Friday, May 8, 2015

Happy Baseball Birthday... Big Dan Brouthers

The first great slugger in big league baseball history, Big Dan Brouthers, is today's Happy Baseball Birthday!








Dennis Joseph Brouthers was born on May 8, 1858, in Sylvan Lake, New Jersey.





Brouthers signed with the Troy Trojans as a free agent in 1879, and made his big league debut on June 23rd, at the age of 21.





Brouthers played big league baseball for 19 years, making 7,676 plate appearances, 6,711 at bats, collecting 2,296 base hits in 1,673 games.




Brouthers accomplishments are among the greatest of 19th century baseball, playing for Troy, the Buffalo Bisons, Detroit Wolverines, Boston Beaneaters, Boston Reds, Brooklyn Grooms, Baltimore Orioles, Louisville Colonels, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Giants.




I know Big Dan Brouthers as a member of the 1887 World Series Championship Detroit Wolverines.









The Wolverines, playing in the National League, won the City of Detroit's first baseball title 14 years before the Detroit Tigers started as an original member of the American League.








Dan Brouthers was a big, strong first baseman... 6' 2", 207 lbs. was a giant back then, and Dan slugged his way to home run titles in 1881, 1886, RBI titles in 1883, 1892, doubles titles, 1886-87-88, slugging percentage titles  in 1881-86, 91, and five batting championships , the most ever in the 1800s, in 1882-83-89-91-92.




Brothers .342 career batting average is, 111 years after his final game, on October 4, 1904, is still the 9th highest batting average in big league baseball history. 





Dan Brouthers passed away from a hear attack on August 8, 1932, at the age of 74.





Brouthers was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1945.











In 1985 the slugging first sacker was inducted as an original member of the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame.




Happy Baseball Birthday! BIG Dan Brouthers!



PLAY BALL!









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