Ed Coughlin

Edward E. Coughlin

• Bats Unknown, Throws Unknown

• Debut May 15, 1884
• Final Game May 15, 1884
• Born August 5, 1861 in Hartford, CT USA
• Died December 25, 1952 in Hartford, CT USA

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Biographical Information

Ed Coughlin played one game for the Buffalo Bisons of the National League on May 15, 1884; he started in the outfield and moved to the mound at one point, not retiring any of the five batters he faced and giving up four runs. A man of the same name was born in Hartford, CT in 1861 and died there in 1952 and those dates were attached to the ballplayer, although SABR researchers became convinced in 2014 that this man was not the ballplayer. Some contemporary newspaper sources claim he was from Chester, PA, but no person with his name appears in records there. Further research uncovered an obituary for the Hartford man that confirmed he had been an outstanding baseball player in his youth who had once played in the National League. Given this, and the fact that no candidate could be identified in Chester, it seems now that the original information had been correct all along.

Further Reading

• "Ed Coughlin", in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, May/June 2015, p. 5.
• "Edward Coughlin Found Again", in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, November/December 2018, p. 1.