Edward Baker Talcott (January 21, 1858 – April 5, 1941) was an American stockbroker and

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), ...

executive.

Career as a stockbroker

Talcott began a career on Wall Street in 1874, working for his father. He joined the Charles F. Hardy & Co. firm following an apprenticeship in 1879. By 1880, he purchased a seat at the stock exchange. From August 1898 to January 1899, Talcott was reported to have made about $1 million on the stock market, and he then resigned from his firm. He remained a member of the stock exchange until 1901.

Baseball career

In November 1889, Talcott financed the New York Giants franchise to compete in the new Players' League for 1890, along with

Buck Ewing William "Buck" Ewing (October 17, 1859 – October 20, 1906) was an American Major League Baseball player and manager. Renowned for his offensive and defensive skills, he was the first 19th-century catcher elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. C ...

, Edwin McAlpin, Cornelius Van Cott and

John Montgomery Ward John Montgomery Ward (March 3, 1860 – March 4, 1925), known as Monte Ward, was an American Major League Baseball pitcher, shortstop, second baseman, third baseman, manager, executive, union organizer, owner and author. Ward, of English descent ...

. In October 1890, Talcott was among several financial backers to secure the purchase of the Cincinnati Reds from Aaron S. Stern, with the intent of placing the Reds in the Players' League for 1891. However, in November 1890, Talcott, McAlpin, and

Brooklyn Ward's Wonders The Brooklyn Ward's Wonders were a baseball team who played in the Players' League in 1890. The team's nickname derived from its superstar shortstop, hall of famer John Montgomery Ward. The team finished with a 76–56 record, finishing in second ...

owner Wendell Goodwin agreed to merge their clubs with 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 ...

counterparts, the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants. The Players League would officially collapsed later that month, with McAlpin and Talcott claiming they lost $8,000 on the endeavor. The Cincinnati National League team that Talcott purchased a share of was instead replaced with a new franchise, with

John T. Brush John Tomlinson Brush (June 15, 1845 – November 26, 1912) was an American sports executive who is primarily remembered as the principal owner of the New York Giants franchise in Major League Baseball from late in the 1902 season until his death ...

as the principal owner. With Talcott now a minority owner in the National League's Giants, he remained associated with the club until he sold his shares to

Andrew Freedman Andrew Freedman (September 1, 1860 – December 4, 1915) was an American businessman who is primarily remembered as the owner of the New York Giants professional baseball team of the National League from 1895 to 1902. He also briefly owned the ...

after the 1894 season. In January 1902, Talcott was approached by

Albert Spalding Albert Goodwill Spalding (September 2, 1849 – September 9, 1915) was an American pitcher, manager, and executive in the early years of professional baseball, and the co-founder of A.G. Spalding sporting goods company. He was born and raised ...

, who suggested Talcott purchase a controlling interest in the Giants back from Freedman. Freedman would ultimately sell his shares to Brush in September 1902.

References

Baseball executives 1858 births 1941 deaths American stockbrokers {{baseball-business-bio-stub