George Wright

Positions: Shortstop and Second Baseman
Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
5-9, 150lb (175cm, 68kg)
Born: January 28, 1847 in New York, NY us
Died: August 21, 1937  in Boston, MA
Buried: Holyhood Cemetery, Brookline, MA
Debut: May 5, 1871 (19th in major league history)
Last Game: October 2, 1882
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Pioneer/Executive in 1937. (Voted by Centennial Committee)
Induction ceremony in Cooperstown held in 1939.
View George Wright’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Full Name: George Wright
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Brother of Harry Wright, Sam Wright

Nine Players Who Debuted in 1871

Cap Anson
Al Spalding
Bobby Mathews
Deacon White
Ezra Sutton
Ross Barnes
George Wright
Harry Wright
Levi Meyerle

All-Time Teammate Team

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Notable Events and Chronology

Sort bySearch Days, Events, Players Title (A - Z)Date (Newest)

August 11, 1868

In Rockford, IL‚ the Unions of Morrisania play before 5‚000‚ their biggest crowd on their tour

June 30, 1872

The Boston Reds complete June with a 18-1 record. Ross Barnes leads the team in batting with a mark of .380‚ with George Wright at .368.

June 3, 1873

The Boston Reds visit the Union Grounds in Brooklyn to play the Mutuals in a game that goes to 12 innings before Boston wins 6-5. George Wright scores for the Reds on a hit by Ross Barnes.

June 12, 1875

Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Stockings at the South End Grounds

July 20, 1875

The Chicago Tribune states that the Bostons will disband at the end of the season‚ with the Wrights going to Cincinnati

February 22, 1881

George Wright signs a contract to play for the Boston Red Caps after sitting out the 1880 season

December 21, 1911

In the New York Evening Journal‚ 80s player-manager Sam Crane picks his all-time list

January 19, 1937

Baseball Writers Association of America elects second baseman Napoleon Lajoie, outfielder Tris Speaker and pitcher Cy Young to the Cooperstown shrine

December 7, 1937

Five of baseball’s pioneers are added to the Hall of Fame: Connie Mack‚ John McGraw‚ Morgan G. Bulkeley‚ Ban Johnson‚ and George Wright.

May 18, 1986

In the bottom of the tenth inning at Fenway Park, the Red Sox score two runs on an unusual play to beat the Rangers, 6-5, thanks to George Wright’s errant throw. The right fielder throws the ball away fielding Marty Barrett’s double, after becoming confused when two Boston baserunners, both who will score on the error, slide into second at the same time, the batter and Steve Lyons from third base.

December 29, 2018

George Wright Stats & Facts

Biography

George Wright was baseball’s first franchise player. His older brother Harry was asked to form the first pro team, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, and the first player Harry recruited was George, a shortstop. The Wrights transferred operations to Boston when the National Association was formed, and won four of five pennants. George was the team’s sparkplug, Harry the manager. They joined the National League in its first season, 1876, and won pennants in 1877 and 1878, with George leading the league in at-bats. George managed Providence to a pennant in 1879, with Harry’s Boston club finishing second.

George gave up baseball almost entirely to establish a sporting-goods business. Since Albert Spalding and A.J. Reach already had strong footholds in baseball, Wright looked to other sports for development. He was helped in this goal when his son, Beals, became an early tennis star. When the Hall of Fame opened in 1939, Wright was one of its first inductees

Factoids, Quotes, Milestones and Odd Facts

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