Andrew Bernard "Barney" Gilligan (January 3, 1856April 1, 1934) was an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
player whose career spanned 12 seasons, 11 of which were spent with the
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB)
Cleveland Blues (1879–1880),
Providence Grays
The Providence Grays were a Major League Baseball team based in Providence, Rhode Island who played in the National League from until . The Grays played at the Messer Street Grounds in the Olneyville neighborhood. The team won the National Leagu ...
(1881–1885),
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
(1886–1887), and
Detroit Wolverines
The Detroit Wolverines were a 19th-century Major League Baseball team that played in the National League from 1881 to 1888 in the city of Detroit, Michigan. In total, they won 426 games and lost 437, taking their lone pennant (and winning the pre ...
(1888). Gilligan, who predominately played as a
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
, also played as an
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
and a
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
. Over his career, Gilligan compiled a career
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
of .207 with 217
runs scored
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls ...
, 388
hits, 68
doubles, 23
triples, three
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s, and 167
runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
(RBI) in 523
games played
Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.
Basebal ...
. Although the majority of his career was spent in the major leagues, Gilligan also played in
minor league baseball. He was listed as standing and weighing .
Early life
Andrew Bernard Gilligan was born in
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...
on January 3, 1856. He was the sixth child of seven born to Patrick Gilligan, a laborer, and Sarah Gilligan. Both Patrick and Sarah had immigrated to the United States from
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
.
Professional career
Gilligan began his professional career playing
right field
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...
in 1874 for the New York Flyaways, an amateur baseball club. He continued his professional baseball career in 1876 and 1877. In 1878, Gilligan played for various minor-league clubs such as the Somerville Unions of
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a total population of 81, ...
, and the Charlestown Alerts of
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown is the oldest neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Originally called Mishawum by the Massachusett tribe, it is located on a peninsula north of the Charles River, across from downtown Boston, and also adjoins t ...
.
In his first full MLB season, Gilligan played for the Cleveland Blues. After his first game with the Blues, the ''
Cleveland Leader'' stated "Gilligan caught exceedingly well taking some fine pickups."
Over 52 games played, Gilligan batted a career-low .171 with 11 RBI and six doubles.
Defensively, he played 27 games as catcher and 23 as an outfielder. Next season, Gilligan continued to play for the Blues, serving as backup catcher to
Doc Kennedy before leaving the team at the end of the season to sign with the Providence Grays. With the Grays, he served again as a backup catcher before the starter (
Emil Gross) became injured;
on the season, Gilligan batted .219 with 20 RBI. Next year, in 1882, Gilligan became the starting catcher for the Grays; his backup,
Sandy Nava, was the first Mexican-American baseball player.
When the season was over, the Grays finished 52–32, second in the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
(NL), under manager
Harry Wright
William Henry "Harry" Wright (January 10, 1835 – October 3, 1895) was an English-born American professional baseball player, manager, and developer. He assembled, managed, and played center field for baseball's first fully professional team, t ...
.
By 1883, Gilligan had become the Grays starting catcher. Despite breaking his finger and missing two weeks in May, Gilligan led the National League in
assists as a catcher, while his team finished third in the NL. He continued his tenure with the Grays the following season. Gilligan played in a career-high 82 games, while also recording career highs in RBI (38),
strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
s (41), and
on-base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...
(.325)
and leading MLB in defensive games as a catcher (81). After finishing at the top of the NL, the Grays played in the
1884 World Series
Events
January–March
* January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London.
* January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Princess Ida'' premières at the Savoy Theatre, London.
* January 18 – Dr. William Price attemp ...
against the
New York Metropolitans
The Metropolitan Club (New York Metropolitans or the Mets) was a 19th-century professional baseball team that played in New York City from 1880 to 1887. (The ''New York Metropolitan Baseball Club'' was the name chosen in 1961 for the New York ...
of the
American Association American Association may refer to:
Baseball
* American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891
* American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997
* American Association of Profe ...
. Gilligan went 4–for–9 over the three-game series, with the Grays defeating the Metropolitans three games to none.
After spending the 1885 season with the Grays, and tying
Andy Cusick
Andrew J. Cusick (December 1857 – August 6, 1929) was an Irish-born catcher in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1887. He played for the Wilmington Quicksteps and Philadelphia Quakers. Cusick was 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighed 190 pounds. ...
for the MLB lead in
errors committed as a catcher, the Grays management sold out in November of that year.
The NL bought the Grays for
$6,000, while Gilligan was assigned to the Washington Nationals. He served as captain of the team for the 1886 season, catching 71 games and batting .190. Before the 1887 season, he established a restaurant in the
District of Columbia
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
.
In 1887, Gilligan was fined $25 for
binge drinking
Binge drinking, or heavy episodic drinking, is drinking alcoholic beverages with an intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time, but definitions ( see below) vary considerably.
Binge drinking ...
and missing a game for the Nationals.
The next season, Gilligan was released by the team. In his final MLB season, Gilligan signed with the Detroit Wolverines. He played in one game for the team, going 1–for–5 with a run and a strikeout. Later that year, Gilligan signed with the Lynn Shoemakers, appearing in 11 games before joining the Manchester Maroons for three games. For the next three years, Gilligan continued to play minor league baseball.
In 1889, he played for the
Hyannis town team in what is now the
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...
.
His career MLB batting average (.207) is tied with
John Henry for the seventh lowest all-time among batters with at least 1,000
at bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...
s.
After baseball
After retiring from baseball, Gilligan lived in
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is the eighth-largest municipality in Massachusetts and the largest city in Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line at Suffolk Downs, Lynn is part of Greater Boston's urban inner core. Settled by E ...
, with his wife, Sara. He worked as a garbage collector before dying of
erysipelas
Erysipelas () is a relatively common bacterial infection of the superficial layer of the skin ( upper dermis), extending to the superficial lymphatic vessels within the skin, characterized by a raised, well-defined, tender, bright red rash, t ...
on April 1, 1934. Gilligan was interred at
Pine Grove Cemetery in Lynn.
References
;General
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;Specific
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilligan, Barney
1856 births
1934 deaths
19th-century baseball players
Major League Baseball catchers
Cleveland Blues (NL) players
Providence Grays players
Washington Nationals (1886–1889) players
Detroit Wolverines players
Manchester Maroons players
Lynn Shoemakers players
Lynn (minor league baseball) players
Cape Cod Baseball League players (pre-modern era)
Hyannis Harbor Hawks players
Baseball players from Massachusetts
Sportspeople from Cambridge, Massachusetts
American people of Northern Ireland descent