White, in the words of baseball historian Lee Allen, was "one of the game's greats
who never received his due." He was the first ML player to wear glasses on the field.
Will's brother Deacon was already a star player when Will arrived in the ML in 1877.
For a few games they formed a brother battery in Boston, but all except two of Will's
229 career victories came in a Cincinnati uniform. In 1878, he won 30 games for the
NL Reds and followed with 43 the next year. In both seasons his ERA was under 2.00.
When it rose to 2.14 in 1880, he led the NL in losses with 42. In eight of the losses
the weak-hitting Reds were shut out. He returned with Cincinnati's American Association
team in 1882 and posted consecutive seasons of 40, 43, 34, and 18 wins. Upon his
retirement, he became a successful businessman in Buffalo, New York.
(BC)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»April 19, 1915: St. Louis Cardinals righthander Lee Meadows makes his NL debut and becomes the first player to wear glasses regularly on the field since P Will White in 1886. Later in the season, Carmen Hill will become the 2nd pitcher to do so.