Win Mercer was a not only a good pitcher but a versatile player, being one of the fastest players of his day. He was a smart pitcher who kept a book on all the hitters.
A correspondent writing to the Sporting Life from East Liverpool, Ohio, says: “While it is not generally known, the name of Winnie B. Mercer, the popular Washington twirler, is George Bartley Mercer. When he arrived in East Liverpool several years ago he was a long, lean, lanky Virginian, and the boys with whom he associated at once dubbed him ‘Virginny.’ He went by this name for several years, but when he commenced playing ball with the local Eclipse team the name was gradually softened by the cranks until he became known as ‘Winnie.’ and ‘Virginny’ was dropped forever. The nickname remained with him when he signed a Dover (NH) contract, and when he joined the Washington club he decided to adopt it, and is now known to the baseball public by no other name than Winnie B. Mercer.
