Bill Eagle was born in Rockville in 1877. In 1898 Rockville was described as “a suburban resort near the Capital City.” When he first came up one article mentioned, “Several years ago be used to scramble around the diamond at Rockville, and it was then said that he was going to be a player some day.” In 1898, the 20 year old played for the Auburn Maroons in the New York State League. His break came with a season ending injury to Al Selbach.
His debut came on 20 August 1898 in a doubleheader against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. Eagle played both games alternating in right and left field with Jake Gettman. Eagle played well and quickly became a fan favorite. “Speaking of Eagle’s stick work, the lad played his first game with Washington, and his play was of the proper sort. He had no fielding chances, but he made two hits out of three times at the bat, one of them a two-bagger, and both of them bringing in runs. He showed good judgment in waiting for just the balls he wanted to use, and he was canonized on the spot by the crowd, which dubbed him “Dewey,” and hated to let it go at that.
Dewey of course is a reference to Admiral George Dewey.
Washington played their next game two days later. Another double header with the Pirates and Eagle once again alternated with Jake Gettman, playing both games.
Eagle had less success this time. “There were three factors for defeat, however; Jake Gettman, John Anderson and Bill Eagle. An error of judgment by the first named end errors of play by the two last mentioned lost the game, and the fans were wild. In the last half of the ninth inning the Senators looked like sure winners. Jim McGuire, the first man up, hit for two bases, and Eagle followed with a single to right. Frank Killen sent a bounder towards Bill Gray and McGuire dashed for home. Eagle left first and did not stop running until he pulled up at third. For some reason or other Eagle ran back towards second, while McGuire was being run down, and when Jim was finally put out the Eagle was caught in a desperate attempt to reach third base again. McGuire’s play was all right, but headless coaching by Gettman caused the deadly blight of defeat to overspread the councils of the Statesmen.”
Eagle was released. One year later he played briefly for Auburn in the New England League, batting .261 in just five games.
His baseball epitaph, “Although up to the present time there has been no fire underneath of where Bill is playing, nevertheless he is putting up a very decent article of the national sport and much better than a good many other men on the team. A little decent coaching will do him lots of good right now. He is a willing, earnest player, and with decent training will make a worthy successor to Al Selbach.”
In his four games he batted a respectable .308. Eagle’s middle name, “Lycurgus”, is that of a legendary lawgiver of Sparta. BR Bullpen. He died on 27 April 1951 in Churchton, MD.
