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On July 2, 1903, the baseball world lost a giant. Ed Delahanty — known affectionately as “Big Ed” — did not make it home from what began as an ordinary road-trip with his team, the Washington Senators, and his body was later found below Niagara Falls, near the Canadian side of the river, under circumstances still debated.

A Career for the Ages

From his debut in 1888 with the Philadelphia Quakers (later the Phillies) through his final season in 1903, Delahanty amassed a lifetime batting average of .336, with 2,544 hits, 129 home runs, and 1,492 RBIs.
He topped the league in doubles five times, home runs twice, sluggings and OPS repeatedly; in 1899 he batted .404, led all in OPS+ (199) and wRC+ (190).
At the time of his passing he ranked (all-time) roughly: Hits #4, Batting Average #4, Runs #3, Doubles #2, Triples #6, Home Runs #4, RBIs #2, and Stolen Bases #28.
These numbers reflect an era when power-hitting was still emerging—and Delahanty was among its earliest masters.

The Man Off the Field

Teammates called him “Del.” He was big of frame and big of talent; pitchers of the era spoke of him with a mix of admiration and dread. One recalled that facing Delahanty was to "just shut your eyes, say a prayer and chuck the ball."

But fame and talent came alongside shadows. Delahanty battled heavy drinking, gambling debts, and personal troubles. In the months leading to 1903 his performances flagged, his moods darkened, and teammates worried.

July 2, 1903: The Final Hours

After playing his final major-league game on June 25, 1903: a 11-5 loss to Cleveland, Delahanty disappeared.

On July 2, he boarded a train from Detroit bound for New York — but during the ride consumed five whiskies, became disruptive (smoking, breaking glass, pulling another passenger by the ankles) and was ordered off the train at Bridgeburg, Ontario, for his behaviour.

Crossing the 3,600-foot International Railway Bridge over the Niagara River, he was intercepted by watchman Sam Kingston. Kingston confronted him, Delahanty escaped, and within moments was either driven or stumbled into the swirling waters below. Kingston claimed it was too dark to see what happened.

A week later, on July 9, a body was found at the base of the Falls, badly mutilated, barely clothed (only tie, shoes and socks remained), and identified as Delahanty’s by his family. His diamond tie-pin, rings and loose cash were missing; robbery, accident and suicide all entered the speculation.

A Legacy of Triumph and Tragedy

To remember Ed Delahanty is to remember both his extraordinary bat and the tragic end of his story.
He won the National League batting crown, led the league in home runs and RBIs in the 1890s, and was a member of championship teams in 1892 and 1899.
Yet his life ended at 35, still in uniform, still capable of greatness, still beloved by pitchers and fans alike.
His death — accidental, self-inflicted, or criminally influenced — remains one of baseball’s great unresolved mysteries.

A Tribute

On this day, we honour “Big Ed” Delahanty: the man who stood at the heart of baseball’s transformation, who swung with ferocity and elegance, who blasted through an era and left records few then matched and fewer now approach.
He did so with a grin, a confident stride, and a bat that split a ball in two.

And as the waters beneath Niagara Falls carried him away, they took one of the game’s great lights. Yet in every crack of a bat in Philadelphia, in every stolen base and solid double, there echoes his legacy.
May we remember Ed Delahanty not only for how he died, but for how he lived — at the plate, in the field, in the hearts of those who watched him.

July 10, 1903 — the date his body was found and reported (though the tragedy is dated July 2) — marks a solemn moment in baseball history. The field is quieter today, but his records still thunder.

May his name endure.