Joseph Francis Connor (December 8, 1874 – November 8, 1957) was an American right-handed

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), ...

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 ...

. A native of

Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut on the Naugatuck River, southwest of Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the second-largest city in New Haven County, Connecticut. According to the 2020 US Census, in 20 ...

, he played for four seasons in Major League Baseball, including stints with the

St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they ...

in , the

Boston Beaneaters Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most po ...

in , the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

and Cleveland Blues in , and the

New York Highlanders The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

in .

Major league career

Joe Connor made his major league debut with the St. Louis Browns at

Robison Field Robison Field is the best-known of several names given to a former Major League Baseball park in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the home of the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League from April 27, 1893 until June 6, 1920. History Today's Card ...

on September 9, 1895, and spent the 1895 season playing alongside his brother,

Roger Connor Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ( ...

. At the end his rookie season, Connor didn't play major league baseball again for five years, when he was released from the St. Louis Browns in 1900. Before the 1901 season, Connor played for the Boston Beaneaters. Connor also played for the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1901 season. On July 22, 1901, Connor was released by the Milwaukee Brewers. Only four days later, on July 26, he signed as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

with the Cleveland Blues. In 1905, he played his last season of major league baseball. In September 1905, the Cleveland Blues loaned Connor to the New York Highlanders. Conner played his final Major League Baseball game on October 7, 1905.

After retirement

Joe Connor died on November 8, 1957, in Waterbury, Connecticut. His brother,

, also played major league baseball, and was inducted into the

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

in . Combinations of major league brothers have only happened about 350 times. His brother was called the 19th century's

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 ...

king, and he was the first Major League Baseball player to hit an over-the-wall home run at the

Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 through 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built fo ...

baseball stadium A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into the infield, an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined, and the outfield, where dimensions can vary widely from place to pla ...

References

External links

Baseball Almanac
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connor, Joe 1874 births 1957 deaths Major League Baseball catchers St. Louis Browns (NL) players Boston Beaneaters players Cleveland Blues (1901) players New York Highlanders players Milwaukee Brewers (1901) players Sportspeople from Waterbury, Connecticut Baseball players from New Haven County, Connecticut Minor league baseball managers Augusta Kennebecs players Bangor Millionaires players Troy Trojans (minor league) players Waterbury Indians players Fall River Indians players Waterbury Pirates players Waterbury Rough Riders players Bridgeport Orators players Springfield Ponies players Newark Sailors players Montreal Royals players New Britain Perfectos players 19th-century baseball players