Harry Wright (1835-1895) was an English-born American baseball player and manager credited as one of the central figures in transforming baseball from an amateur pastime into a professional sport. In 1869 he organized and managed the Cincinnati Red Stockings as the first openly all-salaried professional baseball team, leading them through a widely publicized undefeated season that demonstrated the commercial viability of paid baseball to cities across the country. He went on to manage teams in the new professional leagues that followed, including the National Association and the National League, compiling one of the winningest managerial records of the sport's first decades while also promoting rule innovations such as backing up defensive plays and coaching from the baselines. He is often called the "Father of Professional Baseball."
Facts
RoleAmerican professional baseball player, manager, and developer 1 Death PlaceAtlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. 1 Role
Role (category) FAQs
Why was the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings team important to Harry Wright's career?
The 1869 Red Stockings were the first openly all-professional team. Wright built and managed it.
In 1869 the Cincinnati Red Stockings fielded an openly all-professional team, the first of its kind, and Harry Wright was designated scout and general manager. He selected a team of young players who would function well together. The club dominated that season and went undefeated on a tour of the East, then swept the competition on a trip to California. As the first salaried club, the team stirred controversy over professionalism, because mixing money with the game was widely seen as a recipe for corruption. Wright demanded discipline from his players, and the team earned a reputation for good conduct. Its first defeat came against the Brooklyn Atlantics on June 14, 1870.
Connections
In Era
Source Wikipedia: Harry Wright
In the Other Atlases
Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Harry Wright
Wikipedialead paragraph
William Henry "Harry" Wright (January 10, 1835 - October 3, 1895) was an American professional baseball center fielder, pitcher, manager, and developer.
Early life section
Born in Sheffield, England, he was the eldest of five children of professional cricketer Samuel Wright and his wife, Annie Tone Wright.
Death section
Wright died of a lung ailment on October 3, 1895, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Harry Wright: Gender
In 1869 he organized and managed the Cincinnati Red Stockings as the first openly all-salaried professional baseball team, leading them through a widely publicized undefeated season that demonstrated the commercial viability of paid baseball to cities across the country.
In Era: The Late Modern Period, lead paragraph, lifespan
William Henry "Harry" Wright (January 10, 1835 - October 3, 1895) was an American professional baseball center fielder, pitcher, manager, and developer.
View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.