Books and articles about Cy Seymour

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As a hard-throwing lefthander for the Giants in the late 1890s, he won 20 and 25 games. His nickname was an allusion to Cy Young. Seymour led the NL in strikeouts in both 1897 and '98. But he was wild, leading the league in walks for three straight years, with a high of 213 in 1898. A strong lefthanded hitter, he'd occasionally played the outfield when not pitching, and by 1901 he was a regular. In 1905 with the Reds he led the NL in batting (.377), RBI (121), hits (219), doubles (40), and triples (21). Traded to the Giants the next year, he played regularly for McGraw's pennant contenders. He played an unusually shallow centerfield, and in the 1908 playoff a routine Cub fly ball sailed over his head for the winning runs and a Chicago pennant. (JK)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 24, 1899: In Cincinnati, Giants pitcher Cy Seymour hits two doubles and two singles, but his wildness costs him a win against the Reds. With the bases loaded in the 9th and score tied 6–6, Seymour hands out his 13th walk of the game to force in the winning run. » May 28, 1900: New York pitcher Cy Seymour, a former 20-game winner, combines with Ed Doheny to walk nine Pirates and plunk four in a 14-0 loss to Pittsburgh. Seymour hits Honus Wagner with a pitch today and plunked him two days ago as well. » June 7, 1900: Cy Seymour scatters 10 hits and issues 11 walks, but manages to beat St. Louis 10-3. Despite the win, the Giants farm out Seymour to the Worcester Farmers (Eastern League) after the game. Seymour will return to the majors as an outfielder. » July 8, 1902: John McGraw, accused by Ban Johnson of trying to wreck the Baltimore and Washington clubs, negotiates his release from the Orioles and officially signs to manage the Giants at $11,000 a year, although he'd already secretly signed a contract several days earlier brought to Baltimore by Giants secretary Fred M. Knowles. McGraw says, "I wish to state that I shall not tamper with any of the Baltimore club's players." But conspiring with National League owners Brush and Andrew Freedman, McGraw swings the sale of the Orioles their way, enabling them to release Orioles Dan McGann, Roger Bresnahan, Joe McGinnity, and Jack Cronin for signing by the Giants. Joe Kelley and Cy Seymour go to Brush's Cincinnati Reds. » July 16, 1902: Giants owner Andrew Freedman announces he has purchased controlling interest in the Baltimore club and releases Dan McGann, Roger Bresnahan, Joe McGinnity, and Jack Cronin to sign with New York. Mike Donlin, Joe Kelley and Cy Seymour go to the Reds, where Kelley will take over as manager. » July 25, 1902: At Chicago, the Reds Cy Seymour sets a major-league record by hitting four sac flies in a 6–1 win over the Chicago Colts. Seymour will be tied but never topped. » October 4, 1902: When Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss demands a game be played despite a rain-soaked Exposition Park field, Cincinnati plays most of its team out of their normal positions. First sacker Jake Beckley starts on the mound for the only time in his career, pitching four innings and giving up eight runs, four earned. Cy Seymour followed, and Turkey Mike Donlin finished up. Reds rookie pitcher Rube Vickers tries his hand at catching, and sets a modern major-league record with six passed balls to help Pittsburgh win 11-2 [It is also a record for both teams in a game. Vickers makes no effort to retrieve wide pitches, and it's a surprise he only had six passed balls.] But Dreyfuss refunds the fans' money and the Reds return their share of the gate to keep the irate fans (not for nothing were they called 'cranks') from wrecking the stadium. » July 23, 1904: After losing 3–1 to Boston in the opener, the Reds unload for a 15–1 win in game 2. Leading the offense in Cy Seymour, who goes 5-for-5, with two doubles and a triple. » July 24, 1905: Giant LF Sam Mertes makes an unassisted double play to help New York stop the Reds, 4-3, at the Polo Grounds. In the 2nd inning, the Reds have one out and a runner on 3rd, outfielder Cy Seymour, once a wild pitcher for the Giants. Mertes catches a short fly off the bat of George Schlei and continues running to double off Cy. » October 7, 1905: Cincinnati's Fred Odwell lines an inside the park homer, off St. Louis rookie Buster Brown, to edge out teammate Cy Seymour for the NL home run title. Odwell leads the NL with nine round trippers, but will never hit another homer. » July 14, 1906: At Robison Field, the Giants clip the Cardinals 5-1 and 4-0 with the help of two additions to the lineup. Cy Seymour, last year's near triple-crown winner, is a new addition from the Reds for $12,000. Seymour was with the Giants from 1896 to 1900 as a pitcher and outfielder, and in 1905 led the NL in batting, RBIs, slugging percentage, and 2nd in homers (8). Cy has four hits for the Giants today. The other addition is Spike Shannon, who moves over from the Cardinal dugout in exchange for Sam Mertes and Doc Marshall. Spike has three hits and two runs in the opener. Mathewson wins the nitecap, shutting out the Birds on six hits. » July 30, 1906: At the Polo Grounds, the Giants jump on Cincy's Bob Wicker, lighting him up for 17 hits to win 9-1. Christy Mathewson and Cy Seymour each have three hits, with Matty exiting the game after six innings. The umps call the game after eight innings on account of darkness. » September 3, 1906: At the Polo Grounds, the Giants flatten the Beaneaters twice, 4-0 and 3-2. Christy Mathewson wins his 17th in the opener, beating a wild Big Jeff Pfeffer. Cy Seymour completes the scoring with a solo homer in the 8th inning. Hooks Wiltse, in relief of Red Ames, wins the nitecap. » July 20, 1907: Chicago's Carl Lundgren and New York's Christy Mathewson are stingy today with the Cubs twirler allowing just four hits while the Cubs scratch three off Matty. The Giants score in the 4th when Cy Seymour parks a drive in the bleachers with two on. Prevailing rules make the hit a single, with just one run scoring: it is enough as Matty wins, 1-0. Joe Tinker is hitless against Matty, the only time this year that Mathewson shuts down his nemesis. » July 29, 1907: At St. Louis, the Giants edge the Cards 4-3 in 11 innings. New York blows a 2-0 lead in the 9th when Christy Mathewson makes a wild throw to 1B. A triple by Cy Seymour, sandwiched between two hits, gives the Giants a pair of runs, and Matty holds on to win. » August 17, 1908: In a rain-shortened game, Christy Mathewson throws his mitt on the field and defeats the Cards, 3-0, in six innings, with Harry Sallee taking the loss. With the Giants at bat in the 5th, John McGraw signals Cy Seymour to steal home-even though Cards C Bill Ludwig has the ball. Jack Barry, the next batter, then strikes out on three pitches, as the Giants race to beat the downpour. » September 8, 1908: Christy Mathewson's 30th win is a gem-an 11-inning 1-0 win over the Superbas' Nap Rucker. A single by Al Bridwell drives home Cy Seymour with the winning tally. New York stays a half-game ahead of Pittsburgh.