Curry Foley

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Curry Foley

|image=Curry Foley cropped.jpg

|position=Outfielder/Pitcher/First baseman

|bats=Left

|throws=Left

|birth_date=January 14, 1856

|birth_place=Milltown, Ireland

|death_date={{death date and age|1898|10|20|1856|1|14}}

|death_place=Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=May 13

|debutyear=1879

|debutteam=Boston Red Caps

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 5

|finalyear=1883

|finalteam=Buffalo Bisons

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.286

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=6

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=128

|stat4label=Win–loss record

|stat4value=27–27

|stat5label=Earned run average

|stat5value=3.54

|stat6label=Strikeouts

|stat6value=127

|teams=

Boston Red Caps ({{Baseball year|1879}}–{{Baseball year|1880}})
Buffalo Bisons ({{Baseball year|1881}}–{{Baseball year|1883}})

|awards=

First major league player to hit for the cycle

}}

Charles Joseph "Curry" Foley (January 16, 1856 – October 20, 1898) was an Irish born professional baseball player who played in the National League (NL) for five seasons from 1879 to 1883. He played as a pitcher, outfielder and first baseman for two teams in the NL; the Boston Red Caps (1879–80) and Buffalo Bisons (1881–83).

Early life

Foley was born Milltown, County Kerry, to Charles Foley (a farmer) and Betsy Gearin.{{cite web|author1=Massachusetts, Death Records, 1841–1915|title=Charles J Foley|url=http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gss=angs-g&new=1&rank=1&gsfn=Charles+Joseph&gsln=Foley&MSAV=1&msbdy=1856&msbpn__ftp=Milltown%2c+Carlow%2c+Ireland&msbpn=843019&msbpn_PInfo=8-%7c0%7c1652381%7c0%7c3250%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c5295%7c843019%7c0%7c&msddy=1898&msdpn__ftp=Boston%2c+Suffolk%2c+Massachusetts%2c+USA&msdpn=4668&msdpn_PInfo=8-%7c0%7c1652393%7c0%7c2%7c3242%7c24%7c0%7c2812%7c4668%7c0%7c&_83004003-n_xcl=f&cp=0&catbucket=rstp&uidh=ao4&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=2848564&recoff=7+8+9+42+43&db=MADeathRecords&indiv=1&ml_rpos=2|website=ancestry.com|publisher=Ancestry.com|accessdate=August 2, 2015|location=Provo, Utah, USA|format=database on-line}} His family emigrated to the United States, arriving in New York City on June 27, 1863.

Baseball career

Foley played in 337 games; 204 in the outfield, 69 as a pitcher, and 54 at first base. He compiled six home runs, 128 RBIs, and a .286 batting average as a batter, and posted a 27–27 win–loss record, 127 strikeouts and a 3.54 ERA as a pitcher in 442 innings pitched.

=First major league cycle=

On May 25, 1882, Foley became the first major league player to officially hit for the cycle.{{cite web |url=http://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/june-14-1876-george-hall-gets-five-hits-it-cycle |title=June 14, 1876: George Hall gets five hits, but is it a cycle? |first=Mike |last=Huber |website=SABR |accessdate=November 20, 2017}} In a game against the Cleveland Blues, Foley hit a home run in the first inning, a triple in the second inning, a single in third inning and a double in the fifth inning. Buffalo Courier, May 26, 1882, page 2{{cite web |url=http://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/may-25-1882-buffalos-curry-foley-completes-first-cycle-major-leagues-grand-slam |title=May 25, 1882: Buffalo's Curry Foley completes first cycle in major leagues with grand slam |first=Mike |last=Huber |website=SABR |accessdate=October 1, 2017}}

Post-baseball life

On October 23, 1883, Foley became a naturalized citizen of the United States.{{cite web|title=Charles J Foley|url=http://interactive.ancestry.com/1629/31191_129627-00450?pid=3568834&backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2f%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fgss%3dangs-g%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26gsfn%3dCharles%2bJoseph%26gsln%3dFoley%26MSAV%3d1%26msbdy%3d1856%26msbpn__ftp%3dMilltown%252c%2bCarlow%252c%2bIreland%26msbpn%3d843019%26msbpn_PInfo%3d8-%257c0%257c1652381%257c0%257c3250%257c0%257c0%257c0%257c5295%257c843019%257c0%257c%26msddy%3d1898%26msdpn__ftp%3dBoston%252c%2bSuffolk%252c%2bMassachusetts%252c%2bUSA%26msdpn%3d4668%26msdpn_PInfo%3d8-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3242%257c24%257c0%257c2812%257c4668%257c0%257c%26_83004003-n_xcl%3df%26cp%3d0%26catbucket%3drstp%26uidh%3dao4%26ti%3d0%26pcat%3dROOT_CATEGORY%26h%3d3568834%26recoff%3d5%2b6%2b7%26db%3dUSnatindex_awap%26indiv%3d1%26ml_rpos%3d9&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true|website=ancestry.com|publisher=U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791–1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project)|accessdate=August 2, 2015}} Foley was working as a laborer, and listed as single when he died in 1898 at the age of 42 in Boston, Massachusetts. His cause of death was cirrhosis of the liver, and he is interred at Mount Cavalry Cemetery in Roslindale, Massachusetts.