Tom Loftus

Thomas Joseph Loftus (November 15, 1856 – April 16, 1910) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He had a brief major-league playing career, appearing as an outfielder in parts of the 1877 and 1883 seasons. As a manager, he led major-league teams in the Union Association, American Association, National League, and American League.

Career
Loftus' playing career began in 1877 with the St. Louis Brown Stockings of the National League, but he only played in nine career games, in 1877 and 1883, as an outfielder.

Loftus' first managerial job came in 1884 with the minor-league Milwaukee Brewers. That team also played 12 games as a replacement team in the short-lived Union Association, compiling an 8–4 record.

Loftus returned to manage the minor-league Brewers in 1885, until their league folded mid-season.

Loftus later took over as manager of the Cleveland Spiders, then known as the Blues, partway through the 1888 season after Jimmy Williams resigned. In 1890, Loftus was hired to manage the Cincinnati Reds, who had recently made the jump from the American Association to the National League. He left baseball after the 1891 season, but in 1900 he came back to manage the Chicago Orphans for two seasons and then the Washington Senators for two seasons.

In each of his managerial stops, Loftus had part ownership of the team. He died in Dubuque, Iowa, at the age of 53.