Lon Knight

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=
bgcolor2=
textcolor1=
textcolor2=
name=Lon Knight


position=Right fielder/Pitcher/Manager
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=June 16 1853
city-state|Philadelphia|Pennsylvania
deathdate=death date and age|1932|4|23|1853|6|16
city-state|Philadelphia|Pennsylvania
debutdate=September 4
debutyear=by|1875
debutteam=Philadelphia Athletics
finaldate=October 10
finalyear=by|1885
finalteam=Providence Grays
stat1label=Games played
stat1value=545
stat2label=Hits
stat2value=555
stat3label=Batting average
stat3value=.243
teams=As Player
*Philadelphia Athletics (NA/NL) (by|1875–by|1876)
*Worcester Ruby Legs (by|1877)
*Detroit Wolverines (by|1880–by|1881)
*Philadelphia Athletics (AA) (by|1883–by|1885)
*Providence Grays by|1885

As Manager
*Philadelphia Athletics (by|1883–by|1884)
highlights=
* Led the National League in Sacrifice Hits 4 times (1907-08, 1910 and 1913).
*Philadelphia Phillies Career Leader in Sacrifice Hits (216).

Alonzo P. "Lon" Knight, born Alonzo P. Letti (June 16 1853 – April 23 1932), was an American right fielder, right-handed pitcher and manager in Major League Baseball. He threw the first pitch in the first game played in the new National League on April 22, by|1876.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and a graduate of Girard College, [ [http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=7644&bid=715 Society for American Baseball Research biography] ] he began playing with the Philadelphia Athletics in by|1875 when the team was in the National Association, then stayed with them when they joined the National League in 1876. When the team folded after the 1876 season, he did not play in the major leagues again until 1880, when he joined the Worcester Ruby Legs of the NL for one season, and the Detroit Wolverines for two. In by|1883, he was named the manager of the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association, and the team won the league pennant with Knight also playing right field. In 1884 the team fell back to seventh place in a 13-team league. He finished his career in 1885 when he split the season between the Athletics and the Providence Grays. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/k/knighlo01.shtml Baseball-Reference player page] ]

On May 21, by|1880, he was playing right field at Riverside Park in Albany, New York when Lip Pike hit a ball over the fence and into the river. Few parks at the time had ground rules concerning balls hit over the fence. It was not an automatic home run, so Knight pursued the ball in a boat, eventually giving up. [ [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/chronology/byyear.php?year=1880 Baseball Library] ]

Knight died of poisoning at age 78 in Philadelphia when his gas line sprung a leak, and interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery. [ [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=knighlo01 Baseball Almanac] ]

ee also

*Hitting for the cycle

References

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/k/knighlo01.shtml Baseball-Reference.com] - career playing statistics and managing record
* [http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=7644&bid=715 Society for American Baseball Research]

Persondata
NAME = Knight, Lon
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Knight, Alonzo P.
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Major League Baseball player, manager
DATE OF BIRTH = June 16, 1853
PLACE OF BIRTH = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
DATE OF DEATH = April 23, 1932
PLACE OF DEATH = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania