Robert M. Keating

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}{{Infobox baseball biography |name=Bob Keating |position=Pitcher |image= |bats=Left |throws=Left |birth_date=September 22, 1862 |birth_place=Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|1922|1|19|1862|9|22}} |death_place=Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=August 27 |debutyear=1887 |debutteam=Baltimore Orioles |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=August 27 |finalyear=1887 |finalteam=Baltimore Orioles |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Win–loss record |stat1value=0–1 |stat2label=Strikeouts |stat2value=0 |stat3label=Earned run average |stat3value=11.00 |teams= *Baltimore Orioles (1887) }} '''Robert M. Keating ''' (September 22, 1862 – January 19, 1922) was an American inventor and one-time Major League Baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ginsburg |first=Daniel |date= |orig-date=1982 |title=Robert M. Keating, Inventor |url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/robert-m-keating-inventor/#:~:text=After%20his%20death%20in%20Springfield,them%2C%20and%20some%20became%20famous. |access-date=2024-02-28 |work=Society for American Baseball Research |agency=Baseball Research Journal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Keating |first=R. K. |title=Wheel Man: Robert M. Keating, Pioneer of Bicycles, Motorcycles and Automobiles |date=2014 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-1644-5 |pages=11,25}}</ref> He was best known as the inventor of the Keating bicycle.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 20, 1922 |title=Robert M. Keeting Dead – The Inventor of the Wheel That Made Lots of Good Holyokers Sweat Blood |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/transcript-telegram-robert-m-keating-de/142277287/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |work=Transcript-Telegram |location=Holyoke, Massachusetts |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

He appeared in one game for the Orioles on August 27, 1887—pitching a complete game, allowing 16 runs on 16 hits in the loss. An arm injury ended his career and he became an inventor, starting off by inventing various shaving devices.

thumb|left|upright|1896 ad for Keating bicycles

In 1897, he started the R.M. Keating Company that manufactured bicycles, through his Keating Wheel Works subsidiary. Keating had some success for a time with his bicycle business and may even have invented the first motorcycle, though the company apparently folded before any were released.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commonscat inline|Keating Wheel Company}} {{Baseballstats|br=k/keatibo01}} *[http://research.sabr.org/journals/robert-m-keating Robert Keating, inventor]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Keating, Bob}} Category:1862 births Category:1922 deaths Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Baltimore Orioles (AA) players Category:Baseball players from Springfield, Massachusetts Category:19th-century baseball players Category:19th-century American sportsmen Category:19th-century American engineers