Lip Pike facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lip Pike |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: May 25, 1845 New York City, U.S. |
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| Died: October 10, 1893 (aged 48) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 9, 1871, for the Troy Haymakers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 28, 1887, for the New York Metropolitans | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .322 | ||
| Home runs | 21 | ||
| Runs batted in | 332 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Lipman Emanuel "Lip" Pike (born May 25, 1845 – died October 10, 1893) was a famous baseball player in the 1800s. People called him the "Iron Batter" because he was so good at hitting the ball. His brother, Israel Pike, also played baseball for a short time.
Lip Pike was one of the first great power hitters in professional baseball. He led early leagues in home runs four times! He was known for his "great speed, a strong throwing arm, and huge power."
Pike was also the first Jewish baseball star and manager in America.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Lip Pike was Jewish and came from a Dutch-Jewish family. He was born in New York City and grew up in Brooklyn. His father, Emanuel, owned a shop that sold men's clothing and accessories, called a haberdashery. Lip had three brothers, Boaz, Israel, and Jacob, and a sister named Julia.
Baseball Career Highlights
Pike started playing baseball when he was just 13 years old. He first became well-known playing for the Philadelphia Athletics (1860–1876) in 1866. He was a powerful hitter and one of the fastest players. Once, he even hit five home runs in a single game!
Back then, baseball players were supposed to be amateurs, meaning they didn't get paid. But it was discovered that Pike and two other players were secretly getting $20 a week. This caused a bit of a stir, but nothing serious happened. This situation actually helped lead the way for baseball to become a professional sport, where players could openly get paid.
In 1867, Pike left the Philadelphia team and played for clubs in Irvington, New Jersey and then the New York Mutuals. He joined the Brooklyn Atlantics in 1869, where he hit an amazing .610. In 1870, Pike and the Atlantics ended the Cincinnati Red Stockings' incredible 93-game winning streak!
Playing in the National Association
In 1871, the National Association started as the first professional baseball league. Pike joined the Troy Haymakers. He was their star player and even managed the team for a few games. He hit .377, which was one of the best in the league, and led the league with 4 home runs. He was also great at getting extra base hits (hits that are more than a single).
For the 1872 season, Pike moved to the Baltimore Canaries. He had another fantastic year, leading the league in home runs again (with 6) and RBIs (60).
In 1873, Pike led the league in home runs for the third year in a row, hitting 4. He was also one of the fastest players in the league. He loved to race people for money and almost always won. On August 16, 1873, he even raced a fast horse named "Clarence" in a 100-yard sprint! Pike won by four yards in just 10 seconds, earning $250!
After the 1873 season, the Baltimore team ran out of money and closed down. So, Pike became the captain of the Hartford Dark Blues for the 1874 season. Even though the team wasn't very good, Pike had a great season, hitting very well and getting on base often.
Pike then joined the St. Louis Brown Stockings in 1875. This was the first time in his professional career that he didn't hit a home run, but he still stole 25 bases and hit many triples and doubles. He even led the league in doubles that year.
Overall, Lip Pike holds the records for career home runs (15) and extra base hits (135) in the National Association.
Moving to the National League
In 1876, the National League took the place of the National Association. Pike stayed with the St. Louis team. They had a very good season, finishing second. Pike continued to be a strong hitter for the team.
Pike then moved to the Cincinnati Reds for the 1877 season. Even though the Reds finished last that year, Pike was still a top player. He led the league in home runs for the fourth time in the 1870s! By this time, Pike was 32 years old, and age was starting to affect his play. In 1878, he was one of the oldest players in the league. He played for the Reds, who finished second, but he was replaced halfway through the season and played a few games for the Providence Grays. For the next two years, he played for smaller, minor league teams.
Sporting Life, a sports newspaper, later named him an outfielder on its All-Star team for the 1870s.
In 1881, Pike got a short chance to play for the Worcester Ruby Legs. But at 36, he wasn't playing as well as before. His performance was so poor that people became suspicious, and Pike was suspended from the National League that September. He was put on the National League's "blacklist" in 1881, meaning he couldn't play in the league. He then went back to his father's business, selling men's clothing. He played amateur baseball for another six years. He was allowed to play in the league again in 1883.
Final Season in the American Association
In 1887, the New York Metropolitans of the American Association gave Pike another chance. At 42 years old, he was the oldest player in baseball! He only played one game, which was more like a farewell than a new start. After that, Pike went back to his clothing business for good.
Death and Legacy
Lip Pike sadly died suddenly from heart disease in 1893, when he was 48 years old. He was buried in the Salem Fields Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.
Even decades after he passed away, people remembered Lip Pike. In 1936, he received one vote for the 1936 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, though he wasn't chosen.
In 1985, Pike was honored and added to the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.
Lip Pike was the first Jewish manager in major league baseball history. He is one of only seven Jewish managers ever, including others like Gabe Kapler and Bob Melvin.
See also
- Major League Baseball titles leaders
- List of Jewish Major League Baseball players
- List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball player-managers
