Quote:
Originally Posted by prewinter
I'm not sure this image is Jerry Kane, the part-time catcher with the Browns in 1890. I came across a reference in the St. Louis Post-Disptach on December 3, 1889 noting that the St. Louis Browns signed William Kane, catcher with Evansville (IN) in 1889. Tracking him over the next few months in the St. Louis papers, you learn he was from Collinsville, IL with battery-mate Otto Von der Broeck. He played in a few games with the Browns in preseason, and was released on April 12, 1890.
On April 20, 1890, the Post-Dispatch notes that "Kane, an East St. Louis catcher" will be given a trial. This was Jerry Kane. On April 25, Kane was described as "a cousin of Billy Kane, recently released by the Browns" in the St. Louis Globe Democrat. A few days after that (April 30), the Globe-Democrat reported that Otto Van der Broeck and Billy Kane were negotiating with Quincy. Both subsequently showed up in the box scores for Quincy in 1890. Baseball-Reference has Jerry Kane with Quincy, but he was with the Browns at the same time as the Kane playing with Quincy.
So the image from the New York Clipper may in fact be Billy Kane, not Jerry Kane.
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Hi! Thanks for posting! Not sure I'm responding properly but you are correct. That is not Jerry Kane from East St Louis, who was briefly a catcher for the Browns. The Jerry Kane who played for the Browns was my great grandfather. The family has many pictures of him, and the one shown here is not him. Nor was he ever known as William. His full name was Jeremiah Joseph, but he was called Jerry or sometimes Jerre. Every now and then his name does show up online and it's always fun to see! Thank you for posting!