| Position | Outfielder/Pitcher/First baseman |
|---|---|
| Bats | Left |
| Throws | Left |
| Birth date | January 14, 1856 |
| Birth place | Milltown, Ireland |
| Death date | October 20, 1898 (aged 42) |
| Death place | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Debutleague | MLB |
| Debutdate | May 13 |
| Debutyear | 1879 |
| Debutteam | Boston Red Caps |
| Finalleague | MLB |
| Finaldate | September 5 |
| Finalyear | 1883 |
| Finalteam | Buffalo Bisons |
| Statleague | MLB |
| Stat1label | Batting average |
| Stat1value | .286 |
| Stat2label | Home runs |
| Stat2value | 6 |
| Stat3label | Runs batted in |
| Stat3value | 128 |
| Stat4label | Win–loss record |
| Stat4value | 27–27 |
| Stat5label | Earned run average |
| Stat5value | 3.54 |
| Stat6label | Strikeouts |
| Stat6value | 127 |
| Teams |
|
| Awards |
|
Charles Joseph "Curry" Foley (January 16, 1856 – October 20, 1898) was an Irish-born professional baseball player who played in the National League (NL) for five seasons from 1879 to 1883. He played as a pitcher, outfielder and first baseman for two teams in the NL; the Boston Red Caps (1879–80) and Buffalo Bisons (1881–83).
Early life
Foley was born Milltown, County Kerry, to Charles Foley (a farmer) and Betsy Gearin.[1] His family emigrated to the United States, arriving in New York City on June 27, 1863.
Baseball career
Foley played in 337 games; 204 in the outfield, 69 as a pitcher, and 54 at first base. He compiled six home runs, 128 RBIs, and a .286 batting average as a batter, and posted a 27–27 win–loss record, 127 strikeouts and a 3.54 ERA as a pitcher in 442 innings pitched.
First major league cycle
On May 25, 1882, Foley became the first major league player to officially hit for the cycle.[2] In a game against the Cleveland Blues, Foley hit a home run in the first inning, a triple in the second inning, a single in the third inning and a double in the fifth inning. [3][4]
Post-baseball life
On October 23, 1883, Foley became a naturalized citizen of the United States.[5] Foley was working as a laborer, and listed as single when he died in 1898 at the age of 42 in Boston, Massachusetts.[1] His cause of death was cirrhosis of the liver, and he is interred at Mount Cavalry Cemetery in Roslindale, Massachusetts.[1]
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
- List of players from Ireland in Major League Baseball
References
- ^ Massachusetts, Death Records, 1841–1915. "Charles J Foley" (database on-line). ancestry.com. Provo, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ^ Huber, Mike. "June 14, 1876: George Hall gets five hits, but is it a cycle?". SABR. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ Buffalo Courier, May 26, 1882, page 2
- ^ Huber, Mike. "May 25, 1882: Buffalo's Curry Foley completes first cycle in major leagues with grand slam". SABR. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
- ^ "Charles J Foley". ancestry.com. U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791–1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project). Retrieved August 2, 2015.
Further reading
- "Buffalo-Cleveland". The Daily Inter Ocean. May 26, 1882. p. 7. – via newspapers.com. (box score of cycle game)
- "'Curry' Foley Is Dead". The Sandusky Star-Journal. October 24, 1898. – via newspapers.com.
- "Poor Curry Foley". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. October 24, 1898. – via newspapers.com.
External links
, or Retrosheet