Charlie Abbey

Charles S. Abbey

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Weight 169 lb.

• Debut August 16, 1893
• Final Game August 19, 1897
• Born October 14, 1866 in Falls City, Nebraska Territory USA
• Died April 27, 1926 in San Francisco, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Charlie Abbey was the first native Nebraskan to play big league ball. He played five seasons for Washington Senators teams that were always under .500. His best season with the bat was in 1894 when he hit .314/.389/.472 with 18 triples, 31 steals and 26 outfield assists in 129 games.

Charlie's final season was eventful. On Sunday May 16, Abbey, the rest of the Senator starting nine, all of the Cleveland Indians' starters, both teams managers, and the umpire were arrested at the end of the first inning of an unscheduled exhibition game in what essentially a collective act of civil disobedience: violating Cleveland's blue laws preventing baseball games from being played on Sundays. Abbey made a putout in the field in the top of the inning hit by Chief Sockalexis, but did not have the chance to bat before being arrested. On July 27, he was the first base umpire in both games of a doubleheader Washington played against the Louisville Colonels. Dick Butler of Louisville worked home plate in both games. Presumably, the umpires scheduled to work that day's games were unavailable. That incidentally makes Charley the first person in the alphabetical list of major league umpires, ahead of Fred Abbott whose umpiring career came under similar circumstances.

Abbey played for the pennant-winning Portland Gladiators in the Pacific Northwest League in 1891. He died in San Francisco at the age of 59.

Notable Achievements

• 100 RBI Seasons: 1 (1894)
• 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 1 (1895)

Related Sites

• Charlie Abbey at the SABR Bio Project
• Find-A-Grave Memorial for Charlie Abbey