Pete Hotaling

Who was Pete Hotaling?

Peter James Hotaling, nicknamed Monkey, was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball for nine seasons from 1879 to 1888. He was born in Mohawk, New York, and died in Cleveland, Ohio at the age of 71. He is interred at Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland.

Hotaling got the nickname monkey after suffering an eye injury while catching a baseball game. He came back weeks later with a catchers mask on. After donning the make he became known as monkey for the rest of his baseball career.