Matthew Martin "Matty" McIntyre (June 12, 1880 – April 2, 1920) was an American

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

and manager. He played professionally from 1901 to 1917, including ten seasons in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

with the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, they became the Oakland ...

(1901),

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

(1904–1910), and

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

(1911–1912). He was also a player-manager for the Lincoln Tigers (1915) and the

Mobile Sea Gulls Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ...

(1916–1917). The leadoff hitter on the

teams that won three consecutive

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...

pennants from 1907 to 1909, he led the league in 1908 with 105

run Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...

s, 131

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

s, and 258

times on base In baseball statistics, the term times on base (TOB), is the cumulative total number of times a batter has reached base as a result of a hit, base on balls, or hit by pitch. This statistic does not include times reaching base by way of an err ...

, and ranked among the league leaders with a .295

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

(fifth), .392

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...

(second), and .383

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...

(fifth). He was also known for his defensive skill, leading the league's left fielders in

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

(1905-06, 1908-09), assists and

double play In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Le ...

s turned (1905, 1906, and 1908).

Early years

McIntyre was born in

Stonington, Connecticut Stonington is a town located on Long Island Sound in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The municipal limits of the town include the borough of Stonington (borough), Connecticut, Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck, Connecticut, Pa ...

, in 1880. He was one of seven sons born to Irish immigrants. The family moved to

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, where McIntyre grew up.

Professional baseball

Augusta and Philadelphia

McIntyre began his professional baseball career with the

New England League The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played intermittently in five of the six New England states (Vermont excepted) between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League B ...

club in

Augusta, Maine Augusta is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Maine. The city's population was 18,899 at the 2020 United States census, making it the List of cities in Maine, 12th-most populous city in Maine, and third ...

. He appeared in 23 games in May and June 1901, compiling a .292

. In addition to his batting, McIntrye won praise for his play in left field, one Maine newspaper in June 1901 describing how he robbed a batter of a likely triple: "But the fleet footed McIntyre was after it at a 10 second gait. He was nearly there. He can't reach it: yes, he has it. It was a phenomenal catch, the ball striking in McIntyre's right hand about a foot from the ground. A beautiful one hand catch." The writer called McIntyre "a sure, hard working player, a perfectly modest young man who tries for everything that comes his way." In June 1901, McIntyre was signed by the

of the newly-formed

. He made his major-league debut on July 3, 1901; he was the seventh-youngest player in the league at the time. He appeared in 82 games as the Athletics' starting left fielder in 1901 and ranked fifth in

range factor Range Factor (commonly abbreviated RF) is a baseball statistic developed by Bill James. It is calculated by dividing putouts and assists by the number of innings or games played at a given defense position. The statistic is premised on the notion ...

among the league's left fielders. McIntyre was given his release by

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. Mack holds records for the most wins (3,731), losses (3,948), ties (76), and ga ...

and the Athletics after the 1901 season.

Newark and Buffalo

McIntyre signed with the Newark Sailors in 1902. As of August 9, McIntyre had appeared in 85 games for Newark, compiling a .261 batting average. At the end of August 1902, McIntyre was sold by Newark to the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

for a purchase price reported to be $1,000. He finished the 1902 season with Buffalo and in 1903 had a breakout season with Bisons. By mid-May 1903, he was leading the Eastern League with a .417 bating average. He appeared in 121 games and compiled a .342 batting average and .465 slugging percentage with 11 triples and 90 RBIs.

Detroit Tigers

1904 and 1905

In October 1903, McIntyre was traded by Buffalo to Detroit along with

Cy Ferry Alfred Joseph "Cy" Ferry (September 1, 1877 – September 27, 1938) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for two seasons. He pitched in three games for the Detroit Tigers during the 1904 Detroit Tigers season and in one game for the ...

in exchange for several players including

Rube Kisinger Charles Samuel "Rube" Kisinger (December 13, 1876 – July 17, 1941), sometimes spelled "Kissinger", was an American right-handed baseball pitcher. Kissinger played professional baseball from 1901 to 1916, including two years in Major League Bas ...

and

Sport McAllister Lewis William "Sport" McAllister (July 23, 1874 – July 17, 1962) was an American professional baseball player. He played seven seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cleveland Spiders (1896–1899), Detroit Tigers (1901–1903), and ...

. In 1904, McIntyre joined

Sam Crawford Samuel Earl Crawford (April 18, 1880 – June 15, 1968), nicknamed "Wahoo Sam", was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Crawford batted and threw left-handed, stood tall and weighed . Born in Wahoo, Nebraska, he had a sh ...

and Jimmy Barrett in the Detroit outfield and appeared in 152 games, starting 150 games in left field and one in center field. He led the American League with 331 putouts in left field and a 2.30 range factor/game at the position. He also ranked fourth with 14 errors at the position. McIntyre also ranked third in the league with 28 sacrifice hits. In 1905, McIntyre returned as Detroit's starter in left field, appearing in 129 games at the position and two in center field. He compiled a .263 batting average and a .330 on base percentage. He led the American League's left fielders in both putouts (283), assists (18), fielding percentage (.968), and range factor per game (2.33).

Feud with Cobb

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American professional baseball center fielder. A native of rural Narrows, Georgia, Cobb played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent ...

, at age 18, joined McIntyre in the Tigers' outfield in August 1905. McIntyre was the leader of and "anti-Cobb" clique on the Tigers during Cobb's early years. Early in Cobb's rookie season, Cobb went after a fly ball that was in McIntyre's left field territory. By cutting in front, Cobb caused McIntyre to drop the ball, infuriating McIntyre. McIntyre also had little in common with the taciturn young Cobb from Georgia. McIntyre and his cohorts led a prolonged hazing campaign, locking Cobb out of an empty washroom, flicking food at Cobb, and nailing his shoes to the clubhouse floor. Cobb's legendary temper only added fuel to the fire, and the McIntyre-Cobb feud continued throughout their six years playing beside each other in Detroit.

1906 and 1907

McIntyre had another strong season in 1906. He started 133 games in left field and again led the league's left fielders in fielding percentage (.982). At the plate, he compiled a .260 batting average (.338 on-base percentage) and tallied a career-high 29 stolen bases. McIntyre's 1907 began with McIntyre playing the best baseball of his career. On May 9, 1907, his right shoe caught the bag as he attempted a feet-first slide into first base. A bone in his right ankle snapped, and he had to be carried from the field to the clubhouse, where he fainted from the pain. McIntyre was unable to return to the team in 1907.

1908 to 1910 seasons

McIntyre returned from the injury with the best season of his career in 1908. He helped lead the Tigers to the World Series and was the second-best hitter in the American League (behind teammate

). In 1908, McIntyre was first in the American League in several categories: plate appearances (672), times on base (258), runs (105), and singles (131). In 1908, he was also among the leaders in almost every other offensive category: No. 2 in on-base percentage (.392), fifth in batting average (.295), fifth in slugging percentage (.385), fourth in on-base plus slugging percentage (.775), third in hits (168), fourth in total bases (218), ninth in doubles (24), fifth in triples (13), third in bases on balls (83), third in runs created, and seventh in extra base hits (37). In 1,072 career games, McIntyre batted .269 with 562 runs, 1,066 hits, 140 doubles, 69 triples, 4 home runs, 319 runs batted in, 120 stolen bases, 439 walks, 1,356 total bases, and 87 sacrifice hits.

Chicago White Sox

In January 1911, McIntyre was sold by the Tigers to the

for approximately $2,500. He appeared in 146 games for the White Sox in 1911, including 112 games in right field and 31 games in center field. He also had a strong season at the plate, compiling a .323 batting average and .397 on-base percentage. He ranked fifth in the league with 153 singles, sixth with 184 hits and 64 bases on balls, and eighth with 102 runs scored. After a strong 1911 season, McIntyre performance declined precipitously in 1912. In 49 games for the White Sox (14 in left field, 10 in right field, and one in center field), he compiled a .167 batting average, more than 150 points lower than his 1911 average. He appeared in his last major-league game on August 24, 1912.

San Francisco and Providence

The White Sox traded McIntyre to Milwaukee in late August 1912, but Milwaukee sent him back. He was then sold by the White Sox in early September to the San Francisco Seals of the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

(PCL). He appeared in 41 games for San Francisco, compiling a .382 batting average and .a 559 slugging percentage. His .382 batting average led the PCL for the 1912 season. Despite his success in San Francisco, McIntyre declined a contract offer to return to the club in 1913. In March 1913, McIntyre signed with the

Providence Grays The Providence Grays were a Major League Baseball team based in Providence, Rhode Island who played in the National League from until . The Grays played at the Messer Street Grounds in the Olneyville neighborhood. The team won the National ...

of the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

. The Providence team was owned by Detroit owner

Frank Navin Francis Joseph Navin (April 18, 1871 – November 13, 1935) was an American businessman and baseball executive who was the president of the Detroit Tigers in Major League Baseball for 27 years, from 1908 to 1935. He was part-owner from 1908 to ...

and managed by McIntyre's former Detroit teammate Bill Donovan. McIntyre's career was revived in Providence. He appeared in 151 games in 1913, compiling a .285 batting average and .364 on-base percentage. He continued with Providence in 1914, compiling a .310 batting average and .394 on-base percentage. The 1914 Grays won the International League championship with a 95–59 record. McIntyre's teammates on the 1914 team included

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional Baseball in the United States, baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nickna ...

in his first year of professional baseball.

Lincoln and Mobile

In November 1914, McIntyre was hired as the player-manager of the Lincoln Tigers of the Western League. He was recommended for the position by

, president of the Detroit Tigers. McIntyre was hired in August 1916 as a player-manager for the

of the

Southern Association The Southern Association (SA) was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class B (1902-19 ...

. McIntyre was unable to revive the Gulls who were in last place when he took over as manager. The team opened the 1917 season with only eight wins in 28 games played. In mid-May 1917, the club forfeited its Southern league franchise and cut McIntrye's pay by half. McIntyre refused to accept the pay cut, severed his connection with the club, and returned to his home in Detroit.

Photo gallery

File:Portrait of Matty McIntyre, baseball player (2870351649).jpg, 1904 action photo File:Matty McIntyre, Detroit Tigers, baseball card portrait LCCN2008676592.jpg, American Tobacco 1909 File:Matty McIntyre baseball card.jpg, American Tobacco 1911 File:Matthew McIntyre, Chicago White Sox, baseball card portrait LCCN2008678035.jpg, American Tobacco 1912

Later years

After his professional baseball career ended, McIntyre continued to play semi-pro baseball with clubs in Detroit. He also operated a pool hall and was also a member of the Elks and Knights of Columbus. McIntyre died in April 1920 at St. Mary's Hospital in Detroit following a week's illness with influenza and an attack of

Bright's disease Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine. It was frequently accompanied ...

. He was 39 years old at the time of his death.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:McIntyre, Matty 1880 births 1920 deaths Major League Baseball outfielders Baseball players from New London County, Connecticut Philadelphia Athletics players 20th-century American sportsmen Detroit Tigers players Chicago White Sox players Major League Baseball left fielders Major League Baseball right fielders Minor league baseball managers Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Newark Sailors players San Francisco Seals (baseball) players Providence Grays (minor league) players Lincoln Tigers players Mobile Sea Gulls players 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in Michigan People from Stonington, Connecticut