Dickey Pearce

Dickey Pearce
Shortstop
Born: February 29, 1836(1836-02-29) Brooklyn, New York
Died: September 18, 1908(1908-09-18) (aged 72) Wareham, Massachusetts
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 18, 1871 for the New York Mutuals
Last MLB appearance
October 6, 1877 for the St. Louis Brown Stockings
Career statistics
Batting average	.252
Home runs	2
Runs batted in	137
Teams
National Association of Base Ball Players Brooklyn Atlantics (1857–1870) Excelsior of Brooklyn (1866)   League player New York Mutuals (1871-72) Brooklyn Atlantics (1873-74) St. Louis Brown Stockings (1875-77)   League manager New York Mutuals (1872) St. Louis Brown Stockings (1875)

Richard J. "Dickey" Pearce (February 29, 1836 - September 18, 1908) was an American professional baseball player^[1] and one of the sport's most famous early figures. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and began playing with the Brooklyn Atlantics in 1856. He continued his career in the National Association and the early years of Major League Baseball. It is possible Pearce was one of the first baseball players to earn money for playing the game professionally. Pearce is given credit for pioneering the shortstop position. Pearce introduced his "tricky hit" to baseball, known today as the bunt. For much of his career, the rules permitted the ball to roll foul and still be a hit.^[2]

Pearce played professionally for 22 years, spanning the generation from the game's beginnings to the National League. In the June 30, 1868 edition of the St. Louis Times, the paper said of him: "Pearce has been noted as a superior shortstop for ten years and to-day has no equal in the base ball field. He bats with great judgment and safety..." After retiring from playing, Pearce umpired into the mid-1880s.^[2]

References

1. ^ Dickey Pearce at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed November 18, 2009. Archived 11/18/09
2. ^ ^{a b} Dickey Pearce at baseballlibrary.com, URL accessed November 18, 2009. Archived 11/18/09

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Persondata
Name	Pearce, Dickey
Alternative names
Short description	American baseball player
Date of birth	February 29, 1836
Place of birth	Brooklyn, New York
Date of death	September 18, 1908
Place of death	Wareham, Massachusetts