10-03-2020, 11:12 AM
Charlie Sweeney, born in SF in 1863 to Irish immigrants. Dad was a cop. Played for Providence. In 1883, he struck out 48 batters in the season, then benefited from a new rule in which pitchers were allowed both (a) bend their elbow and wrist and (b) throw overhand. His strikeouts increased to 337, and he was the first major leaguer to strike out 19 batters in a game. His ERA went from 3.13 to 1.55 and he led the league in WHIP with 0.824.
His batterymate was Sandy Nava, first Mexican American to play MLB. Apparently, even Cap Anson found him acceptable. He couldn't hit, but is catching skills were superb at a time when catching tools were minimal and some catchers sat as far back as 20 feet from the plate to catch the balls.
Nava and fellow San Franciscan Sweeney were batterymates for two seasons. Sweeney was not atypical for a ballplayer or San Franciscan of that era. He became an alcoholic, killed a man in a bar fight, served three years, governor commuted his sentence but he got tuberculosis in prison and died at age 38.
His batterymate was Sandy Nava, first Mexican American to play MLB. Apparently, even Cap Anson found him acceptable. He couldn't hit, but is catching skills were superb at a time when catching tools were minimal and some catchers sat as far back as 20 feet from the plate to catch the balls.
Nava and fellow San Franciscan Sweeney were batterymates for two seasons. Sweeney was not atypical for a ballplayer or San Franciscan of that era. He became an alcoholic, killed a man in a bar fight, served three years, governor commuted his sentence but he got tuberculosis in prison and died at age 38.
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