- The Only Nolan
Infobox MLB retired
name=The Only Nolan
position=Pitcher
bats=Left
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date|1857|11|7|mf=y
city-state|Paterson|New Jersey
deathdate=death date and age|1913|5|18|1857|11|7
city-state|Paterson|New Jersey
debutdate=May 1
debutyear=by|1878
debutteam=Indianapolis Blues
finaldate=October 9
finalyear=by|1885
finalteam=Philadelphia Quakers
stat1label=Win-Loss Record
stat1value=23-52
stat2label=Strikeout s
stat2value=274
stat3label=ERA
stat3value=2.98
teams=
*Indianapolis Blues (1878)
*Cleveland Blues (1881)
*Pittsburg Alleghenys (1883)
*Wilmington Quicksteps (1884)
*Philadelphia Quakers (1885)Edward Sylvester "The Only" Nolan (Born
November 7 ,1857 inPaterson, New Jersey , DiedMay 18 ,1913 inPaterson, New Jersey is a formerMajor League Baseball pitcher ,outfielder , andthird baseman .cite web| title = The Only Nolan's career statistics | work = retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/N/Pnolae101.htm | accessdate = 2007-12-10 ]Career
A left handed hitter who pitched right handed, Nolan broke into baseball with the
Indianapolis Blues of theNational League in by|1878. OnMay 21 , Nolan set down theMilwaukee Grays with just 2 hits‚ but the Blues barely win the 6-5 game because of 11 errors and passed balls.cite web| title = 1878 Chronology | work = baseballlibrary.com | url=http://www.baseballlibrary.com/chronology/byyear.php?year=1878 | accessdate = 2007-12-10 ] He was expelled by the team onAugust 14 when he told the team he was going to a funeral, but instead went drinking. During the league meetings in December, Nolan's appeal for reinstatement was denied.In by|1881 Nolan is allowed to return to the league, this time with the Cleveland Blues. On
July 23 , Nolan not only pitched Cleveland to a 7-3 win over theBuffalo Bisons , but went 4-for-4 at the plate.cite web| title = 1881 Chronology | work = baseballlibrary.com | url=http://www.baseballlibrary.com/chronology/byyear.php?year=1881 | accessdate = 2007-12-10 ] Nolan and teammates John Clapp andJim McCormick missed the team'sSeptember 20 game in Worcester because their return from a side trip toNew York City was delayed by a train wreck. They were each fined $100 each.At a National League meeting in
Saratoga Springs, New York later that month, the league adopts a blacklist of players who were barred from playing for or against any NL teams until they are removed by unanimous vote of the league clubs. Nolan was one of the ten blacklsied for "confirmed dissipation and general insubordination". The other nine wereSadie Houck ‚Lip Pike ‚Lou Dickerson ‚Mike Dorgan ‚Bill Crowley ‚John Fox ‚ Lew Brown‚Emil Gross ‚ andEd Caskins .cite web| title = The Great Scandals © By David Nemec and Scott Flatow | work = nyc.sabr.org | url=http://nyc.sabr.org/Newsletters/Winter%202006.pdf | accessdate = 2007-12-10 ]He pitched in 7 games, all losses in by|1883 for the Pittsburg Alleghenys before being released for disciplinary reasons. He played two more professional seasons for the
Wilmington Quicksteps and the Philadelphia Quakers before retiring.The Only Nolan
A range of possible origins of the
nickname "The Only" have been claimed over the years, one states that the reason for the name derives from the fact that no other Nolan's, either first or last name had played or was playing in the majors at that time, therefore he was the only Nolan. The other is slightly more elaborate. In the period following the Civil War, a wildly successfulminstrel performer of the day, namedFrancis Leon , rose to prominence performing aburlesque act while simultaneously in both blackface and drag. His popularity prompted many imitators. In response, Leon began billing himself and his act as, "The Only Leon." The theory follows then that Ed Nolan somehow reminded an observer of Leon, thus sparking the similar nickname.cite web| title = The Annotated This Day in Baseball History: November 7th, 1857, Edward Nolan Born by Richard Barbieri | work = thisdaybaseball.blogspot.com | url=http://thisdaybaseball.blogspot.com/2005_11_06_archive.html | accessdate = 2007-12-10 ]Post-career
After his baseball career was over, Nolan worked for the Paterson, New Jersey Police Department. He had worked there about 15 years, he suddenly became ill and died of
nephritis cite web| title = Internment Card For Ed Nolan | work = the deadballera.com | url=http://www.thedeadballera.com/GravePhotos/Nolan.Ed.Grave.html | accessdate = 2007-12-10 ] at the age of 55.cite web| title = The Only Nolan's Obit | work = newyorktimes.com | url=http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9905E6DE143FE633A2575AC1A9639C946296D6CF | accessdate = 2007-12-10 ] He was interred at theHoly Sepulchre Cemetery inTotowa, New Jersey .References
External links
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