Players for Des Moines

A list of players who were signed by or appeared in a game with Des Moines before or during the 1888 season.


From the 1889 Kansas City team photo
Born: August 10, 1863
Died: April 7, 1927
Goto Baseball Reference for Billy Alvord		 3b-2b Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: 3b-2b
First game: April 28, 1888
Last game: October 9, 1888
# of games: 112		 With Des Moines in 1887; returned for 1888. With the club all season.

Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888).

SABR biography for Billy Alvord



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: March 27, 1852
Died: September 26, 1915
Goto Baseball Reference for Ed Cushman		 p-of Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: p-of
First game: May 2, 1888
Last game: September 23, 1888
# of games: 34		 Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888).

SABR biography for Ed Cushman



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: February 8, 1867
Died: February 15, 1910
Goto Baseball Reference for Bug Holliday		 cf-1b Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: cf-1b
First game: April 28, 1888
Last game: October 9, 1888
# of games: 115		 In November, 1887, Holliday signed with the St. Louis Browns, and then was subsequently signed by Des Moines. In December, he was awarded to Des Moines after it was ruled his contract with St. Louis was received before players were allowed to sign. Remained with Des Moines for the entire season.

Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888).

SABR biography for Bug Holliday



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: December 17, 1859
Died: March 19, 1926
Goto Baseball Reference for Bill Hutchison		 p-cf Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: p-cf
First game: July 4, 1888
Last game: October 8, 1888
# of games: 38		 The Sporting Life reported in a posting dated July 3, 1888 that Hutchinson was joining Des Moines and would be signed for the rest of the season.

SABR biography for Bill Hutchison



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: February 7, 1865
Died: October 28, 1907
Goto Baseball Reference for Ted Kennedy		 p Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: p
First game: May 10, 1888
Last game: August 7, 1888
# of games: 16		 With Des Moines at the start of the season.

Released by Des Moines on August 10, 1888 and signed by Omaha.

Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888).

SABR biography for Ted Kennedy



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: January 16, 1855
Died: April 8, 1924
Goto Baseball Reference for Jimmy Macullar		 ss Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: ss
First game: April 28, 1888
Last game: October 9, 1888
# of games: 117		 Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888).

SABR biography for Jimmy Macullar



Uncredited
Born: October 12, 1854
Died: December 9, 1921
Goto Baseball Reference for Charlie Morton		 3b-of Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: 3b-of
First game: May 27, 1888
Last game: September 4, 1888
# of games: 25		 Manager for the Des Moines team.

Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888).

SABR biography for Charlie Morton



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: December 10, 1854
Died: February 13, 1931
Goto Baseball Reference for Dick Phelan		 2b Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: 2b
First game: September 1, 1888
Last game: October 9, 1888
# of games: 32		 Purchased by Des Moines from Sioux City for $500 on August 30, 1888. With Des Moines for the remainder of the season.

SABR biography for Dick Phelan



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: December 24, 1862
Died: November 12, 1940
Goto Baseball Reference for Joe Quinn		 2b Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: 2b
First game: April 28, 1888
Last game: August 24, 1888
# of games: 78		 Signed by Des Moines before November 5, 1887.

Sold to Boston (NL) on August 25, 1888.

Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888).

SABR biography for Joe Quinn



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: March 16, 1864
Died: May 27, 1947
Goto Baseball Reference for Harry Sage		 c Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: c
First game: April 28, 1888
Last game: October 8, 1888
# of games: 52		 Signed by Des Moines before November 5, 1887 and stayed with the team for the entire season.

Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888).

SABR biography for Harry Sage



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: June, 1866
Died: February 19, 1938
Goto Baseball Reference for Luke Schildknecht		 c Majors:
No
Des Moines
Position: c
Only game: June 1, 1888
# of games: 1		 Signed by Des Moines before the season started, but didn't make his first (and only) appearance with the club until June 1, 1888.

Sold to Sioux City on June 29, 1888.

Player profile from the Milwaukee Daily Sentinel (March 18, 1889).



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: October 4, 1851
Died: January 22, 1922
Goto Baseball Reference for Orator Shafer		 rf Majors:
No
Des Moines
Position: rf
First game: April 28, 1888
Last game: October 9, 1888
# of games: 111		 The Quad City Times reported on April 21, 1888 that Des Moines released Whiteley to make room for Shafer. Played with Des Moines for the entire season. Brother of Taylor Shafer.

SABR biography for Orator Shafer



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: October, 1865
Died: November 19, 1926
Goto Baseball Reference for Fred Smith		 p-of Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: p-of
First game: May 4, 1888
Last game: October 9, 1888
# of games: 30

Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888).

SABR biography for Fred Smith



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: October 17, 1861
Died: June 28, 1944
Goto Baseball Reference for Dan Stearns		 1b Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: 1b
First game: April 28, 1888
Last game: October 9, 1888
# of games: 95		 Signed by Des Moines before November 5, 1887. With the team for the entire season.

Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888).

SABR biography for Dan Stearns



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: January 12, 1859
Died: May 15, 1924
Goto Baseball Reference for Ed Swartwood		 1b-of Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: 1b-of
Did not play in official game 		Rumored to be signing with Des Moines from Brooklyn for about two weeks in March 1888. Signed with Hamilton instead.

SABR biography for Ed Swartwood



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: December 21, 1859
Died: June 23, 1908
Goto Baseball Reference for Bill Traffley		 c-of-inf Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: c-of-inf
First game: May 2, 1888
Last game: October 9, 1888
# of games: 69		 Signed by Des Moines before November 5, 1887. With the team for the entire season.

Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888).

SABR biography for Bill Traffley



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: March 3, 1857
Died: June 5, 1925
Goto Baseball Reference for Sam Trott		 1b-cf Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: 1b-cf
First game: September 5, 1888
Last game: October 6, 1888
# of games: 18		 Signed by Des Moines on August 31, 1888 from Baltimore and remained with Des Moines through the end of the season.

SABR biography for Sam Trott



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: December 15, 1863
Died: May 17, 1933
Goto Baseball Reference for Bill Van Dyke		 lf Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: lf
First game: April 28, 1888
Last game: October 9, 1888
# of games: 118		 Signed by Des Moines before November 5, 1887. With the team for the entire season.

Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888).

SABR biography for Bill Van Dyke



Image from Old Judge card set
Born: January 22, 1862
Died: March 26, 1945
Goto Baseball Reference for Frank Wells		 p Majors:
No
Des Moines
Position: p
First game: April 28, 1888
Last game: June 13, 1888
# of games: 6		 With Des Moines at the start of the season.

Sold to Sioux City on July 2, 1888 for $400.

Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888).
Player profile from the Milwaukee Daily Sentinel (March 18, 1889).



Cropped from a team photo of the 1886 Newburyport baseball club
Born: October 5, 1859
Died: November 23, 1925
Goto Baseball Reference for Guerdon Whiteley		 of-1b Majors:
Yes
Des Moines
Position: of-1b
Did not play in official game 		Played with Des Moines in 1887; re-signed for 1888.

Released around April 21, 1888 to make room for Shafer. The Hutchinson Call reported that Whiteley signed with Hutchinson on April 11, 1888.

Player profile from the Des Moines Register (February 26, 1888).

SABR biography for Guerdon Whiteley