Jersey Bakley

Who was Jersey Bakley?

Edward Enoch "Jersey" Bakley was a Major League Baseball pitcher in the late 19th century. He pitched for nine different teams in six years of play from 1883 to 1891. Sometimes his last name is spelled "Bakely" or "Bakeley".

Bakley made his major league debut at the age of 19 for the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association. He went 5-3 for the eventual pennant winners.

He spent the next several years in the minors before returning to the majors in 1888 and was arguably one of the better pitchers in the country in 1888 and 1889. His 532 innings pitched in 1888 ranked second in the AA, and he went 25-33 with a 2.97 earned run average. The next season, his 2.96 ERA was the second-best in the National League.

On September 3, 1890, Bakley gave up Harry Stovey's 100th homer, which was the first time that that milestone had ever been reached.

Bakley stood at just 5'8".