John Hinton

Established in 1911 with the merger of St. Joseph and St. Thomas cemeteries, All Saints Catholic Cemetery is the final resting place of many famous Pittsburgh sports stars from the turn of the last century, including world middleweight boxing champion Frank Klaus and major league catcher Tom Quinn.1 On the slope of a small hill in the back of the cemetery lies the unmarked grave of John Hinton, a player who had a long career in minor league baseball but failed to make an impact during his brief stint in the majors (four games in June 1901 with the Boston Beaneaters).

Hinton’s post-baseball life was marred by tragedy. He became paralyzed and was subsequently institutionalized at the Allegheny County Hospital for the Insane, where he passed away at the early age of 44.2  

***

John Robert Hinton was born on June 19, 1876, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.3 He was the youngest of seven children born to John and Mary Ann Hinton (née Lindsay).4 The senior Hinton (1831-1913), a native of Braddock, Pennsylvania, made his living in both the cigar industry and working in the foundry business on 7th Avenue in Pittsburgh.5 He later took charge of the foundries of the Pennsylvania Railroad shops in Altoona, Pennsylvania.6 Born in Pittsburgh, wife Mary Ann (1832-1915) is listed in the 1870 census as “keeping house” and in 1880 as “housekeeper.”7 In 1879 the Hintons and their children, Walter (born 1860), Mary (1862), Harriett (1864), Clara (1865), Catherine (1868), Elvira (1873), and John (1876), relocated to Altoona.8 Very little is known about his early life, save that he worked as a laborer at the Pennys Railroad Shops in Altoona in 1894.9

The exact beginning of John Hinton’s baseball career is murky. In 1894, there was a Hinton stationed at second base for an Altoona amateur club called the Crickets.10 Later in the season, there was a Hinton playing for various amateur teams around Altoona, including Defiance, Jennings, and Alexander] Donoghue’s Combination.11 Though no first name was provided in any of the sources, this may be our John Hinton.12 After that, Hinton can be positively identified from 1895-1896, when he played for an amateur team called the Altoona Happy Bills.13 In 1897, Hinton was released from the Happy Bills; he played for the Monarchs and later the independent Altoona Baseball Club.14

In 1898, Hinton – six feet even, 200-pounds, clean shaven, and sandy-haired – again played for multiple teams. They included the Lock Haven (Pennsylvania) Normals/Maroons of the Central Pennsylvania League, Defiance, the Tyrone Baseball Club, the Altoona Grays, and Madera.15 The following season, he suited up for the Altoona Grays, the Monarchs, and the Dubois (Pennsylvania) baseball team, where he finished with a .576 batting average.16

In 1900 Hinton moved to Homestead, Pennsylvania, and began playing for the semipro Homestead Library Athletic Club.17 Homestead opened their season against the McKeesport baseball club18 in front of 2,000 fans at Steel Works Park, with Hinton patrolling right field. The righty hitter and thrower did well in the opening game, stealing a base, participating in a double play, and scoring one run to help his team to a 19-0 blowout.19 On July 3, Hinton took to the pitcher’s box against the R.E. McCarthys at Kennywood Park.20 In the eighth inning, he “grew wild, hit one and gave three men base on balls, which, with three hits, netted them five runs.”21 In total, Hinton walked six, struck out six, and threw a wild pitch. The opponents’ rally wasn’t nearly  enough, though. Homestead drubbed the McCarthys, 18-7; Hinton helped by hitting a home run.22

In late August, Homestead took on the National League’s Pittsburgh Pirates in an exhibition game at Kennywood Park. With Hinton in left field and Alex Jones in the box, Homestead held the Pirates scoreless until the seventh inning, when Pittsburgh scored eight runs. Hinton made no contributions to the game, going 0-for-5 at bat.23 The final discovered game of the season saw Homestead take on the Wilkinsburg (Pennsylvania) Athletic Association.24 Hinton chipped in with two walks and a run scored as Homestead rolled to a 13-2 victory.25

The 1901 season opened for Homestead on April 27 when they took on the Millvale (Pennsylvania) Athletic Club. The Pittsburg Post noted that “Hinton of the Homesteads, put up a brilliant game at third base, accepting eight chances without an error and got the ball over to first base in fine style.”26 In June it was announced that Hinton was going to the National League to play third for the Boston Beaneaters. Boston manager, Frank Selee had been looking for a third baseman for quite some time and asked former Alleghenys catcher Tom Quinn to sign Hinton. Accompanied by Elmer Smith, Hinton left Pittsburgh to link up with his new team in Chicago.27

On June 3, 1901, 750 fans at West Side Park witnessed the major league debut of Hinton against the Chicago Remnants. Stationed at the hot corner, Hinton’s effect upon the game was minimal. He went 0-for-3 with a walk, registering two assists and committing a defensive miscue in a 3-0 Boston victory.28 The following day, the Chicago Inter Ocean wrote that “Mr. Hinton was nervous. To him the ball looked small as a pea when it came bounding o’er the vale, and [first baseman] Fred Tenney’s feet seemed miles away and high up in the air. Consequently, the young man threw like a woman shooting hens and batted like a camel with fear.”29

The following day, Hinton was back at third. The Pittsburg Press noted that he made two bad throws to Tenney but seemed to steady himself.30 Hinton again went 0-for-3 with a walk, while recording two putouts and an assist in the field. “I don’t know what to think about Hinton, but I think he has the goods in him. He is fast on his feet, can throw well, and I think he will round to in a short time,” stated manager Selee in postgame commentary following Chicago’s 6-5 win.31

Two days later, on June 6, Hinton entered the base hit column with a single off St. Louis right-hander Willie Sudhoff in a 4-3 loss to the Cardinals. Back home, the Boston Post was critical of Hinton’s defensive work, declaring that “Hinton played a poor game at third and seemed unable to get into the plays.”32

Hinton made his final major league appearance a day later in an 8-3 setback by St. Louis. His final box score read 0-for-3 at bat with two putouts and two assists. Again, the hometown press was critical; the Boston Globe complained that “Hinton put up a poor game in the field and did nothing with the bat.”33 Shortly thereafter, Hinton was released to the Des Moines Hawkeyes of the high-minor Western League.34

The demotion brought the brief major league career of John Hinton to a close. In four games, he posted a dismal.077 batting average (1-for-13), drawing two walks and fanning three times. Defensively, he was little better, with three errors in 12 chances.

Hinton was not happy with his major league experience, claiming that he did not learn until after he had signed that Boston was merely acting as an agent of Des Moines.35 Hinton went on to say, “When Selee told me I would have to go to Des Moines I called it all off and started for home. I had been led to believe that I was to be given a thorough trial by Boston, but in this I was disappointed. I did not get a chance to show what I can do.”36 Selee responded, “We never signed the boy but took him on trial. With more experience he will be alright.”37

Hinton never reported to Des Moines, returning to Homestead instead. On June 17, Homestead took on the Pirates in their annual exhibition game, with Hinton going 2-for-3 in a 6-3 Homestead victory.38 That August, Hinton played for the Wheeling (West Virginia) Stogies of the minor Western Association, chalking up 53 games before finishing out his year with an independent club in Jeannette, Pennsylvania.39

In 1902, Hinton returned to his adopted hometown and signed on with the then-independent Altoona baseball team. That season, the press started referring to the fair-haired newcomer as “Red,” a moniker that followed him for the rest of his career.40 Prior to the campaign opener against the Monessen (Pennsylvania) club, the Altoona Morning Tribune stated, “Hinton is a ball player from the ground up. He is a great fielder and a good hitter, ‘Red’ showed the fans that he is something of a sprinter and can run the bases.”41 Vindicating the press testimonial, Hinton hit a double, scored two runs, and had four putouts and an assist at third as Altoona trounced Monessen 16-2.42

From Hinton’s former Homestead team to the Pennsylvania Railroad Men’s Christian Association to the pre-Negro League powerhouse Cuban X-Giants – featuring future Hall of Famer Frank Grant – Altoona took on all comers.43 Appearing in 84 games overall, Hinton batted a solid .340 (117-for-344), the second highest on the team. Among his hits were 29 doubles, 10 triples, and eight home runs. He also scored 96 runs and stole 30 bases.44

The 1903 season brought Hinton additional responsibility: he was named team captain.45 On Opening Day, Altoona took on the Philadelphia Professionals at Columbia Park in front of 2,000 fans.46 With Germany Smith at shortstop and Hinton at second, Altoona demolished the visitors, 13-1.47 Thereafter, the season followed much the same pattern as the previous one. Hinton finished the season with a .304 batting average that incorporated 20 doubles, 12 triples, and five home runs.48

In 1904, Altoona became a member of the independent minor Tri-State League. In 87 games for the fourth-place (50-48, .510) Mountaineers, Hinton’s batting average fell to a tepid .216 (62-for-292), with 48 runs scored.49

The following year, Hinton joined a Tri-State League competitor, the Lebanon (Pennsylvania) Dutch.50 Then, it was announced that he was heading to York (Pennsylvania) to play for the White Roses, also of the Tri-State League.51 After that, he went back to “not sure” status.52 By late March it was announced that Hinton was going to play for York, where he would be covering third.53 Just when the issue looked settled, Hinton jumped teams and signed with Wilmington to play third and captain the team.54 This did not sit well with the York team, which sent him $100 to repay the advance money given to him by Wilmington as well as transportation costs to get from Altoona to York. The team claimed that Hinton never returned the money to them when he finally decided to sign with Wilmington. Hinton, on the other hand, said he did and claimed he sent the check back to York.55

The season opened with a game against Manhattan College. Hinton scored two runs, helping his team to a 4-2 victory.56 In June, he began having arm issues that eventually took him out of the lineup. In the meantime, the cellar-dwelling Lebanon club was removed to Wilmington, Delaware.57 In August, Hinton drew his release and finished out the season with the independent X-Wilmington nine.58

In 1906, Hinton split his time between two teams in the low-minor Pennsylvania-Ohio-Maryland League, beginning the season with the Steubenville (Ohio) Subs. Following an uncharacteristic display of anger during a May 27 game against the Uniontown (Pennsylvania) Coal Barons, Hinton was suspended for three games and fined $10 for attacking an umpire.59 Refusing to play on June 2, Hinton was suspended indefinitely.60 Two weeks later, he was traded to Uniontown, where he completed the season with the inaugural POM League champions.61  Hinton remained with Uniontown the following season, batting .235 (59-for-251), with 50 runs scored in 70 games.

In 1908, Hinton was traded to the Youngtown (Ohio) Champions of the Ohio-Pennsylvania League for Ed Hilley. As the months progressed, Hinton’s batting improved. By season’s close he had appeared in 84 games, posting a .279 batting average (124-for-444) with 82 runs scored.

In 1909, while playing for the Dayton (Ohio) Veterans in the Central League, Hinton became the eighth man in baseball history to make an unassisted triple play.62 But his batting average dropped to an anemic .177 (22-for-124) over 37 games. After his release, he finished the season with Grafton (West Virginia) in the Pennsylvania-West Virginia League, registering a greatly improved.339 batting average (62-for-183) over 51 games.63

For the 1910 season Hinton signed with the Canton (Ohio) Deubers of the Ohio-Pennsylvania League. The season started well, but by early July there were reports that he wanted to quit the team because of poor treatment from manager Ferd Drumm.64 Nevertheless, Hinton finished the season with Canton, batting 286, with 23 doubles, six triples, and five home runs.

On February 15, 1911, an Ohio newspaper reported that Hinton had been traded to the Rockford (Illinois) Wolverines in the Three-I League.65 But a month later, the New Castle (Pennsylvania) Herald reported that Hinton had retired from the game and had no urge to leave his job in Uniontown.66 Thereafter, Hinton’s name disappeared from newspaper sports pages.67

Off the field, Hinton’s personal life started out conventionally. While the exact date is unknown, Hinton married Anna Elizabeth Deithorn (or Dethorn, 1879-1914) sometime around 1900, based on the 1910 U.S census.68 The union produced five children: Louis, Dorothy, Shelby, Robert, and an unidentified infant male child.69 While Hinton’s main source of income was baseball, he later worked at the West End Hotel in Uniontown during the 1906-1907 offseason.70

Beginning in 1913, tragedy befell Hinton and his family. First, he lost his father.71 On April 21, 1914, he and his wife lost their youngest child to a gastrointestinal hemorrhage just three days after his birth.72 A few months later on July 21, 1914, Anna Hinton passed away at the age of 35 from chronic nephritis.73 Then in 1915, Hinton lost his mother.74

By 1918, Hinton was living in Monaca, Pennsylvania, and working as a clerk. According to his World War I draft registration, he was paralyzed from the waist down.75 Two years later, Hinton was committed to the Allegheny County Hospital for the Insane in Woodville, where he died on July 19, 1920. The cause of death was listed on his death certificate as “Paralysis of the Insane.” His remains were then taken back to Braddock and interred in All Saints Cemetery.76

Acknowledgments

This biography was reviewed by Bill Lamb and Rory Costello and fact-checked by Paul Proia.

Sources

In addition to the sources shown in the notes, the author used Baseball-Reference.com, Retrosheet.org, and the following:

Ancestry.com

Findagrave.com

Newspapers.com

US Census Bureau, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920, US Census.

Photo Credit

Altoona Times, October 5, 1903.

Notes

1 All Saints Cemetery | Catholic Cemeteries Association of Pittsburgh The Catholic Cemeteries Association accessed: June 9, 2026. The cemetery is sometimes referred to as “All Saints Braddock Catholic Cemetery.”

Frank A Klaus (1887-1948) – Find a Grave Memorial accessed: June 9, 2026; Thomas Oscar “Tom” Quinn (1864-1932) – Find a Grave Memorial accessed: June 9, 2026.

2 John R. Hinton death certificate Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1972 – Ancestry.com accessed: June 9, 2026. The facility later became known as Woodville State Hospital.

3 John Robert Hinton (1876-1920) – Find a Grave Memorial accessed: June 9, 2026.

4 1870 U.S. Census; 1880 U.S. Census.  

5 “The Death Roll,” Pittsburgh Gazette Times, May 21, 1913: 11

6  John R Hinton (1830-1913) – Find a Grave Memorial accessed: June 9, 2026; “Mrs. Mary Ann Hinton, Pittsburgh Gazette-Times, December 19, 1915: 24; 1860 U.S. Census; 1870 U.S. Census.

7 “Mrs. Mary Ann Hinton,” above. Two of her sisters were killed in the infamous Allegheny Arenal Explosion of 1862, the deadliest civilian industrial disaster of the American Civil War; 1870 U.S. Census; 1880 U.S. Census.

8 “Mrs. Mary Ann Hinton,” above; 1880 U.S. Census. There was a child with no birth year listed a “Eliza” in the 1870 census that is not listed with the family in 1880. This suggests that the child died sometime within the decade

9 “The Pennys Railroad Shops,” Morning Tribune (Altoona), December 26, 1894: 4.

10 “Base Ball Melange,” Altoona (Pennsylvania) Morning Tribune, July 27, 1894: 4.

11 “Amateur League Games Saturday,” Altoona Morning Tribune, August 20, 1894: 4; “Base Ball Pickups,” Altoona Morning Tribune, September 3, 1894: 4; “An Interesting Game,” Altoona Morning Tribune, October 22, 1894: 4. 

12 “Easton was Easy,” Altoona Tribune, June 20, 1894: 4 * There was a W. Hinton that played for the Old Mets of Altoona that cannot be ruled completely out.

13 “Base Ball,” Altoona Morning Tribune, May 30, 1895: 5; “Happy Bills to Play,” Altoona Morning Tribune, June 6, 1896: 1.

14 “Those Happy Bills,” Altoona Morning Tribune, March 30, 1897: 4; “Tyrone Topics,” Altoona Morning Tribune, May 24, 1897: 4; “Altoona Won Out,” Altoona Morning Tribune, August 18, 1897: 5.

15 “Local Base Ball Notes,” Altoona Morning Tribune, June 11, 1898: 1: “Local Base Ball Games,” Altoona Morning Tribune, July 30, 1898: 5; “Tyrone Topics,” Altoona Morning Tribune, July 11, 1898: 6; “Base Ball Juniata,” Altoona Morning Tribune, August 27, 1898: 5; “Sports and Sporting Items,” Altoona Mirror, September 13, 1898: 8.

16 “Local Base Ball Players Fine Records,” Altoona Morning Tribune, September 21, 1898: 5. “Base Ball,” Altoona Tribune, May 23, 1899: 4. “Base Ball To-day,” Altoona Tribune, September 30, 1899: 5.

17 “Opening at Homestead,” Pittsburg Post, April 28, 1900: 6. The team’s name was sometimes shortened to Homestead or the Homestead Athletic Club. “Altoona’s Crack Base Ball Team-Short Sketch of the Players,” Altoona (Pennsylvania) Morning Times, October 5, 1903: 3. This source listed Hinton’s height at five-foot- eight and weight at 191 pounds. John Robert Hinton draft card U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 – Ancestry.com accessed: June 9, 2026.

18 “Homestead’s Opening Game,” Pittsburg Post, April 29, 1900: 6.

19 “Homestead’s Opening Game,” above.

20 “Homestead Wins an Easy Game,” Pittsburg Post, July 4, 1900: 6. Built in 1898, Kennywood Park is a West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, amusement park still in operation as of 2026.

21 “Homestead Wins an Easy Game,” above.

22 “Homestead Wins an Easy Game,” above.

23 “Homesteads Are Rattled,” Pittsburgh Post, August 30, 1900: 6.

24 “Easy for the Homesteads,” Pittsburg Post, September 15, 1900: 6.

25 “Easy for the Homesteads,” above. No team or individual records have been discovered for this season.

26 “Local Amateurs Open the Season,” Pittsburg Post, April 28, 1901: 14.

27 “Will Join the Boston Team,” Pittsburg Post, June 3, 1901: 6. Tom Quinn lived in Braddock, Pennsylvania.

28 “Victory and Defeat for Boston Teams,” Boston Post, June 4, 1901: 3.

29 “Boston Too Strong,” Chicago Inter Ocean, June 4, 1901: 8.

30 “Baseball Gossip,” Pittsburg Press, June 5, 1901: 8.

31 “Echoes of the Game,” Boston Globe, June 5, 1901: 5.

32 “Selee’s Men Lose, 4 to 3,” Boston Post, June 7, 1901: 3.

33 “Grosart No Wonder,” Boston Globe, June 8, 1901: 4.

34 “Lowe Plays at Third,” Boston Globe, June 11, 1901: 4. * Though Retrosheet lists June 8 as the day he was released, the Boston Globe reports that Selee benched Hinton on June 10 when Boston took on Cincinnati, which means that at the earliest, he was let go on the 11th.

35 “Selee Hasn’t Lost Hope,” Boston Globe, June 14, 1901: 4.

36 “Selee Hasn’t Lost Hope,” above.

37 “Selee Hasn’t Lost Hope,” above.

38 “Lost Exhibition Bout,” Pittsburg Press, June 17, 1901: 8.

39 “News of the Diamond,” Fort Wayne (Indiana) Evening Sentinel, August 24, 1901: 6. “Manor is Easly Beaten,” Pittsburg Post, October 13, 1901: 17.

40 “Base Ball Melange,” Altoona Morning Tribune, May 2, 1902: 7.

41 “Altoona Won,” Altoona Morning Tribune, May 12, 1902: 7.

42 “Altoona Won,” above.

43 “Homestead Beaten by Altoona,” Pittsburg Post, May 18, 1902: 12; “Broke Even,” Altoona Morning Tribune, July 5, 1902: 7; “Took First Game,” Altoona Morning Tribune, June 3, 1902: 7.

44 “Base Ball Averages,” Altoona Morning Tribune, February 16, 1903: 1.

45 “Base Ball Briefs,” Altoona Morning Tribune, April 8, 1903: 2.

46 “’Twas Quite Easy!” Altoona Morning Tribune, May 9, 1903: 1.

47 “’Twas Quite Easy!” above.

48 “Base Ball Scores,” Altoona Morning Tribune, October 5, 1903: 7.

49 “Sporting News and Gossip,” Altoona Morning Times, March 3, 1905: 1.

50 “Hinton and Davis Sign,” Altoona Morning Times, March 3, 1905: 5.

51 “The Great National Game,” Altoona Morning Tribune, March 9, 1905: 5.

52 “In the Sporting World,” Altoona Morning Tribune, March 14, 1905: 3.

53 “The National Game,” Altoona Morning Tribune, March 25, 1905: 6.

54 “Base Ball Briefs,” Altoona Morning Tribune, April 19, 1905: 5.

55 “Trouble for Hinton,” Altoona Morning Times, April 21, 1905: 6; “Baseball Notes,” Wilmington (Delaware) Morning News, April 19, 1905: 3.  

56 “The Opening Game a Great Success!”  Wilmington (Delaware) Early Evening, April 24, 1905: 6.

57 “First Tri-State Game,” Wilmington Every Evening, Jun3 6, 1905: 6. “Diamond Pick-Ups,” Wilmington Morning News, June 12, 1905: 8, and June 26, 1905: 8.      

58 “Wilmington A.A. Signs Three New Players,” Wilmington (Delaware) Evening Journal, August 11, 1905: 6.  

59 “Lindeman Is Awarded to Uniontown Club,” Pittsburgh Gazette-Times, May 28, 1906: 9.  

60 “No Games in the P.O.M,” Pittsburgh Gazette-Times, June 6, 1906: 11.  

61 “Base Ball Flashes,” Altoona Morning Tribune, June 15, 1906: 3.

62 “Red Hinton Makes The 8th Unassisted Triple Play in Baseball History,” Dayton (Ohio) Herald, April 16, 1909: 16.

63 “Connellsville 7; Grafton 1,” Fairmont West Virginian, August 4, 1909: 6.

64 “Clearing the Diamond,” Mansfield (Ohio) News, July 6, 1910: 9,

65 “Two League Clubs Sell Star Players,” Mansfield (Ohio) News, February 15, 1911: 9.

66 “Hinton to Retire from Summer Game,” New Castle (Pennsylvania) Herald, March 23, 1911: 2.

67 It should be noted that Baseball Reference lists him as a member of the Norfolk (Virginia) Tars of the Virginia League in 1912. However, there is no conclusive proof that this Hinton was our subject as there were at least two players with the surname “Hinton” in the league that year playing for both Richmond and Norfolk simultaneously, with neither having their first name in newsprint.

68  Anna Elizabeth Hinton death certificate-Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1972 – Ancestry.com accessed: June 9, 2026; Unnamed child’s birth certificate- Pennsylvania, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1906-1917 – Ancestry.com accessed: June 9, 2026; “Personal Notes,” Altoona Morning Tribune, April 21, 1902: 1.

69 1910 U.S. Census; “Mrs. John Hinton,” Uniontown (Pennsylvania) Morning Herald, July 22, 1904: 8.

70 “Sports,” Uniontown Morning Herald, April 9, 1907: 2.

71 John R Hinton (1830-1913) – Find a Grave Memorial accessed: June 9, 2026.

72 Unnamed male infant death certificate- Ancestry.com – Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1972 accessed: June 9, 2026.

73 Anna Elizabeth Hinton death certificate- Ancestry.com – Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1972 accessed: June 9, 2026.

74 Mary A. Lindsay Hinton (1832-1915) – Find a Grave Memorial accessed: June 9, 2026: “Mrs. Mary Ann Hinton,” above.

75 John Robert Hinton draft card U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 – Ancestry.com accessed: June 9, 2026. Monaca is 25 miles northwest of Pittsburgh in Beaver County.

76 John Robert Hinton death certificate- Ancestry.com – Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1972. Clinical Presentation of General Paralysis of the Insane in a Dutch Psychiatric Hospital, 1924-1954 – PubMed: accessed June 10, 2026. General paralysis of the insane (GPI) or dementia paralytica was a fatal complication of syphilitic infection and a major reason for psychiatric hospitalization.