George Stovey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids George Stovey |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: May 1866 Williamsport, Pennsylvania |
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| Died: March 22, 1936 (aged 69) Williamsport, Pennsylvania |
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| debut | |||
| 1886, for the Cuban Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1897, for the Williamsport Demorest Bicycle Boys | |||
| Teams | |||
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George Washington Stovey (born May 1866 – died March 22, 1936) was a very talented baseball pitcher. Many people believe he was the best African-American pitcher of the 1800s. Sadly, because of racial discrimination, he was not allowed to play in the major leagues. Instead, he played for many different minor league teams during the 1880s and 1890s. There were reports that the New York Giants wanted Stovey to play for them in 1887.
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Playing Career Highlights
In 1907, a black baseball player and sportswriter named Sol White wrote about an event from 1887. He said that the New York Giants were close to signing Stovey. Stovey was playing for the Newark team at the time. White wrote that a famous player named Cap Anson strongly opposed having a black player in the National League. Anson's opposition, according to White, stopped Stovey from joining the Giants. White believed that if it weren't for Anson, a black player would have been in the National League in 1887.
However, other reports from 1887 tell a slightly different story. These reports make it seem less likely that Cap Anson was involved in stopping Stovey from joining the Giants at that specific time.
The Giants' Offer
On April 9, 1887, a newspaper called the Newark Journal reported something interesting. It said that the New York Giants manager, Jim Mutrie, wanted to buy Stovey and his teammate, Moses Fleetwood Walker. Both Stovey and Walker were black players on the Newark team. But Newark's manager, Charley Hackett, said they were not for sale.
This offer likely happened after a game between Newark and New York. Stovey and Walker had played in that game on April 7, 1887. Since the offer was made and rejected just one day after the game, it's unlikely that Cap Anson, who was in a different city (St. Louis), could have quickly stopped the deal.
The Anson Controversy
Later in 1887, Stovey and Anson did cross paths in a different situation. On July 14, 1887, a big decision was made. Owners of teams in the International League voted to stop signing contracts with black players.
That same afternoon, Newark was scheduled to play an exhibition game against Anson's Chicago team. Stovey was supposed to pitch. But both Stovey and Walker did not play. Newspapers reported that Stovey "complained of sickness." However, a few days later, the Newark Sunday Call newspaper suggested something else. It said that Anson had objected to a black player playing. If the crowd had known this, Anson would have been booed instead of cheered.
Teams and Positions
In 1889, George Stovey pitched for two teams: the Cuban Giants from Trenton, New Jersey, and the New York Gorhams from Philadelphia. In 1891, he played for the Cuban Giants again, this time in Ansonia. These were all-black teams that played in organized baseball leagues. Besides pitching, Stovey also played in the outfield sometimes. He had a batting average of .256 in 122 games.
Career Statistics
Here are some of George Stovey's baseball statistics from his career:
- 1886: For the Jersey City Jerseys in the Eastern League, he played 31 games. He pitched 270 innings, had a record of 16 wins and 15 losses, an Earned Run Average (ERA) of 1.13, 203 strikeouts (K), and 43 walks (BB).
- 1887: With the Newark Little Giants in the International League, he played 48 games. He pitched 424 innings and had an amazing record of 34 wins and 14 losses. His ERA was 2.46. Some records show he had 35 wins, which would be an all-time record for the International League. Either way, he led the league in wins.
- 1888: He played 11 games for the Worcester Grays in the New England League. He pitched 98 innings, with a record of 6 wins and 5 losses, and an ERA of 2.30. He also played with the Cuban Giants this year.
- 1889: For Trenton/Philadelphia in the Mid State League, he played 7 games. He pitched 45 innings, with 1 win and 4 losses, and an ERA of 4.40.
- 1890: He played 2 games for the Troy Trojans in the New York State League. He pitched 18 innings, with 1 win and 1 loss, and an ERA of 2.00.
- 1891: For Ansonia in the Connecticut State League, he played 3 games. He pitched 27 innings, with 2 wins and 1 loss, and an ERA of 4.00.
Death
George Stovey passed away on March 22, 1936. He was buried in Wildwood Cemetery in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on March 26, 1936.
