Earl Stuart Blackburn (November 1, 1892 – August 3, 1966) was a right-handed catcher in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Braves, and Chicago Cubs from 1912 to 1917.

Blackburn made his debut with the Pirates on September 17, 1912, appearing in the field but not coming to bat. Strangely, he was traded to the Reds six days later and appeared in one game with Cincinnati before the season ended, walking in his only plate appearance. At age 19 at season's end, Blackburn was one of only nine teenagers to appear in the major leagues that season.

Earl Blackburn

He appeared in 17 more games with Cincinnati in 1913, going 7 for 27 at the plate with three RBI, before being relegated to the minors again. Blackburn resurfaced with Boston in 1915, going 1 for 6 at the plate in three games. Finally in 1916, Blackburn saw substantial major league playing time, hitting .273 in 47 games with the Braves as a backup to Hank Gowdy.

Earl Blackburn

Boston traded Blackburn to the Chicago Cubs in January 1917. He appeared as a pinch-hitter for the Cubs twice early in the season, making his second and last appearance with the team on April 15. A veteran of five major league seasons by the age of 24, Blackburn nevertheless never made it back to the major leagues.

Earl Blackburn

He died on August 3, 1966, in Mansfield, Ohio.

References

Baseball-Reference page

Stats at The Baseball Cube

1892 births

1966 deaths

Major League Baseball catchers

Pittsburgh Pirates players

Cincinnati Reds players

Boston Braves players

Chicago Cubs players

Baseball players from Ohio

Lincoln Tigers players

Indianapolis Indians players

Providence Grays (minor league) players

Kansas City Blues (baseball) players

People from Carroll County, Ohio