Harry Duffield Stovey (né Stowe; December 20, 1856 – September 20, 1937) was an American 19th-century Major League Baseball player and the first player in major league history to hit 100 home runs. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Stovey played for fourteen seasons in the majors and was appointed player-manager on two separate occasions during his career.
Known today as both a prolific home run hitter and base-stealer, he led the league in both categories multiple times in his career, including a season record of fourteen home runs in and a league-leading 97 stolen bases in . He stole 509 bases in his career, which is tied for 35th all-time; among players who played in fifteen seasons or less, he ranks sixth. Stovey finished in the top ten in home runs eleven times (1880–1886, 1888–1991), which included time in three leagues; he led a league in home runs five times. He also finished in the top ten in runs scored ten times, batting average six times, and on-base percentage seven times. He was the first to wear sliding pads and among the first to slide feet first.
Baseball career
Philadelphia Defiance
In 1877, Harry began his career in the pitcher’s box and graduated out of the ranks of a Philadelphia amateur team called the Defiance (the Philadelphia Defiance were a professional team, part of the league Alliance).
New Bedford
In 1878, Frank Bancroft, owner/manager of the New Bedford Baseball Club, engaged Stovey to join his pitching staff. When the New Bedfords' John Piggot, first baseman, became ill during their first exhibition game of the season, Stovey was asked to take over, and played brilliantly enough that he replaced Piggott as the starting first basemen for the entire season.
Worcester
Harry was an outfielder / first baseman in for the Worcester Worcesters under the surname of Stovey instead of his birth name of Stowe due to his desire to keep his family from discovering he was making his career at baseball, which was seen at the time as not a respectable profession. He made an immediate impact that first season, leading the league with 14 triples and six home runs, while also finishing in the top ten in many other offensive categories.
For the season, his offensive numbers did not slow down, again finishing in the top ten in several offensive categories, though he did not lead the league in any this time around. Stovey died at the age of 80 in New Bedford, and is interred at Oak Grove Cemetery.