Harry Wolverton

American baseball player (1873–1937)

Harry Sterling Wolverton (December 6, 1873 – February 4, 1937), nicknamed "Fighting Harry", was an American professional baseball player. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball from 1898 through 1905 and 1912. He played for the Chicago Orphans, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Senators, Boston Beaneaters, and New York Highlanders, primarily as a third baseman. He also managed the Highlanders in 1912. In addition to playing in MLB, Wolverton managed several minor league baseball teams. After he retired from baseball, he worked as a police officer with the Oakland Police Department.

Wolverton was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio, on December 6, 1873, to Amanda and John the Baptist Wolverton. John, a veteran of the Civil War, worked with Amanda's father in dyeing. Harry had an older brother, Fred, and a younger sister, Birdie. Fred became a dentist, while Birdie married and moved to Florida. Wolverton played sandlot ball, and then played for his high school baseball team. Wolverton then enrolled at Kenyon College, where he played American football as a halfback, and baseball as a catcher. However, he left Kenyon after his junior year, as he was facing possible expulsion. Wolverton played semi professional baseball for a Paulding, Ohio team for the summer of 1895, earning $60 a month ($ in current dollar terms) as a pitcher and first baseman. After a dispute with Phillies management about his contract after the 1901 season, Wolverton signed a contract with the Washington Senators of the rival American League. Courts in Washington and Philadelphia ruled that the move was legal, but that Wolverton could not play in the state of Pennsylvania unless he played for the Phillies. Wolverton hit .249 and committed 24 errors in 59 games with Washington. Wolverton expressed his desire to return to Philadelphia, and the Senators acknowledged that signing Wolverton was a mistake. Wolverton finished the season with the Phillies, where he hit .294 in 34 games. In the 1903 season, he batted .308 with 12 triples, a career high, in 123 games. Wolverton batted .266 in 102 games during the 1904 season, once again leading NL third basemen in fielding percentage (.925). After the season, the Phillies traded Wolverton to the Beaneaters with Chick Fraser for Togie Pittinger. He played for one season with Boston, batting .225. the Beaneaters released Wolverton after the season. In 1912, Wolverton was named manager of the New York Highlanders of the AL, replacing Hal Chase. He led the Highlanders to a last place finish and a 50–102 record (.329 winning percentage). Wolverton returned to the PCL, managing the Sacramento Sacts in 1913 and 1914. He purchased the team with a business partner after the 1913 season for $20,000 ($ in current dollar terms), but the team lost $24,000 the next year ($ in current dollar terms) and went bankrupt. He managed the San Francisco Seals of the PCL from 1915 through June 17, 1917, when he was fired. He led the Seals to the PCL championship in 1915, and had the Seals in first place at the time of his firing, which team owner Henry Berry said was over player salaries. Wolverton announced his retirement from baseball. Wolverton returned to professional baseball as the manager of the Seattle Indians of the PCL in 1923. He argued with the team's owners about the amount of money spent to acquire new players, and resigned on July 8, 1923.

Wolverton married Mary Maroney in 1903. They had five daughters. One of his daughters, Mary, died of an illness at the age of 10 on April 28, 1920. Wolverton purchased a farm in San Mateo, California in July 1917, after he was fired from the Seals. In 1931, he became a police officer with the Oakland Police Department. Wolverton died in Oakland, California, at age 63 in a hit and run automobile accident. He was on patrol that day, and it was the second hit and run accident he suffered during the shift. He is interred at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma, California.