Dan Stearns

Daniel Eckford Stearns (born October 17, 1861 in Buffalo, New York – June 28, 1944 in Glendale, California), commonly known as "Ecky" Stearns, was a Major League Baseball first baseman from 1880-1889. He played for the Buffalo Bisons, Detroit Wolverines, Kansas City Cowboys, Baltimore Orioles, and Cincinnati Red Stockings (AA).

Dan Stearns
First baseman
Born: (1861-10-17)October 17, 1861
Buffalo, New York
Died: June 28, 1944(1944-06-28) (aged 82)
Glendale, California
Batted: Left Threw: Right
MLB debut
August 17, 1880, for the Buffalo Bisons
Last MLB appearance
October 14, 1889, for the Kansas City Cowboys
MLB statistics
Batting average.242
Home runs8
RBI173
Teams

At the start of the 1882 season, clubs playing in the American Association had their players wear non-matching silk uniforms, with a different color and/or pattern corresponding to each position in the field.[1] Accordingly, on Opening Day for the Red Stockings, Stearns wore an unusual candy-striped jersey.[1]

On September 11, 1882, Stearns was involved in a notable milestone, when pitcher Tony Mullane of the Louisville Eclipse pitched the first no-hit game in the history of the American Association against Stearns and his teammates on the Cincinnati Red Stockings, a 2–0 win by Louisville.[2] Stearns made the game's final out by bouncing into a fielder's choice that forced runner Pop Snyder at second base.[2] The Red Stockings had the last laugh, however, ending the year as the AA's inaugural champions.[3]

Unsatisfied with their first-base play in 1882, the Red Stockings signed Long John Reilly of the New York Metropolitans to replace Stearns prior to the 1883 season.[4]

Stearns spent the 1887 season with the Topeka Golden Giants of the Western League, leading that league in hits. That team finished with a dominant record of 90–25, and is sometimes described as the strongest minor league baseball club of the 19th century.[5]

Stearns is also notable as one of the first Jews to play Major League Baseball.[6] His status as such made him popular with Jewish youths who were fans of the game.[7]

References
  1. Nemec, David. "The Official Rules of Baseball Illustrated", Globe Pequot, 2006, p. 11. ISBN 1592288448
  2. Nemec, David. "The great encyclopedia of nineteenth century major league baseball", University of Alabama Press, 2006, p. 222. ISBN 0817314997
  3. Nemec, David, and Marc Rucker. "The Beer and Whisky League: The Illustrated History of the American Association--Baseball's Renegade Major League", Globe Pequot, 2004, p. 37. ISBN 1592281885
  4. Nemec and Rucker, p. 43
  5. Nemec, "The great encyclopedia of nineteenth century major league baseball", p. 485.
  6. Levine, Peter. "Ellis Island to Ebbets Field: Sport and the American Jewish Experience", Oxford University Press, 1993, p. 103. ISBN 0195085558
  7. Cohen, Irwin J. "Jewish Detroit", Arcadia Publishing, 2002, p. 26. ISBN 0738519960
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