Bill McCaffrey

William T. McCaffrey

• Bats Unknown, Throws Unknown
• Weight 121 lb.

• Debut June 15, 1885
• Final Game June 15, 1885
• Born April 1, 1862 in Baltimore County, MD USA
• Died September 9, 1927 in Baltimore, MD USA

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Biographical Information

Bill McCaffrey is the player long identified in Baseball Encyclopedias as McCaffery (without a first name). That player was previously thought to be Harry McCaffery but researchers disproved that hypothesis as Harry was not a pitcher, while the mystery man McCaffery was. While his full name is now known, much of his life remains shrouded in mystery.

"The Cincinnati (sic) tried their Baltimore acquisition, McCaffrey, in the box and for five innings he held the Brooklynites down; after that, however, he was pounded rather lively - too late, however, to overcome the Cincinnati's long lead." - Sporting Life, June 24, 1885

"McCaffrey, the young Baltimore amateur, late of Cincinnati, filled the box for the visitors . . . " - Sporting Life's Alexandria, VA correspondent about a game between the home team, Alexandria, and the visitors, Johns Hopkins University, in the July 15, 1885 issue

"WILMINGTON, N. C., notes: McCaffrey, the Baltimore pitcher, is now with our club. He has pitched nine straight games, winning eight, and the town is "stuck" on him." - from Sporting Life's Wilmington correspondent, August 26, 1885 issue

Related Sites

• Bill McCaffrey at the SABR Bio Project