Phillies Legends: Ed Delahanty

Diving into the spectacular career of Phillies legend "Big Ed" Delahanty.

On July 13, 1896, 1,100 fans entered the West Side Grounds in Chicago to watch their Cubs take on the Philadelphia Phillies. Little did they know, they were about to witness history.

Phillies slugger, Ed Delahanty, would go on to achieve one of the most impressive and unlikely feats in baseball that day. For just the second time in Major League history, Delahanty hit four home runs in a single game.

To date, a little over 22,500 players have played at the major league level. Of those 22,500+ people, only 18 of them have ever hit four home runs in a single game. That means less than 0.0008% of players have ever done what Delahanty did and no one except for “Big Ed” can say they hit four home runs in a single game and four doubles in a single game (May 13, 1899).

He truly was a spectacle to behold, and for that game alone, his name will forever be immortal. 

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Delahanty was born on October 30, 1867 into a big baseball family. He, along with four of his brothers (Jim, Frank, Joe, and Tom) all made it to the Major Leagues. Baseball did not always come so easy for Ed though.

After dominating in tri-state and semi-pro leagues, Delahanty was bought by the Phillies for $2,000 in 1888. He batted sub .300 in his first two seasons in Philadelphia and left in 1890 to play in Cleveland as a part of the Players League.

The Players League disbanded after that season, so Delahanty returned to Philadelphia to give the Majors one more shot. Another disappointing season with the Phillies in 1891 got on Big Ed’s nerves and he dedicated the offseason to working out and getting in better baseball shape.

Standing at 6’1” and weighing in at 170 pounds, Delahanty turned his entire career around the following season. He was stronger, quicker, and more well rounded for the game of baseball. He dropped his free-swing approach at the plate and became more disciplined. In 1892, he led the Majors in triples (21) and slugging percentage (.495). His .306 batting average that season, would be the lowest for the remainder of his career.

Between 1892 and 1901, Delahanty led the National League in a major offensive category 24 times. He was truly a five-tool player. He could hit for average, hit for power, steal bases, track down fly balls, and his cannon of an arm scared the base runners of opposing teams. He was a two way player that commanded his presence at the plate and dominated defensively in left field.

Here is a look at some of his career achievements:

• Hall of Fame (1945) 

• 2x Batting Title

• Fourth highest career batting average in MLB history (.346)

• .410 batting average in 1899

• First player to bat over .400 in three separate seasons

• 238 career outfield assists

• Four home run game (July 13, 1896)

Delahanty would spend the final two years of his career in Washington to play for the Senators in the American League. The American League was where the money was, and Delahanty felt he was being treated disrespectfully by the Phillies organization. While his time with Washington was short, he continued to dominate the game of baseball. In 1902, Delahanty’s first season with his new team, he led the league in batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, and therefore OPS as well. He slashed .376/.453/.590 with a 1.043 OPS all at the age of 34. 

His second, and final season with Washington got out to a hot start as well, but was cut short after just 42 games. On July 2, 1903 Delahanty would pass away after falling off a bridge that ran over the Niagara river in Western New York. The specifics of his death are still unknown but many different accounts and conspiracies can be found. 

It wasn’t until 1945 that Delahanty would be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, nine years after the first ever induction class. He went into the Hall as a Philadelphia Phillie and will forever be celebrated for his five-tool abilities. 

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