Elmer White

Willard Elmer White (December 7, 1849 – March 17, 1872) was a Major League Baseball player in 1871 with the Cleveland Forest Citys. He was Forest City's regular right fielder and back-up catcher until he broke his arm running into a fence on June 22.[1] White was the cousin of Deacon White and Will White. He batted .257 in 1871 and finished 5th in the National Association with 6 strikeouts, a high number for that era.

Elmer White
Outfielder / Catcher
Born: December 7, 1849 Caton, New York
Died: March 17, 1872 (aged 22) Scio, New York
Batted: Unknown Threw: Unknown
MLB debut
May 4, 1871, for the Cleveland Forest Citys
Last MLB appearance
September 27, 1871, for the Cleveland Forest Citys
MLB statistics
Batting average	.257
Hits	18
At bats	70
Teams
National Association of Base Ball Players Cleveland Forest Citys (1870)   National Association of Professional BBP Cleveland Forest Citys (1871)

White had the misfortune of becoming the first recorded professional league baseball player to die, succumbing to tuberculosis in Scio, New York at the age of 22, shortly before the beginning of the 1872 season.[2]

See also

• List of baseball players who died during their careers

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference

References

1. The Chronology - 1871 | BaseballLibrary.com Archived 2007-10-17 at the Wayback Machine
2. Players who Died in 1872 - Baseball-Reference.com