Buck Ewing (1859–1906) was regarded by contemporaries as the greatest catcher and all-around player of his era. A lifetime .300-hitter, he played every position on the diamond and led the league in fielding at two different positions. The first National League hitter to reach double digits in home runs, Ewing once stole six bases in a game, pioneered the snap forearm throw to catch runners napping, averaged 35 steals a season, and is the only catcher to lead his team in stolen bases (53 in 1888).
Off the field, Ewing’s personality proved as multifaceted as his playing skills. Considered both affable and modest, he still received criticism from fellow players for negotiating contracts directly with the National League and was wrongly accused of faking injuries. This revealing biography provides a detailed exploration of Ewing’s life and career, shedding new light on one of baseball’s most talented and versatile players.

Roy Kerr, a retired professor of Spanish and a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), lives in Lakeland, Florida.

Roy Kerr
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 213
Bibliographic Info: 39 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6948-2
eISBN: 978-0-7864-9011-0
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi

Preface      1

1. The Cincinnati Kid: 1859–1879      3

2. Trojans and Gothams: 1880–1884      22

3. One of a Kind      50

4. The Giants of New York: 1885–1889      74

5. Fallen Idol: 1890–1892      106

6. Spiders and Reds: 1893–1899      138

7. The Last Hurrah: 1900–1906      163

8. Epilogue: Buck Ewing’s Place in Baseball History      178

Appendix A: “Ins and Outs of Baseball” by William Ewing (1891)      185

Appendix B: Buck Ewing’s Major League Offensive Statistics      190

Chapter Notes      191

Bibliography      199

Index      203

“offers a valuable picture of the evolution of our national pastime”—Library Journal.