Wid Conroy

Who was Wid Conroy?

William Edward "Wid" Conroy, was an American Major League Baseball player active during the first decade of the 20th century. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 5, 1877, Conroy made his major league debut on April 25, 1901 with the Milwaukee Brewers at the age of 24. He played his last game on October 5, 1911 for the Washington Senators, retiring at 34 years. Standing at 5' 9" and weighing 158 lb., Conroy epitomized the role of a utility man, playing five positions in his career. He played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Washington Senators

He began his career as a shortstop, replacing Honus Wagner with Paterson in the Atlantic League, but was struck by malarial fever and dropped from the team. In 1900 Connie Mack invited him to try out for the Western Association team he would field in Milwaukee and transfer to Philadelphia when the American League began as a major circuit; Conroy won the last spot on the roster. Conroy was the first-string shortstop of the NL champion 1902 Pirates, but became a third baseman when he returned to the AL with the Highlanders in 1903. He led AL third basemen twice in total chances per game. His 22-year career in pro baseball ended as a Philadelphia Phillies coach in 1922.