George Henry

George Washington Henry

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 180 lb.

• Debut April 27, 1893
• Final Game June 3, 1893
• Born August 10, 1863 in Philadelphia, PA USA
• Died December 30, 1934 in Lynn, MA USA

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Biographical Information

George Henry was in the majors for only 21 games, all of them with the Cincinnati Reds, but garnered outsized attention for an unusual play he engineered. On May 1, 1893, with Henry on second base and another runner on third, the batter hit a ground ball to the infield. The runner at third was caught off base and several infielders gathered around him to get him if they received the ball. Meanwhile, Henry ran past all of them. The runner from third was tagged out just before Henry crossed the plate, and umpire Bob Emslie declared Henry's reaching of home plate as a run. The opposing team had a fit, but the league president affirmed Emslie's decision.

Henry had a long career in baseball outside of the majors, playing 19 seasons in the minors or what the database calls "other" leagues (semipro or amateur). His hitting in the majors was adequate but his fielding was criticized.