Sparrow McCaffrey
Charles P. "Sparrow" McCaffrey (1868 – April 29, 1894) was an American baseball player.
| Sparrow McCaffrey | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Catcher | |||
| Born: 1868 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
| Died: April 29, 1894 (aged 25–26) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
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| MLB debut | |||
| August 13, 1889, for the Columbus Solons | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| August 15, 1889, for the Columbus Solons | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | 1.000 | ||
| Home runs | 0 | ||
| Runs batted in | 0 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Career
Charles McCaffrey, born in Philadelphia, got his nickname "Sparrow" honestly: listed at 120 pounds, he was one of the lightest Major League Baseball players ever. (The midget Eddie Gaedel was just 65 pounds; Hall of Fame pitcher Candy Cummings also weighed in at 120.)
McCaffrey, a catcher, began his baseball career with the local Norristown, Pennsylvania team of the Middle States League in 1889; just 21 years old, the Columbus Solons of the American Association took a flyer on him that same year. On August 13, 1889, in St. Louis, he made his debut for the Solons, replacing catcher Jack O'Connor late in the contest, notching a single and scoring a run. Two days later, again against the Browns, McCaffrey was sent in as a pinch hitter, drawing a walk; this makes him one of only 30 players in MLB history owning a perfect 1.000 on-base average with at least two plate appearances.
"Sparrow" returned to the minors in 1890, playing the next three seasons in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Troy, New York and with his hometown Philadelphia Athletics of the Eastern League (unrelated to either the early team with that name or the later American League franchise). He died in Philadelphia in 1894, at the age of 26.