Edmund Joseph "Cotton" Minahan (December 10, 1882 – May 20, 1958) was a professional
baseball player
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
, and American
track and field athlete
Track and field is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of ...
who competed at the
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1900, link=no), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 1 ...
in Paris, France.
Early life and education
Minahan was born in
Springfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County, Ohio, Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River (Ohio), Mad River, Buck Creek, and Beaver Creek, approxim ...
and was one of 10 brothers and sisters, while young his family moved to
Orange, New Jersey
The City of Orange is a township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 30,134, reflecting a decline of 2,734 (−8.3%) from the 32,868 counted in 2000.
Orange was original ...
,
and was educated at
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
and
Manhattan College
Manhattan College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university in the Bronx, New York City. Originally established in 1853 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Christian Brothers) as an academy for day students, it was la ...
, he competed for the
Georgetown Hoyas
The Georgetown Hoyas are the collegiate athletics teams that officially represent Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C. Georgetown's athletics department fields 23 men's and women's varsity level teams and competes at the National C ...
.
Athletics
In June 1900, Minahan set sail for England with fellow club teammates
William Holland and
Arthur Duffey to compete in the
Amateur Athletic Association of England Games, then they headed to Paris to compete in the
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1900, link=no), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 1 ...
.
Minahan competed in the
60 metres event, placing fourth overall. He placed second in his initial heat with an unknown time (though the winner ran it in 7.0 seconds) before coming in fourth of four in the final with an estimated time of 7.2 seconds.
Minahan also went on to run in the
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...
, finishing in 12th or 13th place overall. He took second in his heat behind
Norman Pritchard
Norman Gilbert Pritchard (23 June 1875 – 30 October 1929), also known by his stage name Norman Trevor, was a British-Indian athlete and actor who became the first Asian-born athlete to win an Olympic medal when he won two silver medals in ...
to advance to the semifinals, but placed fourth in his semi final so didn't advance to the final or the repechage.
Baseball
Minahan played as a right-handed
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
for the season with the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
. For his career, he compiled a 0–2 record, with a 1.29
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
, and 4
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 in 14 innings pitched.
He was the first athlete in history to have been an Olympian in a non-baseball sport and also play in major league baseball, preceding
Jim Thorpe
James Francis Thorpe ( Sac and Fox (Sauk): ''Wa-Tho-Huk'', translated as "Bright Path"; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was the first Native ...
and
Eddy Alvarez
Eduardo Cortes Alvarez (born January 30, 1990) is an American professional baseball infielder in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers. Prior to his ba ...
.
Death
Minahan died on May 20, 1958 in
East Orange, New Jersey
East Orange is a City (New Jersey), city in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 69,612. The city was List of municipalities in ...
at the age of 75.
References
* De Wael, Herman. ''Herman's Full Olympians'': "Athletics 1900". Accessed 18 March 2006. Available electronically a
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minahan, Cotton
1882 births
1958 deaths
Sportspeople from Springfield, Ohio
Cincinnati Reds players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Baseball players from Ohio
Birmingham Barons players
Toledo Mud Hens players
St. Paul Saints (AA) players
Rochester Bronchos players
Georgetown Hoyas baseball players
Manhattan Jaspers baseball players
Olympic track and field athletes of the United States
Athletes (track and field) at the 1900 Summer Olympics
American male sprinters
Track and field athletes from Ohio
Georgetown Hoyas men's track and field athletes