Edward Joseph Boyle (May 8, 1874 – February 10, 1941) was a

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher ...

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) ...

who played for the

Louisville Colonels The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that also played in the American Association (AA) throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891. They were known as the Louisville Eclipse from 1882 to 1884, and as ...

and the

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) National League Central, Central division. Founded as part o ...

during the season. Listed at 6' 3", 200 lb., Boyle batted and threw

right-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...

. He was born in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state lin ...

. His older brother, Jack Boyle, also played in the majors. In a one season career, Boyle went hitless in 14

at-bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

s in five games (.000). In five catching appearances, he committed two

errors An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'. In statistic ...

in 22 chances for a .909

fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...

. Boyle started with Atlanta in 1893. He also played for Sioux City and St. Paul, both managed by

Charles Comiskey Charles Albert Comiskey (August 15, 1859 – October 26, 1931), nicknamed "Commy" or "The Old Roman", was an American Major League Baseball player, manager and team owner. He was a key person in the formation of the American League, and was also ...

. Another one of Boyle's manager,

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 ...

, said that Eddie was the most accurate catcher of the day. Boyle retired due to a foot ailment. He opened Eddie Boyle’s Café at 1134 W. 8th St in Cincinnati, not far from his brother Jack's Cafe at 7th and Central. He worked at the Cafe with his wife Winnifred until his death in 1941. Boyle died in his homeland of Cincinnati, Ohio at the age of 66. He was the brother of Jack Boyle and the uncle of

Buzz Boyle Ralph Francis "Buzz" Boyle (February 9, 1908 – November 12, 1978) was a professional baseball player who played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1929 through 1935. He played for the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1934, his ...

and Jimmy Boyle.

References

External links

* Louisville Colonels players Pittsburgh Pirates players 19th-century baseball players Major League Baseball catchers Baseball players from Ohio 1874 births 1941 deaths Sioux City Cornhuskers players Atlanta Atlantas players St. Paul Apostles players Toronto Canadians players Albany Senators players Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players
Eddie Boyle
at

SABR The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball primarily through the use of statistics. Established in Cooperstown, New Y ...

(Baseball BioProject) {{US-baseball-catcher-1870s-stub