Fred Abbott

Who was Fred Abbott?

Harry Frederick Abbott was an American Major League Baseball catcher. Born Harry Frederick Winbigler, he played three seasons of Major League baseball for the Cleveland Naps and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Began career as a teenager with Marion in 1891. Abbot played with independent Ohio teams Springfield and Dayton in 1892 and 1983 respectively before joining the San Antonio Missionaries of the Texas-Southern League in 1895. In 1897 he was playing with the Cairo Egyptians in the Central League. By 1898, he was with the Southern League's New Orleans Pelicans, where he batted .265 in 15 games, while playing mostly in the outfield. Abbott joined Danville of the Indiana-Illinois League the following season, and remained with them when they joined the Central League the next year. Abbott batted a very respectable .318 with three home runs and stole 14 bases over 83 games. He rejoined the New Orleans Pelicans, batting .296 for them in 1901, and .289 in 1902, playing over 100 each season. Abbott made his major league baseball debut with the Cleveland Naps a week into the 1903 season, on April 29 against the St. Louis Browns.