Loftus, Tom

Tom Loftus (1856-1910) Known for his ability to captain a team in the minor leagues, Loftus played in 9 big-league games over two seasons with the NL St. Louis Brown Stockings (1877) and the AA St. Louis Browns (1883). Loftus was a popular manager in the major leagues and managed nine seasons including Milwaukee Cream City (1884), Cleveland Blues/Spiders (1888-89), Cincinnati Reds (1890-91), Chicago Orphans (1900-01), and as owner-manager of the Washington Senators (1902-3). Loftus was 454-580-21 as a manager. Loftus is co-founder of the Western League with Ted Sullivan in 1885 and the American League with best-friend Charles Comiskey and Ban Johnson in 1889-1900. Loftus was a key member of the 1903 AL-NL Rules and Schedule Committees representing the American League, resulting in the official rules of Major League Baseball. Loftus married Dubuquer Anna Kirk and is buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Key West, Iowa. For more information, see “Tom Loftus: The American Leagues Forgotten Founding Father” and “The Evolution of the American League.”

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