John Montgomery Ward facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Montgomery Ward |
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| Shortstop / Second baseman / Pitcher | |||
| Born: March 3, 1860 Bellefonte, Pennsylvania |
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| Died: March 4, 1925 (aged 65) Augusta, Georgia |
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| debut | |||
| July 15, 1878, for the Providence Grays | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 1894, for the New York Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .275 | ||
| Home runs | 26 | ||
| Runs batted in | 867 | ||
| Stolen bases | 540 | ||
| Win–loss record | 164–103 | ||
| Earned run average | 2.10 | ||
| Strikeouts | 920 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As manager
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1964 | ||
| Election Method | Veterans Committee | ||
John Montgomery Ward (March 3, 1860 – March 4, 1925), also known as Monte Ward, was an amazing American baseball player. He was a pitcher, shortstop, and second baseman in Major League Baseball. But he was more than just a player! He also worked as a manager, team executive, and even an author.
Monte Ward was a true leader. He helped create the very first union for professional sports players. He also started a new baseball league called the Players' League. His efforts changed baseball history forever.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Start
John Montgomery Ward grew up in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. He went to Bellefonte Academy in the 1870s. When he was just 13, he attended Pennsylvania State University.
While at college, he helped start a baseball program. Many people say he even developed the first curveball pitch! He left school early after some trouble.
In 1874, his parents passed away. He tried working as a traveling salesman, but it didn't work out. He soon found his way back to baseball. In 1878, he got a chance to play professionally. He signed a contract to pitch for the Providence Grays. This team was part of the new National League, which started in 1876.
Pitching for the Providence Grays
Ward's first season with the Grays was a big success. He won 22 games and had a very low ERA of 1.51. He played only as a pitcher that year.
Over the next two seasons, he became an even better pitcher. In 1879, he won 47 games and helped the Grays finish in first place. He also pitched nearly 600 innings each year!
In 1880, Ward started playing other positions too. On June 17, 1880, he pitched a perfect game. This means no opposing player reached base at all! He beat the Buffalo Bisons 5–0. It was only the second perfect game in baseball history. The first one had been thrown just five days earlier.
Ward also became a player-manager for the Grays. He led the team for their last 32 games, winning 18 of them. The Grays finished in second place that year.
Moving to New York and Fighting for Players' Rights
In 1881 and 1882, Ward played more games in the outfield than as a pitcher. This was because of an arm injury he got while sliding into a base. He still pitched well when he could. On August 17, 1882, he pitched the longest complete game shutout ever. He held the Detroit Wolverines scoreless for 18 innings!
After this, the Grays thought his best pitching days were over. They sold him to the New York Giants.
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Ward joined the New York Giants in 1883. In 1884, another arm injury ended his pitching career for good. He couldn't wait for his arm to heal. So, he taught himself to throw left-handed! This allowed him to play center field for the rest of the season. He also took over as the Giants' manager for part of 1884.
By 1885, his arm was fully healed. He became the team's everyday shortstop.
The Players' Union
In 1885, Ward also graduated from Columbia Law School. He used his legal knowledge to help baseball players. He led them in forming the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players. This was the first labor union for sports players.
Players were upset about the "reserve clause." This rule allowed team owners to sign players to one-year contracts. But then, players couldn't talk to other teams when their contracts ended. Owners had too much power. At first, the union had some success. Players gained the right to negotiate with other teams if their current team cut their pay.
In October 1887, Ward married actress Helen Dauvray. The next year, the Giants won a playoff series. They then played the St. Louis Browns for the "Dauvray Cup." This trophy was named after Ward's wife!
Later, team owners created a new system. It set a maximum salary for players at $2,500. Ward was very angry about this. He demanded a meeting with the owners, but they refused. Even with these fights, Ward played great. He helped the Giants win their second "World Series" title in 1889.
Ward also found time to write a book in 1888. It was called Base-Ball: How to Become a Player, with the Origin, History and Explanation of the Game. It was the first book to explore baseball's early history.
Starting the Players' League
Ward realized that talking to the owners wasn't working. He threatened to create a new league for players. The owners didn't believe him. But Ward had many connections in the business world. He began to launch the new league, called the Players' League.
This new league was different. It shared profits with the players. It also had no "reserve clause" and no salary limits.
The season began in 1890. More than half of the National League's players joined the new league! Ward was a player-manager for the Brooklyn team, nicknamed the Ward's Wonders. He had a great batting average of .335 that year.
The Players' League drew many fans. But the team owners got worried. They weren't making as much money as they expected because of the profit-sharing. Soon, they secretly started selling their teams to the National League. This caused the Players' League to end.
Later Baseball Career
After the Players' League ended, Ward stayed in Brooklyn. He became a player-manager for the National League team, the Brooklyn Grooms. After the 1892 season, he wanted to return to the Giants. He was sold back to his old team for $6,000.
Even though his hitting wasn't as strong, Ward led the league in stolen bases in 1893. He retired after the 1894 season at age 34. He finished his career with a .275 batting average, 2,104 hits, and 540 stolen bases. He is the only player in history to win over 100 games as a pitcher and also get over 2,000 hits!
Life After Baseball
After retiring from baseball at 34, Ward became a successful lawyer. He often represented baseball players in their fights against the National League. He also worked as a president and part-owner for the Boston Braves team. Later, he was an official in the short-lived Federal League in 1914.
In the last 25 years of his life, Ward found a new passion: golf. He won several championships around New York. He played all over Europe and competed in major golf events. He even finished second in the important North and South Men's Amateur Golf Championship in 1903.
Ward was always an organizer. He helped start the New York Golf Association and the Long Island Golf Association.
John Montgomery Ward passed away in Augusta, Georgia, on March 4, 1925, the day after his 65th birthday. He died after getting pneumonia. He is buried in Greenfield Cemetery in Hempstead, Long Island, New York.
In 1964, John Montgomery Ward was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
Images for kids
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1887 baseball card
