George Darby (baseball)

{{Short description|American baseball player (1869–1937)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=George Darby

|position=Pitcher

|image=

|bats=Left

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1869|2|6}}

|birth_place=Kansas City, Missouri

|death_date={{death date and age|1937|2|25|1869|2|6}}

|death_place=Sacramento, California

|debutleague=MLB

|debutdate=April 28

|debutyear=1893

|debutteam=Cincinnati Reds

|finalleague=MLB

|finaldate=May 19

|finalyear=1893

|finalteam=Cincinnati Reds

|statleague=MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=1–1

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=7.76

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=6

|teams=

• Cincinnati Reds ({{mlby|1893}})

}}

George William Darby (February 5, 1869 – February 25, 1937) was a professional baseball player. He was a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of the National League in 1893.

Darby pitched what would be his final Major League game on May 19, 1893.{{cite web |title=George Darby Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/darbyge01.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=6 February 2024 |language=en}} In the words of The Cincinnati Post, he was "simply slaughtered" by the Cleveland Spiders who "took kindly to his pitching."{{cite news |title=Tacky Darby Was an Easy Mark for the Spiders |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-post-tacky-darby-was-an-e/140385900/ |access-date=6 February 2024 |work=The Cincinnati Post |date=20 May 1893 |pages=7}} He was notified of his release within two days.{{cite news |title=Holiday's Muff |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-post-holidays-muff/140386241/ |access-date=6 February 2024 |work=The Cincinnati Post |date=22 May 1893 |pages=3}}

Darby continued to pitch in the minors through the 1898 season.{{cite web |title=George Darby Minor Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=darby-001geo |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=6 February 2024 |language=en}} While pitching for the Spokane team in the Pacific Northwest League in May 1898, Darby threw a perfect game.{{cite news |title=None to Reach First |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tacoma-daily-ledger-none-to-reach-fi/140386919/ |access-date=6 February 2024 |work=The Tacoma Daily Ledger |date=27 May 1898 |pages=8}}