Curt Welch

“Curt Welch’s $15,000 slide is the most famous play of 19th-Century baseball.” – Bill James, The Historical Baseball Abstract1

Outfielder Curt Welch is best remembered for “The Slide” – as it became known – that scored the winning run as the St. Louis Browns captured the 1886 world championship. This hard-playing, hard-drinking man was the best defensive center fielder of his day.2 He was a key part of the three pennant-winning Browns teams (1885-1887) led by manager Charles Comiskey and owner Chris Von Der Ahe.

Welch was responsible for the rule change that prohibited batters from leaning into a pitch to get on base – a stratagem he used extensively.3 Reports also indicate that he was also the first center fielder to pull off a pickoff at second base.4 

Beyond the field, Welch was a complicated person who could never keep his priorities straight. Alcoholism caused an early exit from the majors at age 31 – and contributed to his death at just 34.

***

Curtis Benton Welch was born to John and Margaret (née Benton) Welch on February 10, 1862. His birth took place on the family farm near Williamsport, Ohio.5 The youngest of seven children, he attended school in the local village for a short time. However, as industrial trades expanded in the 1870s, the Welch family moved to East Liverpool, then America’s pottery capital.6 Nestled along the Ohio River, East Liverpool produced pottery in abundance in the mid-19th century because the area had plenty of clay and other materials. The Welch family, like most working-class families there, decided it would be best for Curt to quit school and work full-time at a local crockery factory, thus bringing an end to his formal education.7  

Little is known about Welch’s childhood besides working at the pottery from a very young age. As an apocryphal story goes, in the spring of 1877 Welch’s path in baseball was established by nothing more than chance. The Crockery City ball club was at the Cleveland and Pittsburgh station awaiting a train to Steubenville. Councilman Chal Stewart was the catcher for the “Stars” (the hometown team), but an ailing hand cast doubt on his ability to play. One of the club’s members noticed a shy youth in the crowd and suggested they give young Curt Welch a chance.8  

His local reputation was sealed when not a single ball passed the young catcher. For the remainder of the season, Welch played on and off with the Stars. Despite a valiant effort by Welch’s team, the Crockery City club took the seven-game series they were playing.9

It’s a nice story at first glance, but there is no proof it happened. It’s more likely that Welch had already been playing for the Stars; after the catcher was injured, the young center fielder was called upon to play the position.10

Welch remained with the club throughout his youth, contributing mightily to both it and the pottery operation. By June 1883, he was regarded as the best ballplayer in East Liverpool. That summer, Charlie Morton, manager of the Toledo Blue Stockings – champion of the Northwestern League – signed Welch.11 The 22-year-old became the starting center fielder the next season when Toledo was admitted to the major league American Association.12 Welch was paid $110 a month for his services in 1884.13

In April 1884, Welch married Anna Boyle of the nearby town of Salineville, Ohio. He then benefited from the profusion of ball clubs accorded major league status. Between the established National League, the recently arrived American Association, and the upstart Union Association, no fewer than 34 different venues hosted a major league team at some point during the 1884 season.

At the start of the season, Toledo manager Morton returned Welch to the outfield. Against Cincinnati on May 10, Welch committed three of his 29 errors for the season in an 11-1 rout of the Blue Stockings.14 Despite such struggles, Welch managed to lead the American Association outfielders in putouts (207), albeit with a mediocre fielding percentage of .888. At the plate, he hit an unimpressive .224, but with 24 doubles.

The Blue Stockings’ team dynamics also deserve attention. The roster featured the first African American to play in the major leagues, catcher Moses Fleetwood Walker. Walker faced racial antipathy from one of his batterymates, Tony Mullane, and it has been suggested that Welch felt the same way. According to author David Fleitz, however, Welch did not voice racist sentiments during the 1884 season. He openly expressed segregationist beliefs only in September 1887, when he was one of eight Browns who signed a petition against playing the Cuban Giants, a Black team.15

After the season, Toledo (which had finished eighth) was among the franchises that the American Association discarded. In the fire sale that followed, manager Morton dealt the contracts of Welch, star pitcher Tony Mullane, second baseman Sam Barkley, and others to the St. Louis Browns.16

With the new additions, St. Louis was expected to take a big leap forward in 1885. Eccentric as they come, club boss Chris Von der Ahe did the unthinkable at the time and scheduled games on Sundays, intent on bringing working-class fans into the ballpark. By selling tickets for 25 cents, instead of the National League’s standard 50 cents, and promoting liquor sales at home ballgames, St. Louis quickly became a moneymaker and a tough place for opponents to play.17

Under first baseman-manager Charles Comiskey, the Browns (79-33, .705) dominated the American Association in 1885, winning the pennant by 16 games.18 Welch played in all 112 of the Browns’ games. The righty batted .271 with a team-leading 69 RBIs. “Curt Welch has no superior as a center fielder,” the St. Louis Globe-Democrat opined. “He is strong, well built [5-feet-10 and 175 pounds], a good batter, and the hardest hitter of the nine.”19 Welch also enjoyed playing baseball again in East Liverpool, as the Browns played an exhibition against the Crockery City Club.20

After his strong first season with the Browns, Welch’s salary rose to $1,800.21 He responded by upping his batting average to .281, with 46 extra-base hits and 95 RBIs. He also stole 59 bases and played first-rate defense, leading AA center fielders in assists (297).22

Meanwhile, the Browns once again coasted to an American Association pennant, going 93-46 (.669). As in 1885, they squared off against A.G. Spalding’s Chicago White Stockings to decide the champions of the baseball world. Managed by first baseman Adrian “Cap” Anson, the Chicago roster featured other noteworthy stars of the day, including future Hall of Famer Mike “King” Kelly and hurlers Jim McCormick and John Clarkson.23

The 1886 World Series was a back-and-forth affair that, through five games, featured blowouts in every contest except Game Four.24 In the sixth game, Comiskey sent out young staff ace Bob Caruthers to try to wrap up the series against Clarkson. Under cloudy skies, the teams battled through nine innings, tied 3-3. Chicago led 2-0 in the fourth before a brief rain delay; a misjudged fly ball by Chicago left fielder Abner Dalrymple in the eighth tied the score.25   

After Caruthers held Chicago scoreless in the top half of the 10th, Welch led off the bottom half of the frame by getting hit with a pitch. Anson, protesting that Welch leaned into the ball, persuaded umpire Gracie Pierce to return Welch to the batter’s box.

Much to the delight of the rambunctious crowd, Welch promptly lined a single into center field.26 He took second when Chicago third baseman Ed Williamson muffed a hard grounder hit by Dave Foutz.  Yank Robinson then advanced both runners with a sacrifice. With the winning run at third, catcher Kelly signaled for a low pitch, but Clarkson uncorked one over his head towards the backstop. Welch crossed the plate as the jubilant St. Louis crowd rushed the field. While the play is popularly known as “Curt Welch’s $15,000 Slide,” no evidence shows that he slid.27 The play was named for the reputed $15,000 Series winner’s share. The real number was “exactly $13,781.95.”28

The 1887 season was another success for St. Louis: the club once again won the American Association pennant, going 95-40-3 (.704). In a June 16 matchup at Oriole Park in Baltimore, Welch was embroiled in a controversial play that caused a near-riot. In the top of the ninth inning, Welch barreled over Baltimore second baseman Bill Greenwood to break up a double play. Some of the 7,000 Baltimore fans in attendance took umbrage, storming the field and calling for Welch’s arrest. But Greenwood declined to press charges, and the contest resumed, eventually ending in an 8-8 draw.29

St. Louis lost the 1887 World Series to the National League. Detroit Wolverines (10-5). Welch had another good season, driving in 108 runs while batting .278. However, his drinking – by then chronic – and off-field antics cost him the trust of Browns owner Von der Ahe. In November, Welch was dispatched to the American Association’s Philadelphia Athletics as part of a multi-player transaction.30

As he had before, Welch took a vow of abstinence and spent the offseason in California getting himself in shape.31 Bill Sharsig, the Athletics’ manager and co-owner, was willing to look past Welch’s drinking and profane on-field language and took a chance on the erratic outfielder.

While his off-field behavior shed a negative light on his image, Welch had an excellent season in 1888, batting a career-high .282 with a .355 OBP for the A’s. He also stole 95 bases and again provided capable defense in center field (.952 fielding percentage). Former manager Charlie Comiskey still held Welch in high regard, stating, “Take [Harry] Lyons. He is an excellent fielder, but then he is not Curt Welch, who hasn’t an equal in that position.”32

On December 1, 1888, Welch re-signed with Philadelphia for the upcoming season. “We never thought of releasing Welch, and no amount overpaid for a ballplayer would have purchased his release from us,” Sharsig said.33

Welch showed up to spring training in 1889 about 15 pounds overweight and had to spend every day in the gymnasium getting fit. Favorably impressed, Sporting Life observed that “Welch is one of the few players who is always in condition during the playing season and never misses a game.”34

Playing his usual stellar defense in center, Welch once again had a good year at the plate, hitting .271 and leading the American Association with 39 doubles. Rumors that Welch was anxious to leave Philadelphia were put to rest when he became the first Athletics player to sign his contract for the 1890 season.35 In February, Sharsig named him team captain.36

Despite early success with the bat, Welch’s time in Philadelphia soon came to an end. After getting fined $50 for foul language in August and given his team’s poor performance, Welch was released by mutual agreement on September 17.37 He was subsequently signed by the AA Baltimore Orioles.

In 1890, although he had a weak .248 batting average, Welch was hit by pitches a league-leading 34 times. He continued “to play the trick of being hit by a pitched ball. Welch would make a good soldier; he does not seem afraid of a cannonball,” said Sporting Life.38  

Welch wintered in Providence, looking forward to bouncing back.39 During the 1891 season, he continued to build his reputation as not only a peerless defensive center fielder but also as the game’s premier practitioner of taking pitched balls to his body. His 36 hit-by-pitches was then a single-season major league record. Combined with a .268 batting average and 77 walks, they produced a career-high .400 on-base percentage.40

The Orioles finished fourth in the American Association, their last season in the circuit before being incorporated into the National League during the ensuing winter.41 As the 1892 season rolled around, Welch was out of shape and drinking once again. Oddly enough, he never lost his fly-catching ability, but his hitting had trailed off to .227 in 88 games by the time Baltimore released him on July 13.  Comiskey, by then manager of the Cincinnati Reds, signed Welch again, but the engagement did not fare well. In August, Comiskey fined the outfielder for “boozing” and released him a month later.42 After reneging on his promise to give up liquor, it seemed unlikely that Welch would wear a major league uniform again. “If Welch is sincere in his reform, he would make a splendid man for any club in the league, but if he is to continue in his old ways, he is more than worthless to the profession,” said Sporting Life.43

In the winter of 1892, Welch found his way back to the pottery in East Liverpool, working three days a week for $1.50 a day.44 Down but not out, he got another chance to play in the majors in 1893, this time with the Louisville Colonels, signing a $2,000 contract.45 Regrettably, he could not keep himself clean. Welch played in just 14 games, batting a minuscule .170 and losing every ounce of power in his bat. He had one extra-base hit in 65 plate appearances. After a night out, Welch failed to show up for practice, prompting Louisville manager Billy Barnie to release him on May 26.46

The release brought Curt Welch’s major league career to a close. In 1,107 games spread over 10 seasons, he compiled a respectable .263 batting average, scoring 915 runs while driving in 503. Meanwhile, speed afoot enabled Welch to steal 453 bases during the eight seasons for which stats are available. But to illustrate his real forte, he led American Association outfielders in range factor five times, led the AA in outfield putouts four seasons, and posted the circuit’s highest fielding percentage among outfielders twice.

Amidst the Great Depression of 1893, Welch was obliged to return to the pottery; his wages were reduced to only $1.25 a day.47 Continuing to play baseball for the Our Boys baseball club of East Liverpool, Welch split his time between outfield and first base.48  

By spring 1894, Welch was in better shape and ready to suit up for any team that would take a chance on him. That team proved to be the Syracuse Stars of the high-minor Eastern League, who signed him to man center field.49  

Welch’s highlight of 1894 came in a Labor Day tripleheader against Scranton, where he recorded 11 hits in 16 at-bats between sunrise and sundown. Playing one game in the morning and two in the afternoon, Welch helped Syracuse sweep the three-game set.50 For the season, he batted a professional career-best .296 in 108 games.

Once again playing for Syracuse in 1895, Welch remained sufficiently well-behaved to stay with the team throughout much of the summer. In August, however, he began to act uncouthly and was released.51 He then signed with the Carbondale Pioneers of the lower minor Pennsylvania State League for the remainder of the season.52

In June 1896, it was reported that Welch was officially out of organized baseball, penniless, and had contracted tuberculosis.53 Liverpool held a benefit game in July to aid Welch and his family. It raised about $500.54

On August 29, 1896, Curt Welch died at age 34 in his home in East Liverpool. While some reports indicated Welch died of dipsomania, now known as Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), the official cause of death was consumption (tuberculosis).55 This disease had previously taken the lives of Welch’s father and all four of his brothers.56  He was survived by his wife and three children – Curtis Benton Jr. (6), Lewis (3), and Mary (nine months). Welch is buried next to Anna in an unmarked grave at St. Aloysius Cemetery.

Acknowledgements

This biography was reviewed by Bill Lamb and Rory Costello and fact-checked by Joe Wancho.

Photo credit: Curt Welch, Trading Card Database.

Sources

In addition to the sources shown in the Notes, the author used Baseball-Reference.com, ancestry.com, and findagrave.com.

Notes

1 Bill James, The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (New York: The Free Press, 2001), 401.

2 “Curt Welch,” Nineteenth Century Stars, Robert L. Tiemann and Mark Rucker, eds. (Cleveland: SABR, 1989), 274-275. Welch led the American Association in outfield putouts four consecutive seasons (1884-1887). He also led the majors in outfield fielding percentage in 1885 and 1886.

3 “Reminiscences of Curt Welch,” Fort Wayne (Indiana) News, September 14, 1896: 3.

4 “About Curt Welch,” Wilkes-Barre (Pennsylvania) Record, April 4, 1898: 3.

5 Birthdate per baseballreference.com: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/welchcu01.shtml. Some sources, such as Ancestry.com show his birthdate as February 11. Both John Welch and Margaret Benton were born to families of Irish descent. The couple married in 1846.

6 The 1870 U.S. Census shows a household consisting of father John (41), mother Margaret (41), and Albert Welch (no age given), along with the six Welch children: George (19), Manuel (17), John (15), Josephine (12), Wilson (10), and Curt (8). The census mistakenly misspelled their name as “Welsh.”

7 “Curt Welch,” above.

8 “Changing a League’s Title Does Not Affect a Player’s Relation Towards His Club,” Sporting Life, March 21, 1888: 1.

9 The hometown teams were simply referred to as the “Stars” per Welch’s file at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

10 According to Greg Wetzel of the Museum of Ceramics in East Liverpool, Ohio, this is to the recollection of a man by the name of Art Bowman, who was supposedly in attendance and recalled the story in the East Liverpool (Ohio) Review in 1935.

11 “Curt Welch,” above.

12 After the 1883 season, the American Association expanded from eight teams to 13 teams. The newest cities to host teams were Toledo, Brooklyn, Richmond, Indianapolis, and Washington.

13 Per Greg Wetzel.

14 “Cincinnatis, 11; Toledos, 1,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, May 11, 1884: 11.

15 David L. Fleitz, Cap Anson: The Grand Old Man of Baseball (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 205), 153.

16 Barkley led the American Association with 39 doubles in 1884.

17 J. Thomas Hetrick, Chris Von der Ahe and the St. Louis Browns (Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1999), 138.

18 In the 1885 version of the “World’s Series,” the Browns tied with the Chicago White Stockings in the seven-game series (3-3-1).

19 “The Champion Browns,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 8, 1885: 8.

20 Wetzel.

21 The equivalent of $1,800 in 1885 is about $62,000 today (2026).

22 The next closest was Mike Dorgan of the National League’s New York Giants with 79.

23 Kelly (1945) and Clarkson (1963) were both enshrined in Cooperstown.

24 Chicago won Game One, 6-0; St. Louis won Game Two, 12-0; Chicago won Game Three, 11-4: and St. Louis won Game Four, 8-5, and Game Five, 10-3.

25 “St. Louis, 4; Chicago, 3,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 24, 1886: 11.

26 “St. Louis, 4; Chicago, 3.”

27 Bob Tiemann, “October 23, 1886: Curt Welch’s winning slide,” SABR Games Project, accessed October 1, 2026.

28 “The Events of the Day on the Ball Field, the Race Track, etc.,” Kingston (Ontario) Daily Whig, November 2, 1886: 1.

29 “Not to Blame,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 17, 1887: 3.

30 “Curt Welch,” above.

31 “How the Changes In the Browns?’ Team Arc Regarded at Home—Interchange of Games Endorsed—Caruthers’ Volition— The Kansas City Deal, Etc.,” Sporting Life, November 30, 1887: 2.

32 “The Falls City Puzzled Over the Poor Showing of the Colonels— Ramsey Disgraced and Suspended—The Views off Comiskey—General News Notes,” Sporting Life, May 16, 1888: 4.

33 “Things to Be Thankful For—Some of Von der Ahe’s Mistakes And Plans—A Talk With Joe Quinn—Changes in the Browns—O’Neill’s Batting, Etc.,” Sporting Life, December 5, 1888: 5.

34 “The Athletic Team Reports for Duty—A Squeeze on the Philadelphia Club—The Olympic Reunion The Middle States League News and Gossip,” Sporting Life, March 27, 1889: 4.

35 “The Movements of the Philadelphia Club in View of the Brotherhood Rebellion- Athletic Players Kicking on Salaries- Current Local News and Gossip,” Sporting Life, November 6, 1889: 7.

36 “The Local Conflicts Briefly Analyzed—Delahanty’s Desertion -in Clements’ Break— Pickett’s Case — Gossip of the Local Teams, Etc.,” Sporting Life, April 2, 1890: 7.

37 “Good Crowds and Plenty of Enthusiasm at Sportsman’s Park—Disobedient Play­ers — Ramsey’s Wonderful Nerve — The Athletics’ Weakness—Other News—Base Decisions, Etc.,” Sporting Life, August 23, 1890: 11.

38 A Couple of Annoying Cases Settled New Lines for the Players’ Club Harry Wright’s Sail Condition Comment on the Local Teams Current Local News mid Gossip,” Sporting Life, June 7, 1890: 4. 

39 “He Kept Them Clear Last Year and Slugged the Ball,” Kansas City Journal, February 16, 1891: 2.

40 As of 2026, Welch’s 1891 hit-by-pitch record still ranks as seventh most all-time in a single season.

41 The Louisville Colonels, St. Louis Browns, and Washington Senators also joined the National League as part of the major league consolidation that followed the 1891 season.

42 “Curt Welch,” above.

43 “Comiskey’s Ideas Curt Welch’s Re-Formation No Trade for Latham Likely Views of Club Officials General Locals News,” Sporting Life, December 17, 1892: 4.

44 “Curt Welch Will Sign with Louisville”, Washington (DC) Evening Star, February 8, 1893: 7.

45 “Curt Welch Will Sign with Louisville.”

46 “The Gladiator Is Happy,” Scranton (Pennsylvania) Times, May 27, 1893: 4. Pete Browning replaced Welch in left field.

47 “Base Ball Chat,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 20, 1893: 5.

48 East Liverpool (Ohio) Evening News, August 24, 1893: 3.

49 “Eastern League Contracts,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, March 19, 1894: 9.

50 Information from these days’ events came from a letter written by Ernest J Lanigan to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. He recalled Welch’s efforts, claiming that he had nine hits off one pitcher who went by the name “Delaney.” The other two were off a man named Bill Quarles. According to the letter, the game was umpired by a loyal fan named George Geer, with 1,000 fans showing up for [to] the morning contest and 6,000 for the two in the afternoon.

51 “Baseball Mention,” Wilkes-Barre Record, August 26, 1895: 8.

52 “Curt Welch Arrives,” Carbondale (Pennsylvania) Leader, August 30, 1895: 2.

53 “Around the Diamond,” Buffalo Evening News, June 16, 1896: 6.

54 “From the Baseball Field,” Rochester Post Express, July 10, 1896: 3.

55 “’Curt’ Welch Is No More,” Philadelphia Inquirer, August 30, 1896: 8. St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports from the same day claimed that Welch died of dipsomania.

56 “Played His Last Game,” East Liverpool (Ohio) Review, August 29, 1896: 1.