Editing Joe Start

{{Short description|American baseball player (1842–1927)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Joe Start
|image=Joestart.jpg
|position=[[First baseman]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{birth date|mf=yes|1842|10|14}}
|birth_place=[[New York City]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1927|3|27|1842|10|14}}
|death_place=[[Providence, Rhode Island]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=May 18
|debutyear=1871
|debutteam=New York Mutuals
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=July 9
|finalyear=1886
|finalteam=Washington Nationals
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.299
|stat2label=[[Hit (baseball)|Hit]]s
|stat2value=1,417
|stat3label=[[Run (baseball)|Run]]s
|stat3value=852
|teams=
;&nbsp; National Association of Base Ball Players
: [[Brooklyn Enterprise|Enterprise of Brooklyn]] (1859&ndash;1861)
: [[Brooklyn Atlantics]] (1862&ndash;1870)
;&nbsp; League player
: [[New York Mutuals]] ({{baseball year|1871}}–{{baseball year|1876}})
: [[Hartford Dark Blues]] ({{baseball year|1877}})
: [[History of the Chicago Cubs|Chicago White Stockings]] ({{baseball year|1878}})
: [[Providence Grays]] ({{baseball year|1879}}–{{baseball year|1885}})
: [[Washington Nationals (1886–1889)|Washington Nationals]] ({{baseball year|1886}})
;&nbsp; League manager
: [[New York Mutuals]] ({{baseball year|1873}})
}}

'''Joseph Start''' (October 14, 1842 &ndash; March 27, 1927), nicknamed "'''Old Reliable'''",<ref>[https://negroleagueshistory.com/william-white-defining-race-america/ Caldwell, Jay, "William White, Defining Race in America"], NegroLeaguesHistory.com, November 13, 2017</ref> was one of the most durable regulars of [[baseball]]'s earliest era, and one of the top [[first baseman|first basemen]] of his time. He began his playing career in 1859, before the formation of organized leagues and before ballplayers received payment for their services. He continued to play regularly until 1886, when he was 43. Start's career spanned countless innovations that transformed the game in fundamental ways, but he adjusted and continued to play at a high level for almost three decades. Baseball historian Bill Ryczek said that Start "was the last of the pre–Civil War players to hang up his cleats."<ref name="Ryczek">[https://sabr.org/latest/ryczek-my-favorite-19th-century-player-joe-start/ Ryczek, William, "My Favorite Nineteenth Century Player: Joe Start"], Society of American Baseball Research 19th Century Committee, Summer 2018</ref>

==Amateur era==

[[File:Joe_Start_from_a_woodcut_depicting_the_"Champion_Nine"_Brooklyn_Atlantics,_Harper's_Weekly,_November_25,_1865.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Joe Start, detail of [[woodcut]] depicting the 1865 Brooklyn Atlantics, published in ''[[Harper's Weekly]]'']]The New York City-born Start played first base and third base for the amateur [[Brooklyn Enterprise|Enterprise Club of Brooklyn]] from 1859 to 1861,<ref name="Chusid">[https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/joe-start/ Chusid, Irwin, Joe Start biographical profile] at the [[Society for American Baseball Research]]'s BioProject</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1860/08/28/archives/base-ball-eureka-of-newark-vs-enterprise-of-brooklyn.html "Base Ball.; Eureka, of Newark, vs. Enterprise, of Brooklyn"], ''The New York Times'', August 28, 1860, p. 5</ref> before the advent of salaried ballplaying.<ref name="Miklich">[http://www.19cbaseball.com/players-joe-start.html Miklich, Eric, "Joe Start, 1842-1927"], 19cBaseball.com, 2016</ref> After the 1861 season,<ref>Ryzcek, William, and Peter Morris, "Atlantic Base Ball Club," ''Base Ball Pioneers, 1850–1870: The Clubs and Players Who Spread the Sport Nationwide'', McFarland & Co. Inc., 2012, p. 123. "[T]he [1862] season marked the first appearance of first baseman Joe Start ... in the Brooklyn [Atlantic] nine."</ref> he joined the powerful [[Brooklyn Atlantics|Atlantic Club of Brooklyn]], with whom he would remain through the 1870 season. The Atlantics were undefeated in 1864 and 1865.<ref name="Chusid" /> During this decade, unofficial payment for exceptional players became common and the practice was eventually legitimized.

Start made a pivotal contribution to one of the most celebrated games of the late Amateur Era. The all-salaried [[Cincinnati Red Stockings]] had 81 consecutive wins across two seasons when they faced off against the Atlantics on June 14, 1870, at Brooklyn's [[Capitoline Grounds]]. After nine innings, the game was even at 5-5, and the Atlantics left the field in the apparent acceptance of a tie outcome. However, the umpire ordered the teams to continue playing until the game was decided. In the top of the 11th, Cincinnati scored twice to take the lead, 7-5. In the bottom of the 11th, Atlantics third baseman Charlie Smith singled. Start then hit a booming triple, driving in Smith. Catcher [[Bob Ferguson (infielder)|Bob Ferguson]] drove in Start with a single to tie the game 7-7. Ferguson scored the winning run on a throwing error by Cincinnati shortstop [[George Wright (sportsman)|George Wright]] on a hard-hit grounder by [[George Hall (baseball)|George Hall]], ending the Red Stockings' legendary winning streak.<ref>Gilbert, Thomas W., ''How Baseball Happened'' (David R. Godine Publisher, 2020)</ref>

In an 1895 post-retirement interview with sportswriter [[Tim Murnane]], Start revealed a little-known secret: “We wanted to stop playing when the score was five each, but [Cincinnati team leader] [[Harry Wright]] wouldn’t have it. You see, the Atlantics were playing on the co-operative plan, and another game meant $300 or $400 for each man.” Murnane confessed: “This was the first time I ever knew why the Brooklyn men left the field after the ninth inning, and I was present at the game.”<ref name="Chusid" /><ref>Murnane, Tim, “Joe Start’s Ideas: Interesting Chat on Base Ball in the Early Days,” ''[[Sporting Life (American newspaper)|Sporting Life]]'', November 16, 1895:</ref>

==Professional era==

In 1871, Start joined the new—and fully professional—[[National Association of Professional Base Ball Players|National Association]] (NA), playing for the [[New York Mutuals]] and, at age 28, hitting a career-high .360, second highest on the team. He also hit the team's only home run that season.<ref>[https://sportsecyclopedia.com/nl/ny71/mutuals.html Sportsencylopedia.com: The New York Mutuals]</ref> In 1873 he served as the Mutuals' field leader (a pre-managerial position) for 25 games.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/startjo01.shtml Joe Start managerial stats at Baseball-reference.com]</ref>

[[File:Joe_Start_of_the_Providence_Grays_baseball_team_in_1879.png|left|200px|thumb|Start as a member of the 1879 National League champs the Providence Grays]]The NA failed after five years. When the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) was formed in 1876, the Mutuals joined, and Start remained with the team. However, the Mutuals were a poor team in 1876, and after refusing to finish their season schedule because of a financial shortfall, they were expelled from the NL.<ref>[https://www.retroseasons.com/teams/new-york-mutuals/ New York Mutuals History at Retroseasons.com]</ref> The following year Start joined the [[Hartford Dark Blues]], and in 1878 moved over to the [[History of the Chicago Cubs|Chicago White Stockings]]. 1878 was possibly Start's best season with the bat.  He led the league with 100 [[hit (baseball statistics)|hits]] and 125 [[total bases]]. He came close to the league lead with 12 [[double (baseball)|doubles]], 5 [[triple (baseball)|triples]], and one [[home run]].  His 58 [[run (baseball statistics)|runs]] that year were second in the league. These statistics came in only 285 [[at bat]]s, and at the age of 35, long after most players have begun to decline.

From 1879 until 1885, when he was 42, Start held down first base for the [[Providence Grays]] and continued to hit well; he also served as team captain,<ref>[https://baseballhistorydaily.com/tag/joe-start/ Karmik, Thom, “Sweeney Was Drunk, But I Didn’t Know It”, ''Baseball History Daily'']</ref> a role that provided field leadership before the establishment of team managers. Start's 1879 Providence team won the NL flag,<ref>[https://www.threadsofourgame.com/1879-providence/ 1879 Providence (Grays), National League], at Craig Brown's ''Threads of Our Game''</ref> and in [[1884 Providence Grays season|1884]] they won what is considered the first [[1884 World Series|inter-league championship]], beating the [[New York Metropolitans]] of the [[American Association (19th century)|American Association]].

After Providence left the NL following the 1885 season, in 1886 Start signed with the [[Washington Nationals (1886–1889)|Washington Nationals]] for what proved to be his final season.  He only played 31 games for the Nationals, did not hit well, and retired from professional play. After this final sub-par season, his lifetime Major League batting average dipped below .300, to .299. For the final nine seasons of Start's career, he was the oldest player on any major league roster. Start played the final game of his professional career on July 9, 1886.<ref name="Chusid" />

Over his full major league career Start amassed 1,417 hits, 852 runs, and 544 [[run batted in|RBI]] in NL and NA play.  He logged a .299 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]], a .322 [[on-base percentage]], and a .367 [[slugging percentage]].  These totals do not include his first twelve pre-league years, during which cumulative player statistics were not recorded. In addition, since Start's lifetime totals were achieved in much shorter seasons than today's professionals play, they tend to under-represent his sustained quality as a ballplayer.<ref name="Chusid" />

==Post-baseball life==

After his retirement from the game, Start returned to Rhode Island and operated the Hillside Hotel, near [[Cranston, Rhode Island|Pawtuxet]], and later the Lakewood Inn, in Warwick.<ref name="Chusid" /> His wife, Angeline, died in February, 1927, and Start died one month later, in [[Providence, Rhode Island]], at age 84.<ref name="Miklich" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|br=s/startjo01}}

{{1879 Providence Grays}}
{{1884 Providence Grays}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Start, Joe}}
[[Category:Major League Baseball first basemen]]
[[Category:Brooklyn Enterprise players]]
[[Category:Brooklyn Atlantics (NABBP) players]]
[[Category:Hartford Dark Blues players]]
[[Category:New York Mutuals players]]
[[Category:Chicago White Stockings players]]
[[Category:Providence Grays players]]
[[Category:New York Mutuals managers]]
[[Category:Baseball players from New York City]]
[[Category:Baseball player-managers]]
[[Category:1842 births]]
[[Category:1927 deaths]]