Park Swartzel

[Cowtipper]

Does anyone know anything about this guy? He led the Kansas City Cowboys in just about everything 1889, and yet that was his only big league season. Does anyone know any other details about his career? Why did it last only one year?

[Brian McKenna]

I like looking up ballplayers with unique names, makes it so much easier. Didn't find much though in a quick search.

On an Old Judge card with KC in 1888

Pitched on 8/2/1890 with Rochester in the Eastern League (I'm assuming this was him only last name listed)

Pitched on 10/14/1890 for KC in an exhibition game with Brooklyn-NL

[ziggy29]

Pitched on 10/14/1890 for KC in an exhibition game with Brooklyn-NL

Did he pitch for KC, or did he pitch for the St. Louis Browns IN Kansas City?

I ask because I see this from Glory Fades Away by Jerry Lansche:

[AA champion] Louisville's season had ended October 14, but Brooklyn had finished its playing schedule a week before the [1890 World's] Series was due to begin. To keep sharp, the Bridegrooms played four exhibition games with the St. Louis Browns, two in Kansas City and two in St. Louis. Adonis Terry won the first game at Kansas City, 16-9, and Tom Lovett lost the second, 8-7.

If they indeed did play a KC squad and not just the Browns in KC, then presumably that was a detail Lansche omitted or chose to leave out as a minor footnote.

The most curious thing about Swartzel's absence from the majors in '90 is that if he were physically able to pitch in 1890, certainly you would think the NL or AA would have had room for him on a roster given the issues with the PL draining most of their talent. He may have had less chance of sticking with an AA club in 1891 and even less of a chance with the merged 12-team NL in 1892, but you'd think his arm would have been needed in the year of the war with the Brotherhood.

[Brian McKenna]

KC, STL played LOU

[ziggy29]

Thanks. Sounds like Lansche was in error, then, as presumably it looks like this game against KC is the one he referred to as the 8-7 loss for Lovett. As I read it, he made it sound as if all four games were against the Browns.