Baseball Legend Cal McVey: Iowa Time Machine August 20, 1926

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 20, 1926, early professional baseball player Cal McVey passed away. Born in Montrose, McVey went on to become the youngest member of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, baseball’s first openly all-professional club.

Born on August 30, 1849, less than three years after Iowa entered the Union, he spent his early childhood in southeastern Iowa before his family relocated to Indianapolis. There he developed into a gifted athlete and played for amateur teams called the Actives and Westerns. In 1869, Cincinnati manager Harry Wright signed the 18-year-old McVey, making him the first salaried professional baseball player born in Iowa and the first born west of the Mississippi River.

The original Red Stockings traveled extensively and built a remarkable winning streak that lasted until June 14, 1870, when the Brooklyn Atlantics defeated them in extra innings. McVey then moved through the leading clubs of the game’s first leagues. He appeared at every defensive position during his professional career, including 34 games as a pitcher, reflecting the flexible demands placed on early players.

McVey batted .431 for the Boston Red Stockings in the National Association’s inaugural 1871 season, helped the Chicago White Stockings capture the first National League pennant in 1876, and finished his top-level career with Cincinnati in 1879. Across nine seasons in the National Association and National League, McVey compiled 869 hits and a .346 batting average. #Iowa #OTD #History #Baseball #MLB