Bill French

William Henry French

• Bats Unknown, Throws Unknown

• Debut April 14, 1873
• Final Game June 30, 1873
• Born 1849
• Died June 1, 1893 in Baltimore, MD USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Bill French played 5 games as an outfielder and pitcher for the 1873 Baltimore Marylands of the National Association, a team that only played 6 games and whose players are particularly obscure. He apparently later became an umpire working local games in Baltimore, MD, as per a story from the New York Clipper from October, 1877. He is then tracked to California, playing centerfield there from 1878 to 1880. That man's California voter registration card confirms he was from Maryland, which links him to a William French, butcher, found in Baltimore city directories from the period. Researcher Peter Morris was behind the research that identified this long-missing player in 2011.

Further Reading

• "William French", in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, July/August 2011, p. 1.