Thirty-one individuals who played professional baseball at the major league level before 1900 lack identified given names (there are hundreds of other players of which this is true from the twentieth-century Negro leagues). All 31 played between 1872 and 1892; 17 played in the National Association, which folded in 1875. Identification of players remains difficult due to a lack of biographical information. A Brooklyn, New York, directory, for instance, lists more than 30 men who could be the professional player "Stoddard". Philadelphia Athletics manager Bill Sharsig signed three of the 31, "local players" McBride, Stafford and Sweigert, for Philadelphia's last game of the season against the Syracuse Stars on October 12, 1890. McBride, Philadelphia's center fielder, and Stafford, the team's right fielder, both failed to reach base, but left fielder Sweigert reached base on a walk and stole a base. Society for American Baseball Research writer Bill Carle "doubt[s] we will ever be able to identify them". David Nemec has commented on this phenomenon with both major league and minor league players, noting, for example, that a McGuire (not on this list because he was a minor league player) is probably the player with an unknown first name whose appearances came closest to the twentieth century.
Despite their relative anonymity, several of these players received media coverage describing their games. In 1872, The New York Times described O'Rourke as a new player on Eckford of Brooklyn who "appear[ed] to be an improvement over the recent incumbents": in his only game, the pitcher allowed 15 runs to score in a complete game against the Troy Trojans. Lewis received a mention in Sporting Life (pictured) that recapped his performance, and another in the Pittsburgh Press, with a synopsis that summarized the game as "one of the greatest slugging matches ever seen since curve pitching came into vogue".
Of the 31 athletes with an unidentified given name, Baltimore Monumentals right fielder Scott played in the most games at the major league level, with 13, followed by Wills with 9. Scott also has the most hits among these players, with 12, followed by both Wills and Jones with 5 each. Among pitchers, Lewis has the highest earned run average, 60.00,There is a problem with this number, however. The game's box score (q.v.) reveals that at least six (and possibly as many as fourteen) of the 20 runs Lewis allowed in his single stint on the mound must have been unearned, giving Lewis an actual ERA somewhere between 18.00 and 42.00, not 60.00. whereas Edwards has the lowest, 4.50.
Players without identified given names
National Association
1872–1874
Name Position Team League Year Ref Higby Right fielder Brooklyn Atlantics National Association Summary: 1 game played 4 plate appearances 1 error O'Rourke Pitcher Eckford of Brooklyn National Association Summary: 0–1 win–loss record 9.0 innings pitched 8.00 earned run average 15 runs allowed Quinlan Shortstop Philadelphia White Stockings National Association Summary: 1 game played 1 hit 1 run batted in Wood Second baseman Baltimore Canaries National Association Summary: 1 game played 5 plate appearances 0 hits
1875
Name Position Team League Year Ref Boland Third baseman Brooklyn Atlantics National Association Summary: 1 game played 4 plate appearances 1 error Booth Shortstop New Haven Elm Citys National Association Summary: 1 game played 2 plate appearances 1 error Edwards Center fielder / Pitcher Brooklyn Atlantics National Association Summary: 1 game played 5 plate appearances 1 hit 0–1 win–loss record 2.0 innings pitched 4.50 earned run average Evans Left fielder New Haven Elm Citys National Association Summary: 1 game played 2 hits 1 run batted in Hellings Second baseman Brooklyn Atlantics National Association Summary: 1 game played 4 plate appearances 1 hit Quinn Outfielder / Shortstop Brooklyn Atlantics National Association Summary: 2 games played 1 hit 2 runs Shaffer Right fielder Brooklyn Atlantics National Association Summary: 1 game played 4 plate appearances 1 error Sheridan Left fielder Brooklyn Atlantics National Association Summary: 1 game played 4 plate appearances 0 hits D. Smith Second baseman Brooklyn Atlantics National Association Summary: Misidentified until 2023 as Thomas N. Smith 3 games played 13 plate appearances 1 hit Stoddard Outfielder Brooklyn Atlantics National Association Summary: 2 games played 9 plate appearances 1 hit Sullivan Right fielder New Haven Elm Citys National Association Summary: 2 games played 3 hits 3 runs batted in
Union Association, American Association and Players' League
1884–1885
Name Position Team League Year Ref Carroll Left fielder Washington Nationals Union Association Summary: 4 games played 16 plate appearances 4 hits 4 errors Franklin Center fielder Washington Nationals Union Association Summary: 1 game played 3 plate appearances 2 putouts Jones Left fielder Washington Nationals American Association Summary: 4 games played 5 hits .294 batting average McRemer Right fielder Washington Nationals Union Association Summary: 1 game played 3 plate appearances 0 hits Murphy Catcher / Left fielder Boston Reds Union Association Summary: 2 games played 4 plate appearances 1 walk Scott Right fielder / Third baseman Baltimore Monumentals Union Association Summary: 13 games played 12 hits 1 home run Smith Pitcher / Right fielder Baltimore Monumentals Union Association Summary: 1 game played 5 plate appearances 1 hits 0–0 win–loss record 6.0 innings pitched 9.00 earned run average Wills Center fielder Washington Nationals American Association Kansas City Cowboys (UA) Summary: 9 games played 36 plate appearances 5 hits Jones Third baseman New York Metropolitans American Association Summary: 1 game played 4 plate appearances 1 hit
1890–1892
Name Position Team League Year Ref Lewis Left fielder / Pitcher Buffalo Bisons Players' League Summary:
1 game played 5 plate appearances 1 hit 0–1 win–loss record 3.0 innings pitched 60.00 earned run average Macey Catcher Philadelphia Athletics American Association Summary: 1 game played 1 plate appearance 0 hits McBride Center fielder Philadelphia Athletics American Association Summary: 1 game played 2 plate appearances 0 hits Stafford Right fielder Philadelphia Athletics American Association Summary: 1 game played 2 plate appearances 0 hits Sweigert Left fielder Philadelphia Athletics American Association Summary: 1 game played 2 plate appearances 1 stolen base Leonard Right fielder St. Louis Browns American Association Summary: 1 game played 1 walk 1 stolen base
References