Daniel J. McClellan

Daniel J. McClellan was born on June 11, 1878, in Norfolk, Virginia. He was the first of Daniel and Margaret McClellan's five children. His father was born in nearby Princess Anne County, and his mother was also a Virginia native. The McClellan family lived on 132 Brewer Street in Norfolk, which in modern times would roughly be located just east of Granby Street and north of East Brambleton Avenue in the Neon District and Young Terrace. , , As early as 1897, McClellan pitched for the Norfolk Red Stockings. On May 24, in a rain-shortened five-inning affair, "the feature was the pitching of Dan McClellan, who struck out nine men." Formed in 1878, the Red Stockings were, by the turn of the century, one of only five professional African-American teams. John McClellan, possibly an older cousin, caught for the team. McClellan can be found in historical records as pitching with the Norfolk Red Stockings through 1899. , , Following his time in his native Norfolk, McClellan became one of the best pitchers during the first decade of the century as Cuban X-Giants owner Edward B. Lamar recruited him sometime in early 1900. McClellan made an immediate impact collecting at least two wins against local Cuban teams on a Cuban-X Giants trip to Havana. , , Remaining with the Cuban X-Giants from 1900 to 1903, from readily available box scores, McClellan went 11-7-1 in 1901, 15-7 in 1902, and 16-8 in 1903. In 1903, McClellan pitched the first perfect game in black baseball history against York, Pennsylvania of the Tri-State League, facing only 27 batters. , , 1904, McClellan joined Rube Foster on the Philadelphia Giants and pitched the club to three straight championships, from 1904 to 1906. McClellan was described as being "head and shoulders above" the rest of the pitchers in the first decade of the 1900's. He was smart and crafted his assortment of off-speed pitches effectively. An all-around ballplayer, McClellan was also a great hitter, usually batting in the heart of the order and playing first base or outfield when not on the mound. , , McClellan stuck with the Philadelphia Giants through 1909-1910 and then return to New York in 1911 to play with the Lincoln Giants and the Smart Set. As his playing days shortened, McClellan extended his baseball career by becoming a highly respected manager. His efforts organized the new Philadelphia Giants in 1923 and their tour through New England and Canada. In 1924, he became the Giants bench manager and in 1925 he managed the Wilmington Potomacs. He would coach other Negro League teams into the 1940s until his baseball retirement. In 1952, he was named a "Dream Team" 1st Team coach and 4th Team player in a Pittsburgh Courier poll of outstanding black baseball players. On March 10, 1962, McClellan died of a heart attack in Philadelphia.