Mike Griffin (outfielder)

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Michael Joseph Griffin (March 20, 1865 - April 10, 1908) was a 19th century Major League Baseball outfielder who hailed from Utica, New York. He played in 1511 games spread over 12 seasons for teams in the American Association, the Players League, and National League. He had 1753 hits, resulting in a .296 batting average, and was a prolific base stealer who swiped 473 bases during his career. In his last year in the majors, he was also the player-manager for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms for a short period of time, ^[1]

Scouted and signed by Billy Barnie of the Batlimore Orioles, while playing for the local Utica professional team, he was one of the premiere ball players at the time, leading the league in runs scored in 1889, doubles in 1891, and many top ten finished in most offensive categories. On April 16, 1887, he became the first major league player to hit a home run in his first plate appearance.

Griffin was team captain of Bridegrooms in 1897 and 1898, serving as interim manager for a part of 1898, a total of four games, winning one. 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 was named Brooklyn's manager instead. Griffin was offered a $2,800 contract to play by Brooklyn, but he refused to sign. Brooklyn released him to the Cleveland Spiders, who then released him to the St. Louis Perfectos. After failing to receive a contract he felt he was worth from any team, he sued 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. He then unofficially retired from major league baseball.^[2]

Griffin returned to Utica where he became involved in the management of local breweries. It was here that he passed away from pneumonia, at age 43, and was laid to rest at St. Agnes Cemetery.^[3]