Charlie Hoover

Charles E. Hoover

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 8", Weight 170 lb.

• Debut October 9, 1888
• Final Game September 28, 1889
• Born September 21, 1865 in Mound City, IL USA
• Died February 27, 1905 in Shreveport, LA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Charlie Hoover came up at the end of the 1888 season with the Kansas City Cowboys of the American Association, and then became the regular catcher for the Cowboys in 1889. He was the same age, 23, as teammates Herman Long and Billy Hamilton.

"Charlie Hoover, the catcher of the Lincoln Base Ball Club . . . was sent to jail two weeks ago . . . for attempting to shoot a hackman. . . He has been a popular player in the Western League. . . Since his success in the League and his signing with Chicago he has been on a celebration the greater part of the time." - Sporting Life, Dec. 28, 1887

"Comiskey is sufficiently hard up for a catcher to take chances with an unreliable man, notwithstanding costly experience. He is trying Charlie Hoover, the ill-tempered and bibulously inclined ex-Kansas City catcher." - Sporting Life, April 8, 1893

In 1898, apparently while drunk, he and another person forged a check, and were sent to prison. He was pardoned in 1902. Source: Sporting Life, May 17, 1902. His whereabouts in later years were unknown for a long time, but a mention was found of his playing for an independent team in Shreveport, LA in 1903, He set up a brick business there, but it was soon dissolved, and news of his death was published shortly thereafter.

He was the brother-in-law of Frank Hafner, who was married to Charlie's sister. The two were teammates with Kansas City.

Further Reading

• "Charlie Hoover Found", in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, November/December 2020, p. 1.

Related Sites

• Charlie Hoover at the SABR Bio Project