William Edward "Wid" Conroy (April 5, 1877 – December 6, 1959) was an American

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), ...

player active during the first decade of the 20th century.

Career

Born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

on April 5, 1877, Conroy made his major league debut on April 25, 1901, with 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 ...

at the age of 24. He played his last game on October 5, 1911, for the Washington Senators, retiring at 34 years. Standing at 5' 9" (177 cm) and weighing 158 lb. (72 kg), Conroy epitomized the role of a utility man, playing every infield and outfield position in his 11-season career. He played for the Milwaukee Brewers (1901),

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

(1902),

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

(1903–1908), Washington Senators (1909–1911). Conroy began his career as 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 ...

, replacing

Honus Wagner Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (; February 24, 1874 – December 6, 1955), sometimes referred to as "Hans" Wagner, was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pitts ...

with Paterson in the Atlantic League, but was struck by

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

l fever and dropped from the team. In 1900

Connie Mack Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds untoucha ...

invited him to try out for the Western Association team he would field in Milwaukee and transfer to Philadelphia when the American League began as a major circuit; Conroy won the last spot on the roster. Conroy was the first-string shortstop of the NL champion 1902 Pirates but became a

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

when he returned to the AL with the Highlanders (later the Yankees) in 1903. He led AL third basemen twice in total chances per game. His 22-year career in pro baseball ended as a

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

coach in 1922. During his prime, Conroy consistently ranked in the top ten in most offensive categories as well as in stolen bases. He was an opening day starter for the New York Highlanders during the first five years of the team's existence (1903–1907). Batting and throwing right-handed, Conroy led 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 ...

with 4 home runs in 1906 and was fifth in the league overall. He also stole 41 bases in 1907, second only to

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...

, who swiped 49 that year. On September 25, 1911, he set an AL record with 13 total chances at 3B in a 3–2 loss to Cleveland. In 1,377 career games, Conroy batted .248 with 22 home runs and 452 RBIs.

Legacy and death

In the 1945 BBWAA

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 ...

voting, Conroy obtained 1 vote and a percentage of .4. Wid Conroy died on December 6, 1959, in

Mount Holly, New Jersey Mount Holly is a township that is the county seat of Burlington County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an eastern suburb of Philadelphia, the nation's sixth largest city as of 2020, As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township's population w ...

, and is buried at Mount Carmel Cemetery, in

Moorestown, New Jersey Moorestown is a Township (New Jersey), township in Burlington County, New Jersey, Burlington County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an eastern suburb of Philadelphia and geographically part of the South Jersey region of the state. As of ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conroy, William 1877 births 1959 deaths Major League Baseball third basemen Baseball players from Philadelphia Milwaukee Brewers (1901) players Pittsburgh Pirates players New York Highlanders players Washington Senators (1901–1960) players Philadelphia Phillies coaches Minor league baseball managers Rochester Hustlers players Elmira Colonels players Richmond Virginians (minor league) players Burials in New Jersey

Career

Legacy and death

See also

References

External links