1888 N172 Old Judge #232-2 Charles Hoover Chicago SGC 1.5

1888 N172 Old Judge #232-2 Charles Hoover Chicago SGC 1.5

Catcher Charlie Hoover debuted with the Kansas City Cowboys in the American Association on October 9, 1888, one month after he turned 23. “Hoover made his debut behind [Henry] Porter and did well in the field,” wrote the Kansas City Times, despite two errors against one assist. Described as 170 pounds and 5 feet 9 inches in the San Francisco Call in 1891, Hoover was a right-handed throwing, left-handed hitting catcher. According to his prison record, he had black hair, brown eyes and a dark complexion. His major league career ended just one season after his debut, not because of a lack of talent, but a lack of discipline and a fondness for the bottle. He played his last season of professional baseball in 1895. Four years later, Hoover was in prison. Pardoned in 1902, he wandered south to Louisiana where he played for an independent club organized by former Southern League player Sham Meyers in Shreveport. The fate of Charles Hoover had been unknown until 2020, and evidence suggests he died in Shreveport, Louisiana, on February 27, 1905, at the age of 39.