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Lip Pike

(1845 - 1893)

Lipman Emanuel Pike was one of the stars of 19th century baseball. He was the first Jewish ballplayer as well as the first player to be revealed as a professional. This meant he was paid money to play. Pike was one of the premier players of his day. He was a great slugger and home run hitter, so much so that stories about balls he hit were told for quite some time after he stopped playing. Pike first rose to prominence playing for the Philadelphia Athletics, whom he joined in 1866. He brought an impressive blend of power and speed to the team, hitting many home runs as well as being one of the fastest players around. He was a star who in one game hit 6 home runs; the final score was 67-25. He was also the first famous Jewish baseball player, and was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. In addition, in 1936, long after the players he faced had retired, and 43 years after his death, Pike received a single vote for the Baseball Hall of Fame in its first election.


Sources: Wikipedia