CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — When you're talking about some of the biggest baseball names of the 19th century, you can't leave out Frank "Piggy" Ward.
Born on April 16, 1867 in Chambersburg, it wouldn't be long before the 5'9" Ward made it to the big leagues. In 1883, he made his debut with the Philadelphia Quakers, who would eventually become the Phillies. At the time he set the record for the youngest player to play in the major leagues at 16 years, 1 month, and 27 days old.
Ward struck out twice in five at-bats and never got a hit. After one game, the Quakers sent him packing.
His playing days were far from done. According to one newspaper article, he spent his offseason training by "handling a pair of spirited mules."
Ward would barnstorm from coast-to-coast. While playing in Spokane, he was fined $25 and thrown out of a game for punching a runner who was rounding the bases.
He also tried some new approaches to the game. While in Canada, he encouraged his pitcher to try the hidden ball trick, even giving his hurler a potato to throw over the first baseman's head, so that Ward could make the tag with the ball. It didn't work.
As an infielder for the Allentown Peanuts, a liner was hit to Ward. Realizing he didn't have enough time to get his glove up in the air, he lowered his bald head, which redirected the ball to the first baseman in time to get the out.
Events like this and his personality made him a favorite for the hometown papers, as well as an easy target while on the road.
The Detroit Free Press described one such game. "A squatty, thickset man, with a bull neck, loaferish appearance, and voice a combination of the bellowing of a bull and braying of a donkey, attempted to make himself conspicuous in yesterday's game and succeeded, to the intense disgust of the 1200 people present."
One of his managers told Sporting News that "with a little sleep and less booze, Ward is all right."
Ward returned to the Quakers in 1889 for seven more games. In total, he'd play in 221 major league baseball games and is still tied for the record of consecutive bases reached, in 17-straight plate appearances.
While in Lancaster, his manager told him to go out and coach first base. Ward then pulled a cushion from under his shirt and sat down on the ground.
The Chambersburg native is also credited with pulling a man from a burning barbershop in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
In 1906, reports of Ward's death spread throughout the country through newspapers and word of mouth. So, you can imagine Charles Comiskey's surprise when Ward showed up to his birthday party in Chicago months later, alive and well. The papers had the wrong Frank G. Ward.
Ward eventually passed away at the age of 45 in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. The Altoona Tribune noted that he was, "one of the most famous diamond stars in the land."