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John Cattanach, Extra Pitcher
John Cattanach was raised on the ritzy east side of Providence, the son of a successful interior decorator. He was a champion oarsman, one of the eight-man rowing crew for the Narragansett Boat Club that broke a speed record on the Potomac River in the early 1880s. The Grays were apparently impressed by the 21-year-old's natural athletic talent, and took him to spring training in 1884 with the intention of teaching him how to pitch. He even had his own personal catcher, Miah Murray. By May 13, neither Murray nor Cattanach had appeared in a game, but Murray was "a sort of a bulwark for Cattanach to exercise upon." Finally, on June 5, Manager Bancroft decided that his project was ready for the major leagues. With Charley Sweeney waiting in the wings in right field, Cattanach started in the pitcher's box against the weak-hitting Philadelphia team. The Journal charitably described his performance: "Cattanach pitched a swift and curving ball, but it was evident that he had not gained sufficient control of the sphere to be effective." By the middle of the fifth inning, he had given up seven runs; he allowed an unpardonable four walks, and was further undone by the Grays' uncharacteristically "wretched" fielding. Sweeney came in to pitch the rest of the game, sending Cattanach to the outfield, and the Grays rallied but lost 9 to 8. This was enough for Manager Bancroft to end the experiment; Cattanach was released on June 16 to a minor league team in Willimantic to play for $100 per month. He then followed Charley Sweeney to St. Louis in the Union Association later that season, going 1-1 in two starts, which represented his final major league record. He later pitched in the Southern League. After giving up base ball, he continued his athletic career; he toured the country as a professional wrestler and weight-thrower. At one point, he held the world record for the light hammer throw. He died in 1926 in a rooming house in Providence at the age of 63. copyright Rick Stattler 2002 |
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