Kansas City Cowboys (Union Association)


The Kansas City Cowboys were a baseball team in the Union Association during its only season,. Referred to as the "Cowboys" mostly by historians, they had no official nickname during their short life and were most frequently referred to by local press of the day as the "Unions" and by the press of other cities as the "Kaycees". They were the first professional baseball team to represent Kansas City as well as the city's first major league team. Their home field was called Athletic Park.
They began play as a replacement for the Altoona Mountain City, which collapsed in May, and played out the remainder of the season. Despite a 16-63 finish, the franchise was one of only two in the league to make a profit. In contemporary newspaper reports, the team had Altoona's record combined with their own and were considered to have finished last in an eight-team league. After the league had collapsed, and Henry Lucas abandoned the Union Association for the National League after they offered a spot for his St. Louis Maroons, the Cowboys and Milwaukee Greys voted to Disband/Dissolve the Union Association. Ted Sullivan and the Unions grouped with the Milwaukee Brewers and other cities and teams to help establish the Western League. The Kansas City Cowboys Had a spot in the league. So did Milwaukee.

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs
PosPlayerGABHAvg.HR
CKid Baldwin5019137.1940
1BJerry Sweeney3112934.2640
2BCharlie Berry2911829.2461
SSClarence Cross259320.2150
3B3111422.1930
OFTaylor Shafer4416428.1710
OF4216237.2280
OF3012427.2180

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs
PlayerGABHAvg.HR
3814636.2471
3212328.2281
Jim Cudworth3211617.1470
Thomas Gorman2510634.3210
Henry Oberbeck279017.1890
Harry Decker237510.1330
Lou Say177014.2001
Nin Alexander19659.1380
146216.2580
Joe Strauss166012.2000
George Strief15566.1070
Jerry Turbidy134911.2240
Charlie Bastian11469.1961
14454.0890
Al Dwight124310.2330
John Deasley13407.1750
Charlie Fisher10408.2000
Jack Gorman8314.1290
Jumbo Davis7296.2070
6233.1300
Milt Whitehead5223.1360
Wills5213.1430
Henry Luff5191.0530
Billy O'Brien4174.2350
Jim Chatterton4152.1330
3121.0830
Joe Connors3111.0910
Ed Callahan3114.3640
393.3330
Joe Ellick280.0000
Jimmy Say282.2500
John Kirby271.1430
Bill Dugan360.0000
Emmett Seery142.5000
Charlie Cady230.0000

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
17137.14134.5268
16123.0493.2293
12104.0392.4262
753.0064.2517
533.0232.4513
326.0038.658
325.0121.8011
217.0112.655
John Kirby211.0014.091
18.0011.136
18.0015.635
17.00111.571
Frank Kreeger17.0010.003
Jim Chatterton15.0013.602

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
748.2135.3614
Henry Oberbeck629.2055.766
321.0016.869
Jim Cudworth217.0004.246
Joe Connors212.0014.501
210.0005.403