Joe Quinn (quinnjo02)
Joseph James Quinn
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 7", Weight 158 lb.
- Debut April 26, 1884
- Final Game July 23, 1901
- Born December 24, 1862 in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
- Died November 12, 1940 in St. Louis, MO USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Second baseman Joe Quinn was the first player from Australia in the major leagues. He played for nine clubs over his 17-season career. Quinn got his start as a player with the St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association, and is one of few players from that league to find success in the National League. Throughout his career, Quinn was known for his defensive skills, and he led NL second basemen in fielding percentage three times.
Quinn also had two stints as a big league manager, with the St. Louis Browns in 1895 and the Cleveland Spiders in 1899. His Browns club went 11-28 under his guidance, and the Spiders were even worse, going 12-104. His career .148 winning percentage is one of the lowest in baseball history.
He was, as a player, arguably the best hitter on the Cleveland Spiders team he managed in 1899, which is considered to have been the worst team in major league history. He umpired a couple of National League games, in 1894 and 1896.
In the offseason, Quinn was a mortician, and he owned a funeral home after his playing days ended.
After Quinn's debut in the majors, no other player born in Australia made his debut in the majors until 1986 with Craig Shipley, more than 100 years later. In 2013, he was inducted into the Baseball Australia Hall of Fame.
| Preceded by Al Buckenberger |
St. Louis Browns Manager 1895 |
Succeeded by Lew Phelan |
Year-by-Year Managerial Record[edit]
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | Duluth Freezers | Northwestern League | -- | replaced William Henry Lucas replaced by J.W. Anderson | |
| 1895 | St. Louis Browns | National League | 11-28 | -- | replaced Al Buckenberger (16-34) and Chris von der Ahe (1-0) on June 25/ replaced by Lou Phelan on August 13 |
| 1899 | Cleveland Spiders | National League | 12-104 | 12th | replaced Lave Cross (8-30) on June 6 |
| 1902 | Des Moines Midgets | Western League | 54-83 | 7th | |
| 1903 | Des Moines Undertakers | Western League | 55-76 | 7th |
Further Reading[edit]
- Rochelle Llewelyn Nicholls: Joe Quinn Among the Rowdies: The Life of Baseball's Honest Australian, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2014. ISBN 978-0-7864-7980-1
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