John Hatfield (baseball)

John Van Buskirk Hatfield (July 20 1847 – February 20 1909) was an American professional baseball player in the 1860s and 1870s. He was a batting star and versatile fielder for the Mutual Base Ball Club (New York Mutuals) both before and after spending the 1868 season as left fielder for Harry Wright's Cincinnati Red Stockings. Left field was his primary position during four years as a regular player in the major leagues from 1871. For a few decades after leaving the game he was famous for his "world record" long-distance throw.Fact|date=February 2007

Born 1847 and 1855 in New Jersey, John and Gil Hatfield played in the major leagues twenty years apart.

John Hatfield's season under Harry Wright was the last of the amateur era. Like Fred Waterman, another import from the Mutuals, he must have been compensated by club members if not by the club.

Hatfield died 1909 in Long Island City at age 61. He is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Maspeth. (Both Long Island City and Maspeth are now in the New York City borough of Queens.)

Another John Hatfield played briefly in the Florida Marlins farm system in 1993. He was named for the former after his great grandfather told stories of the Hatfield brothers. Hatfield now resides in Tennessee with his wife, Rita.

"See his [http://baseball-reference.com/h/hatfijo01.shtml Career Record] at baseball-reference.

"See [http://baseball-reference.com/h/hatfijo01.shtml John Hatfield's vital and playing data] at baseball-reference.

External links

*baseball-reference|id=h/hatfijo01

References

*Baseball-Reference. [http://baseball-reference.com/h/hatfijo01.shtml "John Hatfield"] . Retrieved 2006-08-29.
*Retrosheet. [http://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/Phatfj101.htm "John Hatfield"] . Retrieved 2006-08-29.
*Wright, Marshall (2000). "The National Association of Base Ball Players, 1857-1870". Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. ISBN 0-7864-0779-4