Tom Kinslow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tom Kinslow |
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: January 12, 1866 Washington, D.C. |
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| Died: February 22, 1901 (aged 35) Washington, D.C. |
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| debut | |||
| June 4, 1886, for the Washington Nationals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 3, 1898, for the St. Louis Browns | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .266 | ||
| Home runs | 12 | ||
| Runs batted in | 222 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Thomas F. Kinslow (born January 12, 1866 – died February 22, 1901) was a professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1886 to 1898. Tom played for eight different teams during his ten-year career. Four of these seasons were with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms of the National League (NL). He was known for his blonde hair and played as a right-handed batter and thrower.
Tom was also a member of the Washington Light Infantry. This was a local group in Washington, D.C. He played in many amateur baseball games for them. When he was not playing baseball, he managed his own business. He passed away at the age of 35 in his hometown.
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Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Thomas Kinslow was born in Washington, D.C., on January 12, 1866. His father, Michael, worked as a laborer and later in the oyster business. Tom started playing amateur baseball in his city's first ward. He played for teams called the "Quicks" and the Falcons.
Later, he joined Company C of the Washington Light Infantry. This was a local group that also played baseball. On June 29, 1885, he played catcher for them against the 5th Maryland Regiment. Washington won that game with a score of 11–7.
Baseball Career Highlights
Starting in Major League Baseball
Kinslow made his MLB debut on June 4, 1886. He played for the Washington Nationals in the NL. He was their starting catcher. During his first game, he hurt his finger trying to catch a pitch. He had to leave the game. A few days later, he was injured again by another pitch, dislocating his finger.
In 1886, he played in three games for the Nationals. He got two hits in eight turns at bat. In 1887, he played for the Peanut Eaters in a minor league. He played 36 games there. Later, he joined the New York Metropolitans of the American Association (AA). He played two games for them.
Playing in Brooklyn
Tom Kinslow spent the next two seasons playing for the London Tecumsehs. In 1888, his batting average was .200. But he improved a lot in 1889, raising his average to .343. In 1890, a new league called the Players' League (PL) started. Tom signed with the Ward's Wonders team in Brooklyn.
That season, he had a batting average of .264. He caught 64 games for his team. On June 28, he hit his first career home run. This happened in a game against the Cleveland Infants. Later, on July 11, he hit two home runs in one game. This was a special moment for him.
After the Players' League ended in 1890, Kinslow stayed in Brooklyn. He signed with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms of the NL. He joined John Montgomery Ward, who became the team's new manager. Tom played in 61 games for Brooklyn in 1891. He often shared the catcher position with Con Daily. His batting average for that year was .237.
In 1892, he continued to share playing time with Daily. He played in 66 games and improved his batting average to .305. He also hit two home runs that season. In 1893, Tom's playing time increased to 78 games. His batting average was .244, but he hit four home runs, matching his career high. He was a popular player in Brooklyn. In 1894, his batting average improved again to .305. He played in 62 games, still sharing time as catcher.
Later Years in Baseball
On January 26, 1895, Brooklyn traded Kinslow to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He joined the Pirates, but there was not much playing time for him. The catching duties were split between other players. Tom played in 19 games for Pittsburgh. His batting average was .226. He was later released from the team.
During the time he was not playing baseball, Kinslow managed his business in Washington, D.C. On May 21, 1896, he agreed to play for the Louisville Colonels of the NL. He played in eight games for the Colonels. He got seven hits in 25 turns at bat, giving him a .280 batting average.
After playing very little in 1896 and not at all in 1897, he signed with the Washington Senators for the 1898 season. He appeared in three games for Washington. Then, on August 18, he was traded to the St. Louis Browns. He played 14 more games for St. Louis. He was released from the team at the end of that season.
In his entire MLB career, Tom Kinslow played in 380 games. He had a career batting average of .266. He hit 12 home runs and had 222 runs batted in.
Personal Life
Tom Kinslow was known for being a friendly and cheerful person. He made friends easily. In 1900, he was living with his father and working in the oyster business. He passed away in his hometown of Washington, D.C., on February 22, 1901. He is buried at Congressional Cemetery.
