Monte Cross

Who was Monte Cross?

Montford Montgomery Cross, was an American Major League Baseball baseball player. He played fifteen seasons in the majors, between 1892 and 1907, for five different teams.

Cross played most of his career in Philadelphia, where he was the starting shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1898 until 1900. At that point, he jumped to the new American League and the crosstown Philadelphia Athletics. He was their starting shortstop from 1901 until 1904, including the 1902 team that won the AL pennant in the year before the World Series began play.

After batting just .189 in 1904, Cross relinquished the starting role to 19-year-old rookie John Knight for much of 1905, when the Athletics won their second pennant. After batting .266 in his part-time role, Cross regained the starting role in 1906 when Knight was moved to third base to replace Lave Cross, who had been sold to the Washington Senators. However, he batted just .200, and would be replaced as the starter once again in 1907, this time by Simon Nicholls.

His major league career ended that season but Monte Cross remained in the industry, playing in three minor leagues from 1908 to 1911. At least in 1915 he played semiprofessionally, for the Media, Pennsylvania team in the Delaware County League at age 46.