James Wear Holliday (1867-1910) - Find a Grave Memorial

Professional Baseball Player and Umpire. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he played Major League baseball for ten years and was known by his moniker as "Bug" Holliday. He played amateur baseball as a teenager in Illinois and was signed as a reserve outfielder by the Chicago White Stockings after the team had won the pennant in 1885 and were ready to play in the World Series. Holliday was pressed into service because of injuries to other players and by the suspension of George Gore. He played in Game Four and went hitless in four trips to the plate. Holliday held the distinction as the only player ever to make his professional debut in a postseason game until the Oakland Athletics' Mark Kiger did it in 2006. Holliday would toil in the minor leagues for the next three years until he was signed in 1889 by the Cincinnati Red Stockings of the American Association. The ball club joined the National League in 1890 and became the Reds, with whom Holliday would play for throughout the rest of his career. Known as one of the fastest runners of his era, he stole 230 bases during his first six seasons. An outfielder, he appeared in 928 games and clubbed 65 homeruns, leading the league with 19 in 1889 and with 13 in 1892. He collected 617 runs batted in, hit over .300 six times, and recorded a lifetime batting average of .311. Holliday became an umpire for one season in 1903 and also refereed several games while he was an active player. When his baseball career was over, he continued to live in Cincinnati, Ohio and worked in a poolroom while also covering horse racing for a local newspaper. He died at his residence in 1910 when he was 43 years old.

Bio by: K Guy