Eddie Boyle

The second of three Boyle family members to catch in the majors,1 Eddie Boyle followed his older brother Jack Boyle as a catcher into the National League after a promising minor-league career. Touted as potentially superior behind the plate to his well-respected older brother, Boyle suffered a serious ankle injury during the offseason before his rookie campaign. The injury limited him to five games in the majors in 1896, three with Louisville and then two with Pittsburgh.

Recovering from his injury, he played a season with the Minneapolis team in the Western League in 1897. After a successful season there, he was tendered a contract by Pittsburgh for the 1898 season, but declined to sign for what he considered an insufficient offer. He sat out the season. Lengthy discussions with Pittsburgh for the 1899 season led to a contract but not to a major-league appearance for Boyle, who was released before the end of May of that year. He then pursued an alternative career and was soon running a café in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio.2

Edward Joseph Boyle was born in Cincinnati on May 8, 1874, the sixth of seven children of James Boyle and Ellen Keegan. James and Ellen had emigrated from Ireland in the early 1860s. James worked as a drayman and Ellen stayed at home managing the seven children.

Boyle’s formal education ended with the eighth grade.3 In the fall of 1893, the Cincinnati Enquirer noted that the 19-year-old Eddie Boyle had created a sensation in amateur baseball circles in the city and would be playing professional baseball the following season. He would be known as Eddie for the rest of career. The article further noted professional baseball players familiar with Boyle’s play expected that in time his catching would surpass that of his older brother, Jack.4

It was originally reported that Boyle signed with the Sioux City (Iowa) Cornhuskers in the Western League for the 1894 season.5 Instead, he reported to Ted Sullivan’s Atlanta Atlantas of the Class B Southern Association. Boyle got off to a hot start in the pre-season, delivering six hits in his first two games and “catching like an old-timer.”6 Once the regular season started, the right-handed batter and thrower played regularly for the Atlantas, sharing the catching duties and playing first base when he wasn’t catching. Near the end of May, young Boyle was hitting .234, and his fielding average was .933. Atlanta was in sixth place in the eight-team league with a record of 14-21.7 Meanwhile, the Southern Association was struggling, and in late June it fell apart. Ted Sullivan surrendered his franchise, and the Atlantas’ board acquired the Mobile team and brought it to Atlanta. Charleston, Savannah and Macon dropped out, and with Mobile moving to Atlanta, the first part of the 1894 season was declared closed as of June 26, and the league reorganized around the four remaining clubs: Atlanta, New Orleans, Nashville and Memphis.8

With the original Atlanta team defunct, and the Mobile team taking its place, Boyle was a man without a team. The new Atlanta team sought to retain a few of the old Atlanta players, but the new Atlanta manager, Mobile’s Jake Wells, was also a top-notch catcher/first baseman, so the new Atlanta team did not request Boyle’s services.9 He finished his time in Atlanta batting .249 in 57 games, and began making other plans. It was reported that the National League’s Phillies, Pirates, and Giants had lines out for Eddie.10 On June 29 Boyle departed for Cincinnati, after he and several of his old Atlanta teammates met with Sullivan in a saloon to collect their final paychecks.11

On July 8, the Baltimore Orioles were playing in Cincinnati, down a catcher. Wilbert Robinson’s thumb had been split open by a foul ball the week before, and Baltimore was looking for an insurance catcher to back-up catcher William Clarke. Baltimore manager Ned Hanlon remembered Boyle’s catching and two hits in an April 9 exhibition game Baltimore played against the Atlantas. Hanlon decided to give Boyle a trial run.12 However, the 20-year-old Boyle decided that he was better off playing in the minors than sitting on a major-league bench, so he renewed his association with Sioux City.13

The Western League, which would become a major league within seven years, was pretty fast company. It took Boyle some time to work his way into the line-up, but he did manage to get considerable playing time despite being the back-up to starting catcher Frank Kraus.14 In late August, Boyle was praised for “doing some splendid hitting at opportune times.”15 Boyle ended up appearing in 15 games, often batting in the 8th spot, and acquitted himself well, hitting .304. The Iowa press noted that Boyle caught without a chest protector, and opined that he “is a hard worker and will be seen in the big league some day if he sticks to the business.”16

At the end of 1894, Boyle accompanied the Cincinnati Reds as a catcher on a swing through the south during the offseason.17 He tossed out some distinguished major leaguers on steal attempts or pickoffs during the trip, including Bid McPhee, William Hoy, and Farmer Vaughn.18 Comments continued to the effect that he was looking better than brother Jack at a comparable age.19

Boyle did not join the majors for the 1895 season. Instead, he signed a contract with Charlie Comiskey and his St. Paul Apostles team in Minnesota.20 Almost as soon as he was signed, there were reports he might be traded, as Comiskey needed a centerfielder. The St. Paul Globe responded that the reports were totally unfounded. “Boyle has developed amazingly well and astonished Comiskey as well as delighted his playing companions. Boyle is a first class wonder behind the bat.” Citing the Cincinnati Enquirer the article continued, “Capt. Comiskey secured a prize in Eddie Boyle. He is a ‘ringer’ for his brother Jack of the Philadelphias. He can catch nearly any kind of pitching and is a handy man at the bat.”21

For the 1895 season, he caught in 84 of the Apostles’ 123 games. He was rated as the best catcher in the Western League by the St. Paul press,22 and such was the opinion of manager Comiskey as well.23 The St. Paul Globe often referred to Boyle as “little Eddie Boyle” as he was seven years younger, and at the time several inches shorter, than his older brother Jack, who was a good friend of manager Comiskey.24 But Eddie kept growing, eventually to 6’3” and 200 lbs., only one inch shorter than his older brother.25

The St. Paul press continued to rave about Boyle’s play throughout the season. He hit well for the year, batting .283, but it was his fielding that generally earned remark. “Eddie Boyle’s work behind the bat yesterday was superb. He caught three fouls that were hard balls to get. He hit the ball, too, and his throwing was perfect.”26

As the 1895 season ended, Boyle appeared set for a bright major-league career. The press in St. Paul reported that the Cincinnati ballclub was hot to sign Boyle and Apostles shortstop Charlie Irwin. The same article suggested that Boyle’s preference was to sign with the Phillies, where his brother Jack was team captain, and that both he and Irwin had flattering offers from the team.27

The Boyle brothers were both committed to off-season conditioning. They, along with fellow major leaguer Shorty Fuller, would later open an off-season training facility in Cincinnati in 1897. But in the off-season after 1895 they had no dedicated off-season training facility to use. While skating to work on his conditioning in the winter of 1895-1896 in Cincinnati Eddie seriously injured his ankle.28 The injury may have scared off some of the big-league clubs pursuing him. However, Boyle signed with the Louisville Colonels of the National League for the 1896 season.

Boyle reported to the Colonels’ spring training site in Montgomery, Alabama on March 12, and quickly began receiving praise from manager McCloskey. Boyle’s skills as a catcher were compared to Connie Mack.29 However, by March 19, the Louisville Courier-Journal was reporting that Boyle had a “pair of very bad ankles,” although the team was still expecting great things of him once he was fully recovered.30 Two days later, Boyle was only able to “mope about,” his ankles being in very bad condition. Fellow catcher Miller called them the “worst sprains he ever saw.” Boyle himself admitted that even trying to walk was “absolute misery.”31 The injury limited Boyle to playing in just three games as the Colonels’ season opened.

Boyle’s first game appearance was on April 17 when he replaced catcher Jack Warner after the Colonels fell behind the Chicago Colts 10-1 in the first inning. He went hitless in the game, and had one assist, an error, and a passed ball. Boyle next appeared on April 23 and caught the full game in a 4-3 Louisville loss to the Pirates at Pittsburgh. Boyle was credited with a hit in the box score, a hit that does not appear in his reported career batting statistics.32 Boyle had a clean sheet fielding in the game. His final appearance for the Colonels was on April 26. He went hitless and had one error in an error-filled 6-3 loss on the road to the St. Louis Browns. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that Boyle was handling pitches well, but he could not get any velocity on his throws as he pushed off on his heavily bandaged ankle and limped perceptively.33 The Browns stole three bases in the game.

The team then traveled back to Louisville for a two-game series against the Pittsburgh. Pirates. Player-manager Connie Mack had seen Boyle in Pittsburgh the week before. Notwithstanding that Boyle was on crutches at the time,34 Mack arranged a trade to acquire Boyle and outfielder Joe Wright in exchange for Billy Clingman as the Pirates left Louisville on May 2.35 It was originally thought that Boyle and Wright would immediately be in the lineup for Pittsburgh, but Wright was assigned to Toronto in the Eastern League with the Pirates retaining rights to him.36 Boyle also went to Toronto, but was in no condition to play. Mack concluded it would be best if Boyle rested his severely injured ankle for the rest of the season, if necessary, in an effort to reach full recovery without risking reinjury by returning to play too early.37 By late June, however, Boyle appeared to have made enough progress that he was expected to be ready soon thereafter.38 Instead, he did not begin to appear in Toronto box scores until the latter half of August, but his ankles were recovered to the point he could steal a base in a game on August 20.39

Boyle was recalled to Pittsburgh in September and appeared in two games for the Pirates as the season wound down. It appeared that his ankle was fully mended. In his first game with the Pirates, Boyle went hitless, but allowed no stolen bases. The Pittsburg Press noted that Boyle “handled himself like a veteran.” The only player to challenge his arm was Cap Anson. The paper noted Anson was halfway to second before the pitch left pitcher Frank Killen’s hand, but that Boyle was still able to throw out Anson easily.40 Boyle was catching again four days later on September 16, 1896, as a mid-game substitution for catcher Billy Merritt. Boyle went hitless in a blow-out 11-0 Pirates loss to the Reds. Joe Wright pinch–hit for Boyle in the ninth.

As 1896 closed, the Pittsburg Post noted that the Pirates had three catchers under contract, Boyle, Merritt and Joe Sugden, but that one would likely go if the team could acquire a first-class catcher.41 Boyle proved to be the odd man out.

The Pirates attempted to work out a deal that would send Boyle to the Columbus team of the Western League for $600 for the 1897 season.42 The Cincinnati Reds objected and successfully blocked his release,43 arguing that when a player was being released all major league teams had an option to claim him, and should be able to do so for the same $600 price.44 A minor controversy ensued.

As the situation developed during the off-season, Boyle admitted that he was not sure where he was going to wind up playing in 1897.45 Eventually the Reds signed Boyle, although it was not clear whether the team planned to play Boyle or attempt to resell him at a higher price.46 Unsure of how much playing time he would get with the Reds, Boyle asked for his release; it was granted in April.47 He signed on with the Minneapolis Millers in the Western League.

An injury to his hand slowed his start that year, but his excellent ability to manage pitchers was not affected.48 After the season ended, Bill Watkins, who would manage the Pirates in 1898 and 1899, rated Boyle as one of the two best catchers in the Western League.49

Watkins expected to bring Boyle back to the Pirates for the 1898 season. But the economics of the baseball business for the players had changed dramatically with the folding of the Players League after 1890 and the integration of the American Association into the National League with the 1892 season. The demise of the AA resulted in the total number of major league teams dropping from 16 to 12, as only four AA teams were accepted into the NL. Player salaries that had reached their heights in the early 1890s collapsed in the absence of a competing major league to the National League.

In early 1898, Eddie was offered a contract by the Pirates in this reduced pay environment. He returned it unsigned and asked for a raise.50 The Pirates declined the request. Boyle indicated he planned to sit out the year. The incident launched Pittsburgh sports reporter James M. Nellis into a tirade. According to the Cincinnati Post, Nellis (perhaps echoing team management) commented that, “Mr. Boyle’s threat to remain out of baseball will not have any serious effect on the Pittsburgh Club, as there are already three good catchers on the club roll. His place can easily be filled by Shaw, the Urhlichsville (O.) player, who was with the Syracuse Club last year, and who is highly spoken of by Eastern critics. It is just possible that Catcher Boyle may not be given a chance at all but be allowed to display his brilliancy in minor-league ranks for another year. There was a time when such threats would have had an effect in this city, but that time is past as catcher Boyle will likely find out.”51

Eddie evidently had no regrets. After the season, he claimed to have made more money pursuing his trade in Cincinnati.52 It is not clear what his trade was, but future events suggest he had his sights set on opening a café.

Boyle stayed active in baseball during the summer of 1898. He formed an independent baseball team in Cincinnati with former major league players Denny Lyons, Shorty Fuller, and Jim Keenan.53 They played teams in the Cincinnati area.

Boyle’s reluctance to play for what the Pirates were prepared to pay extended into 1899. The press in Pittsburgh reported that the Pirates expected Boyle to join the team for workouts in the spring, but that Boyle himself was not so sure about that.54

He and the Pirates had prolonged contract discussions during the spring. In early February the Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette reported that Pirates manager Watkins was “anxious to sign Boyle, who was the most promising young catcher in the league. Boyle holds a very good position in [Cincinnati], and he is determined not to give up his position unless the Pittsburgh club accepts his original terms.”55 It was not clear how far the parties were apart, but the paper expected Boyle to sign soon. On February 27, on its front page, the Pittsburg Press reported that satisfactory terms had been reached and that Boyle would sign.56 The paper then reported that Boyle was scheduled to join the team on March 21.57 That did not happen.

The Press suggested that Boyle might be hampered by rheumatism (presumably with respect to his ankle) and that might be the cause of his hesitation to sign.58 In any event, the talks continued and eventually culminated in Boyle meeting with Watkins in Cincinnati in mid-April when the Pirates traveled through town.59 Those discussions led to Boyle signing a contract with the team at the end of April.60 But he seemed to have lost his enthusiasm for pursuing professional baseball as his career. The Pirates released him on May 12, as they decided not to carry three catchers; Boyle was again the odd man out.61 Although only 25, he did not appear in a game that season, his last on a major or minor league roster.

Following his departure from professional baseball, Boyle lived in a Cincinnati household headed by his oldest brother Daniel, along with his two sisters, Margaret and Catherine, and his youngest brother, Thomas. His occupation was listed as “ballplayer” in the 1900 census, but he was working, at least part of the time, as a road and bridge inspector through 1910.

Boyle left the household of his oldest brother in 1902 when he married Winifred McGinnis (born in 1878 in Ireland) on April 12. Winnie had immigrated to the United States with her family in 1888. He and Winnie would have two sons, Edward, Jr. and John (Jack).

By 1905, Eddie and Winnie were operating Eddie Boyle’s Café at 1134 W. 8th St. (near Harriet St.) in Cincinnati, just a short distance from (older brother) Jack Boyle’s Café at 7th and Central. While Boyle supplemented his income as a road and bridge inspector at least through 1910, the 1920 census lists his occupation only as café proprietor. Eddie and Winnie rented an apartment in the building above the café. A report of a fire at the café in 1926 mentions that six families lived in the building.62

Based on newspaper coverage, the atmosphere at the establishments of the two Boyle brothers was quite different. Jack’s place, variously referred to as a saloon or poolroom, was noted for frequent pool tournaments and occasional acts of mayhem. No similar press reports appear regarding Eddie’s café.

Boyle continued to play against professional ballplayers in old-timer and benefit games in Cincinnati through 1931. He was catching and playing with well-known players like Cy Young, Mordecai Brown, Arlie Latham, Dummy Hoy, and Bob Bescher.63 His nephews, Jim Boyle (who played briefly with the Giants in 1926) and Buzz Boyle (who played for the Braves in 1929-1930, and the Dodgers 1933-1935), followed him into the National League.

Eddie Boyle died in Cincinnati on February 10, 1941 from coronary thrombosis with congestive heart failure as a contributory factor. He was survived by Winnie, their two sons and two granddaughters. Winnie survived Eddie by 20 years and passed away in Cincinnati on April 20, 1961. Her obituary reported that she was also survived by two great-grandchildren. Eddie, Winnie, and son Jack are buried together in St. Joseph’s New Cemetery in Cincinnati; the same cemetery as that of the three other Boyle family members who played major league baseball.

In summary, a serious off-season ankle injury and a reluctance to accept the going rate of pay for a rookie catcher derailed Boyle’s major league career, which ended after a total of five games in 1896. Eddie went 1-for-14 (including the hit missing from the record noted above) for a batting average of .071. His most notable achievement in the majors was throwing out future Hall-of-Famer Cap Anson (then age 44) on a steal attempt in 1896.

Author’s Note and Acknowledgments

As full disclosure, the author is a great-great nephew of the subject player, Eddie Boyle. This biography was reviewed by Bill Lamb and fact-checked by Dan Schoenholz. The author would also like to acknowledge the contributions and edits provided by Rick Zucker.

Sources

In addition to the sources included in the Notes, the author relied on Baseball-Reference.com, Baseball-Almanac.com, TheDeadballera.com, and Retrosheet.org.

Notes

1 Boyle’s nephew Jim Boyle caught a single inning for the Giants (1926).

2 “Old Time Stars Flock Here,” Cincinnati Post, September 5, 1931: 1, 10.

3 The 1940 census lists Boyle’s highest level of education as 8th grade.

4 “Base-Ball Gossip,” Cincinnati Enquirer, October 9, 1893: 2.

5 “Latest Gossip About Players and Other Matters of Interest,” Cincinnati Enquirer, December 10, 1893; 10.

6 “All Sorts,” Cincinnati Enquirer, April 1, 1894: 10.

7 “How They Hit and Field,” Atlanta Constitution, May 28, 1894: 5.

8 “We Get Mobile,” Atlanta Constitution, June 27, 1894: 8.

9 “We Get Mobile,” Atlanta Constitution.

10 “Baseball Gossip,” Cincinnati Enquirer, June 26, 1894: 2; “Eddie Boyle to Play with Philadelphia,” Cincinnati Enquirer, June 27, 1894: 2.

11 “The Atlantas Win,” Atlanta Constitution, June 30, 1894: 2.

12 “Another Catcher Signed, Baltimore Sun, July 9, 1894: 6.

13 “Baseball Gossip,” Cincinnati Enquirer, July 10, 1894: 2; “Diamond Flashes,” Baltimore Sun, July 14, 1894. 6.

14 “Diamond Dust,” Sioux City Journal, July 26, 1894: 5.

15 “Diamond Dust,” Sioux City Journal, August 22, 1894: 5.

16 “Diamond Dust,” Sioux City Journal, July 30, 1894: 5; “Diamond Dust,” Sioux City Journal, August 2, 1894: 5.

17 “They’re Off. Ball Players for the South,” Cincinnati Enquirer, December 20, 1894; 2.

18 “A Sign of Spring,” Cincinnati Post, April 16, 1895: 4.

19 “A Sign of Spring.”

20 “All Sorts,” Cincinnati Enquirer, April 7, 1895: 2.

21 “League Notes,” St. Paul Globe, April 18, 1895: 6.

22 “By a Majority of One—Thus Does St. Paul Add Another to Its String of Victories,” St. Paul Globe, June 17, 1895: 5.

23 “Baseball Brevities,” Pittsburg Press, July 12, 1895: 5.

24 “Nineteen to Nine-Wonderful Slugging by the Apostles Scares Bobbie Gayle,” St. Paul Globe, June 14, 1895: 5; “In Champion Form-Little Eddie Boyle,” St. Paul Globe, August 2, 1895: 5.

25 In 1896, he was listed at 6’2” and 170 pounds. “Who the Players Are,” Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky), April 18, 1896: 3 (hereafter “Louisville Courier-Journal”); Jack Boyle mentioned his brother’s growth spurt and ankle injury as setting him back in 1896. “Baseball Gossip,” Cincinnati Enquirer, February 7, 1897: 2.

26 “Diamond Dust,” St. Paul Globe, August 5, 1895: 5

27 “Brush On a Hunt—Wants to Sign Ballplayers-And Will Try to Get Irwin, Boyle, Stratton and Others,” St. Paul Globe, September 19, 1895: 5.

28 “Baseball Gossip,” Buffalo Morning Express, January 20, 1897: 12.

29 “Reserves Took the First Game of the Season,” Louisville Courier-Journal, March 15, 1896: 11; “Baseball Gossip,” Louisville Courier-Journal, March 18, 1896: 6.

30 “Final Selection of Louisville Players,” Louisville Courier-Journal, March 19, 1896: 5.

31 “How the Training is Done,” Louisville Courier-Journal, March 21, 1896: 3; “Baseball and Other Sports,” Minneapolis Times, April 27, 1897: 2.

32 “Victory Again Snatched from the Unfortunate Colonels,” Louisville Courier-Journal, April 24, 1896: 6.

33 “Baseball Gossip-Louisville Could Not Make It Interesting,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 27, 1896: 5.

34 “The Baseball World,” Minneapolis Times, October 10, 1897: 16.

35 “Mack Gets Two Good Men-He Trades Clingman for Boyle and Wright,” Pittsburg Press, May 3, 1896: 6.

36 See Wright’s biography on sabr.org.

37 “Base Ball Gossip,” Kansas City Star, August 15, 1896: 3.

38 “Around the Diamond,” Buffalo News, June 24, 1896: 14.

39 “Another Forfeited Game,” Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York), August 21, 1896: 14.

40 “In Another Trance—Pirates Were Defeated for the Fourth Time,” Pittsburg Press, September 13, 1896: 7.

41 “Sporting Talk of the Week—Full List of Players Under Contact of the Local Team,” Pittsburg Post, December 6, 1896: 7.

42 “Eddie Boyle Sold-Tom Loftus Bought the Catcher’s Release for Columbus,” Pittsburg Press, January 17, 1897: 6.

43 “Latest Sporting News—Cincinnati Has Blocked the Sale of Boyle’s Release,” Pittsburg Press, January 26, 1897: 1.

44 “Latest Gossip About Players—Other Matters of Interest,” Cincinnati Enquirer, January 29, 1897: 2.

45 “Latest Gossip About Players—Other Matters of Interest,” Cincinnati Enquirer, March 30, 1897: 2.

46 “Latest Gossip About Players—Other Matters of Interest,” Cincinnati Enquirer, January 29, 1897: 2.

47 “Baseball Brevities,” Pittsburg Press, April 23, 1897: 5.

48 “The Baseball World,” Minneapolis Times, May 30, 1897:18.

49 “Baseball Brevities,” Pittsburg Press, October 15, 1897; 5.

50 “Fans’ Menu,” Cincinnati Post, January 12, 1898; 2.

51 “Fans’ Menu,” Cincinnati Post. The player referred to is Al Shaw (the earlier of the two players by that name). Shaw suffered an injury at the end of the 1897 season that sidelined him for most of 1898 and he never appeared in a game for the Pirates. He first appeared in the majors catching for the Tigers in their inaugural season in the AL in 1901. He did not play again in the majors until 1907-1909 seasons.

52 “Baseball Brevities,” Pittsburg Press, November 28, 1898: 5.

53 “Latest Gossip About Plays and Players—Other Matters of Interest,” Cincinnati Enquirer, August 10, 1898: 4; “General Sporting Notes,” Detroit Free Press, December 10, 1898: 6.

54 “Baseball Brevities,” Pittsburg Press, January 26, 1899: 5.

55 “Eddie Boyle Will Sign,” Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette, February 4, 1899: 6.

56 “Eddie Boyle Will Sign—The Striker Says Pittsburgh’s Terms Are Satisfactory Now,” Pittsburg Press, February 27, 1899: 1.

57 “At the Training Place,” Pittsburg Press, March 21, 1899: 5.

58 “Pirates Progress,” Pittsburg Press, March 23, 1899: 5.

59 “Other Matters of Interest,” Cincinnati Enquirer, April 14, 1899: 3.

60 “Sporting Notes,” Pittsburg Post, April 28, 1899: 6.

61 “Boyle Released—The Pittsburgh Club Has No Use for Three Backstops,” Pittsburg Press, May 12, 1899.

62 “Flee from Fire-Families Leave Building When Flames Breakout,” Cincinnati Post, March 15, 1926: 14.

63 “Yesteryear Ballplayers Gather Here,” Cincinnati Post, September 5, 1931: 1, 10.