Wright, George (1847-1937)

US baseball player. He was one of baseball's pioneers. Born in Yonkers, New York, as a shortstop he was the star player on the famed Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869, baseball's first admittedly professional club, which was managed by his brother Harry Wright. He played in the first seven years of the National League's existence (1876-82), and in 1937 he was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame. On retiring from baseball he formed a sporting goods manufacturing firm, Wright and Ditson.