpkins at best. He would be more of a success as a contortionist. That twist of the leg is intended to strike terror to the batter, but Notorious Pastorious can give Hawley cards and spades and a shot gun, and beat him out at that game. Violet and Myers are substitute kickers on the Uhrichsville team, but they need practice. Broncho will probably be in the game today, as the following message from Steubenville would seem to indicate:

“She said ‘yes’ to-night. Will be down in the morning. BRONCHO.”

Pittsburgh Post, August 23:

…When Theodore Conover went to the bat in the third inning yesterday he was presented with a handsome gold watch by a number of his Wheeling friends. Conover has won eight of the ten games which he has pitched in the Iron and Oil league for Wheeling, and has further endeared himself to the local “fans” by declining an offer from Evansville at twice the salary he is now receiving.

Theo returned to Lexington after the season. I have no stats for him from either of his 1895 leagues, except that a November 28 item in the Maysville Bulletin credited him with 14 complete games and 11 wins with Wheeling.

In February 1896 Theo signed with the Dallas Navigators of the Texas Association. He had an 11-12 record there in 23 games, and hit .198, but left the team in July. 

Lexington Leader, July 12:

Theo Conover returned from Dallas, Texas, Saturday and was at once signed by Manager Brown. “Huck” is in fine form and left Dallas because of the continuous changes in the management of the team. He pitched some great ball for Dallas.

Sporting Life had this to say on July 18: “At Dallas on the 8^th Conover and Bastian became mutinous and deserted the team.”

The Lexington team seems to have been an independent town team, probably amateur or semi-pro. Lexington Herald, September 11:

The strong team from Versailles will be here today to tackle the locals. “Huck” Conover will be in the box and as this is the last game for this week a good crowd should be present and show that Lexington appreciates the good work its ball team is doing.

For 1897 Theo signed with the Nashville Centennials of the Central League, but it was another gig that didn’t last long. From the June 11 Lexington Leader:

CONOVER RETURNS HOME.

Theo Conover, the well known ball player, returned home today from Nashville. Conover was pitching for the Nashville team in the Central League, when the manager, Billy Work, skipped out and left the team high and dry. Conover was offered a berth at Decatur, Ill., but decided to come home. He says he got a very rough deal.

On July 31 the Russellville (Kentucky) Ledger reported that Theo had signed with the Russellville team, seemingly another independent team, but I found no more about him that season.

Lexington Herald, December 29:

CHARLESTON WANTS CONOVER

Theodore Conover, the local base ball pitcher, has received inquiries from the manager of the Charleston, S.C. base ball team, asking his terms for the coming season. The Charleston team will be a member of the new Southern League, to include Atlanta, Chattanooga, Birmingham and other cities. Conover’s many friends hope to see him land a good job for the coming season and play the game of his life.

However, the only indication I found that Theo played baseball in 1898 was a July 6 item in the Herald saying that: “’Huck’ Conover, the old Lexington stand-by, will probably be secured to pitch.” This was from an article on an attempt to re-establish a Blue Grass League.

Theo appeared in the Lexington city directory in 1898, listed as a boarder at 18 Woodard Avenue. Brother Alonzo is shown as a rope maker at 239 South Broadway, and brother Todd a carriage painter at 13 Montmullin.

The June 9, 1899, Herald named Theo as one of the new members added at a meeting of the Goebel Club, an organization of supporters of William Goebel for Kentucky governor. Goebel would be elected under shady circumstances, assassinated, sworn in on his deathbed, then serving for four days.

The August 31, 1901, Sporting Life listed Theo as one of 13 players the Cincinnati Reds had released that season, which I cannot explain. The other players named all actually played for the Reds in 1901. Herald, October 6:

BALL GAME TODAY

There will be a game of base ball at the Belt Line park this afternoon. The contesting nines will be the Lexington Reserves, managed by Robert Hughes, and the Lexington Browns, managed by Dan Moynahan. The latter team has played fourteen games this season, all being victories. The Reserves will have Theo Conover, a New England League man [?], in the box and Jeff Brown, formerly of the Texas League. Ladies will be admitted free.

Same paper, October 13:

GAME OF BASE BALL TODAY.

The last of the season will be played this afternoon between the Lexingtons and Manhattans at Belt Line Park. The game will be a hotly contested one, as both sides will do their utmost to win this, the last game. The Lexingtons have two old base ball players—Conover and Brown—both of whom have played in the National League, and they feel sure of winning, while the Manhattans have such good amateurs as Galvin, Allen, Llyod, Darnaby and Hilman. The game will be called promptly at 2:30 p.m.

In the 1906 Lexington city directory Theo is living at 632 Patterson with Alonzo, both of them listed as laborers. In the 1909 directory he is a clerk living at 411 Hayman Avenue.

The 1910 census was taken in Lexington on April 21. Theo, a laborer of odd jobs, Alonzo, also a laborer of odd jobs, and Todd, a house painter, all live with their sister Mary “Mollie” Geers, whose husband Franklin had died in 1907, at 451 Chair Avenue. Three months later, on July 27, Theo passed away. From the July 29 Paris Bourbon News:

Old Paris Ball Player Dead.

T.C. [actually NMI] Conover, aged 43 [42] years, died Wednesday afternoon at his home in Lexington after a brief illness and was buried in that city yesterday. “Huck” Conover, as he was familiarly known was at one time one of the best pitchers in Central Kentucky. He stood at the head of the pitchers during the time of the old Blue Grass League was in existence [sic] from the years of 1892 to 1896 and for four years was the mainstay of the Lexington club. In the year of 1888 Conover pitched for the independent club in Paris and in the year of 1894 when Paris was a member of the old Blue Grass League he was a member of the pitching staff, and is well remembered by the older followers of the game.

Theo’s death certificate gave the cause of death as heart troubles, with alcoholism as a contributory cause. He never married.

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/C/Pconot101.htm

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/conovte01.shtml

Jimmy Hickman

Jimmy Hickman was an outfielder for the 1915 Baltimore Terrapins and the 1916-19 Brooklyn Robins.

David James Hickman, Jr., was born May 19, 1892, in Union City, Tennessee, to David James Hickman, Sr., and Margaret Cox Hickman. At the 1900 census they were living on Welborne Street in Johnson City, Tennessee; David Sr., 35, is a lumber dealer; Maggie is 34, Elsie 15, Herman 11, and David Jr. 8.

The 1910 census shows the family still in Johnson City but at 344 Boone Street. David Sr. is now a traveling shoe salesman, 21-year-old Herman is a traveling hat salesman, Elsie is no longer living at home, and 17-year-old David Jr. is at Bingham Military School in North Carolina.

While he was listed as David in the censuses, he apparently went by Jimmy or Jim. In 1913 he started playing professional baseball. From the August 23 Greensboro Daily News:

Winston Gets Outfielder Hickman.

Bristol, Va.-Tenn., Aug. 22.—President K.S. Ashworth, of the Bristol club of the Appalachian league, today announced the sale of Outfielder Hickman, of the Bristol team, one of the fastest men in this league, to Winston-Salem, to report Monday. The consideration was not made public.

That was a lateral move, as both leagues were Class D. Jimmy made his debut with Winston-Salem on August 25, as related in the next day’s Winston-Salem Journal:

Hickman, who hails from the Appalachian League, and who played center field for the Twins [batting 4^th], had a good day in the field and started off nicely at the bat, but when “Long Distance” Shore came in he had the misfortune to whiff the ozone on three consecutive occasions, much to his chagrin and mortification.

Same newspaper, September 5:

Immediately upon their arrival at the grounds the Field Day Stunts were pulled off. Friend Writer was selected as the starter of the occasion, but just why we were picked is a matter beyond our comprehension, for we never started anything in our life, unless, perhaps, it was ourself and there was a bottle of Coquie Kolie at the other end. But anyway, things got under way and Hickman was declared the winner of the 100 yard dash. Then Edwards and Lee wanted to run, so we had to start another one of those 100 yard things. Edwards won out by a neck. After that came the baserunning in which Hickman also came out a winner with the time of 15 ½ seconds.

I found no 1913 stats for Jimmy, for either of his teams. He was on the Winston-Salem reserve list over the off-season, and in May 1914 he signed a new contract. From the May 2 Winston-Salem Twin City Daily Sentinel:

Mr. Hickman, the bright youngster who was with the locals the closing weeks of the 1913 season, has been asked to rejoin the team and he will likely be found in the line-up here Monday afternoon against the Raleigh Capitals, and will be assigned to centerfield, the position now held by Charles Clapp. Besides being a first-class fielder, Hickman is a [illegible] artist on bases. He also possesses all of the snap and fighting spirit needed.

Sentinel, May 4:

Hickman, the youngster, who was with the Twins the latter part of last season, has arrived in the city and will probably be in the line up today. Local fans will remember that Hickman was perhaps the fastest man in the league on the bases. He reports that he is in fine shape and that he is hitting better this year than ever before. He will no doubt aid Manager Clancy materially in copping the 1914 rag.

The May 20 Sentinel asserted that “Without a doubt ‘Jim’ Hickman is the fastest man on his feet in the league.” On June 20 Sporting Life reported:

In the game between Winston and Raleigh, at Winston, on May 5, centre fielder Hickman, of Winston, made two home runs and two singles. Two men were on bases each time he hit a homer. He was responsible for the scoring of eight of Winston’s ten runs.

On July 12 the Greensboro Daily News made this cryptic comment:

The Charlotte Observer rises to the mark that Hickman is not one bit better than he thinks he is, that is as a ball player.

The Sentinel, August 15:

Some of the fans are persuaded to believe that Jim Hickman can star every day he chooses so to do. All the fastest man in the league needs to do is to perform just like every man who conducts a successful business—enter the contest with a determination to win. Jim is big league timber. It’s up to him to reach the goal.

Those two quotes taken together seem to imply something about Jimmy’s attitude…On September 9, in the final game of the season, he hit three consecutive home runs, the first North Carolina State League player to hit more than two in a game. This was the deadball era, and the six teams in the league combined to hit just 192 homers for the season. Winston-Salem led the way with 57, of which Jimmy hit 20, leading the league as just two other players were in double figures. He also stole 30 bases, ninth in the league, and tied for the lead in triples with nine, hitting .301 in 112 games. And, he did in fact aid Manager Clancy materially in copping the rag.

After the season Jimmy and teammate Buck Roberts were both drafted by the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Class A Southern Association. The Sentinel reported on October 2:

…Then there’s Hickman or ‘Hick’ as he is affectionately known to his scores of friends in the city. Hickman is a ball player of great promise and has a bright career ahead of him in the professional ranks. He is a hard hitter and one of the most brilliant fielders that has ever performed in this league. His speed on the bases is also very great. Our prediction is that both of these clever gardeners will make good with a rush.

On March 4, 1915, the Chattanooga Daily Times introduced Jimmy to their readers:

GOOD BOOST FOR HICKMAN

Steve Gaston Says Johnson City Lad Will Make Team.

SPEEDY ON BASE PATHS, GROUND COVERER IN FIELD

Local Ball Tosser Pitched to Hickman in Inter-League Series Last Fall

“Home Run” Hickman, the Johnson City boy who was drafted by Chattanooga from the Winston-Salem club of the North Carolina league last fall, is due to make good in Chattanooga, according to Steve Gaston. Steve pitched against Hickman last fall in a special series between the Norfolk champions of the Virginia league and the Winston-Salem champions of the North Carolina league.

“Hickman is fast as lightning,” said Gaston yesterday. “He ought to make a corking good man in this league. He is a great baserunner and in the field he goes after everything in sight, covering acres of territory. At the bat he is not likely to bat .300 in this league, but he ought to hit above .250 and to send in many runs with his long drives. When he hits them, they travel, believe me.”

Manager McCormick is not expecting so good a hitter as Jacobson [Baby Doll, on his way to the majors] and indeed it would be unreasonable for him to do so. He will be satisfied if Hickman can bat around .265, make a bunch of long hits, steal a few bases and snag flies in the field in the manner of his distinguished predecessor. Hickman ought to more than fill these requirements, in the opinion of Gaston.

Jimmy and Buck ended up competing for the Lookouts’ center field job in spring training. Roberts was sick when the season began, so Jimmy had the job by default. But about a week into the season the team picked up 40-year-old former major league shortstop Kid Elberfeld, put him in center, and released Jimmy, who had hit .179 in eight games.

Within a couple days Jimmy had signed to return to the North Carolina State League, now with the Asheville Tourists. Winston-Salem Journal, May 15:

Hickman and Wasum again contributed sensational catches, and “Hick” hit the longest home run ever seen on the local grounds [Asheville]. The ball was a terrific drive and cleared the fence in left center with yards to spare.

Jimmy played mainly left field for Asheville, and mostly batted cleanup. From the June 1 Twin City Sentinel:

Fenton and several others popped one out of the lot during the course of the afternoon. How Hickman happened to fail to knock one out of the park is more than several fans can understand.—Asheville Citizen. An explanation is easy. Clancy’s pitchers were put wise to Jim’s “immense” weakness.

There were no clues as to what that meant. The Tourists played their final game of the season on September 15; Jimmy hit .291 and led the league with a .515 slugging percentage, while also leading in doubles (30), triples (13) and home runs (14). On the 19^th the Chattanooga Sunday Times reported:

HICKMAN RECALLED FOR 1916 LOCALS

Hickman, the speedy North Carolina leaguer who was with the Chattanooga team for awhile this spring, has been recalled for 1916 service. The outfielder made a creditable record in the North Carolina circuit this season, both at the bat and in the field. He displayed a lot of crudeness while with Chattanooga and lots of native ability. It is not improbable that he will make a live wire next year. At any rate, the Kid will give the Johnson City boy another looking over, especially as a hitting fielder or two seems to be the Lookouts’ most crying need.

What the Times and their readers and the Lookouts didn’t know was that Jimmy had sidestepped them and made his major league debut on the 17^th, under an assumed name, with the Baltimore Terrapins of the outlaw Federal League, finishing up the second of its two seasons as a third major league. From the September 17 Baltimore Sun:

Dave Hicks, the new outfielder who signed with the Diamondbacks yesterday morning, made quite an impression upon President Carrol W. Rasin. Hicks claims to be able to run 100 yards in less than 10 seconds. If he makes good Baltimore will have the speediest machine in the Federal League next season, provided, of course, these youngsters hold their jobs…

Same paper, next day:

Dave Hicks did not look so good on the offensive yesterday when he broke into the Terrapin line-up. However, the youngster slept on trains Wednesday and Thursday nights. He probably did not feel a whole lot like playing ball when he reached Pittsburgh. But Manager Otto Knabe put him in because he is a right-hand hitter and Allen, a southpaw, was sent to the firing line by the Rebels.

He handled three flies nicely in the outfield, and Steve Brodie, who found him in the sticks, thinks he will do after he gets next to the ways of the big leaguers. Brodie says Hicks has a good throwing arm, so there should not be many extra bases taken on the Terrapin gardeners in future games.

“Dave Hicks” played center field and batted third in the lineup, as he would in each of the Terrapins’ final twenty games. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in his debut, but in the next day’s doubleheader he was 4-for-7 with a double, a triple, a walk and a stolen base. His first major league hit was a double off Ralph Comstock. The Sun reported on the 19^th:

Dave Hicks played a great game in both battles and promises to become one of the stars of the diamond. His work easily outclassed that of any of the other youngsters Knabe has on his list.

And on the 21^st:

Knabe, kidded by a local paper today for the numerous changes he has made in the last few months, came right back with a statement.

“We were away down at the bottom and could not win with the old fellows, who were considered stars,” he said, “so I signed a lot of youngsters to take their places. I expect to have a winner next year.”

He is especially sweet on Hicks, who, in centre field, looks like his one best bet. He stands up to the plate in good style and is a sure catch on fly balls.

On September 24 the word got out that Hicks was Hickman. From that day’s Winston-Salem Journal:

HICKMAN GOES TO BALTIMORE FEDS

Former Twin Gets a Berth With that Team According to Reports

Asheville, Sept. 23.—Jimmie Hickman, he of the homerun brigade and one of the fastest outfielders who ever played in the Carolina league, a member of the Asheville team during the present [season] and formerly owned by Detroit has jumped to the Baltimore Federals, and is now playing with that team, according to reports received in Asheville yesterday.

Hickman left the Asheville team at the end of the Carolina season at Durham on September 15, and while several of the players thought that he was going to Detroit to report, that team owning him according to the terms of a contract made with Manager Clancy of the Winston team, where Hickman played last year, others knew that he was going to Baltimore and to join the Feds. Hickman has been playing under the name of David Hicks, it is stated, and he has been going fine, having secured three singles in one game which he recently participated in.

Hickman is a native of Johnson City, Tenn., and was formerly a student at Bingham Military School in this city [Asheville]. At the starting of the old Appalachian league he played with Johnson City and later was secured by Clancy for Winston, with which team he played last year. He was sold to Detroit and reported during the latter part of last year. Detroit farmed him out to Chattanooga last season and he started the season this year with the Lookouts, but owing to his inability to get along with the manager, it is stated that he asked to be sent to Asheville and Detroit granted the wish He is fast and worthy player [sic], and should make good anywhere.

This is the first mention I found of Jimmy being owned by Detroit, but the story as related seems inconsistent with the fact that he was drafted by Chattanooga from Winston-Salem after the 1914 season. Twin City Daily Sentinel, September 25:

Manager Charlie Clancy is of the opinion that Jim Hickman’s action in jumping to the Federal league was a most unwise move. “If he fails to stick,” said Clancy last night, “he is done for in organized baseball for some time, anyway.” During the course of the conversation, Manager Clancy revealed the information that Herman Schwartje had also been made an offer by the Lunch Counter circuit, but that the German very wisely turned it down.

The Feds had a man working down thru this country only a few weeks ago. It was Steve Brodie, an old timer. He played against Manager Clancy for two years in the days gone by and the local pilot is still wondering how he managed to talk Jim Hickman into joining the Gilmore brigade. The Feds worked it this way. They would make the youngsters an offer to finish the season at a certain figure and then if they looked good enough they would be offered a contract, otherwise they would resume their original names and continue playing in O.B.

What makes Hickman’s jump seem all the more foolish is that the Tourist could have finished the season with the Detroit Tigers. He is the property of that club and was to have reported to Jennings at the close of the North Carolina league season. Of course if he failed to make good this year, in all probability Jennings would have let Providence or Chattanooga have him for another season.

On the 26^th Jimmy hit his first major league home run, against Pete Henning of the Kansas City Packers. On the 29^th the Sentinel of Winston-Salem had this to say:

We find it hard to get much news of David Hicks, alias Jim Hickman. Very few of the larger papers bother to run the box scores of Federal league games, thus we are finding it quite a task to keep tab on Hickman or (beg pardon) Hicks.

The Baltimore Sun continued to call him “Hicks” until September 30, when they finally switched to “Hickman” without explanation. From the Sentinel of October 2:

“How do your youngsters size up?” was a question that was fired at Otto Knabe, manager of the Baltimore Federals recently. Knabe smiled broadly, as he replied: “This Hickman looks like a real find. He is fast on the bases, has a good throwing arm and seems to know baseball, and I am sure that one of the outfield positions will surely go to this lad next season.” Hickman has been playing with the Baltofeds for several weeks, in fact ever since the North Carolina league season closed, under the name of David Hicks. It looks as tho he has made good.

The Terrapins finished their season at Newark on October 3. Jimmy hit .210/.256/.321 in 81 at-bats. He signed a 1916 Baltimore contract but also appeared on Chattanooga’s reserve list, as Organized Baseball did not recognize the Federal League. In December a peace agreement was reached between the two entities that resulted in the demise of the FL but also legitimized Jimmy’s contract. Still, on January 9, 1916, the Chattanooga Times seemed oblivious:

Another athlete who is not unlikely to make good this spring is Hickman, the Johnson City recruit, who tried out under McCormick for a few weeks last spring. After returning to the North Carolina league, Hickman made a phenomenal record all ‘round, being rated the best outfielder in the Tar Heel circuit.

Hickman failed to make good here last year because of some glaring weaknesses which possibly could be eradicated by careful coaching and experience. He judged a fly ball too slowly, often waiting until it began to descend so that although he made a lot of pretty looking catches he really made some of them hard that should have been easy. At the bat, he could not fathom a curve successfully and he was also a free swinger.

On the other hand, the youngster was a flash on the bases, tearing around the cushions a la Ty Cobb. He “looks good” in action and many fans were surprised when McCormick set him adrift.

Two days later the Times got word that Jimmy did not belong to the Lookouts, and they backpedaled on their assessment of him:

Hickman was sent a contract by Chattanooga, but for a small salary as there was little chance of his becoming a regular Lookout. In fact, Manager Elberfeld writes that he probably would not have had the fielder report even if he had belonged to the club. However, the club regrets to lose him from the roster as he could have been placed and perhaps sold to some Class B club.

At the end of February Jimmy’s contract was purchased by the Brooklyn Dodgers (more often referred to as the Robins in those days, after manager Wilbert Robinson), and he joined them for spring training in Daytona. The Twin City Sentinel commented on March 3:

Bennie Kauff, said to be the most conceited player in the National league, will have a good running mate in Jimmie Hickman. Hick studied for a year under such masters as Jack Corbett and Olin Perritt.

Jimmy made an immediate impression in Daytona. On March 8 the New York World reported:

Hickman continues to shine. He is doing splendid work in both batting and fielding. As usual, he landed on the pill for a home run.

And the next day:

DODGERS.

DAYTONA, Fla., March 9.—The Giants may have their Kauff and Rousch and the Yankees their Magee, but Manager Robinson of the Dodgers thinks he has the best outfielder secured by any of the big league clubs from the defunct Federal League in Centre Fielder Dave Dickman [sic], the former Baltimore player. In the first exhibition game here this season the Dodgers defeated the Stetson University nine, 15 to 10, and it was Hickman’s terrific hitting that enabled them to do so. Hickman went to bat five times. Once he was “shaded” at first by the ball when he bunted. In the other four times up he made three triples and a two-bagger.

“Hickman is as good a hitter as I have ever seen,” declared Robbie when the game was over. “I think he will be the sensation of the year.”

On the 10^th the sour grapes continued to flow from the south, as the Twin City Sentinel remarked:

Turner Barber has a deep cold on his lungs. We expect to hear that Jim Hickman has a case of conceituritis.

New York World, March 17:

HICKMAN IS SMALL, BUT HE ACTS LIKE A STAR.

Young Jimmy Hickman right now has all the earmarks of a star. The players like him, often stopping to watch when he cuts loose after a fly ball in high speed. That is an excellent sign, for be it known that old-timers rarely ever waste many glances at a busher until he has stood the test and assayed pure.

Hickman is small of stature but wiry built, and with the fleet foot of a Josh Devore or a Frank Gilhooey. At the bat he hits naturally, but hitting against spring pitching is not necessarily of the grade that wins the “old pennant” in the fall.

Aside from his ability, though, Hickman comes into the big league under circumstances that will surely give him a niche in the tablets of quaint baseball history. This young man, possessing a real sense of humor, claims to have been the only genuine human chattel since the days of slavery. His experience is varied by the fact that he assisted his owner in making the sale, giving all kinds of sample exhibitions of his muscular ability.

At the time of the demise of the Federal League, according to Hickman, he was the property of the Baltimore Federals. The crushing of the league, he says, left the Baltimore Club with several debts on its hands. One of the creditors was a clerk or assistant secretary. When the time came for a settlement the club president presented the clerk with Jimmy Hickman in lieu of coin. With a ball player among his possessions and no league to work him in, the clerk set about to peddle his wares to the most generous purchaser. Hickman declares in all seriousness that he was taken around like a horse and his muscles exhibited so that there could be no mistake about his strength, speed and lack of spavins. He worked hand in glove with his kind owner, and they finally worked up a sale with the Brooklyn Club through which the clerk got enough money to more than repay him for what he feared would be a loss in salary.

“My owner,” says the young man, in an amusing imitation of the sale of Uncle Tom, “never struck me once, but fed me well and furnished me with good cigars and cigarettes.”

Manager Robinson thinks well of Hickman, and right now he is the sensation of the Brooklyn camp. Umpires Rigler and Klem, here in training, declare the former slave one of the most natural ball players they ever saw.

“You can see that he simply loves to play ball for the fun of it,” says Charley Rigler, “and I never saw a ballplayer like that who did not make good.”

From that same day’s New York Tribune:

ROBINS TAKE DAY OFF AND GO TO CIRCUS

Jimmy Hickman Wins Several Boxes of Candy but Others Fare Ill.

Daytona, Fla., March 16.—A cold northwest wind blew across the ball park to-day and temporarily halted the training practice of the ambitious and pennant aspiring members of the Brooklyn ball club. All of the players, young and old, reported to Robbie at 9 o’clock, eager for work. Robbie, however, wisely called off both the morning and afternoon sessions, and told the boys they were free to spend the day as they chose.

There is a big three-ring circus in town, and the majority of the players made this their headquarters for the day. Jimmy Hickman, the young outfielder of promising ability, won several boxes of candy at one of the attractions and a set of cuff links at another. The other players drew blanks, despite the fact that Jimmy took only a few chances, while they almost went broke trying to pull out a lucky number. Now the players call Hickman “Lucky Jimmy.”

Watertown Daily Times, March 18:

There’s a hot fight on for the gardening positions. The old reliable Zach Wheat seems sure of being elected, but Jimmy Johnston, the coast phenom of a year ago, and Hickman, the youngster secured from the Baltimore Feds, are giving Myers and Stengel, the last year regulars, a great fight. It wouldn’t be surprising if Hickman nosed out Myers.

Chattanooga Daily Times, April 7:

UNCLE ROBBIE STAKES HIS “REP” THAT HICKMAN IS REAL BALL PLAYER

Former Lookout Touted as Real “Find”—Will Be Sent to Minors for One Season With Belief That He’ll Return Next Year Star of First Magnitude—Prediction Will Be Watched Locally.

Chattanooga fans who did not criticize when Harry McCormick let Dave Hickman go last spring, will watch with a great deal of interest the career of the Johnson City speed boy. Hickman is now touted as one of the coming stars of the game. While he is due to be set adrift, Wilbert Robinson says he’s a great ballplayer and will nose his way in past Stengel, Jimmy Johnston, Meyers and Wheat next year. Witness the following from a Brooklyn correspondent of The Times:

BROOKLYN. N.Y., April 6.—If Ed Appleton ever becomes a big league pitcher, and Jimmy Hickman a great outfielder do not withhold any credit from your Uncle Wilbert Robinson. They told Robby last year that Appleton would not do as a hurler in a league where brains and curves were requisites; of Hickman they are saying he never will be a batter.

So with Hickman. A lot of scouts overlooked this bet when they were ivory hunting. Walter Brodie of glorious memory ran across Robby one fine afternoon chockful of enthusiasm for this lad who did not even get a band in the Federal league where he should have shone with the medley of talent they foisted on the public. Brodie just told Robby a thing or two about the virtues of Hickman.

“Sounds very good to me, Walter,” piped Robby as Brodie finished his spiel. “I smell a ballplayer in the offing and shall attach myself to him. Much obliged.”

So saying Robby got in touch with Hickman and the next thing we know the news is flashed Brooklynward that President Ebbets had been tipped off by Robby to mail Jimmy Hickman a contract. Robby has not regretted the step. Hickman may not be with the Dodgers when May 1 rolls around, but that will be only because of the twenty-one player rule. If he moves out of the swell circle for a year it will be with a string attached to him. Players like Hickman are not netted every day. A year in the minors will do him a world of good and with experience may come batting ability in which respect he is a doubtful quantity. As a fielder he is there. The 21-year-old ex-Fed sure can go some when it comes to chasing flies and he can run bases like a deer. He also knows some inside stuff. For instance, in Jacksonville after he had lashed out a home run did Jimmy like another rookie might have done attempt to murder the ball a second time? Not on your life: he bided his time and got a base on balls. A manager does not like to let one like Hickman get away and while Robby may be compelled to turn him into other pastures it will be only for the time being.

Brooklyn opened the season on April 12 with Jimmy on the roster, but he had not gotten into any games by the 24^th, when it was announced that he had been sent to New Haven of the Eastern League. However, he somehow ended up back in Asheville instead, and he debuted with them on the 27^th, batting third and playing center. Sometimes he played left, and sometimes he batted leadoff. Greensboro Daily News, July 9:

JIMMY HICKMAN MAY COACH UNIVERSITY BASEBALL TEAM.

Durham, July 8.—Jimmy Hickman, of the Asheville baseball team, before leaving Durham tonight, announced that he had been offered the position of coach of the University of North Carolina baseball team and would probably accept. [I didn’t find anything more about that.]

Memphis Commercial Appeal, August 18:

GETS 8 HITS IN 9 TIMES UP.

ASHEVILLE, N.C., Aug. 17.—James Hickman, left fielder for the Asheville team of the North Carolina League, who is under option of the Brooklyn Nationals, established what is believed to be a record for minor leagues here today by getting eight hits, a home run, a double and six singles out of nine times at bat [in a doubleheader]. He also stole four bases.

This apparently impressed the Robins enough that they called him up on the 19^th. He made his National League debut on the 26^th at Cincinnati; he pinch-ran for Zack Wheat, who had led off the top of the ninth with a single, Brooklyn down 1-0. After a fly out, Jimmy got forced out at second.

The next day Jimmy pinch ran again, this time for pitcher Sherry Smith in the fifth, and he came around to score on a single by Casey Stengel. After two more pinch running appearances he batted for the first time on September 4 in Philadelphia, drawing a walk against Eppa Rixey as a pinch-hitter. His only start was in the next-to-last game of the season, October 4 at home against the Giants; he played left, batted third, and went 1-for-4 against Slim Sallee.

In his nine games in Brooklyn, Jimmy went 1-for-5 with two walks, a stolen base, and three runs scored. In Asheville he led the league in hitting at .350, on-base at .477, and in walks with 85 (second-most was 53), with 27 doubles, two triples, ten homers, and 36 stolen bases in 91 games.

In 1917 Jimmy had another good spring training with the Robins. New York Sun, March 14:

Hickman in particular is going great guns. He was purchased from the Baltimore Federals last spring and was sent to Asheville, in the North Carolina League, for more seasoning. He refused to go anywhere else. Right now he is much further advanced than any of the other candidates. For natural speed he is nearly Jim Thorpe’s equal, but he is a better fly chaser than the Indian.

The Sun, March 17:

Jimmy Hickman starred again to-day. The stocky little outfielder made two hits, two runs, two difficult putouts and the most perfect throw of the game from the outfield to the plate. The ball took one long hop and nestled in Chief Meyers’s glove ahead of the runner.

New York American, March 21:

Dark clouds and a raw wind swayed Manager Robinson to a postponement of the scrub game to-day, and instead of going to the ball yard they went hunting for wild cats in the Ozarks. They were accompanied by a guide, a pack of hounds and several guns, but their search for the demented feline proved fruitless.

Jimmy Hickman caught a rabbit and Sherry Smith, protecting himself, slaughtered a squirrel, which broke the monotony of the fourteen-mile hike. When the players returned to the hotel they were so tired that Robbie placed a ban on further activity.

The American, March 24:

Since coming to the [Hot] Springs here Hickman has made six circuit clouts. His first to-day was a terrific rap to center field, the ball rolling into a creek, while his second blow was the most forceful ever delivered in Whittington Park. The ball sailed on a line over the fence in deep right-center.

Jimmy made the team, as a bench player. He was used as a pinch-hitter and pinch-runner until May 17, when he took over the left field job, and the third spot in the order, from an injured Zack Wheat. New York American, May 25:

HOMER BY HICKMAN DECISIVE

Wheat’s Successor Drives Out Telling Blow in Third, Netting Three Runs—Pirates Lose, 6-0

Hammering Burleigh Grimes and Albert Mamaux for ten solid hits, including one home run, two triples and a pair of doubles, the Dodgers had little trouble defeating the Wagnerless Pirates at Ebbets Field yesterday. Wilbur Robinson’s athletes tallied half a dozen runs, whereas the visitors failed to cross the plate on Big Jeff Pfeffer. It was the latter’s first shutout of the season.

Jimmy Hickman, supplanting Zack Wheat in left field, and George Cutshaw led the assault on the two Pittsburgh pitchers. Hickman won the game as early as the third inning with a home run drive to the scoreboard, scoring Johnston and Daubert ahead of him.

On May 26 Jimmy took time to fill out his draft card. It shows him living at 103 King Place in Johnson City, falsely lists his birth year as 1894, and gives his appearance as short, medium build, brown eyes, brown hair.

Sun, May 27:

HICKMAN PROVING STAR FOR DODGERS

Youngster Substituting for Wheat Is Hitting Hard and Fielding Like a Streak.

By Innis Brown.

Accidents which put star players out of commission only to open the way to recognition for youngsters hitherto unknown are nothing new in baseball. Annals of the game rather bristle with cases in which some unknown has stepped up in a crisis to fill the shoes of a top liner and then proceeded to go right along starring from day to day as a regular.

The daily struggles of the Brooklyn club afford a case in point. In left field, where Zach Wheat had held forth for the Flatbush troupe for several seasons, Wilbert Robinson now is using a chubby, swarthy youngster, David James Hickman.

“Jimmy” he is to the Dodger tribe. But back down in his native section he is known to fandom as “Brownie.” Wheat was retired from the game several days ago because of injuries. Several days ago he was inserted as a pinch hitter, and wrenched his side again, so that he probably will be out for ten days more.

Meantime Hickman is very much on the job. Not a game has passed since Jimmy swung into the lineup in which he failed to get a hit. Once he won a game by smashing out a homer with runners on. Most every day he comes through at some critical moment with a safe drive. Afield he is playing equally as well. He is very fast, both in covering territory and running the bases. When Wheat returns some tall and lofty fielding and hitting will have to be done by the other Dodger outfielders to keep Jimmy on the bench.

On June 4 Wheat returned to the lineup and Jimmy moved over to center in place of Jimmy Johnston. He kept that job until mid-July, spent some time coming off the bench, and finished the season with another five weeks or so as the regular center fielder, now batting mostly sixth. New York American, August 23:

Dodgers Win Record Game

Beat Pirates in 22 Innings

Hickman Dashes Home With Winning Run While Pirate Second Baseman Holds Ball.

Jimmy Hickman, the diminutive outfielder from Johnson City, Tenn., was the hero of a 22-inning struggle—the longest ever played in the National League—at Ebbets Field yesterday afternoon. Jimmy stole home while Jake Pitler, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ second baseman, was holding the ball after a forceout, bringing the game to an unexpected end and giving the Brooklyn team the game by a score of 6 to 5.

Officially he scored from second on a force out, not a stolen base.

Jimmy hit .219/.253/.330 in 370 at-bats in 114 games, with 15 doubles, four triples, six homers, and 14 stolen bases. On December 11 it was reported that he had joined the Naval Reserves in New York City. Sporting News, January 17, 1918:

JIMMY HICKMAN NOT IN NAVY

But He’s Helping Win War by Working in a Ship Yard.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Jan. 12.—Dandy James, alias Jimmy, Hickman, of the Brooklyn National League joy club—he admits it—isn’t in the Navy, hasn’t been in the Navy, nor is he going in the Navy, if what he says is true, and Charles Ebbets, owner extraordinary of the aforementioned joy club, is out three perfectly good cents, expended for one stamp with which to offer his consolation to the little outfielder when it was rumored in print that James had imbibed freely of Safety First and enlisted as a yeoman in the Navy.

Hickman has entered the agricultural field by entering the employ of the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company as a “plant” draughtsman. The foregoing isn’t meant as a reflection on his patriotism, as he is really doing the government more good where he is than he could shying bombs or grenades at the Huns, and besides, look at all the fun he is missing.

Mr. Ebbets wrote a letter to Jimmy, bidding him goodbye and all that sort of thing. He praised his patriotism and told him God bless him, and now to think those kind words were wasted. Mr. Ebbets should now write Homer L. Ferguson, president of the company, thanking or congratulating him on having the little outfielder drawing plans for ships for him, or whatever Hickman is doing.

This did not settle the question, as former heavyweight champion Gentleman Jim Corbett was asked about it in his New York American column of February 8:

Corbett Answers Queries

Dear Mr. Corbett: (1) Who won the Corbett-Sullivan fight? (2) What was the result of the Fulton-Miske fight? (3) Is Hickman in the Navy? E.J.

     (1) I won in the twenty-first round. (2) Difference of opinion among sporting experts, but the consensus made it a draw. (3) I presume you mean Hickman, of the Dodgers. The last information I had concerning him was that he had gone into the navy.

The shipbuilding company was in fact the correct story. New York World, March 6:

Davy Hickman, Robin outfielder and pinch hitter, has ended “hold-outing” and has signed his 1918 contract. The breath of spring was in the air, the sky was blue and clear, the birds were singing in the parks and Davy’s hands itched to take a bat, “get hold” of a fast one and lam it till it rattled the boards on the centre field fence. His feet fairly felt a longing for the firm grip of a set of spikes on a level field and a race after a high fly. What are a few dollars when you have feverish youth and an overwhelming desire to burn one in from deep right to the plate and your arm feels good enough right now to do it? So Davy came into the fold, says he’s pleased, and Wilbert Robinson is happy.

Casey Stengel had been traded to Pittsburgh, and Zack Wheat was a holdout, so Jimmy had less competition in the outfield than previously. On March 17 the Memphis Commercial Appeal made a comment that I don’t know how to interpret but it sounds snide:

‘Tis said that Jimmy Hickman is to become a regular outfielder with the Dodgers. As Jimmy has worn out several uniforms doing bench duty, he was just beginning to think his name carried too many letters, particularly the three last ones.

New York World, March 21:

Jimmy Hickman Reports To Dodgers at Hot Springs.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark., March 21.—Little Jimmy Hickman arrived yesterday from Newport News in time to get in the daily practice game and show Robbie and the Robins that he has not lost any of his speed or his ability to knock ‘em a mile. Hickman is some twenty pounds lighter than when the 1917 season closed, and is as hard as nails.

New York Sun, March 27:

HICKMAN HITS FOR HOMER AND DOUBLE

Leads Attack in Practice Contest at Dodgers’ Camp.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark., March 26…The batting spree came just when Hickman was despairing of ever doing anything that would earn favorable mention. He has attributed his hitting weakness to playing in right field. Covering the position seems to hoodoo his batting.

The World, April 6:

Hi Meyers [Myers] is the class of the outfield. Jimmy Johnston in left will about pass muster, but Jimmy Hickman will have to improve to fill Stengel’s shoes. Hickman’s batting is of the in and out calibre, with no consistency.

On the other hand, the Sun, April 7:

The release of Stengel will not affect seriously the Dodger outfield, as Brooklyn has three good men left in Myers, Johnston and Hickman, but would be better off if Zack Wheat could be induced to sign a contract.

On April 9 it was reported that Jimmy was out with bad knees, but when the season began on the 16^th he was in right field and hitting sixth. On the 23^rd Robinson announced that Jimmy would be leaving the team on the 27^th to work in a Boston shipyard, but by the 27^th he had decided to stay put. Through July 4 he had played in 53 of the team’s 65 games, hitting .234/.281/.359, and was among the league leaders in triples with seven. New York American, July 7:

Jack Coombs was in right for Brooklyn, because Jimmy Hickman got a tip when the Dodgers arrived this morning that he would soon be called in the draft and returned on the noon train for New York to enlist in the Navy at the Brooklyn or Norfolk Navy Yard.

Jimmy was stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where he played on the baseball team with Casey Stengel; the two became buddies. Jimmy also managed to find time to play some semi-pro ball. From the December 11 New York Sun:

Jimmy Hickman of the Dodgers and “Casey” Stengel of the Pirates have been discharged from the navy and now are in civilian attire. Stengel had a short confab with Barney Dreyfuss. There is some doubt about Hickman returning to baseball this season, as he has a good position with a steamship company and may not be able to devote any time to baseball.

Same paper, February 1:

HIGH LIGHTS AND SHADOWS IN ALL SPHERES OF SPORT

By Daniel.

Most of the major league baseball players have been tendered their contracts for 1919 and there is a suspicious silence. Practically every player has been asked to accept a reduction in salary and some of the cuts are quite radical, but in spite of all that the players have not emitted the usual howls of anguish and threats to retire from the game. Of course, a good many of these may be expected next week, after the men get over the first effects of the blow, but in the main the players are keeping their counsel and in so far as the public prints are concerned are maintaining a commendable silence. But that does not mean that they have decided to accept their new contracts without a contest. Take the Brooklyn players for example. We were told yesterday that at least six Superbas had banded themselves into a sort of union and agreed to a “united we stand, divided we fall” platform. They will fight against the reductions in salary as a unit. We were informed that the combination includes Jimmy Hickman, Otto Miller, Larry Cheney, Jimmy Johnston, Mack Wheat [brother of Zack, not a typo] and Al Mamaux.

New York Tribune, February 7:

Hickman Startles Ebbets With an Unsigned Contract

Outfielder Announces He Is Through With Baseball; Holke May Be a Brave

By W.J. Macbeth

The first jolt against the peace and equilibrium of greater New York’s prosaic major league life of 1919 was characterized by a wild shriek in the environs of Bedford Avenue and Sullivan Street, Flatbush, yesterday afternoon when Squire Charles H. Ebbets opened a letter in which was returned the unsigned contract of outfielder Jimmy Hickman.

Mr. Hickman informed the boss of the Dodgers that he was through with the national pastime, as he believed it was to his best interests to pursue a business career on which he launched at the close of the last season and which has since steadily improved in profit and opportunity.

The missive accompanying the unsullied contract was not in the nature of the usual hold-out threat. Hickman, a business man, seemed to mean business. And Charles H. Ebbets is consequently in despair. For Hickman was not only one of the pillars of the outfield upon whom Uncle Wilbert Robinson was banking heavily for a successful effort the coming summer, but a versatile player as well, who could fit into any infield position in a pinch.

Hickman is a good hitter and a pretty nifty sort of base runner, who has before him the brightest part of his career. His loss would be a sad blow, indeed, to Brooklyn hopes.

It is expected that Manager Robinson, who is at Dover Hall just now, will have a talk with Hickman before the Dodgers go to Jacksonville, Fla., for spring training, to try to have the young player change his mind about retirement. Hickman, however, has intimated that the salary question does not enter into the calculation at all. If anybody can bring the recalcitrant player into line the same is your Uncle Wilbert Robinson.

The February 12 Watertown Daily Times had a very different take:

President Ebbets has announced that he will not make any attempt to get Jimmy Hickman, the outfielder, to sign his 1919 contract, which the player recently returned to the Robins’ owner without a signature. Hickman in returning his contract made a demand for an increase in salary which Ebbets branded as ridiculous.

On the 26^th, in Brooklyn, Jimmy got married, to Brooklyn native Marcella Calleran. Their address was given as 275 Halsey Street in Brooklyn. New York American, March 11:

Jimmy Hickman, one of Robbie’s outfielders in the confines of Flatbush, attached his name to a contract with the Ebbets clan yesterday. Joimes announced his retirement about six weeks ago, and returned his contract unsigned. Jim’s objection was, strange to say, regarding the salary. It looks as if he won out now that he deigns to once again don the spangles.

Jimmy was late in arriving at spring training in Jacksonville due to the flu. From the New York Journal, April 2:

HICKMAN JOINS DODGERS

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 2.—When the Dodgers take the field against the Yankees in the third of the exhibition tilts to-morrow, Jimmy Hickman probably will patrol the left pasture for Uncle Wilbert Robinson. Jimmy arrived in camp late Tuesday night and showed up so well in this morning’s practice that Uncle Wilbert chirped:

“You can’t be kidding me, Jimmy. You’ve been sneaking in some spring training up North. I guess I’ll have to stick you in against the Yankees to-morrow and see what you can do. Somebody’s got to do some hustling besides good old Hy Myers, anyway.”

New York World, April 3:

Jimmy Hickman broke his bat on his first trip to the platter in batting practice yesterday. He blazed a terrific liner over third, much to the joy of his bride, who sat with the better half of the other Brooklyn newlywed, Al Mamaux, in the grand stand. The two brides are most ardent rooters.

World, next day:

Jimmy Hickman had a party in New York’s half of the fifth inning. He took Bodie’s singing drive at his shoe tops, he ran over behind short field for Ward’s looping fly, and a moment later went far back for Hannah’s towering smash. He stretched a muscle, however, and pulled up lame.

Memphis Commercial Appeal, April 13:

SPEED MAKES HITS.

The return of Josh Devore to professional baseball brings back one of the real fast ones, runners who on account of their speed, are making a bid for a base hit any time they start for first on a ground ball. Dave Robertson is such a flyer, and other names past or present which obtrude are Jim Thorpe, Jimmy Hickman, Ty Cobb, Burt Shotton, Bullet Thoney, Danny Hoffman, Jimmy Barrett, Claude Cooper, Jimmy Callahan and Harry Bay.

When the regular season began Jimmy found himself on the bench. He only got into one game in the first four weeks, and that was as a pinch-hitter; his first start was on June 13. New York Tribune, July 3:

Hi Myers’s illness proved costly to the Giants yesterday, rather than to the Dodgers, as would naturally be expected. Hi was compelled to lay off, and in his absence little Jimmy Hickman, the chubby speed boy of the Brooklyn outfit, took care of the centre field position at the Polo Grounds. Jimmy not only filled the job in a most acceptable manner but, to show his appreciation to Manager Robinson for permitting him to play, he won the ball game for his employer by a score of 4 to 3.

(He hit a bases-loaded single that scored two runs to tie the game in the sixth, then the next hitter drove in what would be the winning run.)

Jimmy got into just 57 games in 1919, starting just 24; given that he hit just .192/.236/.240, it’s not that surprising. New York Herald, January 9, 1920:

TWO DODGERS RELEASED.

David James Hickman, outfielder, and Lewis A. Malone, infielder, were released by the Brooklyn club yesterday to Toledo in the American Association. Inconsistent hitting cost both players their positions in the majors. Hickman was regarded as one of the speediest base runners in the league, but his batting average was too anaemic for him to stay…

Columbus Dispatch, March 16:

Toledo Loses Hickman.

TOLEDO, OHIO, MARCH 16.—Jimmy Hickman, who was released by the Robins to the Toledo club, does not intend to play this season. Jimmy has gone into business. He is in Oil City, Pa., selling oil and according to reports he will have a profitable year. It is said he will receive in addition to his salary, about $2500 for playing ball.

Apparently there was a trend in 1919-20 for independent semi-pro industrial teams, especially in western Pennsylvania, to start loading up with professional players, and Jimmy had not so much quit baseball to go into business as opted to look outside organized baseball for a place to play. Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 11:

SHARON TEAM IS ARRANGING GAMES

Contests Booked With Oil City, Franklin and Grove City.

SHARON, PA., April 10.—J.P. Hosack, business manager of the Carnegie Steel company baseball club of Sharon has arranged a series of baseball games with the Grove City club, the first game to be played August 7 and 8. The Carnegies will open the regular season May 1 with Oil City in Sharon…

The Carnegies will play thirteen games with Franklin and nine with Oil City. Oil City has signed Walter Kimmick, a companion of Heinie Boll, recently turned loose by the Pittsburg Pirates, and Kimmick who suffered the same fate [sic]. Oil City also has Ben Shaw and Bob Steel of Pittsburg, “Red” Bloom of Cleveland, Jake Pitler, Marty Berghamer, Art Riley, and Jimmy Hickman of Brooklyn...

Toledo Blade, May 24:

OUTLAWS WHO HOPE TO RETURN NEXT YEAR MAY BE FOOLED

By George R. Pulford

Wouldst know the very latest, the feed box story about the Steel league and the rubber legged boys who are jumping from organized ball when tempting contracts are waved under their noses by agents of the Outlaw league?

Well, as we get it, there’s any number of players in Franklin and Oil City, Pa., Bethlehem and other teams in the Steel league and its offshoots, who are simply “out for the dough,” and are using those clubs to get it. They are getting more money for their services this summer than ever before and in some cases have been “put in,” soft things, that net them big returns, especially when they have no financial investment.

Several of the players are very candid in saying that they intend to play independent ball, which is merely another name for Outlaw ball, for one season. Next year they plan to return to organized baseball. This is their own little scheme.

Unfortunately for them, organized ball will not enter into the plan. The recent publication of an order issue [sic] by the National association forbids the signing of these players after June 20, 1920.

Flatly this means that the men who have jumped contracts and reservations can not return to organized ball unless they do so within the time limit. The permanent loss of the players is a blow to many teams in organized ball, but it will not be felt so heavily next season as it is at present. If organized ball stands pat upon its edict and bars the jumpers for all time, it will play a strong and a wise hand. If it relents and takes them into the fold in 1921, it will merely open the door for more jumpers and the practice will be repeated next season.

Barring the men who do not respect a contract is the most effectual treatment. Next season the outlaw organization may not be in existence. If they are not and players like Bunny Fabrique, Evans, Joe Harris, Lew Malone, Hickman, Dumont and others have no place to turn, the lesson will be one that will be long remembered by other players who have kangaroo tendencies.

Jimmy played for Oil City all summer. New York Post, December 29:

Bresnahan to Act Against Brooklyn

Toledo Owner Says Robins Still Owe Him Players He Paid For

TOLEDO, O., December 29.—Roger Bresnahan, president of the Toledo Club of the American Association, announced to-day that he is preparing some sort of action against the Brooklyn National League Club in connection with the purchase last spring of three players who he says were not delivered after a down payment had been made.

Bresnahan declares he purchased Outfielder Hickman, Second Baseman Malone, and Third Baseman Douglas Baird for $7,000, that he paid $2,500 down on the installment plan and received nothing in return.

Malone and Hickman are said to have jumped to the Steel League, and Baird, through some pretext, was kept at Brooklyn and released this winter to Indianapolis, according to Bresnahan.

New York Herald, December 31:

Jumpers Want to Return.

Organized baseball will not be troubled next season by the Steel and Industrial leagues, to which so many players jumped last season and the year before. Most of these leagues and independent shipyard and factory outfits have been left holding the bag. The jumpers are frantic in their pleas for reinstatement, but it is extremely unlikely that their cases will ever be reviewed. It will be remembered that all the jumpers were barred from organized baseball for five years, and O.B. is determined to stand pat on that decision.

The list of those barred includes quite a number of good ball players, among whom are Joe Harris, the Cleveland first baseman; Whitey Witt, the outfielder, and Kinney, pitcher of the Athletics; Jimmy Hickman, the outfielder, who was released by the Dodgers to Toledo and declined the new assignment, and Ollie O’Mara and Crum, who quit the Indianapolis club when it was leading the American Association…

The breaking up of the Steel and other leagues of that character is a great thing for the minors, which find more players available.

Despite that, it was reported in February 1921 that Jimmy had re-signed with Oil City. New York Herald, May 6:

Desiring no controversy with the Toledo Club over the D.J. Hickman-Lewis Malone deal, Charles H. Ebbets notified Commissioner Landis that the Brooklyn National League Baseball Club would be willing to repay the Toledo Club $2,500 in cash and have the players placed on the Brooklyn club’s ineligible list until such time as Commissioner Landis might deem it proper to reinstate Hickman and Malone for their violation of the laws of organized baseball. Judge Landis has rendered a decision in conformity with this request and the players have been transferred to the ineligible list of the Brooklyn club.

Jimmy didn’t wait around to be reinstated, though; he continued to play with Oil City. Washington (Pennsylvania) Observer, May 18:

Oil City will be minus the services of Jimmy Hickman, star outfielder and hitter, for the greater part of the season as the result of an unfortunate accident in the eighth inning. The former Brooklyn star had doubled and then tried to steal third. He was thrown out but in sliding into the bag his foot caught, doubled his leg under him, and snapped a small bone in his left leg at the ankle. The fracture was clean cut as shown by an X-ray picture but the Oiler left Washington with his teammates last night.

On July 30 it was reported that the Oil City team had disbanded and that Jimmy, among others, had gone home. The Toledo Blade elaborated on the situation on August 1:

Franklin Quits, Smashing Outlaw League; Jumpers Looking for Jobs

The “Oil League,” composed of but two cities, Franklin and Oil City, has gone to the wall, and the greatest refuge of baseball contract jumpers in the land is now a thing of the past.

Last week backers of the Franklin club announced that they could carry their frenzied finance no further.

Franklin forfeited to Oil City all the remaining games of the season, as well as the $500 posted to insure the playing of the schedule.

Then it turned loose the dozen or more highly paid players, who are now scurrying about looking for jobs—most of them barred for five years from organized ball.

The baseball rivalry between these little cities in the Pennsylvania mountains has lasted almost since the game was invented, and for 50 years smouldered and flared with recurrent bursts of rivalry.

The beginning of the end came in 1919, when Scott Perry, first of the army of contract jumpers, quit organized baseball and joined the outlaws.

Both clubs then began bidding in reckless fashion for big league and class AA players, almost disrupting several clubs. The salaries they began paying made it certain that they couldn’t last long.

The idea spread to other clubs and at present there are many places harboring players who jumped organized baseball. Nevertheless, the Oil league stands as the original and most picturesque of outlaw leagues. Each city had a freaky little ball park, the “Hilltop” park at Franklin, the “Bandbox” at Oil City.

The Oil City club is still in existence, but its demise is considered a certainty, as with Franklin out of business, there will be little interest in the game at the oil town.

Columbus Dispatch, November 16:

Compensation for Injured Player

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 16.—For the first time since the state workman’s compensation act went into effect, a baseball player has received an award for injuries sustained in a baseball game. The award was made to David J. Hickman against the Oil City Baseball association. His leg was broken at the opening of the 1921 season and he is unable to play baseball, according to his statement. He will receive $12 a week for the period in which he was accustomed to play baseball, from May 17 to November 8.

A December 17 article in the Buffalo Evening News mentioned that Jimmy, who was serving a five year banishment from organized baseball, was among several players who had applied to Commissioner Landis for reinstatement and were waiting for a ruling. The Toledo Blade reported on December 21:

BRESNAHAN CAN NOW SIGN MALONE, HICKMAN AND DUMONT FOR HENS

By George R. Pulford.

Through rules adopted by the National association at its Buffalo meeting, ball players who have jumped the reserve to play with so-called “Outlaw” leagues or independent teams, are eligible to reinstatement in organized ball. Players who jumped contracts, Ben Dyer for instance, are not eligible to reinstatement. The decision of the minor league magnates to lift the suspension on the reserve clause jumpers, may be the means of solving a couple of problems confronting the Toledo club. Second Baseman Malone, Outfielder Hickman and Pitcher Dumont, whose releases were purchased by Roger Bresnahan, refused to report here and sought employment with outlawed teams. Their action just about wrecked the 1920 Toledo team. Now that the ban on these players has been lifted, that Bresnahan can negotiate for their release with Brooklyn, if he sees fit, and after their experience in independent ball, the chances are that they will be glad to pay the $300 fine demanded by the National association and return to the fold. Dumont may be satisfied where he is, but it is believed that Malone and Hickman will welcome the opportunity to come in out of the wet. If the Hens can round up the outfielder and infielder the outlook will be much brighter. Malone is a splendid second baseman and the chances are he could play short. Hickman would fit into the Toledo outfield nicely. If Dumont is ready to quit fooling with independent baseball he would be a welcome addition to the pitching staff.

However, Landis was not done with Jimmy, and on March 11, 1922, the New York American reported that he was one of six players ruled by Landis “guilty of outlaw practices while under contract with various clubs, and who may be absolved only by ‘one full year’s disassociation from baseball.’” New York World, March 15:

Jimmie Hickman, the outfielder who was suspended by Landis recently and ordered not to play ball with any team for a period of one year, arrived here [Brooklyn spring training in Jacksonville] last night and is awaiting a conference with Landis, who is expected to arrive here this afternoon.

The next day’s Tribune:

After the practice the Brooklyn owner and the Commissioner motored back to the Windsor Hotel and went into secret session. As he was leaving the park Mr. Ebbets introduced his guest to Jimmy Hickman, former Brooklyn outfielder. Hickman is at present an ineligible.

“I would like to have a talk with you some time, judge,” said Hickman. “All right,” replied Landis: “meet me at the hotel at 5:30 o’clock.”

I found a couple later mentions of the fact that Landis was considering Jimmy’s case, but nothing on a decision. However, the outcome seems pretty clear given that in July Jimmy was playing left field and leading off for Beallsville, Pennsylvania, in the independent/outlaw Triple Link League. In December came a report that Jimmy was at baseball’s winter meetings in New York to see Landis again about reinstatement, but again, no news on a decision.

In March Jimmy was mentioned as a probable player for the Mahoney City Blue Birds, an independent team near Philadelphia. Then, on April 13 the Brooklyn Standard Union reported that he had signed with the semi-pro Bushwicks, with whom he played all season, though I also found mentions of him playing for Beallsville. Meanwhile, on May 9 Marcella gave birth to their first child, David James III, in Brooklyn.

In January 1924 Jimmy was reinstated to organized baseball by Commissioner Landis, and in February the Dodgers optioned him to Springfield of the Eastern League. However, he opted to stay in Brooklyn and play for the Bushwicks. Brooklyn Daily Times, March 20:

Dexter Park Opening Sunday an Occasion

Dexter Park, home of the Bushwicks will be opened for the season Sunday afternoon when the Dexter Parkers clash with the Chester, Pa., team in one game. Manager Max Rosner is making preparations for the occasion. Most of the old faces will be in the line-up including Jimmy Hickman who will cover center field. Hickman has a responsible position with a New York firm and will give up the idea of playing league baseball.

The Bushwicks only played on Sundays, a doubleheader each week. The Brooklyn Times mentioned on April 18 that Jimmy “has just been released from organized baseball on his own request by Commissioner Landis,” and on the 28^th they called him “rotund Jimmy Hickman.” In October the Bushwicks split a series with the Doherty Silk Sox that was intended to determine the “independent white championship of the East,” and in November snow caused a premature end to “the Brooklyn-Queens championship semi-pro series” with a team called simply the Farmers.

In 1925 Jimmy began the season with the Bushwicks, but about a month into the season he was benched and then replaced on the roster by former major leaguer Bill McCarren. He quickly hooked up with another local team, Springfield, which played its games at Recreation Park in Long Island City, and was named manager. However, he was gone from there in less than two months. On September 21 daughter Mary was born in Brooklyn.

I found no references to Jimmy playing baseball anywhere in 1926, but in 1927 he was playing for the Bronx Giants, and in at least one game for College Point. As far as I can tell this was the end of his semi-pro career.

On August 8, 1929, Sports Editor Murray Robinson of the Brooklyn Standard Union, in his “As You Like It” column, under the headline “WHAT’S BECOME OF,” wrote: “The best close harmony quartet that ever sent sweet music from a dugout on a rainy day—Jimmy Hickman, Tommy Griffith, Leon Cadore and Al Mamaux?”

Watertown (New York) Daily Times, January 9, 1930:

FORMER BROOKLYN OUTFIELDER IS VISITOR AT OGDENSBURG

Ogdensburg, Jan. 9.—“Jimmy” Hickman, former outfielder of the Brooklyn National league club, was a business visitor in the city yesterday and met a number of fans who recalled him as a member of the Robins when they played an exhibition game at the fair here ten years ago. Hickman is a traveling salesman for the National Cash Register company and makes his home in Brooklyn. He said he intended establishing northern headquarters in either Watertown or Ogdensburg. He left yesterday afternoon for Massena.

Apparently Watertown was chosen, and the April 13 census shows Jimmy and his family at 1409 Academy Street, renting a house for $60 a month. He was introduced as a new member at a Watertown Kiwanis Club meeting on April 15. On July 8 he made a speech at the meeting, as reported in that day’s Daily Times:

KIWANIS HEAR MAJOR LEAGUER

FORMER BROOKLYN NATIONAL ADDRESSES THEM

JAMES HICKMAN IS SPEAKER

Declares Walter Johnson Best Pitcher With Mathewson and Alexander His Second Choices—Compares McGraw and Robinson.

James Hickman, local representative of the National Cash Register company, who played in the outfield with the Brooklyn team of the National Baseball league eight [11 to 14] years ago, addressed the Kiwanis club this noon at the Woodruff hotel during the regular luncheon-meeting.

Starting as a minor league player, he terminated his baseball career eight years ago as a fielder with the Brooklyn Robins, although he is still a member of the team by contract. He played for two days with the Detroit team [?] and was then transferred to the Chicago, Tenn., team [?]. Later he went to the Nashville, Tenn., team. He played for some time in the Federal baseball league after which he was transferred to the Brooklyn team.

Briefly relating his experiences, he said that he was “on the bench” with the Brooklyn team when he answered a call for a good-right hand hitter. It only took three pitched balls, he said, to send him back to the bench. According to the speaker, there are very few major league ball players who are receiving a salary exceeding $15,000 a year.

In Mr. Hickman’s opinion, Walter Johnson was the best pitcher and Mathewson and Grover Alexander the best second class pitchers. Before prohibition, he said, there were only one or two players who ever took a drink [!!] and when they did it was after the game. Today, he said, there are very few players, who, after the game, do not drink intoxicating beverages.

The speaker briefly compared Wilbert Robinson, manager of the Brooklyn team, and John McGraw, manager of the New York Giants. The former praised his players, while the latter was harsh and spoke to his players with profane language, he said.

Mr. Hickman’s baseball career was ended eight years ago when he left the team after being fined $200 for playing in exhibition baseball games. Mr. Hickman played with Brooklyn when that team won the pennant in 1916…

On July 19 Jimmy was a judge of a boys’ baseball throwing contest sponsored by the boys’ department of the Globe Store. On November 11 he was named to the election committee of the Kiwanis Club; on December 23 daughter Joan was born. Their stay in Watertown ended in 1933, as reported in the Daily Times on April 29:

JAMES HICKMAN TRANSFERRED FROM THIS CITY TO BROOKLYN

Mr. and Mrs. James Hickman, jr., 1409 Academy street, will be honored at a farewell dinner at the Black River Valley club this evening by a group of friends. They leave soon for Brooklyn where they plan to reside in the future.

Mr. Hickman is manager of the local branch of the National Cash Register company. He has been transferred to the Brooklyn office. His family will move there after June 1.

Mr. Hickman was formerly a member of the Brooklyn major league baseball team. He has been a resident of this city since 1929 [1930] when he came here to assume his duties as manager of the National Cash Register company’s branch.

Brooklyn Times Union, April 24, 1934:

Old Pal Praises Stengel

Hickman, Former Teammate, Says Casey Will Become Great Manager.

By Irwin N. Rosee

Semi-pro ball has a far greater kinship to the big leagues than most folks realize. For example, there’s Jimmy Hickman, middle-aged cash register company official, who spent part of his baseball career in semi-pro ranks and who today is closer to Casey Stengel than probably anyone in Brooklyn.

Jimmy, uncle of Herman Hickman, burly wrestler and former star football tackle at the University of Tennessee, was a pal of Casey’s for years when the two wore the spangles of the Dodgers about the time of the war, and though separated by exigencies of making a living, their tie has never been broken.

Jimmy thinks Casey will develop into one of the leading managers of baseball and he isn’t backward in giving his reasons. One, Hickman says, Casey is a capable handler of men and knows how to keep them fighting and in good humor in turn; two, Casey is a profound although not self-conscious student of the technical side of baseball; third, his gate magnetism will mean money in the box office for the club.

Jimmy, who is a son of Tennessee, learned to play ball down there and went to the Appalachian League as an outfielder in 1913. The following year he shuffled off to the more important Carolina League.

In 1915 Jimmy was signed by Baltimore in the now defunct Federal League. From there he bounced to the Dodgers playing through 1916 to 1919. He and Casey became fast friends in those days. Both were in the Navy at the same time and roomed together. In the service Casey played on the Navy nine that Jimmy captained.

Casey was a perfect companion, Jimmy recalls, plenty of laughs all the time.

A few years later Jimmy began to find business and baseball crowding one another, so he dropped out of big-time ball and devoted week-ends to baseball. He signed up with the Bushwicks and spent many seasons with them. For a spell while in the Navy, Jimmy played for the Farmers. Jimmy still has a fond spot in his heart for Max Rosner, manager of the Bushwicks, whom Hickman counts as one of the finest men he ever encountered in baseball.

Jimmy is a regular visitor at Casey’s hotel when the Dodgers are in town and Stengel intends to visit Jimmy’s home in Floral Park. They’ll get out the old navy pictures and laugh themselves hysterical. Take it from Jimmy, they are that funny.

On December 22 the Brooklyn Times Union reported that “If Jimmy Hickman can find the time he’ll help Otto Miller with Buck Freeman’s battery candidates when they [the Dodgers] go into training next month.” I found no further mention of this. On August 21 the Watertown Daily Times said: “James Hickman, who was a member of the Brooklyn outfield, still comes into this section as a representative of a cash register concern. He resides in Brooklyn.”

Brooklyn Times Union, November 4, 1935:

Jimmy Hickman, former Brooklyn outfielder and ace salesman of the National Cash Register Co., has won a two-week trip to New Orleans by putting over the most sales in the Greater City.

Brooklyn Eagle, March 9, 1938:

Jimmy Hickman, former Dodger outfielder, has switched his business activities from the borough to Utica.

The 1940 census found the Hickmans living at 402 West German Street in Herkimer, just southeast of Utica. Jimmy, listed as David J., is a cash register salesman who worked 40 hours the previous week, and was employed for 52 weeks in 1939, earning $3000. David Jr. is 17, Mary 14, and Joan nine.

In 1942 Jimmy filled out another draft card. His address is now 1330 East 36^th Street in Brooklyn, and his employer is the Marine Basin Company, at the foot of 26^th Avenue in Brooklyn—presumably war work. He lists himself as 5-7 ½, 210 pounds, ruddy complexion, hazel eyes, brown hair, with the “obvious physical characteristic” of “cut left leg.”

In the 1950 census the Hickmans are still on East 36^th Street. Jimmy’s occupation is given as a checker for steamship lines, though he is out of work. Joan is the only one of the kids still at home; she is 19 and worked 40 hours the previous week as a typist for an insurance company.

On April 1, 1956, Marcella passed away at the age of 61 at Unity Hospital in Brooklyn. Jimmy followed on December 30, 1958, aged 66. I found no obituaries.

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