Chicago Daily News, October 21, 1914, pg 4	John Halpin Born: 1859 Died: December 20, 1941 Goto Baseball Reference for John Halpin 1b Majors: No
	Chicago Position: 1b First game: August 17, 1888 Last game: August 21, 1888 # of games: 4	Came from Garden City in the City League. Filled in for four games for Scott at 1B. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Scott was sick in the report on the game of August 18, 1888; The Chicago Tribune reported on August 19, 1888 that "Scott played a good game at first base, but was not in condition. Halpin is doing good work."

John Halpin played four games for the Chicago Maroons between August 17 and August 21, 1888. According to the Chicago Tribune, the recently signed Milt Scott "played a good game at first, but was not in condition," while the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported the Scott was sick in its August 18 game report (both in their August 19, 1888 editions). Halpin went 1 for 3 with a run scored in his debut with the Maroons on August 17, but got just one hit in his remaining three games, finishing his stint 2 for 12 with 3 walks. Scott was back at first for the Maroons game on August 22, and Halpin went back to the Chicago City League, from whence he came.

John Halpin was a Chicago amateur, one of many to cross into the ranks of the Western Association. In March 1887, a dispute between the ball players and the organizers of the Chicago Amateur League over splitting gate receipts led to the organization of the Chicago City League. Halpin was listed on the roster for the Garden Citys (Chicago Tribune, March 27, 1887). No first name is given, but later in the season, his brother played in a few games for the same club. On August 1, the box scores identify Jn. Halpin at first base (his position all season long), with J. Halpin in right field. "J.F. Halpin" stole two bases in the game (Chicago Tribune, August 1, 1887). A week later, the same paper described the game action:

"Geiss hit a terrific liner to right. Halpin captured it after a hard run and doubled the runner up to his brother at first (August 8, 1887)."

The double play was listed as "John - James Halpin" in the boxscore. The Tribune gave statistics for the league at the end of the season. John Halpin played 18 games for the Garden Citys, batting .307 in 78 at-bats, with 24 runs and 15 stolen bases. He made 10 errors in 205 chances, with 187 put outs and 8 assists (Chicago Tribune, November 13, 1887).

In 1888, Haplin was again playing for the Garden City club. He appears in box scores at first base up through their game of August 12, 1888, but then misses the game on August 19, before reappearing on August 26. The intervening weekend is the period during which Halpin was playing with the Maroons. This is the strongest link that John Halpin from the Garden Citys was the player for the Maroons. The Garden Citys played an exhibition again the Maroons on September 30, during which Halpin singled off Sprague and scored one of his clubs two runs. For the season, he hit .343 in 17 games (67 at-bats, 16 runs, 10 stolen bases), good for fourth in the league (Chicago Tribune, December 30, 1888).

Halpin played for Monmouth, Illinois, in 1889 and 1890. The Monmouth newspapers from the time refer to him as "Jack". In January, Halpin was managing an ice rink in Monmouth (Monmouth Review, March 13, 1889). He was named manager of the club in the spring, and for two years he was the primary first baseman for the club. After his stint in Monmouth, he managed the Calumet Red Jackets in 1890 and 1891 in the Upper Peninsula League, winning the pennant in 1891 with a 36-24 record. While there were runmors he would manage in Marquette the next season, he retired and returned to Chicago. There is a Halpin on the roster for Garden City in 1892, 1893 and 1894; it seems likely that this was John Halpin.

After he retired, Halpin joined the Chicago Police Department. In 1895, his brother James was shot during an altercation; Detective Halpin was one of the officers responding to the scene. In 1897 he was dismissed for allegedly accepting a bribe. Two years later he was exonerated and reinstated, with the resolution stating he was "one of the most efficient detectives that ever worked for the city" (Chicago Tribune, January 29, 1899). In January 1912, he became Chief of Detectives. An article in the Chicago Tribune about his promotion mentioned his baseball career (excluding mention of the Maroons), noting "Among those who sent him a wire... was Charles A. Comiskey, president of the Chicago White Sox, with whom Halpin used to play ball on the prarie when both were kids" (January 28, 1912). His stint as the Chief Detective was not much longer than his stint as a professional baseball player. In late 1915, Halpin was indicted for, and ultimately convicted of, taking bribes related to the alleged operations of clairvoyants. (Many others were also convucted in the scheme.) He was sentanced from one to five years time in Joiliet. After appeals, he finally went to Joilet in February 1917. He was paroled in January 1918; his wife, who stood by him throughout the trial, met him at the station when he returned home (Chicago Tribune, January 30, 1918).

John Halpin was born in 1859 (according to his age of 21 from the 1880 Census, and as indicated on his grave stone) to William and Mary Halpin, immigrants from Ireland. He was the third of five sons. (James was the youngest, born in 1865.) He married Mary Redding on December 5, 1883. They never had children of their own. In 1900, they were living with his widowed sister-in-law and her three children. He died on December 20, 1944 and is burried in Mount Carmel Catholic Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois.

Date	Pos	AB	R	BH	2B	3B	HR	SB	PO	A	E	BB	HPB	K
8-17-1888	1b	3	1	1					14	1	1	1		1
8-18-1888	1b	3	0	0					7	0	1	1		2
8-19-1888	1b	2	0	0					12	0	0	1		1
8-21-1888	1b	4	0	1					14	0	0			1
4 Games		12	1	2	0	0	0	0	47	1	2	3	0	5