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Former 19th Century Ace Pitcher Pink Hawley Discusses The Changes In Baseball
A former MLB star recalled how many things were different in the game when he was interviewed decades after he retired
The big-league career of right-handed pitcher Pink Hawley ended well before his 30th birthday, yet he was still able to produce an excellent 10-year run where he was often one of the top hurlers in baseball. He was one of many players who lived long enough to see the game significantly evolve from the days when he played into the modern version, and had interesting insights about those changes.
Emerson Pink Hawley was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. He and his twin, Elmer Blue, obtained their middle names because the nurse that assisted with their birth put a pink ribbon on Emerson and a blue ribbon on Elmer to help their parents in distinguishing who was who. The boys quickly assumed the colors as their names, which they used for the rest of their lives.
Hawley was an excellent ballplayer, and despite his father strenuously objecting to his plans to pursue a baseball career, he struck out on his own and let his talent earn him a spot on a professional roster.
In 1892, at the tender age of 19, he launched his major league career, debuting with…
