Joe Start facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joe Start |
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: October 14, 1842 New York City, U.S. |
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| Died: March 27, 1927 (aged 84) Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 18, 1871, for the New York Mutuals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 9, 1886, for the Washington Nationals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .299 | ||
| Hits | 1,417 | ||
| Runs | 852 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Joseph Start (born October 14, 1842 – died March 27, 1927) was a famous baseball player. People called him "Old Reliable" because he played for a very long time. He was one of the best first basemen during the early days of baseball.
Joe Start started playing in 1859. Back then, players didn't get paid, and there were no official leagues. He kept playing regularly until 1886, when he was 43 years old! Baseball changed a lot during his career, but he always played very well. A baseball historian named Bill Ryczek said Joe Start was the last player from before the American Civil War to stop playing.
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Baseball's Early Days: The Amateur Era
Joe Start was born in New York City. From 1859 to 1861, he played first base and third base for a team called the Enterprise Club of Brooklyn. During these years, baseball players were not paid.
After 1861, he joined the strong Atlantic Club of Brooklyn. He stayed with them until 1870. The Atlantics were amazing! They didn't lose a single game in 1864 and 1865. Even though players weren't officially paid, some special players started getting money. This practice later became official.
A Famous Game: Atlantics vs. Red Stockings
Joe Start played a big part in one of the most famous games from this early time. The Cincinnati Red Stockings were a team that paid all its players. They had won 81 games in a row! On June 14, 1870, they played against the Atlantics in Brooklyn.
After nine innings, the score was tied 5-5. The Atlantics started to leave the field, thinking the game was a tie. But the umpire said they had to keep playing until someone won!
In the 11th inning, Cincinnati scored two runs, making the score 7-5. But the Atlantics fought back! Charlie Smith got a hit. Then, Joe Start hit a powerful triple, bringing Smith home. Catcher Bob Ferguson then hit a single, bringing Start home and tying the game 7-7. Finally, Ferguson scored the winning run because of a throwing error by Cincinnati's shortstop. This amazing win ended the Red Stockings' long winning streak!
Years later, Joe Start shared a secret about that game. He said the Atlantics wanted to stop playing when it was tied 5-5. But the Cincinnati team leader, Harry Wright, wanted to keep playing. Start explained that the Atlantics were playing to earn money for each game. Another inning meant more money for them!
Becoming a Professional: The League Era
In 1871, Joe Start joined the new National Association (NA). This was a fully professional league where players were paid. He played for the New York Mutuals. At 28 years old, he had his best batting average, hitting .360. This was the second-highest on his team. He also hit the team's only home run that year. In 1873, he even helped lead the Mutuals team for 25 games.
The NA league lasted for five years. In 1876, the National League (NL) was formed, and the Mutuals joined. Joe Start stayed with the team. However, the Mutuals had money problems and were kicked out of the NL.
The next year, Start played for the Hartford Dark Blues. In 1878, he moved to the Chicago White Stockings. This might have been his best year for hitting. He led the league with 100 hits and 125 total bases. He also hit 12 doubles, 5 triples, and one home run. He scored 58 runs, which was second in the league. He did all this in only 285 turns at bat, and he was 35 years old! Most players start to slow down at that age.
Playing for the Providence Grays
From 1879 to 1885, Joe Start played first base for the Providence Grays. He was 42 years old but still hit very well. He also served as the team captain. This meant he helped lead the team on the field before official managers existed.
In 1879, Start's Providence team won the NL championship. In 1884, they won what many consider the first ever "World Series." They beat the New York Metropolitans from another league, the American Association.
Final Season and Retirement
After the 1885 season, the Providence Grays left the NL. In 1886, Joe Start signed with the Washington Nationals. This was his last season. He only played 31 games and didn't hit as well. He then retired from professional baseball. After this season, his lifetime batting average in the Major Leagues dropped just below .300, to .299.
For the last nine years of his career, Joe Start was the oldest player on any major league team. He played his final professional game on July 9, 1886.
Over his entire Major League career, Joe Start had 1,417 hits, scored 852 runs, and had 544 RBI (runs batted in). His lifetime batting average was .299. These numbers don't even include his first twelve years of playing before official leagues kept track of statistics. Also, players in his time played much shorter seasons than today. This means his numbers don't fully show how consistently good he was.
Life After Baseball
After he stopped playing baseball, Joe Start moved back to Rhode Island. He ran a hotel called the Hillside Hotel near Pawtuxet. Later, he ran the Lakewood Inn in Warwick.
His wife, Angeline, passed away in February 1927. Joe Start died one month later, in Providence, Rhode Island, at the age of 84.
