Hogan: The underappreciated John Montgomery Ward and Fred Logan
From SABR member Larry Hogan at The National Pastime Museum on June 22, 2015:
Fred Logan is one of the longest serving clubhouse managers in the history of Major League Baseball. Beginning in 1889 he served the New York Giants, and after 1903 the Highlanders/Yankees through the 1946 season. Little did Logan—as an 11-year-old baseball-loving youngster “hanging around the Polo Grounds as a lad”—realize what was in store for him one afternoon toward the middle of the 1889 season when Giants star shortstop John Montgomery Ward shouted to him.
Logan explained, “He gave me a quarter and said, ‘Run over to Sontag’s and get me a sandwich and a bottle of soda.’ Ward did not drink even beer. I delivered the lunch, and much to my astonishment, John told me to keep the change. Fifteen cents. Yes, a sandwich and a bottle of pop cost a dime. And some sandwich too. Great roast beef at Sontag’s.”
By 1889 John Montgomery Ward was a seasoned professional well into a career that would take him to the Baseball Hall of Fame. His first professional season of 1878 with the Providence Grays of the fledging National League saw him compile an outstanding record of 22–13 with a 1.51 ERA. He improved on that mark with a remarkable 47–18 in 1879, compiling 239 strikeouts with a 2.15 ERA. The next season saw him playing the outfield and third base while continuing his pitching prowess with a 39–24 record, 230 strikeouts, and a 1.74 ERA. Ward was a workhorse for the Grays during those two seasons with 587 innings pitched in 1879, and 595 in 1880. In that 1880 season, he continued to play other positions while still showing pitching heroics. On June 17, 1880, Ward pitched the second perfect game in baseball history, defeating future Hall of Famer Pud Galvin and the Buffalo Bisons by a score of 5–0.
Read the full article here: http://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com/article/john-montgomery-ward-and-fred-logan-under-appreciated-baseball-men
Originally published: June 22, 2015. Last Updated: June 22, 2015.