Jim Tyng
| Jim Tyng | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: May 27, 1856 Philadelphia | |
| Died: October 30, 1931 (aged 75) New York City | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 23, 1879, for the Boston Red Caps | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 13, 1888, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 1-2 |
| Earned run average | 4.94 |
| Batting average | .333 |
| Teams | |
| |
James Alexander Tyng (May 27, 1856 – October 30, 1931) is known as the first baseball player to wear a catcher's mask while playing for Harvard College in 1877. The team manager, Fred Thayer, received a patent for the mask in 1878.
Early life
Tyng was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 27, 1856.
Baseball career
In 1879, Tyng became the first Harvard player selected to play in the majors, when he was picked up by Harry Wright and the Boston Red Caps as an emergency pitcher. Tyng defeated the first-place Providence Grays to draw the Red Caps within two games of the Grays. It was the only victory in his major league career. Tyng continued to pitch as an amateur for the Staten Island Athletic Club and repeatedly turned down offers to play in the major leagues. Later, in 1888, he pitched in one game for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Amateur golf career
Tyng was also an accomplished amateur golfer. He played in the 1897 U.S. Open held at the Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Illinois. He shot rounds of 86-91=177 finishing near the middle of the field. He managed to beat several professionals, chief among them Bert Way and Robert White.[1]
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference
- Baseball Almanac – Harvard University Baseball Players Who Made it to the Major Leagues
- Baseball Almanac – Jim Tyng page
- Harvard Magazine: Home-plate Security, article by Stephen Eschenbach, July–August, 2004
References
- ^ "1897 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Scores". Golf.About.com. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.