Snake Deal

John Wesley Deal

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 164 lb.
• School Villanova University
• Debut July 9, 1906
• Final Game October 7, 1906
• Born January 21, 1879 in Lancaster, PA USA
• Died May 9, 1944 in Harrisburg, PA USA

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Biographical Information

Snake Deal is listed as having been at Villanova University from 1898-1906. In July 1906, he made his debut as a 27-year-old rookie with the Cincinnati Reds, where he got 231 at-bats for the rest of the season and played exclusively first base. While his .208 batting average doesn't seem like much, it was the dead-ball era and outfielder Frank Jude also hit .208 while shortstop Tommy Corcoran hit .207.

Snake was the same age as third baseman Jim Delahanty.

Deal had played a lot of ball for local teams in West Chester, PA and Wilmington, DE in the early 1900s. See Old Chester PA baseball where there is a picture of Snake Deal. Later in his career he played for several years in the New York State League. At age 37, he was still active as a player in the Interstate League.

He is one of three players, through 2009, remembered with the first name Snake. The others are Snake Henry and Snake Wiltse.

An article in the August 1959 issue of Baseball Digest included him in the "animal department in nicknames", along with Mule Haas, Possum Whitted, Goose Goslin and many others.

He was a very accomplished basketball players in the early days of the sport, playing professionally in the National Basketball League, one of the profesional circuits that preceded the NBA.

Related Sites

• Snake Deal at the SABR Bio Project

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