Career
In 1889 Hanlon was hired as the manager of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, coming into his own and beginning what would be an illustrious career. He left the team in 1890 for the Pittsburgh Burghers of the rivial upstart Players' League, before rejoining Allegheny once that league folded. In 1891, Louis Bierbauer, a second baseman who played with the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association, signed with the upstart Players' League. Once the League folded in 1891, pretty much every player that left the National League or the American Association for the Players League was allowed to return to their original team. However Bierbauer never signed back with the Athletics. Alfred Spink, the founder of the Sporting News, wrote about the incident in 1910 for a journal called The Pirates Reader. According to Spink, Hanlon traveled to Presque Isle in the dead of winter to sign him, crossing the ice on the harbor during a snow storm. He finally reached Bierbauer's home and got him to sign a contract with Allegheny.
The Athletics, upon learning of this deal, objected to Bierbauer’s signing and stated that he should return to the A’s, since that was the team that employed him before his defection. An official for the American Association also objected to Bierbauer signing with Allegheny and called the act "piratical." However the Alleghenies contended that because “the did not reserve Bierbauer, he was a free agent". An arbitrator agreed, and soon players and fans alike were calling the team the "Pittsburgh Pirates."
In 1892 he moved to the Baltimore Orioles where, despite some growing pains, he experienced his greatest success. He led Baltimore to the National League title from 1894 to 1896 by playing inside baseball, and using innovative strategies, including the hit-and-run.
After two more successful, but not championship-calibre seasons with Baltimore, Hanlon moved to Brooklyn in 1899 to manage the Superbas, (Who were named after his acting company, Hanlon's Superbas) . After winning the National League pennant in 1899 and 1900, Hanlon's team faltered. In 1905, Hanlon's final season with the Superbas, the Superbas failed to win even a third of its games. Hanlon, realizing that the Superbas realizing that the Superbas growing number of fans could not be held by the team's current park, tried to move the Superbas elwhere, but failed in this plan.
The following season, Hanlon moved to the Cincinnati Reds. After the 1907 season, he retired from managing. His teams finished in 6th place both of his seasons in Cincinnati.
Hanlon was later involved as the principal shareholder in the Baltimore franchise of the failed Federal League. He declined to manage the team.
After his death, Hanlon was interred in the New Cathedral Roman Catholic Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland.
Read more about this topic: Ned Hanlon (baseball)
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