Dick McBride: Fired On The Field
From SABR member Brian McKenna at Glimpses Into Baseball History on September 29, 2011:
Dick McBride had a great season in 1875; that is until he was fired humiliatingly. He managed a major league club to a 49-17 record, which seems outstanding, and it is. More than that, he was the club’s main pitcher – and in 1875 that meant he pitched nearly every game. His record in league contests was a stellar 44-13, which constituted over 530 innings work. That’s just league contests; the club probably played another 30-40 games that weren’t officially designated. Regardless, one day in October, the team’s directors stepped forward – on the grass nonetheless – and fired him on the spot, and turned the club over to a 23-year-old.
Read the full article here: http://baseballhistoryblog.com/3327/dick-mcbride-fired-on-the-field-mid-game/
Originally published: September 29, 2011. Last Updated: September 29, 2011.