John Sneed

John Law Sneed

• Bats Left, Throws Unknown
• Height 5' 8", Weight 160 lb.

• Debut May 1, 1884
• Final Game September 22, 1891
• Born 1861 in Memphis, TN USA
• Died December 27, 1898 in Jackson, TN USA

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Biographical Information

John Sneed played three years in the American Association. Primarily a right fielder, he was a decent hitter in his last two seasons. He also umpired four games in the circuit in 1885. He died young, in 1898, having been born in 1861.

He played for the New Orleans Pelicans in 1888 and for the Toledo Mud Hens in 1889 and 1890.

He was usually called "Jack Sneed" by Sporting Life. Although said to be a gentleman by birth and education, his morals were perhaps questionable. He borrowed a bat from Bug Holliday in 1888 and didn't return it until 1895. He disappeared from Columbus under unusual circumstances (it may have involved a woman or it may have involved some jewelry), and thereafter his wife divorced him. He was accused of stealing $400 of property from a railroad in 1894. In 1886, when he managed Memphis, he was released after a number of players complained to the ownership about him. In 1888 he was suspended without pay while with New Orleans.

In spite of his issues, Sporting Life took him on as a correspondent, and when he died the publication in early 1899 said that "no player ever exceeded him in popularity among the Southern patrons of the game. Jack had marital troubles and business complications after he retired from base ball, but he never lost his qualifications of a good fellow."

During the 1880s he ran a hardware business, and in the early 1890s he was a ticket broker.

The book Baseball in Columbus has a photo of the 1890 Columbus team, including Sneed.

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