Charles Petty had a bad year in 1894.
Charles Petty made his major league debut in 1889. Returning to the minors in 1893 he won 20 games for Savannah in the Southern Association. He signs with New York Giants. Petty pitches well and no doubt expected further success in 1894.
The depression of 1893 is still causing misery in 1894. The Wagners, shred businessmen are feeling the effects like everyone else. The brotherhood wars had severely impacted the resources of the great League although the Wagners may have been the only owners involved with it to make money. The Wagners short of funds and transferred games away from Washington in 1893. This triggered a fan boycott which forced one brother to stay away from the ball park for several years. The Wagners desperate to raise funds talked to a syndicate headed by Walter Hewitt. But Hewitt would not pay the $30,000 demanded by the butcher boys from Philadelphia. The Wagners then go searching for someone to take two of the District’s best players. Jouett Meekin, one of the fastest pitchers in the game and Duke Farrell, a highly regarded catcher/third baseman.
The New Yorkers offered ballplayers but as one writer stated, the Wagners wanted Gold, Gold and more Gold. They demanded $10,000, but quickly settle for $7,500. Meekin and Farrell are then shipped off to New York. Included in the deal are Jack McMahon, a young catcher and the above mentioned Charles Petty.
In 1893 Gus Schmelz managed the Chattanooga Warriors. The Wagners sign him to manage the 1894 nine, allowing Gus to return to the majors. Gus has over twenty players in training camp in 1894, many of them are players he had coached or watched in the Southern Association, Petty, is one of them.
The local fans are outraged by the deal although one writer, a support of Schmelz, thought the trade was an even one.
The season starts poorly for Washington. McMahon is ill and never plays for Washington, and dies later that year. Petty struggles in the box. One clipping makes the point. “Petty’s pitching was poor, and the Washington’s fielding was poorer still. It may be that their frightful uniform is beginning to tell on their playing.”
In June Petty’s poor performance is blamed on a lame hand. In July Petty turns down the team’s request to be farmed to Kansas City. In August he is given his release and quickly signs with the Cleveland Spiders.
Cleveland with Petty on the roster shortly thereafter arrives in Washington. Mr. Petty is anxious to make good. Here is the press report. “The rotund Mr. Charles Petty, now engaged to do the twirling for the Cleveland nine, was down on the bills to make his erstwhile ball-tossing associates of the local team bite the dust, and he was eager for an opportunity to demonstrate to Manager Schmelz what an excellent pitcher he is, and how great a mistake the Washington management made when it released him to the Cleveland club. In fact, the ex-Senator was so anxious to go in against his former associates that he asked for a chance on Thursday, but just before the game opened he was called away on important legal business. Today, however, he himself fell down before the home team instead of gloating over a longed-for success, and his effort to make the locals succumb to his delusive curves resulted in a miserable failure. To be sure he was not hit especially hard, and the sting of his personal defeat was somewhat mitigated by the victory of his club, but his expectation and eagerness to outdo himself resulted in extreme nervousness, which culminated in a bad case of rattles, so that when Cleveland’s chances looked specially black in the seventh inning he gave up the fight and retired to the bench.”
In September Washington baseball fans notice a final mention of Mr. Petty. “Next week promises to bring out some interesting developments in the case of Pitcher Charles Petty, formerly with Washington, but now with Cleveland. It will be remembered that during his recent visit to Washington with the Cleveland club he was arrested upon the charge of sending obscene communications to a woman with whom he was said to have lived and afterward deserted. It is not generally known that Petty spent one night in the District jail during the Cleveland series. When the charge was first made against him he treated it as a joke. He evidently did not realize that the law on the subject is very broad and he is liable to a very severe penalty. President Young was appealed to by President Frank DeHass Robison of the Cleveland club, late at night. Mr. Young was not prepared to go Petty’s bond on demand without taking due precautions to protect himself against a breach of faith. While Petty languished in jail, the members of the Cleveland Club held a consultation and they signed an agreement to have $50 each withheld from their salaries to guarantee Mr. Young $500 if he would furnish the necessary bail. This arrangement was satisfactory and Petty was released. In the meantime, Petty has raised the amount required to relieve his comrades who came so loyally to his rescue, and an amount equal to the bail is now held by Mr. Young as security.”
Petty lasts just four games with Cleveland. His major league career is over but he continues to pitch in the minors for several years.
Postscript
Information about Petty’s post baseball career was mucky. It took determined work on the part of SABR researchers to find his death certificate. Mr. Petty died in 1928.
Jouett Meekin won 33 games for the Giants in 1894.
A note on the 1894 uniforms; “Away from home the team will wear black shirts with red sleeves and black knickerbockers, “Washington” being blazoned in red letters across the breast of the shirt, while red stockings and belts, with caps barred in red and black, will complete the make-up. While at home white and black will be the colors.”
