Pete Morris

When I started doing this kind of research, for obvious reasons I took a special interest in a player listed only as “P. Morris” who had played one game for the Washington entry in the Union Association on May 14, 1884.  And when I learned that the Milwaukee reserve club had a shortstop named Pete Morris that year, I was optimistic that I'd be able to make the connection.  Unfortunately, it soon became clear that he was going to be very tough to identify.  He was picked up by Washington for a game in Chicago and then apparently released.  The sporting papers identified him as either Morris or Morrison, with no first name, and Sporting Life said he was from Rockford.  Then the next issue of Sporting Life stated “A Chicago player named Morris has been engaged by Washington” but elsewhere that Morris of the disbanded Milwaukee reserves has signed with Stillwater.

Worse, the Milwaukee reserves disbanded within days of the May 14 game and Pete Morris signed with Stillwater. (“The Milwaukee reserves have disbanded and three of the men, Schomberg, Morris, and Dealey, have signed with the Stillwater club. The first is a first class baseman and heavy batter. Dealey hits well and is a good outfielder. Morris has played shortstop creditably.” [Stillwater Gazette, May 21, 1884]) This was disheartening because the whole point of the reserve clubs was to keep players from the Union Association.

While writing my book about early baseball in Michigan, I found many references to a player named Pete Morris who played for one of that city's most prominent teams, the Aetnas, in the mid-1870s.  Naturally my hopes were raised again and I did a lot of research on him.  But his stay in Detroit was a relatively short one and I could never find out anything about him.

So “P. Morris” remained a complete mystery until a month ago when I stumbled on some notes in a Milwaukee paper and traced them through: 

Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, May 04, 1877, 5: Milwaukees against a picked nine that included “Morris (formerly of the Aetnas of Detroit)” playing third base

Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, August 07, 1877, 2, “Morris has been engaged to play for the Brown Stockings [of Oconomowoc] the remainder of the season.”

Milwaukee Daily Journal, May 18, 1883, Maple Leafs organize: Morris at shortstop

Milwaukee Sentinel, May 18, 1883; pg. 5, “Peter Morris has signed articles to play short-stop with the Maple Leafs in place of Sexton”

Milwaukee Sentinel, July 05, 1883, “P. Morris, the regular short stop for the Maple Leafs” of Milwaukee

Milwaukee Sentinel, August 20, 1883, 3, Morris at short stop for the Maple Leafs in a boxscore

He appeared as shortstop for the Maple Leafs in many other games that year

Milwaukee Daily Journal, January 31, 1884, roster of Milwaukees including Pete Morris of Milwaukee

“For the Reserve Nine,” Milwaukee Daily Journal, March 18, 1884, “Peter Morris, who plays short stop, is bright and active, and though small, understands how to cover a space between second and third.”

Milwaukee Sentinel, multiple notes beginning 4/14/84 about the reserves with Morris listed as shortstop

Milwaukee Sentinel, May 13, 1884, 2, “The reserves play in Chicago to-day with the league reserves of that city.  [List of players including Morris, ss.]  The reserves will play three games with Chicago” and then three in Akron against the Cleveland reserves.

Milwaukee Sentinel, May 14, 1884: Milwaukee reserves beat Chicago reserves 5-4 yesterday.

Milwaukee Sentinel, May 15, 1884: game account of May 14 game between Milwaukee and Chicago reserves mentions seven Milwaukee players but not Morris and states that “T. McDermott covered short”

Milwaukee Daily Journal, (Milwaukee, WI) Saturday, May 17, 1884, tomorrow Milwaukee reserves will host Chicago Blues, an amateur club; Morris to play shortstop  

Milwaukee Sentinel, May 19, 1884, 2: long description of game in Milwaukee versus the Chicago Blues; Morris played shortstop; account says it is almost certainly the club’s last game.

Milwaukee Daily Journal, (Milwaukee, WI) Tuesday, May 20, 1884: Dealey of Milwaukee reserves to join Washington Unions.  [Interesting because it shows that a connection had been made between the Washington Unions and the Milwaukee reserves.]    

Stillwater Gazette, June 18, 1884: “Morris, a new man from the disbanded reserves of Milwaukee, played third base for Stillwater on Sunday last; he moves a little slow.”

Milwaukee Sentinel, August 10, 1884, pg. 3: Morris, ss, for reorganized Maple Leafs of Milwaukee; also with club in boxscore on 9/14/84, 10/19/84

So Peter Morris is with the Milwaukee reserves when they travel to Chicago, but a different player plays shortstop on May 14.  And less than a week later one of his teammates joins the Washington Unions.  That made a convincing case to me that Pete Morris was the one-game major leaguer.

The search to find when he died proved a much quicker one:

Milwaukee Sentinel, Thursday, December 11, 1884; pg. 3, “Peter Morris, a well-known local ballplayer, was killed by the cars on Tuesday morning, at Columbus, Wis.  Morris was a member of the Milwaukee reserves, and later in the season played with the Maple Leafs.  He was coupling cars, and his foot caught in the guard rail when the accident occurred.”  Shorter version of same note in the Journal.

Milwaukee Sentinel, December 14, 1884; pg. 10, Watertown section: “Peter Morris, the freight conductor killed at Columbus Wednesday morning, while coupling cars, was a resident of Ixonia and well known in this city.”

1880 census, Ixonia,

Richard and Sarah Morris, born Wales

Son Peter 26 Wales

Four younger siblings all Wisconsin

1870, same family in Ixonia but as “Morries”

Peter R. Morries, 15

1860, same family in Ixonia

Peter R. Morris, 7

New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, September 30, 1854, Universe, from Wales, destination Wisconsin, Richard and Sarah Morris, and Peter, 7 months

Burial records for the Jefferson County (Ixonia) Welsh Methodist Cemetery were online and I found records for

Morris, Peter and Dickie

Morris, Richard

Morris, Sarah

There’s even a photo of the tombstone he shares with his brother Dickie:

http://www.usgwarchives.org/wi/cemetery/images/jefferson/welshmethodist/morrispeterandd.jpg

By good fortune, my sister Corinne did her dissertation at the University of Wales and is very familiar with Welsh genealogy.  She pointed me to the right county and I sent away for a birth certificate (resisting the urge to state that it was my birth certificate I was looking for!):

Peter R. Morris

b. January 1, 1854 Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales

d. December 9, 1884 Columbus, Wisconsin