Wright was born in England and came to America when his father, a famous cricket
player, was hired by the fashionable St. George Cricket Club in New York. Harry and
brothers George and Sam scandalized their father by taking up the new American game
of baseball. Harry became baseball's most innovative proponent and most influential
force, shaping a Hall of Fame career as a pioneer and manager.
Wright joined the
Knickerbockers, a club of young New York City sportsmen that included Alexander Cartwright,
who had laid out the first diamond and constructed the game's first rules. He played
wherever he could and became the recognized leader of others who took up the game.
When Cincinnati's city fathers decided after the Civil War that a winning ballclub
would put their town on the map, they hired Wright and gave him free rein to recruit
the first openly paid baseball team. The result was the undefeated 1869 Red Stockings,
whose 56-game nationwide tour helped spread the popularity of baseball.
Wright
and Albert Spalding led a tour to England in 1874 to demonstrate the game. The British
were indifferent to baseball, but were mildly impressed when the Americans, few of
whom had ever seen cricket, took some tips from Wright and won a few matches.
Wright
managed the National Association Boston Red Stockings in 1871-75, winning the pennant
the last four years. He started an 18-year career in the National League when the
circuit formed in 1876, taking the helm of the Boston Red Caps, winning titles his
second and third years but never again. His brother George, who became a Hall of
Famer, was an infielder on Harry's NA club and his NL Boston and Providence teams.
An early student of statistics, Harry kept his own detailed box scores and studied
them so avidly that he lost his sight for a year in 1890 and had to temporarily relinquish
the reins of the Phillies. He is credited with introducing the practice of one fielder
backing up another. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Committee on Baseball
Veterans in 1953.
(JK)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»December 21, 1881: The Boston club meets and elects a new board of directors, who will retain Harry Wright as manager. The club reports an operating surplus of $75 on home attendance of around 35,000.
»December 22, 1881: Harry Wright signs to manage Providence for 1882.
»March 5, 1894: Browns' owner Chris Von der Ahe, unable to hire either Harry Wright or P.J. Powers as manager, announces that he will manage the club himself. Von der Ahe will eventually name starting infielder George "Doggie" Miller as manager.
BALLPLAYERS | TEAMS | CHRONOLOGY | TODAY | BOOKS | NEWSLETTER | ERRATA | FAQ
