Mother Watson

{{Short description|American baseball player (1865–1898)}}

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

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Mother Watson

|position=Pitcher

|image=

|bats=Unknown

|throws=Unknown

|birth_date={{birth date|1865|1|27}}

|birth_place=Middleport, Ohio

|death_date={{death date and age|1898|11|23|1865|1|27}}

|death_place=Middleport, Ohio

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=May 19

|debutyear=1887

|debutteam=Cincinnati Reds

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=May 27

|finalyear=1887

|finalteam= Cincinnati Reds

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Games pitched

|stat1value=2

|stat2label=Innings pitched

|stat2value=14

|stat3label=Earned run average

|stat3value=5.79

|teams=

• Cincinnati Reds ({{baseball year|1887}})

}}

Walter L. "Mother" Watson (January 27, 1865 – November 23, 1898) was an American professional baseball player in the mid-1880s. Born in Middleport, Ohio in 1865, he started two games at pitcher for the {{baseball year|1887}} Cincinnati Reds of the American Association. He completed one of his starts, and in 14 innings pitched, he had a 5.79 ERA, and was 0–1. In {{baseball year|1888}}, he played for the Zanesville Kickapoos of the Tri-State League.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=watson001mot|title=Mother Watson|work=baseball-reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|accessdate=6 January 2010}} In November 1898, Watson was shot in an "Election Day" saloon brawl and later died of his injuries at the age of 33.Zanesville, Ohio Times Recorder, November 25, 1898 He is interred at Middleport Hill Cemetery.{{cite web|url=http://www.thedeadballera.com/murders.html|title=Murders|work=www.thedeadballera.com|publisher=TheDeadBallEra|accessdate=6 January 2010}}