Amby McConnell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Amby McConnell | |
|---|---|
 McConnell's 1911 baseball card | |
| Second baseman | |
| Born: April 29, 1883 North Pownal, Vermont, U.S. | |
| Died: May 20, 1942 (aged 59) Utica, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 17, 1908, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 8, 1911, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .264 |
| Home runs | 3 |
| Runs batted in | 119 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Ambrose Moses McConnell (April 29, 1883 – May 20, 1942) was an American baseball second baseman who played four seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "Midget" due to his 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) stature,[1] he played for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox from 1908 to 1911. He batted left-handed but threw right-handed.
McConnell played minor league baseball for three different teams until August 1907, when he signed for the Boston Red Sox. After making his debut the following season and spending three seasons with the Red Sox, McConnell was traded in the middle of the 1910 season to the Chicago White Sox, where he spent the next two years of his career before playing his last game on October 8, 1911. He died on May 20, 1942, in Utica, New York. McConnell is most famous for hitting into the first unassisted triple play in Major League Baseball history on July 19, 1909.
McConnell was born on April 29, 1883.[2] He grew up in North Pownal, Vermont, and began his baseball career there.[1] McConnell attended Beloit College[2] and made a living by working at the town mill for fifty hours a week (earning him $6). During his spare time, he would play baseball at a nearby field and soon became well known around the region for his stellar defense. As a result of his newfound fame, a team based in Dalton, Massachusetts, offered McConnell $7.50 a week to play for them. McConnell accepted, even though (unbeknownst to him) some of his new teammates were earning twice as much as he was. After the 1908 season, McConnell got married and eventually had two children.[1]
Throughout his career, McConnell was known to have the odd hobby of collecting pins. When he was in the middle of a batting slump, he would scavenge the streets and pick up any pin he found, believing this was a sign he would break out of the slump.[3]