James William Duncan (July 1, 1871 – October 16, 1901) was a Major League Baseball player.

Biography

He was born on July 1, 1871, in

Saltsburg, Pennsylvania Saltsburg is a borough in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its location is in western Pennsylvania, in the southwestern corner of Indiana County near its border with Westmoreland County. The town was based on the construction of salt ...

. Duncan played baseball in the minor leagues from 1895 to 1899. He was picked up by the National League's Washington Senators in July 1899; but after batting just .234 in 14 games, he was released. He then played the rest of the season for the worst major league team in history, the 1899 Cleveland Spiders. He had a .229 average in 105 at-bats. Duncan never played again after the 1899 season ended. Two years later at the age of 30, Duncan drowned during a fishing trip on October 16, 1901, in

Foxburg, Pennsylvania Foxburg is a borough in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located along the east bank of the Allegheny River, about north of the mouth of the Clarion River. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 181. History The town t ...

. According to a newspaper report, "In company with two friends, he went out in a row boat to fish, taking a quantity of dynamite to kill the fish. It is supposed that the boat was overturned by the explosion of the dynamite. Nothing was heard of the party for a few days when the bodies were found." He was buried in

Grove Hill Cemetery The Grove Hill Cemetery is a historic cemetery at 290 Main Street in Waltham, Massachusetts. Established in 1703, the cemetery was Waltham's only cemetery until 1857, when Mount Feake Cemetery opened. It was authorized in 1703, but its initial ...

Oil City, Pennsylvania Oil City is a city in Venango County, Pennsylvania known for its prominence in the initial exploration and development of the petroleum industry. It is located at a bend in the Allegheny River at the mouth of Oil Creek. Initial settlement of Oi ...

. File:Duncan-James 1901 obituary.gif, Obituary in the Lewiston Evening Journal

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan, Jim 1871 births 1901 deaths Major League Baseball catchers Cleveland Spiders players Washington Senators (1891–1899) players Baseball players from Pennsylvania Jamestown (minor league baseball) players Franklin Braves players Twin Cities Twins players Portland (minor league baseball) players Springfield Ponies players Springfield Maroons players New Britain Rangers players Rome Romans players Toronto Canucks players Paterson Giants players Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players Deaths by drowning in the United States 19th-century baseball players People from Saltsburg, Pennsylvania Accidental deaths in Pennsylvania