# Charlie Hickman

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For the Church of Ireland bishop, see [Charles Hickman](/source/Charles_Hickman).

**Charles Taylor Hickman** (March 4, 1876 – April 19, 1934)[a] was an American professional [baseball](/source/Baseball) player and [college baseball](/source/College_baseball) coach. He played all or part of 12 seasons in [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) (MLB) as a [utility player](/source/Utility_player) for seven different franchises, including over 200 games each with the [Cleveland Bronchos / Naps](/source/Cleveland_Indians), [Washington Senators](/source/Washington_Senators_(1901%E2%80%9360)), and [New York Giants](/source/New_York_Giants_(NL)). After his professional career, he coached the [West Virginia Mountaineers](/source/West_Virginia_Mountaineers_baseball) for four seasons.

## Playing career

Hickman was born in [Taylortown, Pennsylvania](/source/Taylorstown,_Pennsylvania), south of [Pittsburgh](/source/Pittsburgh), and played one season of [college baseball](/source/College_baseball) at [West Virginia University](/source/West_Virginia_University) in 1897.[1] He began his professional career in the [Interstate League](/source/Interstate_League), a [minor league](/source/Minor_League_Baseball), in 1896–1897.[2]

### Boston Beaneaters

Hickman's first major-league experience came with the [Boston Beaneaters](/source/Boston_Beaneaters) in 1897, when he appeared in two games as a pitcher. He made 19 additional appearances with Boston in both 1898 and 1899, mainly as a pitcher along with games as a first baseman and outfielder. In 40 total games with the Beaneaters, Hickman compiled a .339 [batting average](/source/Batting_average_(baseball)) along with a 7–2 [win–loss record](/source/Win%E2%80%93loss_record_(pitching)) as a pitcher.[3]

### New York Giants

Hickman next played for the [New York Giants](/source/New_York_Giants_(NL)), who purchased his contract in March 1900, appearing in 127 games in 1900 and 112 games in 1901. As a pitcher he went 3–5 in nine starts during 1901, after not pitching the prior season. He batted .297 in 239 total games with the Giants. Defensively, he was the team's primary third baseman in 1900, while in 1901 he made appearances at all positions except for catcher.[3]

### Boston Americans

Hickman began the 1902 season with the [Boston Americans](/source/Boston_Americans), in the second season of play for the [American League](/source/American_League). In 28 games, he batted .296 while making 27 appearances as a left fielder and one as a [pinch runner](/source/Pinch_runner). On June 3, his contract was sold by Boston.[3]

### Cleveland Bronchos / Naps

Hickman spent the remainder of the 1902 season with the [Cleveland Bronchos](/source/Cleveland_Bronchos), serving as the team's primary first baseman (98 games). He batted .378 through the end of the season with Cleveland, for an overall batting average of .361 for the 1902 season. He led the American League in hits (193) and [total bases](/source/Total_bases) (288) for the season. He returned to the team, renamed as the [Cleveland Naps](/source/Cleveland_Naps), for 1903 (batting .295 in 131 games) and part of 1904 (batting .288 in 86 games) until he was traded on August 7, 1904.[3]

### Detroit Tigers

Hickman joined the [Detroit Tigers](/source/Detroit_Tigers) in exchange for first baseman [Charlie Carr](/source/Charlie_Carr), playing 42 games through the end of the 1904 season. Defensively, he played exclusively at first base (39 games) along with three pinch hitting appearances. He batted .243 in those games for Detroit, giving him an overall average of .274 for the 1904 season. He returned to Detroit in 1905, playing 47 games in right field and 12 games at first base—while batting only .221—until the team sold his contract on July 6. In 101 total games with Detroit split across two seasons, he had a .230 average.[3]

### Washington Senators

Hickman played for the [Washington Senators](/source/Washington_Senators_(1901%E2%80%931960)) for 88 games in 1905, 120 games in 1906, and 64 games in 1907. He played primarily as a second baseman in his first season with the team, then was a right fielder in 1906, and split time between first base and right field in his final season with the team. He made his final major-league pitching appearance with the Senators, pitching five innings in a single relief appearance in 1907. He compiled an overall .292 batting average with the team until his contract was sold on August 1, 1907.[3]

### Chicago White Sox

Hickman finished the 1907 season with the [Chicago White Sox](/source/Chicago_White_Sox), batting .261 in 21 games, primarily as a pinch hitter. After the season, the team sold his contract.[3]

### Cleveland Naps (second stint)

Hickman completed his major-league career with 66 games for Cleveland, until he was traded into the minor leagues on August 3, 1908. He batted .234 with the 1908 Naps. In two stints and 384 total career games with Cleveland, he had a .309 average.[3]

While his final major-league appearance came in July 1908, Hickman played professionally as late as 1911 in the minor-league [American Association](/source/American_Association_(1902%E2%80%931997)).[2] A newspaper article in July of that season noted that he had weight issues through his career—"His girth and dimensions have increased with each passing season."[4]

### Career totals

Hickman played in 1,081 major-league games across 12 seasons and had a .295 average with 59 home runs and 614 [runs batted in](/source/Runs_batted_in) (RBIs).[3] Despite acquiring the nickname "Piano Legs", he amassed 91 [triples](/source/Triple_(baseball)) and had 72 [stolen bases](/source/Stolen_base).[3] As a pitcher, he compiled a 10–8 record in 30 games (22 starts) with a 4.28 [earned run average](/source/Earned_run_average) (ERA) while striking out 37 batters in 185 [innings pitched](/source/Innings_pitched).[3]

Hickman was not a strong defender,[5] committing 357 [errors](/source/Error_(baseball)) during his major-league career while posting a .946 [fielding percentage](/source/Fielding_percentage).[3] His 87 errors during the 1900 season (86 in 120 games at third base, and one in seven games as an outfielder)[3] are the third-worst in major-league history since 1900, exceeded only by [John Gochnaur](/source/John_Gochnaur) (98 in 1903) and [Bill Keister](/source/Bill_Keister) (97 in 1901).[6] Gochnaur set the record as a shortstop for the 1903 Naps, when Hickman was the team's primary first baseman.[5] Hickman also committed five errors in a single game on September 29, 1905, as a second baseman with the Washington Senators.[5][7]

Hickman served as an [umpire](/source/Umpire_(baseball)) for one major-league game, occurring on April 29, 1907.[8] With no regular umpires present, Hickman (with the Washington Senators) umpired at home and [Chief Bender](/source/Chief_Bender) (of the [Philadelphia Athletics](/source/Philadelphia_Athletics)) umpired at first base.[9][10]

## Coaching career

Hickman coached the [West Virginia Mountaineers baseball](/source/West_Virginia_Mountaineers_baseball) team for four seasons, in 1913 and 1915–1917. His career record was 58–23–1.[11]

## Later life

Hickman worked as a [scout](/source/Scout_(sport)) for the Cleveland baseball franchise for over a decade.[12] He then became involved in politics and was elected mayor of [Morgantown, West Virginia](/source/Morgantown,_West_Virginia), the home of West Virginia University, three times.[12] He also served as a [magistrate](/source/Magistrate) and [sheriff](/source/Sheriffs_in_the_United_States).[12]

Hickman had married in 1913, and had three children.[5] He was a fan of movies, highlighted by a 1915 newspaper article during the [silent film](/source/Silent_film) era; [Marguerite Clark](/source/Marguerite_Clark) was his favorite actress.[13] Hickman returned to Cleveland for an [old-timers' game](/source/Old-timers'_game) played on July 29, 1921, along with other former Cleveland players such as [Neal Ball](/source/Neal_Ball), [Nap Lajoie](/source/Nap_Lajoie), [Cy Young](/source/Cy_Young), and [Chief Zimmer](/source/Chief_Zimmer).[14]

Hickman died in Morgantown in 1934, apparently from a [heart attack](/source/Heart_attack).[12] His widow, Pearl *née* Taylor, died in 1965.[15]

In 2017, Hickman was inducted to the Sports Hall of Fame at West Virginia University, which noted that he "remains the most prominent player with WVU ties to have played in the major leagues."[16]

## Notes

1. Hickman's date of birth is listed as May 4, 1876, at baseball reference sites such as [Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com) and [Retrosheet](/source/Retrosheet). Other sources, including his draft registration card of September 1918,[17] list his date of birth as March 4, 1876. Newspaper reports about his death in April 1934 noted his age as 58,[18] which is consistent with a March birthday but not a May birthday.

## References

1. ["West Virginia University Baseball Players Who Made it to the Major Leagues"](https://www.baseball-almanac.com/college/west_virginia_university_baseball_players.shtml). *Baseball Almanac*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20040406215753/http://baseball-almanac.com/college/west_virginia_university_baseball_players.shtml) April 6, 2004 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 11, 2012.

1. ["Charlie Hickman Minor Leagues Statistics & History"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hickma004cha). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. Retrieved July 31, 2022.

1. ["Charlie Hickman Stats"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hickmch01.shtml). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. Retrieved July 31, 2022.

1. ["'Cheerful Charley' Hickman About Through With Game"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106720441/cheerful-charley-hickman-about-through/). *[The Evening Star](/source/Evening_Star_(Washington_D.C.))*. July 3, 1911. p. 9. Retrieved August 1, 2022. – via newspapers.com.

1. Husman, John R. ["Charlie Hickman"](https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Charlie-Hickman/). *[Society for American Baseball Research](/source/Society_for_American_Baseball_Research)*. Retrieved July 31, 2022.

1. ["Single-Season Leaders & Records for Errors Committed"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/E_tf_season.shtml). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. Retrieved July 31, 2022.

1. ["St. Louis Browns 11, Washington Senators 6"](https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1905/B09290WS11905.htm). *[Retrosheet](/source/Retrosheet)*. September 29, 1905. Retrieved July 31, 2022.

1. ["Charlie Hickman"](https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/H/Phickc101.htm). *[Retrosheet](/source/Retrosheet)*. Retrieved July 31, 2022.

1. ["Philadelphia Athletics 3, Washington Senators 1"](https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1907/B04290WS11907.htm). *[Retrosheet](/source/Retrosheet)*. April 29, 1907. Retrieved July 31, 2022.

1. ["Philadelphia, 3; Washington, 1."](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106707498/philadelphia-3-washington-1/). *[Rutland Herald](/source/Rutland_Herald)*. April 30, 1907. p. 3. Retrieved July 31, 2022. – via newspapers.com.

1. ["2012 West Virginia Baseball Media Guide"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160315153055/https://issuu.com/wvusportspub/docs/2012-baseball-issuu/115). West Virginia Sports Information. p. 88. Archived from [the original](https://issuu.com/wvusportspub/docs/2012-baseball-issuu/115) on March 15, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2012.

1. ["Charlie Hickman Dies After Winning Career"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106652860/charlie-hickman-dies-after-winning-caree/). *[Buffalo Evening News](/source/Buffalo_Evening_News)*. [AP](/source/Associated_Press). April 21, 1934. p. 30. Retrieved July 31, 2022. – via newspapers.com.

1. ["Charlie Hickman is a Movie Fan"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106721687/charlie-hickman-is-a-movie-fan/). *[Wheeling Intelligencer](/source/Wheeling_Intelligencer)*. April 14, 1915. p. 7. Retrieved August 1, 2022. – via newspapers.com.

1. ["Old Timers Of Baseball In Comeback"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106622713/old-timers-of-baseball-in-comeback/). *[Muncie Evening Press](/source/Muncie_Evening_Press)*. July 30, 1921. p. 6. Retrieved July 30, 2022. – via newspapers.com.

1. ["Mrs. Hickman Passes Away"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106708621/mrs-hickman-passes-away/). *The Evening Standard*. April 8, 1965. p. 1. Retrieved July 31, 2022. – via newspapers.com.

1. ["Charles "Piano Legs" Hickman"](https://wvusports.com/honors/wvu-sports-hall-of-fame/charles-piano-legs-hickman/163). *wvusports.com*. [West Virginia Mountaineers](/source/West_Virginia_Mountaineers). Retrieved July 31, 2022.

1. ["Draft Registration Card"](https://www.fold3.com/image/554868758). [Selective Service System](/source/Selective_Service_System). September 1918. Retrieved July 31, 2022. – via fold3.com.

1. ["Former Big League Star Succumbs in Easy Chair"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106704555/former-big-league-star-succumbs-in-easy/). *[The Indianapolis Star](/source/The_Indianapolis_Star)*. [AP](/source/Associated_Press). April 20, 1934. p. 21. Retrieved July 31, 2022. – via newspapers.com.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Charlie Hickman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Hickman) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Hickman?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.