Oliver Hazard Perry "O. P." Caylor
[ (December 14, 1849 – October 19, 1897) was an American newspaper columnist, ]manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
in professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Moder ...
, and catalyst in the formation of the franchise that is now the Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
.
Biography
Caylor was born in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
, in 1849; he was named after Oliver Hazard Perry
Oliver Hazard Perry (August 23, 1785 – August 23, 1819) was a United States Navy officer from South Kingstown, Rhode Island. A prominent member of the Perry family naval dynasty, he was the son of Sarah Wallace Alexander and Captain Christo ...
, an American naval commander.[ After earning a law degree in Dayton, he worked as a baseball newspaper columnist for '']The Cincinnati Enquirer
''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' is a morning daily newspaper published by Gannett in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. First published in 1841, the ''Enquirer'' is the last remaining daily newspaper in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, altho ...
'' and the ''Cincinnati Commercial''.[ He also joined the front office of an early ]Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
franchise of the National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
, and worked as an official scorer
In the game of baseball, the official scorer is a person appointed by the sports league, league to baseball scorekeeping, record the events on the field, and to send the official scoring record of the game back to the league offices. In additio ...
.[ After that Cincinnati franchise was expelled from the National League, Caylor became one of the principal figures in the founding of the American Association during the 1881–82 offseason.][ The ]1882 Cincinnati Red Stockings
The 1882 Cincinnati Red Stockings season was a season in American baseball. It was the first season for the team as a member of the American Association. This team took the nickname from the previous National League team that played during 1876� ...
, competing in the inaugural year of the American Association, was the first season of the modern day Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
franchise.
Caylor's first stint as a manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
in the major leagues was for the Red Stockings, succeeding the original manager, Pop Snyder
Charles N. "Pop" Snyder (October 6, 1854 – October 29, 1924) was an American catcher, manager (baseball), manager, and umpire (baseball), umpire in Major League Baseball.
Biography
His 18-season playing career began in 1873 for the Washington ...
. In his debut season, the team finished in second place with a record of 63–49.[ The following year, the team finished with a 65–73 losing record and in fifth place.][ Caylor resigned after that season, due in large part to his combative nature that put him at odds with the press and new club ownership.]
Caylor moved to Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
where he began writing for the ''Sporting Life''. The New York Metropolitans
The Metropolitan Club (New York Metropolitans or the Mets) was a 19th-century professional baseball team that played in New York City from 1880 to 1887. (The ''New York Metropolitan Baseball Club'' was the name chosen in 1961 for the New York M ...
, also of the American Association, then hired him as their manager on June 11, 1887, with Caylor inheriting a team with a 9–28 record. The team was 35–60 under Caylor, with a season record of 44–89 resulting in a seventh-place finish.[ He was fired in the off-season by new owner Charlie Byrne. Caylor's overall record as a manager was 163–182 for a .472 ]winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage or Copeland score is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the to ...
.
Caylor moved to Carthage, Missouri
Carthage is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 15,522 as of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Jasper County and is nicknamed "America's Maple Leaf City."
History
Jasper County was formed in 1841. ...
, where he proceeded to start ''The Daily Democrat'' newspaper.[ In 1890, he returned to New York City after being hired 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 the Spalding sporting goods company. He was born and raised i ...
to be the editor for the ''New York Sporting Times''.[
Caylor died in ]Winona, Minnesota
Winona ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, Minnesota, United States. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf (Winona, Minnesota), Sugar Loaf. The population was 2 ...
, at age 47 from the effects of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
.[ He was buried in ]Woodlawn Cemetery Woodlawn Cemetery is the name of several cemeteries, including:
Canada
* Woodlawn Cemetery (Saskatoon)
* Woodlawn Cemetery (Nova Scotia)
United States
''(by state then city or town)''
* Woodlawn Cemetery (Ocala, Florida), where Isaac Rice and fa ...
in The Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
. He was survived by his wife and a daughter.[
]
References
Further reading
* Gelzheiser, Robert P. (2006). ''Labor and Capital in 19th Century Baseball''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. .
* Nemec, David (1994). ''The Beer and Whiskey League: The Illustrated History of the American Association—Baseball's Renegade Major League''. New York: Lyons & Burford, Publishers. .
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caylor, O. P.
1849 births
1897 deaths
Baseball developers
Baseball writers
Cincinnati Red Stockings managers
New York Metropolitans managers
Sportspeople from Dayton, Ohio
The Cincinnati Enquirer people
Baseball coaches from Ohio
Tuberculosis deaths in Minnesota
Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York)
19th-century deaths from tuberculosis