American baseball player (1862?1905)
Baseball player
Harry Hamlet East
(April 12, 1862 ? June 1, 1905) was an American professional
baseball
player who played in one game at
third base
for the
Baltimore Orioles
of the
American Association
in 1882. A
St. Louis
native, he was hitless in four
at bats
as the Orioles lost 10?5 to the
St. Louis Browns
at
Sportsman's Park
. He played two seasons of
Minor league baseball
as well, then became a doctor. After being admitted to a hospital with
melancholia
in 1905, East slit his throat with a straight razor, committing suicide at the age of 43.
Early life
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]
Harry Hamlet East was born on April 12, 1862.
[1]
Frank Russo, in his 2014 book
The Cooperstown Chronicles
, lists East's birthplace as
St. Louis
,
Missouri
, where the ballplayer would spend most of his life.
[2]
However,
Baseball-Reference.com
says he was born in
Decatur, Illinois
.
[1]
His parents were William H. East and Ada Virginia Finnegin East.
[2]
Growing up, Harry was interested in
baseball
as well as becoming a doctor.
[2]
Baltimore Orioles
[
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]
The site of
Sportsman's Park
featured several stadiums of that name, the longest-lasting being the 1909 structure, which served the
American League
's
St. Louis Browns
from 1909 through 1953 and the
National League
's
St. Louis Cardinals
from 1920 through 1966.
[3]
East's only
Major League Baseball
(MLB) game came on June 17, 1882, at
Sportsman's Park
in St. Louis, though he played for the visiting
Baltimore Orioles
as they competed against the
St. Louis Browns
of the fledgling
American Association
. He played
third base
in the contest, batting and throwing left-handed. East was hitless in four
at bats
as the Browns won 10?5.
[2]
Minor league baseball
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]
East also played at least two seasons of
Minor League Baseball
.
[2]
He played for the
Memphis Reds
of the
Southern League
in 1885. In 12 games (45 at bats), he recorded nine
runs scored
and 12
hits
. All but one of the hits were
singles
; the other was a
double
. He
batted
.267, with a
slugging percentage
of .289.
[4]
In 1886, East played for the Lincoln Tree Planters of the
Western League
, though statistics from this season are unavailable.
[4]
Following his time with Lincoln, he continued to play
semipro baseball
through 1889, after which he decided to become a doctor.
[2]
Later years
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]
In 1890, East enrolled at Barnes Medical College in St. Louis. After graduating, he remained in St. Louis. "By all accounts, he had a thriving practice," writes Russo.
[2]
East checked into the Alexian Brothers' Hospital as a
melancholia
patient in May 1905.
[2]
On June 2, he committed suicide, using a straight razor to slit his throat.
[2]
[5]
Orderlies discovered him too late to prevent his death. He was buried a few days later in the
International Order of Odd Fellows
(IOOF) Cemetery in
Xenia, Illinois
.
[2]
References
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]
External links
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]