Alexander G. Babcock

From Protoball
Revision as of 16:01, 18 May 2020 by Whicklin (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Pre-pro Baseball
Magnolia-ball-club.png

Add a Ballgame
Add a Predecessor Game
Add a Field
Add a Club
Add a Player
Add a Game Official

Base Ball Firsts
Add a Base Ball First

About Pre-pro
Waff's Game Tabulation
Bob Tholkes RIM Tabulation

Awaiting Review
Date of Birth 1835
Date of Death 1894

Biography

https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_269/007/20060703129.jpg

Alexander G. Babcock was born in New York and during the 1850s played for NYC-area clubs, including Atlantic of Brooklyn. However, when war broke out Babcock went south and joined the Confederate Army, eventually becoming First Sergeant of John Singleton Mosby's 43rd Virginia Cavalry, better known as Mosby's Raiders. In the photo of Mosby's officers linked above, Babcock is the man on the right. Remarkably, Babcock's fighting knife, engraved with his name, rank and regiment, has survived and was recently offered at auction: https://www.icollector.com/item.aspx?i=6969066

 

After the war Babcock settled in Richmond and took up the occupation of ice dealer. He also resumed his prewar avocation of ballplayer. He first founded the Richmond Club, quite likely the first in the city, and then founded a sort of standing All-Star team, the Pastime Club, of which he wass the captain and first baseman.

At his death in 1894 Babcock was interred in Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery together with many other of Virginia's notables, including US Presidents and Confederate generals, perhaps not unfittingly for Richmond's baseball pioneer.

Sources

https://acwm.org/blog/baseball-civil-war-richmond/

Comment

Edit with form to add a comment

Query

Edit with form to add a query

Clubs

Club Years Roles Edit Association with Player
Pastime Club of Richmond 1866-67 Initial Officer, Key Player
Richmond Club of Richmond Founder, Key Player

 Add a Club Association