Baseball’s Original Home Run King- Roger Connor
One of the most feared sluggers in the early days of the big leagues, the Hall of Famer had quite the career
Before the days of Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds, baseball relied on small ball — making timely plays and using strategy and incremental gains to win. However, that doesn’t mean there weren’t any power hitters. One of the earliest was strapping first baseman Roger Connor, who terrorized opposing pitchers during an 18-year big-league career (1880–1897). Needless to say, starring during the infancy of the professional game, he had a lot of fond memories after his playing days were over.
At 6'3" and 220 pounds, Connor was a giant during his time. One of 11 children of Irish immigrants, he left school at the age of 12 to work with his father in the Waterbury, Connecticut brass works to help support the family. Before he embarked on his professional baseball career, he made a living driving a wagon for a bakery. However, his size and ability to wallop the ball made him stand out as an appealing prospect for ball teams.
Connor was a switch-hitting, left-handed thrower. That didn’t stop him from starting his career as a third baseman. His real skill set was hitting, as he not only hit them long but was also a skilled hitter who won a…
