Tommy Cahill

As the end of the year 1894 approached, prospects appeared bright for Tommy Cahill. A college graduate on hiatus from medical school studies, he also had a season of playing major league baseball on his resume. And after having just batted .328 for the high-minor Eastern League Scranton (Pennsylvania) Miners, a likely return to the big time loomed in Cahill’s future.

That fall Cahill postponed returning to medical school to coach a Scranton semipro football team. One afternoon while in pads, he began coughing up blood, a condition attributed to a minor lung injury caused by a recent gridiron mishap. He recovered, briefly. But when Cahill subsequently began to experience other nagging health problems and thereafter resumed coughing up blood, treating physicians belatedly realized that their patient’s malady was end-stage consumption (tuberculosis). On Christmas morning, Tommy Cahill died in his Scranton billet. He was 26. The story of his sadly abbreviated life follows.   

Thomas H. Cahill was born on an undetermined date in October 1868 in Fall River, Massachusetts, a bustling mill town located about 50 miles south of Boston. He was the oldest of three children born to mill foreman-turned-merchant Thomas Cahill (1835-1896) and his second wife Hannah (née Roland, 1829-1901), both Irish Catholic immigrants.1 Tommy (as he was known to family, friends, and the press of his era)2 also had six older half-siblings, courtesy of his father’s deceased first wife.3An apt pupil, he was educated locally through graduation at age 16 from St. Mary’s School. Cahill then matriculated to the College of the Holy Cross, a Jesuit-run institution situated in Worcester known as the “Catholic Harvard.”

Late 19th century Fall River was a fertile spawning ground of playing talent, with major leaguers like pitcher Charlie Buffinton, outfielder Jimmy Manning, shortstop Frank Fennelly, and catchers Tom Gunning and Andy Cusick all having gotten their starts on Fall River sandlots and in local amateur leagues. Five to 10 years younger Tommy Cahill followed in their footsteps, and a burgeoning reputation as a baseball player accompanied him to Holy Cross. Undersized (5-feet-7/150 pounds) but sturdily-built and fleet afoot, he was also a standout two-way halfback on the gridiron.

On the diamond, the right-handed batting4 and throwing Cahill customarily assumed the punishing position of catcher, but his athleticism allowed him to be stationed in the infield and outfield as well. Playing for Holy Cross in the spring and in Fall River summer leagues, Cahill soon attracted suitors. After making “a brilliant record as a catcher” for the Fall River Flints during the midyear of 1886, Cahill “received a good offer from the managers of the Portland [Maine] club [of the minor New England League] to fill the position of catcher for them next summer.”5 Thereafter, the manager of the varsity nine at Brown University tried to induce Cahill to transfer.6

Cahill remained loyal and soon teamed with curveballer Billy Meade to give Holy Cross one of the most formidable collegiate batteries in the East. A splendid 1887 campaign was capped by a June 18 match between the Catholic Harvard and the original. Cahill was the offensive star of the game, hitting a two-run homer, plus a single, stealing two bases, and scoring twice. He was arguably even better on defense, handling cleanly 15 of 16 chances.7 Meanwhile, Meade fanned 14 Crimson batters and held Harvard to a mere three hits.8 But nine Holy Cross fielding miscues spelled the difference in a 5-3 Harvard victory. It was the only Holy Cross loss of the spring season.

After the Harvard game, the Meade-Cahill battery was expected to report for duty with the Lowell (Massachusetts) Browns of the New England League.9 But Cahill never turned up, spending the summer back home playing for Fall River sides.10 That September, he returned to campus and “won four first prizes at the annual field day of the Holy Cross college athletic club.”11 The following spring, he reunited with Billy Meade, his brief stint with the Lowell Browns having had no effect on the pitcher’s eligibility for collegiate play.12 Cahill highlights of another successful Holy Cross campaign included catching a Meade no-hitter against Bowdoin in late April13; getting three hits and playing steady defense behind the plate in a 6-5 win over Yale in mid-May14; and notching two base hits off the estimable George Stovey and stealing three bases in a 6-5 loss to the Worcester (Massachusetts) Grays of the New England League in late June.15 But the likely apogee of Cahill’s year occurred off the field: June graduation with a bachelor of arts degree as a member of the Holy Cross class of 1888.16

In July, Cahill entered the ranks of professional baseball, signing with the Worcester Grays, an opponent from the previous month. Curiously, he was stationed in the outfield, rather than at catcher, during his one-month audition. Appearing in 10 games, Tommy posted a .231 batting average (9-for-39), with three doubles and four stolen bases. Financial pressures on the club, however, dictated his release at month’s end, reported the Worcester Daily Telegram. Cahill “played good ball in the field, ran bases well, but did not bat,” the newspaper stated.17 He finished the summer playing amateur ball back in Fall River.

In September 1888, Cahill embarked upon a new career course, enrolling in the medical school at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. In short order, he was recruited for the university baseball team by Tom Gunning, a Fall River acquaintance and fellow Penn Med student then at the tail end of a six-season major league run as a catcher.18 The following March, Cahill worked out with the varsity19 but did not suit up for the Penn nine. He returned to minor league ball instead, signing with the New Haven (Connecticut) club of the newly-formed Atlantic Association.20

The 20-year-old Cahill was overmatched by Atlantic Association pitching. In 55 games for fourth-place (40-52, .435) New Haven, he batted a meek .212 (47-for-222).21 With 29 errors and 37 passed balls in 42 appearances behind the plate, his defensive stats were even worse; Cahill’s .854 fielding percentage was the lowest of any backstop in the Association.22

Once the Atlantic Association season was over, Cahill returned to his medical school studies but still found time to lead a team of fellow Penn Med students to an October baseball game victory over their law school counterparts.23 Meanwhile, Tommy remained on the New Haven roster but, unlike the previous spring, he declined to leave school or to sign a contract for the 1890 season until the semester ended. When he failed to report that April, New Haven manager Walter Burnham placed Cahill on suspension.24 Uncowed, Cahill remained in Philadelphia, attending class and playing baseball for a standout (21-3, .875) University of Pennsylvania varsity.25 Splitting time between catcher and third base, he posted a .359 BA (41-for-114) with 19 stolen bases while fielding tolerably at the two positions (.874 fielding percentage, combined).26 By then, manager Burnham had relented, agreeing to defer Cahill’s reporting date to New Haven until June 15.27

When he rejoined New Haven, Cahill was a different player from the season before. In 56 games, he went 69-for-233 at the plate, good for a solid .296 batting average, a significant upgrade from the year before. In addition, he notched 18 extra-base hits and stole 25 bases.  And in the field, his versatility was used to club advantage. In 22 games at catcher, he posted a much-improved .941 fielding average, tied for sixth-best among the 21 receivers listed in Atlantic Association stats. His work in 21 turns at second base, however, was shaky (.845).28 Cahill also made 11 appearances in the outfield for the Atlantic Association champion Nutmegs (82-36, .695). Thereafter, he was placed on the New Haven reserve list for the 1891 season.29

Cahill did not return to Penn Med to resume his studies that fall, but the reason is uncertain. According to a report in Sporting Life, “The University of Pennsylvania nine will be minus the services of third baseman Tommy Cahill this year, he having abandoned his [medical school] course and started in preparation for business in Fall River.”30 But Thomas Cahill later maintained that his son’s discontinuation of attending class at Penn Med was only temporary, stating that his “intention was to follow up athletics only for a brief period and then return to college to complete his medical knowledge.”31 Whatever the case, Cahill spent the autumn months at home in Fall River, occasionally playing halfback for local elevens.32

While Cahill pondered his future, the major league baseball scene was in turmoil. The collapse of the renegade Players League at the close of the 1890 season augured peace for the National League and American Association. But the two surviving major league circuits soon fell out over the allocation of players returning from play in the PL. In an ill-considered and ultimately fatal move, the American Association then withdrew from the National Agreement. This stripped major and minor league ball clubs of their player contract protections and effectively made potential free agents of all professional ballplayers.

One beneficiary of the situation was Tommy Cahill. Although he was on the reserve list of the New Haven Nutmegs, Cahill jumped the club and signed with the Louisville Colonels, the defending champions of the American Association.33 Once in spring camp, his play drew favorable press notice, the Louisville Courier-Journal informing readers that “Dr. Cahill looks like a ballplayer. He intends to be master of two professions, and has taken his first course in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He will graduate next year a full-fledged M.D.”34

On April 9, 1891, our subject made his major league debut in a Louisville home game against the Columbus Senators. Stationed at second base, he performed well, registering his first major league base hit (a seventh-inning double off Jack Easton) and scoring his first run; he also “distinguished himself at second”35 in the Colonels’ 13-6 triumph. Although signed as a catcher, Cahill’s athleticism allowed him to be stationed anywhere on the diamond, and where Louisville was in need of help was at shortstop. His work at the unfamiliar position quickly gathered applause, the Norfolk Virginian reporting that “Dr. Cahill is the making of a great shortstop, as he is very active and covers lots of ground.”36 He also hit well. Six weeks into the season, his batting average stood at .377, tops on the Louisville club.37

Predictably, Cahill could not keep that batting pace up. But his defensive versatility continued to make him valuable to the Colonels. When injuries struck the Louisville catching corps in mid-June, he resumed his normal position behind the plate.38 By that time, club fortunes were in precipitous decline. After an excellent 12-4 start, Louisville lost 29 of its next 40 games, plummeting in the American Association standings. At season’s end, the Colonels (54-83-2, .394) were lodged in seventh place.

Little of this was the fault of Tommy Cahill. Appearing in 119 games, he posted a .253 batting average, respectable for a rookie, with 27 extra-base hits and 44 RBIs. He also stole a team-high 38 bases and scored 68 runs. But where Cahill had been most helpful was on defense. He made 55 appearances behind the plate and 49 at shortstop, while filling in at second, third, and the outfield. And before leaving for home, he was signed to a new contract which called for a $3,000 salary in 1892.39

The Louisville Courier-Journal reported that “Dr. Cahill will resume his [medical] studies at the University of Pennsylvania this winter.”40 But he did not, spending the offseason in Fall River instead. Meanwhile, turmoil persisted on the major league baseball front, with the financially failing and talent-deficient American Association now in its death throes. Happily for the Louisville Colonels, the club was among the four AA teams absorbed into a bloated 12-club National League for the 1892 season. But with major league employment opportunities having been halved (from 24 teams spread across three major league circuits in 1890 to only 12) in less than two years, competition for roster spots was fierce.

The versatile Cahill made the Colonels’ Opening Day roster but saw no NL game action in the early going, although he caught all nine innings of an April 17 Louisville exhibition game against the Indianapolis Hoosiers of the minor Western League.41 And when roster cutdown day arrived in late April, he was among those jettisoned by Louisville.42 The release of Cahill was highly unpopular with Colonels fans, who submitted petitions calling for Tommy’s retention, but club directors were unmoved.43

Expressions of regret accompanied Cahill’s departure, but the Courier-Journal was confident that the youngster had a bright major league future. “Tommy Cahill … is a good catcher, and hits the ball very hard. … He will have no trouble in obtaining an engagement with one of the [National] League clubs, and will probably have several offers before tomorrow night.”44 But the newspaper’s confidence was misplaced; Cahill received offers only from minor league clubs. And while he would be drafted by National League teams several times over the next few seasons, he never appeared in another big-league game. It was one major league season and done for Tommy Cahill.

Cahill’s next stop was the Troy Trojans of the top-tier minor Eastern League.45 In 97 appearances for his new club, he batted .279 (111-for-398), with 22 extra-base hits. He also stole 26 bases.46 In addition, he served as Trojans team captain. After the season, Cahill remained in Troy to coach a local semipro football team.47 Thereafter, he was selected in the minor league player draft by the NL St. Louis Browns.48 Also making a bid for Cahill’s services was Jimmy Manning, player-manager of the Southern League Savannah Electrics and a friend from Fall River.49 The NL’s Boston Beaneaters were also interested in Cahill.50 All the while, the Troy Trojans asserted their reserve clause rights to the catcher.

The competition for Cahill was terminated by the National League Board of Control, which vacated the St. Louis draft of Cahill (and that of a host of other Eastern League players being poached by NL clubs) and ordered his return to Troy.51 Shortly thereafter, Tommy signed a contact to return as Trojans team captain.52 He also became de facto Troy manager.53 With his club sporting an eight-game lead in early July, the stewardship of the young field leader drew praise from opposition club press. “Wilkes-Barre would do well to take some lessons in ball playing from Troy,” declared the Wilkes-Barre Sunday Leader. “Their team work reflects credit upon ‘Tommy’ Cahill, who by his ability not only as manager and captain, but as a player, has placed his club at the top of the list.”54

After reportedly playing in 65 straight games,55 Cahill began to experience health problems and removed himself from the lineup in late July. A few weeks later, it was reported that “very serious attacks of heart failure” had prompted his physicians to advise the only 24-year-old baseballer “to retire from the profession.”56 Cahill did not heed the recommendation and soon returned to action. At season end, his stats nearly replicated those of the year before: 98 games played, .277 batting average (116-for-419), 23 extra-base hits, and 29 stolen bases for a third-place (67-50, .573) finisher in final Eastern League standings. He also posted some career-best defensive numbers at catcher, placing second among league backstops in fielding percentage at .965.57

As he had been the year before, Cahill was selected by a National League club in the ensuing minor league player draft, this time by the Brooklyn Grooms.58 But within weeks, club management determined that the Brooklyn roster was overstuffed with catchers and waived its claim,59 making Cahill a free agent. Although he had other major league suitors, including the Louisville Colonels, Cahill opted to return to Troy as team manager and playing captain.60 Under his command, Troy played well (43-32, .573) but drew poorly, with financial difficulty precipitating the club’s disbanding in late July.61

To fill the franchise vacancy, Eastern League officials enlisted the Scranton Miners of the lower-level Pennsylvania State League.62 But engagement of Tommy Cahill and three other Troy holdovers by Miners management quickly became a source of internal friction on the new Eastern League entry, particularly after Cahill was tabbed field leader by club brass.63 Many of the PSL Miners resisted, demanding that incumbent manager Mart Swift be retained.64 The insurrection, however, was short-lived and Cahill assumed command. But the ballplayers whom he had taken charge of were not Eastern League-caliber, and Scranton went an uncompetitive 8-31 (.205) to finish the season.

As elsewhere, Cahill proved a fan favorite in Scranton. In 91 games overall, he batted a career-high .328, with 32 extra-base hits. He was also solid on defense, posting respectable fielding marks at catcher (.950 in 51 games) and second base (.932 in 28 games).65 He even filled in occasionally at first base and in the outfield. Appreciative club directors retained Cahill as team manager during a postseason franchise reorganization, entrusting him to rebuild the Scranton ballclub for the 1895 campaign.66 To tide him over in the meantime, the directors appointed him the coach of a Scranton franchise-affiliated semipro football team and the overseer of a local ice-skating rink. Such an arrangement allowed Cahill to resume his studies at Penn Med in January, if he so chose.

That fall, the disease that soon took Tommy Cahill’s life manifested itself when he began coughing up blood on the football field. At first, this was attributed to a lung injury suffered when Cahill overstretched to catch a poorly thrown pass67 or a heavy fall after a missed tackle in practice.68 He recovered temporarily and soon busied himself with recruiting ballplayers for the 1895 Scranton Miners.69 But he was plagued by tonsilitis and thereafter compelled to take to his bed.70 Nevertheless, reports that Cahill would not be able to manage in 1895 were discounted in the local press. “Cahill has been ill for several weeks, that is true,” observed the Scranton Republican. “But his health is improving and there is little doubt that he will be in splendid condition to play first class ball when the season opens.”71

That proved wishful thinking. As Christmas approached, Cahill’s condition took a dramatic turn for the worse as he began hemorrhaging again.72 By the time that his father and sister Nellie reached his bedside, there was little hope for Cahill’s recovery. As the end grew near, he reportedly said that “he was perfectly resigned and ready to go if he must die, but would awfully well like to live.”73 On Christmas morning, Thomas H. “Tommy” Cahill passed on. He was 26.

According to one Dr. Burnett, Cahill “had, no doubt, been a sufferer of consumption for three or four years. It was one of those cases in which the disease lingered in the system without showing itself to any marked extent. … The injury that he received in a recent football game aggravated the trouble and brought on the hemorrhages and death was only a matter of time.”74 Thomas Cahill Sr. was heartbroken, telling the press, “Last Christmas, while Tommy was eating his Christmas dinner at home with us, he promised to be with us on this day. Little did we think that on that day we would be bearing his body home for burial.”75

Back in Fall River, tributes poured in. The “deceased was of pleasant and affable disposition, and greatly endeared himself to all who had intercourse with him. He was not only popular as a player, but was esteemed as a man,” the Fall River Evening News observed.76 The Fall River Daily Herald was similarly laudatory, stating “kind hearted, light hearted Tommy Cahill, one of nature’s noble men, has played his last game, but leaves behind a memory that will always be cherished and revered.”77

Following a heavily attended High Requiem Mass said at St. Louis Church in Fall River, Cahill’s remains were interred in nearby St. John Cemetery. Unmarried, the deceased was survived by his parents and various siblings.

Acknowledgments

This biography was reviewed by Darren Gibson and Rory Costello and fact-checked by Jeff Findley.

Sources

Sources for the biographical info imparted above include the Cahill profile in Major League Baseball Profiles, 1871-1900, Vol. 1, David Nemec, ed. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2011); US Census data and government records accessed via Ancestry.com; and certain of the newspaper articles cited in the endnotes. Unless otherwise specified, statistics have been taken from Baseball-Reference.

Notes

1 His younger siblings were Frances (born 1869) and Mary (1873).

2 Modern authority generally refers to our subject as Tom Cahill, but this bio will identify him by the nickname regularly used during his lifetime, Tommy.

3 Margaret Clare (or Clery) Cahill (1828-1865) was the mother of half-brothers Martin (born 1853), Peter (1855), John (1858), Richard (1863), and Michael (1864), and half-sister Nellie (Ellen, 1860).

4 Although modern reference authority currently lists Cahill as “bats: unknown,” circumstantial evidence including caricatures published in the Louisville Courier-Journal provide near-irrefutable proof that Cahill was a righty batter.

5 “City Briefs,” Fall River (Massachusetts) Daily Herald, October 23, 1886: 4.

6 According to “City Briefs,” Fall River Daily Herald, January 1, 1887: 4.

7 Per the box score published in the Boston Globe, June 19, 1887: 8.

8 The two Cahill base hits were the only ones allowed by the Harvard pitcher, a ringer named Boyden who struck out 17 Holy Cross batsmen.

9 As reported in “Notes on Play and Players,” Lowell (Massachusetts) Weekly Sun, June 18, 1887: 5; “Sporting News,” Fall River Daily Herald, June 14, 1887: 4; and elsewhere.

10 As reported in the Fall River daily newspapers. Meanwhile, Billy Meade went undefeated in three starts for the Lowell Browns.

11 Per “Notes,” Fall River Daily Herald, October 31, 1887: 4.

12 Amateurism in college athletics did not take root until college sports began to attract widespread public interest. Prior to the founding of the NCAA in 1906, setting standards for eligibility for college athletic teams was generally the province of individual institutions.

13 The contest was a laugher won by Holy Cross, 28-0. See “Holy Cross vs. Bowdoin,” Worcester (Massachusetts) Daily Telegram, April 25, 1888: 4; “Sporting Affairs,” Worcester (Massachusetts) Evening Gazette, April 25, 1888: 8.

14 See “They Downed the Champions,” Worcester Daily Telegram, May 17, 1888: 1: “Cahill’s work behind the bat was up to the $10,000 standard.” In addition to hitting a single, double, and triple, Tommy also scored two runs.

15 “Worcester vs. Holy Cross,” Worcester Daily Telegram, June 26, 1888: 5: “Cahill … was the only man who could do anything with Stovey’s pitching.”

16 See “News from the Colleges: Holy Cross College,” Providence Evening Bulletin, June 28, 1888: 8: “Degrees Conferred,” Worcester Evening Gazette, June 28, 1888: 4. According to a Cahill obituary, he graduated “from the classical department with high honors.” See “Manager Cahill Is Dead,” Scranton (Pennsylvania) Tribune, December 26, 1894: 3.

17 “Cahill and Derby Released,” Worcester Daily Telegram, August 1, 1888: 4. Released with Cahill was Gene Derby, another catcher candidate.

18 Per “Among the Students,” Philadelphia Times, October 28, 1888: 15. At the time, students of a university medical school, law school, or those pursuing other post-graduate courses of study were eligible to play for the university athletic teams.

19 As reported in “College Boys Getting Ready,” New York Herald, April 3, 1889: 10, and “The University Team Picked,” Philadelphia Inquirer, March 27, 1889: 6.

20 See “The Atlantic League,” New Haven (Connecticut) Evening Register, April 6, 1889: 4; “Base Ball Gossip,” Philadelphia Times, March 15, 1889: 3.

21 Per Atlantic Association stats published in the 1890 Reach American Association Base Ball Guide, 78. Baseball-Reference provides no data for Cahill’s 1889 season.

22 1890 Reach Guide, 79.

23 See “The Doctors Victorious,” Philadelphia Inquirer, October 11, 1889: 6.

24 As reported in “Tom Cahill Suspended,” Fall River Daily Herald, April 24, 1890: 1, and “Catcher Cahill Suspended,” Fall River (Massachusetts) Daily Globe, April 22, 1890: 1.

25 See “Cahill Will Play Here,” Philadelphia Inquirer, March 27, 1890: 6. A photograph of the 1890 University of Pennsylvania baseball team includes Cahill, the only known photographic image of him.

26 Per “Averages of the Students,” Philadelphia Inquirer, June 22, 1890: 3.

27 See “Gossip from the Field,” Fall River (Massachusetts) Evening News, June 6, 1890: 8; “Local Sporting Matters,” Fall River Daily Herald, May 27, 1890: 1.

28 Per Atlantic Association fielding statisics published in the 1891 Reach American Association Base Ball Guide, 74-75.

29 Per “Burnham at Work,” Sporting Life, December 27, 1890: 1.

30 “News Notes and Comments,” Sporting Life, November 8, 1890: 4. See also, “Base Ball Notes,” Fall River Daily Globe, November 11, 1890: 7: “Tom Cahill of this city has left the University of Pennsylvania to enter upon a business venture.”

31 See again, “Manager Cahill Is Dead,” above.

32 See e.g., “Fall Rivers Win Again,” Fall River Daily Globe, November 28, 1890: 8; “With the Kickers,” Fall River Daily Herald, November 3, 1890: 4; “Chronic Kickers,” Fall River Daily Globe, October 20, 1890: 7.

33 As reported in “Louisville Gets a Catcher,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 14, 1891: 5; “Louisville Signs Cahill,” Columbus Dispatch, March 14, 1891: 2; “Tommy Cahill’s ‘Jump,’” Fall River Daily Globe, March 14, 1891: 7; and elsewhere.

34 “For Base Ball Cranks,” Louisville Courier-Journal, March 30, 1891: 6.

35 “They Won Easily,” Louisville Courier-Journal, April 10, 1891: 6.

36 “Base Ball Notes,” Norfolk Virginian, May 14, 1891: 2.

37 Per “Praise for Tommy Cahill,” Fall River Daily Globe, May 15, 1891: 7, citing the Boston Herald.

38 Per “Macullar in a New Role,” Louisville Courier-Journal, June 15, 1891: 3.

39 See “Mishaps,” Fall River Daily Herald, March 5, 1892: 1, and “Cahill Signs,” Louisville Courier-Journal, October 13, 1891: 7.

40 “Diamond Paragraphs,” Louisville Courier-Journal, September 24, 1891: 2.

41 See “A Slow Game,” Louisville Courier-Journal, April 18, 1892: 8. Cahill hit a triple and scored three runs in the 8-6 Louisville victory.

42 Per “Bring on Boston: Cahill Will Go,” Louisville Courier-Journal, April 30, 1892: 8. See also, “Official News,” Sporting Life, April 30, 1892: 1; “Cahill and Hess Released,” Louisville Courier-Journal, April 21, 1892: 6.

43 See “Directors’ Meeting,” Louisville Courier-Journal, April 28, 1892: 8.

44 “Cahill and Hess Released,” above.

45 See “Catcher Cahill Goes to Troy, N.Y.,” Buffalo News, May 9, 1892: 5; “Cahill’s ‘Catch On,’” Louisville Courier-Journal, May 9, 1892: 6; “Cahill Goes to Troy,” Omaha Daily Bee, May 9, 1892: 2.

46 No defensive stats were discovered for Cahill’s 1892 season.

47 Per “The Eastern League,” Sporting Life, November 26, 1892: 1.

48 “Personal Mention,” Sporting Life, January 21, 1893: 2.

49 Per “Manning and Cahill,” Fall River Daily Globe, January 28, 1893: 6.

50 See “Our Folks and Other Folks,” Fall River Evening News, February 6, 1893: 8; “Base Ball Notes,” Boston Globe, February 5, 1893: 18.

51 See “Tips from Troy,” Sporting Life, March 18, 1893: 3. See also, “Troy Tips: The Eastern League Gives Signs of Life,” Sporting Life, March 11, 1893: 14.

52 As reported in “Troy Tips,” Sporting Life, April 8, 1893: 3; “Captain and Manager,” Fall River Daily Globe, March 9, 1893: 7; and elsewhere.

53 Baseball-Reference curiously lists Joseph Egolf, an elderly Civil War veteran and former Troy police commissioner who died in mid-August, as the Trojans manager in 1893, while The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (3d ed.) places Troy club owner J.D. Maloney in the manager post.

54 “We Win One,” Wilkes-Barre (Pennsylvania) Sunday Leader, July 9, 1893: 1.

55 Per “A Talk with Our Tommy,” Fall River Daily Herald, July 29, 1893: 7.

56 See “Base Ball Notes,” Wilkes-Barre (Pennsylvania) Daily News Dealer, August 18, 1893: 5; “Around the Bases,” Buffalo Courier, August 16, 1893: 8.

57 Per Eastern League fielding stats published in the 1894 Reach Official Base Ball Guide, 104, and Fall River Daily Globe, December 19, 1893: 8. Cahill’s 14 errors and 15 passed balls were also the lowest totals of his career.

58 As reported in “General Sporting Notes,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 8, 1893: 8; “Sporting Briefs,” Buffalo Evening News, December 5, 1893: 1; and elsewhere.

59 The Brooklyn club’s action was reported in “Shifting the Ball Players,” Philadelphia Inquirer, January 5, 1894: 3; “Brooklyn Waives Claim to Catcher Cahill,” (Brooklyn) Daily Standard Union, January 4, 1894: 8; and elsewhere.

60 See “Cahill Goes to Troy,” Fall River Daily Herald, March 1, 1894: 6; “Carey Signs,” Fall River Daily Globe, February 28, 1894: 7.

61 More on the dissolution of the Troy franchise appears in “The Eastern League,” 1895 Reach Official Base Ball Guide, 17.

62 See “Eastern League It Is,” Wilkes-Barre (Pennsylvania) Times, August 2, 1894: 5; “Eastern League Vacancy,” Scranton (Pennsylvania) Republican, July 28, 1894: 5.

63 See “Base Ball,” Scranton (Pennsylvania) Tribune, August 4, 1894: 2; “Hats Off for Scranton,” Providence Journal, August 2, 1894: 2.  See also, “Disposal of Troy’s Players,” Boston Post, August 2, 1894: 6.

64 Per “Baseball Players on Strike,” Buffalo Evening News, August 10, 1894: 1; “Eastern League,” Providence News, August 7, 1894: 8.

65 Per the 1895 Reach Official Base Ball Guide, 71-72.

66 “Cahill Will Manage Scranton,” Buffalo Enquirer, September 15, 1894: 2; “Baseball Tattle,” Providence News, September 15, 1894: 2.

67 As subsequently recounted in Cahill obituaries published in Eastern Pennsylvania newspapers. See particularly, “Death of Tommy Cahill,” Scranton Republican, December 26, 1894: 5.

68 According to “‘Tommy’ Cahill Dead,” Fall River Daily Globe, December 26, 1894: 1.

69 Per “Base Ball at Scranton,” Wilkes-Barre Daily News-Dealer, November 21, 1894: 2.

70 See “Field of Local Sports,” Scranton Republican, December 15, 1894: 3.

71 “Tommy Cahill Will Manage,” Scranton Republican, December 10, 1894: 7. See also, “Cahill Will Remain,” Scranton (Pennsylvania) Times, December 13, 1894: 6.

72 “Tommy Cahill’s Dangerous Illness,” Buffalo Evening News, December 24, 1894: 10; “Thomas Cahill Very Sick,” Fall River Evening News, December 24, 1894: 8; “Tommy Cahill Very Ill,” Philadelphia Times, December 24, 1894: 2.

73 “Death of Tommy Cahill,” Wilkes-Barre (Pennsylvania) Weekly Union Leader, December 28, 1894: 8.

74 “Death of Tommy Cahill,” Scranton Republican, above.

75 “Down the Valley: Tommy Cahill Dead,” Carbondale (Pennsylvania) Herald, December 26, 1894: 3.

76 “Cahill Dead,” Fall River Evening News, December 26, 1894: 8.

77 “The End Was Death,” Fall River Daily Herald, December 26, 1894: 8.