Biographical sketches of selected 19^th century major league players from Utica, NY.

By Scott Fiesthumel

Juice Latham was Utica's first professional baseball player. Latham was a stocky first baseman who also occasionally played the other infield positions. The local newspapers affectionately referred to him as "chubby", "fatty", and said his nickname "Juice" was derived from the fact that he had no speed on the base-paths. He began his career as a 17 year-old with Ottawa in 1869 and would play and manage for another quarter century. In 1875 he was playing for the Boston Red Stockings when manager Harry Wright sent him to New Haven to run that club. In 1877 Latham played the first of his four seasons in the major leagues. In the Utica City directory of that year, his occupation was listed as "baseballist ".

In 1878 Latham played for Utica's first professional team, in the International Association. Latham would also play for his hometown in 1886 (when he was the captain of Utica's International League championship winning team) and in 1887. In 1901 he was a coach on Utica's New York State League team. Juice was well respected and a big favorite of fans in the Mohawk Valley. He often umpired local amateur and charity games. Juices baseball travels took him across two countries, but he always called Utica home. Latham's teams: Ottawa (Ontario), New Haven, Boston, New Haven (manager), Tecumseh (Ontario- manager), Binghamton, Louisville (major league), Utica, Springfield, Washington, Philadelphia (major league- captain), Louisville (major league- captain), Oneida (NY), and Richfield (captain).

Mike Griffin is one of the most interesting yet least known players of the 19^th century. In 1884 the 19 year-old Griffin played for Utica's amateur team. The success of this team (one of the finest amateur teams in the state, with three future major leaguers) led to Utica fielding a professional team in 1885. Griffin began his professional career with this team and, after spending the winter as a cigar-maker, would return to play for Utica's International League champions the following season. Towards the end of the 1886 season, manager Billy Barnie of Baltimore in the major league American Association, came to Utica to scout players. He was impressed by Mike Griffin and signed him to play for Baltimore the following season.

Mike Griffin began the 1887 season with a bang, as he became the first player to hit a home run in his first major league at bat. In 1889 Griffin led the American Association with 152 runs scored in only 137 games. He played the next season for Philadelphia in the Players League. By the time Griffin was signed by Brooklyn in 1891 he was one of the finest (perhaps even the best) centerfielders in the major leagues. He promptly led the National League with 36 doubles and would remain with Brooklyn until the end of his career. He would provide Brooklyn with an offensive spark in his eight seasons there, averaging 110 runs a season. In 1894 Griffin hit .365 with 123 runs and in 1895 he batted .335 with 38 doubles and 140 runs.

Griffin was team captain in 1897 and 1898, serving as interim manager for part of 1898. After the 1898 season Brooklyn signed him to a $3,500 contract to manage the following season. But before the season started, Brooklyn and Baltimore merged and Baltimore manager Ned Hanlon became Brooklyn's manager. Griffin was offered a $2,800 contract to play by Brooklyn, but he refused to sign. Brooklyn released him to Cleveland, who released him to St. Louis. No team would pay him the $3,500 he felt he was entitled to and he never played baseball again. Griffin brought suit against Brooklyn for the salary he believed they owed him from the contract he had signed and won a judgment of $2,300 from the club. Griffin returned to Utica where he became involved in the management of local breweries. He frequently attended ball games in Utica and occasionally umpired, especially in games for charity. Griffin was one of Utica's most well liked and respected citizens when pneumonia took his life at age 43.